Tagged: jewelry

February 15, 2013

Jewelry Designer Hates Valentines Day?

I stood silent on Valentine’s day because I hate to be anyone’s buzz kill. But now that the day is over, here comes the catharsis:

I’d like to think I’m not the bah humbug type–I love Christmas, Chanukah, Chinese New Year, Passover, Thanksgiving and birthdays; but that’s where I draw the line. Halloween, New Years Eve, Valentine’s Day–in my opinion, are all for amateurs. Sure, I will don a costume on Halloween for friend’s party but if you think I’m going anywhere near a parade or club you’ve clearly mistaken me for someone with a death wish. Avoiding Times Square on NYE for fear of a bombing might sound very Woody Allen but I think it’s just good common sense. God forbid something should happen, but if it does, Woody and I will be shaking our heads over a pastrami sandwich murmuring the dreaded “we told you so.”

Which brings me to Valentine’s Day–a jewelry designer’s dream right? Not so much. I have no idea what turned me off of Valentine’s Day. Jewelry Tyrant Father used to give me jewelry every year on the day and I loved it! Now that I’m in the jewelry industry myself I think people are terrified to gift me jewelry–but that’s a whole other issue and has nothing to do with why I dislike the holiday. I think my distaste comes from it being a day of forced affection and gifting. As a result, every store has pink and red paper hearts in the window and we are bombarded with clichéd advertisement after lame advertisement. All the amateurs go out in full force hawking cheap jewelry, generic roses, boxers with hearts on them and every other kitschy thing you can possibly associate with love. Restaurants all have set menus that fall short of their normal fare and one can hardly ever get a decent meal on the day. Not to mention the fact that if you’ve been one 2 dates with someone, one of you is expecting to spend Valentine’s Day together and the other thinks it’s too soon and then it’s just awkward tidings from that point forward. Valentine’s Day is Kmart’s dream and my nightmare.

This is the part where I contradict myself: I love the fact that Jewelry Tyrant Father still gives Tiger Bobby jewelry for Valentine’s day. He spent months sourcing the perfect stones, designing the ring and having our artisans perfect it. That is how to give a Valentine’s Day gift–it’s never an after thought with him. Unfortunately, Tiger Bobby left dinner reservations until last-minute and so they ended up ordering take out at home but that is so typical of my dysfunctional parents and super charming in its own way.

Jean & Alex, yellow and white diamond bespoke ring.

As for me, last year I came home on January 14th and found a gorgeous bouquet of flowers waiting for me with a note saying, “Happy Valentine’s Day” from my Immigrant Husband. He had gotten the dates confused–I guess they don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day in Italy. As a result, I had a perfectly lovely surprise in the middle of January. This year, IH gave me my V-day pressie 4 days early because he couldn’t wait until the day and told me that I was getting flowers on the 15th because he came to pick me up at the airport straight from work. Again, super cute and I could care less if I get a necklace on the actual day or a few days earlier. Last week, I got a package in the mail from Bestie with 3 rings spelling out “JZP” and a note, “Happy Whatever Day.” Awesome, I felt super loved. Then it dawned on me–I don’t like enforced celebrations of love and affection because people do things out of obligation. A random expression of love is a joy and means so much to the giver and the receiver; whereas nothing feels more contrived and generic to me than the masses going through the synchronized expressions of love on Valentines Day. However, the one thing I absolutely adore seeing is women buying things (specifically jewelry) for themselves on Valentine’s Day. That is hardly ever contrived or generic. It says to me that she doesn’t care whether she is single or not–she loves herself. Let other people slather you with random acts of love the other days of the year, on Valentine’s Day love yourself.

Tataborello earrings; similar ones here, necklace here.

Big Kiss and Bigger Diamonds,

JZP

December 18, 2012

Hoop Earrings: Friend or Foe?

Have you ever seen a woman whose hoop earrings make her look suspiciously like a swashbuckler? Hoop earrings are a precarious piece of jewelry–it’s very easy to get it wrong and look dated or trashy. When hoops are too small or too large they can really impact a look for the worse. So how can one determine what size and type of hoop earrings look best?

Size

I don’t see the point in mini-hoop earrings; they are so meek, I often wonder why the wearer doesn’t just opt for studs. The only thing worse than the mini-hoop is the non-committal hoop–it’s as if the wearer set out to make a statement and then couldn’t muster up the courage at the last-minute to see it through. Furthermore, non-committal hoops are the most unflattering thing one can wear. They hit at the widest part of one’s face and makes everyone look like they have the jaw line of Conan O’Brian as a result. I must also mention the shoulder-grazing hoop in the list of blunders–I have yet to see a sophisticated rendition. The following are examples of how not to wear hoops:

All examples of less than perfect execution of the hoop earring–they are all either totally underwhelming or alarmingly obnoxious. Note how the non-committal size of the hoops in the photo in the top left corner accentuate the squareness of her jaw.

So what is the ideal size then for hoops? It depends on the size of your face, angle of your jaw and the length of your neck. A good guideline to follow is: longer than your jaw line; and no bigger than your fist, or at least two inches from your shoulder. Hoops within that size range are the most flattering and give you ample leeway to experiment. When worn correctly, a good hoop earring should highlight your jaw line without making it look like the widest part of your face. Here are some examples of hoop earrings executed properly:

On Hoops and Chins

Because hoops draw the most attention to the space within the circle, if you have a less than taught neck, I would avoid fist-size hoops and go for ones that hit just below your jaw. If Alfred Hitchcock asked me what kind of hoops he should wear, I would probably try to steer him clear of them altogether–if one does not have a jaw line to speak of, hoops are terribly unflattering.

The traditional large round hoop earring is quite a young look but I think women of any age can get away with it them as long as their chins are holding up. Younger girls can experiment with embellishments and edgier styles whereas women of a certain age should experiment with non-circular shapes. Keep in mind that hoops are not very corporate so if you work in a buttoned-up environment, you may want to rethink before you wear them to work.

Michael Kors, rose gold-tone earrings; available here.

Finn, 18k Gatsby earrings; available here.

If your chin(s) leaves something to be desired, fret not–you don’t have to settle for a life of boring earrings. Round hoops might not be a good choice but other hoops might still work! The roundness of the hoops draws attention to roundness and makes everything look slack but angular shapes taper and helps one’s jowls defy gravity (or at least look that way). The trick is to look for angular or pointed shapes–triangles are your best friend.

Lana Blake, 14k gold earrings; available here.

Rachel Roy, triangle hoop earrings; available here.

Point of clarification with respect to size–My comments above are limited only to hoop earrings. I do not take issue with small pendant earrings–the ones that have a small loop of some sort with a dangling pendant hooked onto the loop–those are ear pendants and are thus, exempt from my disdain. Furthermore, the addition of the pendant adds length and thus detracts from the unflattering qualities of small or non-committal hoops. Similarly, huge shoulder grazing earrings (not hoops) can be fabulous and make a grand gesture on older women regardless of the state of their chins but all that is fodder for another post. . .

Big Kiss and Bigger Diamonds,

JZP

October 17, 2012

Highbrow Lowbrow: The Gold Chain Necklace

I pity the fool who has never experienced a bout of jewelry-induced arthritis. Fortunately for us all, jewelry is one thing we can supersize guilt-free. Massive hunks of gold chains have been keeping wispy little things grounded at Fashion Weeks the world over this year and have provided proof that the appeal of a gold chain necklace extends much further than the Jersey Shore. Methinks it’s time to revive the gold chain necklace.

Celine gold chain necklace. Photo: Harpers Bazaar

Under $5,000

David Yurman, hammered chain necklace, available here. Photo: David Yurman

Under $700

St. John Collection, crystal encrusted chain necklace, available here. Photo: Nordstrom

Aurelie Bidermann, braided chain necklace, available here. Photo: Barneys.com

Under $300

Baublebar, soleil stripe chains, available here. Photo: Baublebar

Janis Savitt, gold crystal chain necklace, available here. Photo: Thomas Laine

Under $200

Fallon, gold double chain necklace with pyramind, available here. Photo: Barneys.com

Under $100

Baublebar, single roll strand, available here. Photo: Baublebar

Fool-proofing note: when attempting the gold chain necklace, go for dramatic sizes; added embellishments and pops of color. This look is meant to be exaggerated, anything less and the irony is lost.

Big Kiss and Bigger Diamonds,

JZP

October 10, 2012

Accessorizing a Collared Shirt

Collared shirts present a necklace conundrum. Yes, the status quo of a dainty gold necklace or strand of pears will always work, but once we wander into the territory of bib necklaces, statement necklaces and their ilk, it becomes murky territory indeed. I often find that necklaces that work with collared shirts need to be short and close against the neck (14 inches roughly), any longer and it clutters the neckline (see photo 1).

What to do then if you have a longer necklace that you absolutely adore and want to pair with a collared shirt? Wear it under the collar rather than against your skin (see photo 2) to achieve desired embellishment without sacrificing clean lines.

Big Kiss and Bigger Diamonds,
JZP

April 16, 2012

Tiffany’s RUBEDO, a New Precious Metal or Marketing Ploy?

I know I am going to get a slap on the wrist for this post. It is never wise as a fledgling to offend the Gods, but alas, I am opinionated and I shall write what I believe. I’ll be damned if I let possible sponsorship or advertising opportunities dictate the content of my blog. Now. . .

Tiffany & Co. introduced a new metal in February of this year called RUBEDO. The name comes from the medieval philosophy of alchemy, it was the title given for the very highest achievement. According to the Tiffany’s press release, such a title was given, “when matter and spirit fused to create something of rare beauty.” What is the metal in reality? It is a mixture of gold, silver and copper. Those of us who have been following the prices of precious metals know that the price of gold has been astronomical lately. However, combine a little bit of gold with cheaper metals of silver and copper and BAM! suddenly you’ve made your costs much lower. Surprising though that jewelry made out of RUBEDO is priced so high regardless. So this begs the question, is this just a clever way for Tiffany’s to lower its costs and increase revenue?

Tiffanys RUBEDO, a New Precious Metal or Marketing Ploy? — Tiffany 1837™ interlocking circles bangle in silver and RUBEDO. Retails at $4,200. WHAT are you smoking?!?!?!

Methinks it is. If there is one thing Tiffany’s has perfected is its marketing. The company has managed to parlay its little blue box into massive sales of cutesy silver trinkets at ~~rip-off~~ very high margins. It is dollar-for-dollar the most expensive paper box you could ever buy. The jewelry? Meh.

The metal itself is quite pretty, the color is just slightly deeper than the color of rose gold but given the price point and the rather ~~boring~~ conservative designs of the pieces made of RUBEDO, I will have to give it a pass. No swoons from me here. If this RUBEDO thing works for Tiffany’s, I am going to commission my own team of metallurgists to invent a metal called STARK-RAVING-MENTAL and I’m going to make a bagillion bucks too.

Big Kiss and Bigger Diamonds,

JZP

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