This gorgeous 18k white gold and diamond butterfly hand ring flew into the store this morning. Timid about hand jewelry? This is an easy way to test the waters. It’s delicate and whimsical, and so on-trend right now!
Need proof? Check out one of Van Cleef’s new butterfly rings and Blake Lively stepping out in a sumptuous Valentino butterfly trench below!
We just got back from the year’s biggest jewelry show in Las Vegas, where we stock up on baubles that come in from now until Christmas. When we say big, we mean BIG. Designers come from all over the world, bringing their best and brightest every June for us to find and deliver home to you.
The overall trend that we couldn’t get enough of this year was about getting back to basics. Pieces with rough, organic stones that look like they were freshly hewn from Mother Earth, finished prettily with diamonds, create the perfect blend of earthy, polished, and wearable. Here are our four favorite stone trends from this year’s show:
1. Blue Opal
Any which way you looked at the JCK show this year, you saw blue opals. And it’s no wonder as to why- these dreamy, marbled blue beauties left our jaws on the floor. When light hits these stones, the play of color creates a kaleidoscopic effect that will grab your attention and won’t let go.
2. Diamond Slices
Initially disregarded for their coloring or having inclusions, diamonds that were once considered undesirable have had new life breathed into them by designers. Slicing these rough, uncut stones allows you to see the fascinating pattern of inclusions while maintaining the original shape of the stone, allowing us to appreciate the inherent natural beauty of these stones.
3. Geodes
You might not believe in the power of crystals, but you will believe that geodes are the perfect accessory when you see some of the stunners we brought home. The jagged, organic beauty of the geodes, which are then rimmed in diamonds, are boho chic personified.
4. Ugly Pearls
We call them ugly, but ugly they are not. Designers are severely deviating from the traditional round pearl and we couldn’t be more pleased. Gnarled, twisted, and absolutely gorgeous, “ugly” pearls are downright funky. This is a pearl as nature intended, a wild beauty that celebrates life’s imperfections.
We were SO excited when Elizabeth at Wardrobe Therapy approached us about including jewelry in a shoot for the next issue of Capital Style. We had a great time pulling together big, bold looks for spring; looks to take you from work to play and beyond that will seriously up your accessory game. And the best part? The pieces they used were the perfect mix of high and low price points, so you can recreate these looks and stay in your budget.
The shoot took place last week at the Angela Meleca Gallery, a stunning new space downtown with beautiful contemporary art- do yourself a favor and check it out. Stay tuned for behind the scenes pictures and detailed information on each look when the magazine comes out in early May!
Did you happen to catch 60 Minutes this past Sunday? They profiled a group of jewel thieves dubbed the Pink Panthers, who are responsible for more than 370 heists and nabbing more than $500 million worth of jewels… and they’re raising the stakes every year. Click the link to see the story.
A Midwest scrap dealer stumbled upon the find of a life time at a flea market- one of the eight missing imperial Fabergé eggs made by famed designer Carl Fabergé, worth an estimated $33 million. The gold ridged egg has one diamond and contains a clock. It stands on a yellow gold lion-foot pedestal set with three sapphires that are topped with rose diamond-set bows.
The Imperial Fabergé Egg, found at a Midwestern flea market, is valued at $33 million.
The man bought the egg for $14,000 and hoped to quickly turn it around and sell it for $15,000. He thought he could sell it for more than the gold value because it had a Vacheron Constantin clock in it, but no one was interested in what he had to sell.
The Third Imperial Egg with a Vacheron Constantin timepiece.
So he turned to Google… and what popped up? An article on the eight missing Imperial Faberge eggs and a picture of his egg. With a picture of his find, he went to a London antiques dealer, who flew to the states to verify the remarkable find. The egg was sitting on his kitchen counter next to a cupcake.
The Fabergé Egg, next to a cupcake.
Of the 50 Imperial Easter eggs designed by Fabergé, 42 were accounted for. Of the missing eight, only three were believed to have escaped Russia… and this is one of them. The egg was a gift from Russian emperor Alexander III to Empress Maria Feodorovna on Easter in 1887. During the Russian Revolution, the egg was seized by the Bolsheviks, who had a policy of selling treasure. It’s last known whereabouts were in 1964, when it was sold at an auction house in New York City. How it made its way to a flea market in the midwest, we may never know.
The Third Imperial Fabergé Easter Egg displayed among Marie Feodorovna’s Fabergé treasures in the Von Dervis Mansion Exhibition, St. Petersburg, March 1902 .
The egg will be on exhibited for the first time in 112 years in London next month.
The first weekend in March, we hit the JA New York show to freshen up our cases for spring. It was a great trip- we avoided the predicted winter storm, the show had beautiful pieces that gave us tons of new ideas for our customers, and we got to have some fun too. Some of the highlights from the show that are coming soon to Star:
-edgy, statement making oxidized silver and champagne diamond cage rings
-mismatched initial studs to give you the perfectly done but undone look
-an elegant micropave diamond X cuff
-glamorous yellow gold earrings with bold new colors and stones, wrapped in diamonds
-adorable enamel baby bangles
-unforgettable, one-of-a-kind designer pieces and much, much more
We’re so excited about these new pieces. They’re the perfect way to update your wardrobe for spring- come in and try them on before they’re gone!
Introducing #transformationtuesday, where we showcase some of the amazing custom pieces we are working on. Here, we took a diamond flower earring that was missing its mate and turned it into a trendy midi ring. If you have pieces you don’t like or don’t wear, bring them in and let us transform it for you!
It’s not often that men come in looking for jewelry for themselves. Think cufflinks, wedding bands, and watches. Sure, the tie bars all over the red carpet are sophisticated and stylish, but the trend isn’t as big in Columbus yet. (But for those daring and dapper men who’d like to try the ones we’ve ordered, check out GQ’s tie bar bible here!)
Red carpet aside, there is one piece of bling that Americans (and foreign heads of state) recognize as a symbol of success: the Super Bowl Ring, which symbolizes the pinnacle of American athleticism and victory, including the hard work, sacrifice and glory that comes with it. Here’s a deeper look at what goes into the making of one of these rings.
The NFL covers the cost of 70 rings at $5,000 a piece for the winning team, but the team usually spends far more on them. Minneapolis-based Jostens collaborates with leaders from the winning team to design and produce the handmade rings.
Made of yellow gold, white gold, or platinum, they usually feature the team’s name and logo and the Super Bowl number. They often have “football-shaped” or Marquise diamonds to represent the Vince Lombardi trophy. The Marquise cut is named for the Marquise of Pompadour, for whom King Louis XIV of France allegedly had a stone fashioned to resemble what he considered her perfectly shaped mouth. Not only is the shape ideal for these rings, but because it has one of the largest crown surface areas of any diamond shape, it has the appearance of being a bigger stone, which adds to the heft of these rings.
While the average man wears a size 10 1/2, the average ring size of a professional athlete is 13 or 14. The biggest Super Bowl ring ever made was for Super Bowl XX champ William “Refrigerator” Perry of the Chicago Bears. He wore a size 25. 25!!! You could pass a half-dollar coin through his ring!
Last year’s champs, the Baltimore Ravens, designed an 80g white gold ring with 245 diamonds. The Ravens’ logo is outlined with 40 round brilliant cut diamonds perched atop a custom-cut amethyst. A yellow gold “B” sits nestled in the logo, and the bird’s eye is red enamel. The two Marquise diamonds represent their total Super Bowl wins.
For a look at all of the previous Super Bowl rings, head over to Sports Illustrated’s gallery, and for some “ring lore”, be sure to check out these interesting articles (click here and here) about lost, found and sold rings. It will be a treat to see the winning team’s design- how will they outbling the previous rings?
Brand new in the store this week is our newest line of adorable, hand-beaded roll on bracelets. They traveled here all the way from Nepal, where they are handmade in the Kathmandu Valley by local women artisans. Part of the business focus of the company is to pay the women who handcraft these bracelets more than a fair wage, so they can improve their lives and the lives of their families. They are able to work from home so they can be near to their families while earning a living that supports them.
No two bracelets are alike. The line’s founder, Laura, calls each bracelet “a little piece of artwork.” Laura settled in Nepal after earning a degree in art history in 1996, and developed a love of clothing and accessory design. When she saw the delicate, hand-crocheted bracelets her Nepali friends were making, she decided to devote her time to helping these women to earn a living with their beautiful beadwork.
They outsource the beads from other countries in Asia so that they are constantly using top-quality materials. Bead by bead, these bracelets are hand-crocheted in every color and design imaginable. Because they roll on, they can fit on every wrist. We’re already thinking spring, so we asked for myriad colors: pastels, corals, turquoise, whites, neons, and metallics. They match everything, and look good alone, cozied up against your watch, or stacked with other bracelets.
Try and pick just one.. we dare you!
The one bad thing about them? It’s so, so hard to choose just one, and if you’re anything like us, you won’t be able to stop there. That’s OK- each bracelet is $14 and you can snag 3 for $35.
When we went to pull out our Valentine’s Day decorations, we realized the tacky tinsel had to go. So with the mercury dropping due to an incoming polar vortex, we got busy crafting over the weekend. It was the perfect time to hunker down and get creative (sorry, Netflix), so we decided to make always-blooming Valentine’s flowers and a sweet-as-candy cutout garland. We’ll walk you through our adorable DIY projects so you can make them too!
Cupcake Liner Flowers
You’ll Need:
-cupcake liners
-pipe cleaners
-scissors
-paper straws (optional)
Step 1: Take 8 cupcake liners and pull the edges out and flatten them.
Step 2: Using scissors, *carefully* poke two small holes through the wrappers and feed the pipe cleaner up through one hole. Pull it down through the other hole and tightly wind the extra pipe cleaner around the stem.
Step 3: Starting with the top cupcake liner, begin pinching and twisting the layers so they look like petals. Repeat with each liner.
Step 4: Feed the pipe cleaner through the straw for a sturdier stem. This step is optional, but the straws look better and it will keep the flower standing upright.
We put the flowers in vases filled with Valentine’s Day candy, but feel free to get creative with your display!
Cut-Out Paper Garland
You’ll Need:
-asorted plain and printed paper and cardstock
-4 in. doilies
-scissors
-pen
-needle and thread (we used embroidery floss but pulled it apart)
Step 1: Using the doily as a stencil, trace an outline onto the paper.
Step 2: Cut around the outline of the doily. Repeat until you have as many cutouts as you need- keep in mind they’re 4 inches across.
Step 3: Thread needle.
Step 4: Mixing and matching the different papers, sew them together until your garland is your desired length. Hang and enjoy!
We had a great time revamping the decorations for the store, so stop in for a visit and see our updated digs!
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