Fabergé jewellery - eggcellent!

Until today I had not paid much attention to Fabergé, to be honest. Of course I've heard of them and I've seen things in the windows of antique shops and jewellery shops, but I envisioned them as a little.... dated, perhaps?

But today I saw something that made my heart race [and made it straight on to my wish list]. A rose gold Fabergé egg necklace pendant. This one... [£2,073]. 

Isn't it spectacular? I can even be engraved with a message, which looks really nice. Of course this got me looking around the rest of the website and there are some rather lovely things to look at. Here are my favourites [all of the pendant come without a necklace/bracelet and this can be purchased separately]... 

1. Palais Tsarskoye Selo Turquoise Charm. £2,665. 

Isn't this charm pretty?! It is from the Heritage Collection and is made from 18 karat yellow gold with turquoise guilloché enamel. 

2. Boris Red Cufflinks. £2,600. 

Although I have absolutely no use for them, I have a bit of a thing for cufflinks at the moment. These ones are stunning. Made from 18 karat gold, cherry red guilloché enamel, and 0.08 carats of white diamonds. So, so beautiful. 

3. Palais Yelagin Forest Green earrings. £16,000.  

These come in a few colours but I like these ones (yellow gold, diamond, and Forest Green enamel) and the next ones (white gold, diamond, and Royal Blue enamel). 

4. Palais Yelagin Royal Blue Earrings. £11,846. 

5. Palais Tsarkoye Selo Turquoise Diamond Locket Pendant. £14,000. 

This pendant is super-cute and fun. It is made from 18 karat yellow gold, turquoise enamel, and 0.47 carats of white diamond (60 diamonds on total). Isn't it beautiful? 

6. Zenya Emerald Egg Pendant. £28,135. 

This pendant isn't exactly to my taste, but it shows the skill of the craftsmen at Fabergé, because the stones are so beautifully placed. It has 366 round white diamonds, and 203 round emeralds, totalling 2.49 carats, and 2.77 carats. It comes in an all-diamond version which has 567 diamonds, totalling 5.8 carats of diamond! 

7. Treillage Diamond Rose Gold Matt Ring. £2,400. 

I can't explore a jewellery designer without taking a look at their rings, obviously. I like the matt finish that Fabergé offer on their rings and the subtle 'quilting' which matches some of the eggs in their collection. This one is the thinner of two band widths on offer. 

8. Devotion Amethyst 6.55cts Ring. £15,000. 

Again, this isn't entirely to my taste but it has a couple of details that I adore. It has a mighty fine cushion cut amethyst which is just beautiful. I love the shape of the claws and the fact that the ring has a couple of dual-tone parts, like the claws and the side-diamond bezel, which I love. 

There is a 'story of Fabergé' link HERE so you can have a read about the company and where is has come from. Take a look at the jewellery and please share your favourite piece in the comments below. 

I hope you've enjoyed this introduction to Fabergé as much as I have enjoyed writing it. 

L. x 

Etsy engagement rings for everyone...

Rings are an obsession of mine [had you noticed?] and I love to look at them and show people them and browse websites such as Etsy at them... Etsy has something for everyone. Or at least I think it does. If you're looking for an engagement ring for that special someone, or if you're just looking for inspiration for yourself (go you!) or a gift for someone else, keep on reading. Hopefully you'll see something you love. 

For the lover of all things vintage: 

Buying vintage is slightly trickier because you have to find something the right size (+/- 1 size, perhaps). This ring is perfection; just look at it! If you take a photo like this one to a jewellers, they can recreate the vintage look. 

This platinum art deco ring is drool-worthy. The price of this ring will get you a pretty diamond on the high-street but I think this is 100x prettier and the style has already proven itself. 

This old European cut, gold and platinum daisy ring is so very pretty. 

This art deco sapphire ring is the perfect combination of gemstone, halo, dual stone, two tone metal, bezel set centre stone and vintage beauty.

 

Another pearl stunner for you with this ring. 

For the budget-conscious bride-to-be: 

Rings do not have to be expensive. My husband's wedding ring is made from sterling silver because in the end, that's what he liked the best. This ring is less than £10 and is lovely. 

White topaz is a great option if you want low-cost white stones and topaz is really special. This dainty ring is around the £100 mark, showing that not all engagement rings need to cost the earth. 

Of course diamonds are still an option if you have less than £200 to spend and you don't have to settle with beauties like this available to you.

 

For the woman who wants conflict free stones or eco-friendly metals:

This ring is perfect if you don't want to wear a rock on your finger. This "stone" is carved from eco-friendly sterling silver and is perfect for the alternative bride-to-be. 

This amazingly beautiful ring is on my favourites list and is made from conflict-free moissanite and recycled rose gold. Just look at that setting! I love it. 

This stunning, rose cut black diamond is conflict free. Who wouldn't want this on their finger? 

For the one who likes 'different': 

This is one of my all-time favourite Etsy rings and I absolutely adore it. I love the simplicity of the bezel-set centre stone and the six beautiful surrounding stones. It comes in white, yellow, and rose gold. 

This stunning opal ring makes quite the statement. It's warm, it's stunning, and it would look amazing on anyone's finger. 

This simple princess cut diamond ring is amazing. It would suit the daintiest of fingers. 

This ring is as different as it gets and is on my favourites list - isn't it amazing?! 

For the boho-at-heart: 

This turquoise ring is just beautiful and is so dainty that it can be stacked [see second photo]. 

This solitaire with leaf detail ring is close to nature and close to my heart - I like rings that replicate vines and branches [Alex Monroe is very good at this] and the way that this one incorporates a stone is very clever. 

Moonstones - aren't they special? I'm drawn to them and I'd happily have this one on my ring finger. 

For the woman who doesn't want diamonds (they exist):

Sapphires are a natural choice for those who don't want a diamond for their centre stone. This trio of sapphires is modern and classic at the same time. The gold is recycled too.  

Pearls are a great alternative, although they are soft, so you do have to be very careful with them. This ring is stunning, and quite the statement piece. It's cheating a little bit because there are some diamonds, but they are minimal... 

Morganite is my favourite stone and this example is beautiful! LOOK!

For the modern bride: 

This .5 carat, bezel set round brilliant diamond ring is clean, modern, and very eye-catching. 

A rose cut pear RED diamond. Yes, red diamond. This ring is very modern looking. 

This looks like a ring from the future because it's so darn modern. I love how simple and sleek it is. 

For the one who doesn't want a solitaire:

This beautiful pearl and diamond band ring is just stunning, in yellow, white, and rose gold. I have this one saved, just in case! LOVE it. The diamonds are also conflict free - my engagement ring is conflict free and I personally think that's very important.  

This rose gold band is anything but plain; made from recycled gold, it is eco-friendly AND stunning. Sign me up! 

This is technically an eternity ring, but I know brides who didn't want a centre stone and this is a brilliant alternative - stones all the way around! 

 

So there we have it, some wonderful options for you without going down the "simple solitaire" route. Unless that's what you want, then of course, go for it - they can be amazing too! 

If I had £1,000 to spend on jewellery right now…

If I had £1,000 to spend on jewellery right now, what would I pick? Hmmm... tricky one. 

This is a blog post that I've had in my drafts for a while because this is not an easy question. What would I pick, right now, for £1,000? I don't think it would be very interesting to just pick one item because it would be a pretty short answer [it would be Alex Monroe's 8mm Hoya ring in morganite - see, quick!]. So let me have a think... 

1. A gold scalloped button bracelet by Lindsay Pearson - £197. Solid gold and very, very cute. This charming bracelet has been on my wish list for a number of years. £803 left... 

2. This heartbeats necklace by Erica Weiner. Thunder only happens when it's raining. Fleetwood Mac and jewellery, in the same thing? YES. £37 / £766 remaining. 

3. This vintage Chanel gold medallion necklace. £625. Every jewellery fanatic should own a classic Chanel piece and I think this one is wonderful. This leaves me with £141. 

4. These opal teardrop studs by Alexis Russell. £136. I am a little obsessed with opal at the moment and I think that these studs are perfect. I love the simplicity of the claw and the beautiful cut of the teardrop. Magnificent. That leaves me with £5... 

5. With a whole £5 to spare, I think I'll spend it on something fun like a friendship bracelet. I like them and wear one or two at any given time. Here is a nice looking one from Etsy for less than £5, leaving me with some change for a boiled sweet. 

So there we have it; five items for less than £1,000. I'm good! 

I hope you've seen something that you like. G'night. 

Oh, wait, here's the 8mm Hoya, just in case you're interested... #swoon. 

L. x 

New items for sale! - TVB Trinket Box.

I know I've already blogged today, but I've just added my second item of jewellery to my brand new Etsy shop and I wanted to tell you all about them both. 

Here they are...

The first is a Victorian elephant hair and gold ring, which I think is beautiful. I'd have kept it myself if it wasn't too small. It's a UK M/N. It's unusual to see one with a pearl on it & I've got no way of finding out what type of pearl it is at the moment, but either way I think it's a lovely ring. 

The second, and actually the first thing I ever bought to go in my shop, is this 1970s gold and diamond ring. It has 9 little sparklers and some amazing engraving on the sides. The diamond settings are very worn, but it all looks secure and just makes it look well-loved. I hope it will make someone very happy soon. Also a size M/N. 

I also have some other bits and bobs in my shop, such as vintage buttons, buckles, chinaware, and other such things. I have some vintage greetings cards on their way to me and I'm hoping they will be in the shop before the end of this week. 

Oh the joys of being a shop owner - I'm loving it. I hope that in the next five years it'll be a bricks and mortar shop. Exciting times. 

Digby & Iona - my favourites

Happy Sunday! The weekend is here, the daffodils are starting to show their faces, and the sun is trying to peek out from behind the clouds. We went rummaging around antique shops yesterday to find goods for my new Etsy shop - The Velveteen Box [Trinket Box], we also had a hot chocolate and a sausage roll and it was a lovely day. 

But enough about all of that, I am here today to share one of my favourite jewellery houses with you [I did mention them back in 201]... Digby and Iona. One of my wedding rings is from D&I and I just love their quirky style. Here are some of my favourite pieces... 

The Ambro .70ct. 
This stunning example of a watermelon tourmaline speaks directly to my heart. I am hoping that 2015 is the year that I own a watermelon tourmaline and it may be in the shape of this ring, who knows? This ring is made from 18k rose gold and has D&I's wonderful wave engraving on the band. Perfection. $1330. 

Here's a sneaky picture of another one of D&I's watermelon tourmalines, this time an aqua coloured version...

Convict love token necklace. This charming necklace is exactly that - charming. It can be personalised with your and your partner's initials, which I think is just lovely. It is made from oxidised bronze and comes on a rope [I'm not too keen on the rope - I'd put it on a chain]. As with most of D&I's designs, there's a lovely history to accompany it. $190 with initials, $150 without. 

Ouroboros signet ring. Anyone who knows me knows that mixed metals are my thing. I've been mixing my metals since a time when it was not considered the done thing and items like this signet ring make me happy. The snake also helps. Snake jewellery is wonderful. The signet ring is made from sterling silver and the snake is solid 14k rose gold that has been inset. It's a pretty big, statement piece, but I think it's beautiful. $280. 

Mens wave band. We discovered, when shopping for The Husband's wedding ring, that it is surprisingly difficult to find interesting bands for men. There are trays upon trays of plain bands, with absolutely no character and seeing something like this band from D&I makes me smile. I think it would make a perfect wedding band. $920. 

Battle diagram ring. Another one for the men; the battle diagram ring. I think it's very interesting and again, would make a lovely wedding band. Sterling silver. $150. 

Boat wave studs. These lovely little studs match the above rings perfectly. $360. 

There we have it, some beautiful pieces from this lovely brand. Perfect if you're looking for that vintage sailor look. 

Until next time, folks... 

L. x