2015! I'm back...

Hello all and a Happy New Year to you. I'm sorry that I've been AWOL for some time. We ran way to get married and we've had a pretty tough time of it in the months following, and then of course... Christmas! So I can only apologise and hope that you can forgive the huge gap. 

Our wedding day was perfect. In every possible way (well, I wasn't blown away by my dress, but that happens) and we had an amazing time. We got married in San Francisco and I wouldn't change a thing; we smiled and laughed so much. I will share my wedding jewellery with you later in this post [I've realised that I'm missing photos, so I will show you another time]. 

What else has happened? I think my little sister had just had little R when I was last here; he's now 6 months old and the most beautiful little person. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are here from Aus at the moment with their little people - T1 who is 3 years and T2 who is 7 months. They are a joy to be around and Christmas was fun because they were around. 

Anyway, none of that is jewellery related, so I must move on. One of my resolutions for 2015 is to sell at least ONE vintage ring this year. I hope that I can do that. The amount of things that I need to concentrate on this year is a little overwhelming, but I hope I can make it through. As I type I should be essay writing, but that'll have to wait! 

Look, I've come all this way and still no lovely pictures of jewellery... I'm still as obsessed as ever. I ordered a ring on Friday night that I will show you when it arrives. There's every chance that it won't fit, as it comes in limited sizes, but I'm hoping that if that's the case then it will make the perfect midi-ring. Here's hoping! 

SALES! They've been everywhere. I've had my eye on a few jewellery sales, mostly the Astley Clarke one, of course. I have been oh-so-tempted on a number of occasions, but we had such a heavy Christmas that I've had to hold back. 

Here are some of the things to have tempted me... 

Dinny Hall's Tear drop earrings in sterling silver. £85, now £45. These are sadly sold out, otherwise I think I would have bought these. I don't own any DH but I'd love to correct that in 2015. 

DH's Tear drop necklace in rose gold. £130, now £90. This piece was exclusive to AC. There's something quite lovely about these drops, they are a really nice size/shape. 

AC's hematite Symphony ring. £165, now £95. I love hematite. I've loved it since I was a kid. The cut on this stone is also my favourite. So what's not to love?! 

Alex Monroe's Pomegranate necklace. £180, now £125. This is one of my favourite AM necklaces and I was hoping to find it in my Christmas stocking this year [I didn't]. If I could afford it right now, I'd love to bag it at this reduced price. Alas, it's not meant to be at the moment. I love the garnets; nothing else could look more like pomegranate seeds. Just look at them! Beautiful. 

Marian Maurer's 18 carat cold and champagne diamond Orpheus ring. £1, 795, now £1, 250. There are so many things right about this ring. I love MM, I love rose gold, I am obsessed with champagne diamonds, and I love these bubble-style diamond rings. I think I'd rather they were different shades of champagne diamond, rather than champagne and white, but this ring is still utterly beautiful. 

There are lots of other lovely things to be had but I don't want to swamp you with my first post, there are other things to look at! 

Alexis Dove is also having a sale. Here are some of my favourites... 

This is an absolute bargain at £85, down from £250. I would have bought it in a heartbeat, but it's not in my size. Helios ring. One of my favourite bits about Alexis' designs is her beading and this ring shows that off really well. 

I have two of AD's wild rose rings and I adore them. I'm wearing them right now in fact. The large one is in the sale [I have tiny and small]. They vary in price depending on finish, but they start at £75. 

Here are mine... 

Up next is the love potion necklace. I'd not seen this before the sale, so it might be a limited piece? It's very sweet and something else that I'd have bought if I had funds. The hand engraved 'love' is quite lovely. £75 from £125. 

Finally, the stacking ring set. £60 from £100. I make it no secret that mixed metals are my thing. These flowers are very simple and three of Alexis' rings for £60 is an absolute bargain. 

I was going to show you my wedding jewellery, but I realise that I am missing decent photos of the two things that my husband gave me on our wedding day, so I'll take photos of those and show you next time. 

I didn't get any jewellery for Christmas this year (!!!) and I didn't buy myself any, which I usually would, but I did buy a necklace for my Ma. I got her a Merci Maman necklace in sterling silver [the only photo I could find of it was the gold one] and I got my two brothers' initials put on the circle charm, mine and my sister's two initials on the star charm, and my dad's initial and a 'x' put on the heart charm. The quality of these products is so good. I was impressed with the one I got my sister and this one too. The engraving is done by hand, which is what made me purchase both necklaces. It's hard to find places that don't all use standard fonts, which I guess are engraved by machine. The hand writing detail is very sweet. It also helps that the packaging is lovely. 

I think that'll do for today. I hope you've forgiven me for my absence. I'll keep you updated on the e-shop, as and when it comes, and various other things that I hope will happen this year. 

Thanks for reading! 

L. 

John Lewis - my picks of new and vintage

Hola, lovely jewellery lovers. Happy Mother's Day to all the mums out there. I hope you've had a smashing day. I certainly have :) 

Today I have decided to have a look at and share my picks from John Lewis online. I decided to do this when looking on the website for new baby gifts for my little sister. 

John Lewis has two jewellery sections; jewellery, and VINTAGE jewellery. You know how much I love vintage, so this is going to be fun. I'll start in the "new" jewellery section and end on vintage. There are an astounding 3,447 pieces to look at, just in the "new" section, so let's get started...! 

[note - I've posted about John Lewis items before and I'm not going to repeat myself - please check out my tags for other desirable items from JL].

Necklaces: 

1. Astley Clarke Colour // 18 carat gold vermeil multiple disc long necklace // £195  
2. Alex Monroe // 22 carat gold plated lolite baby bluebell pendant necklace // £108. 
2. Kojis // Graduated freshwater pearl necklace in white and pink // £350. 
3. Jou Jou // Rose quartz and silver ball double strand necklace // £49.50. 


Bracelets: 

1. Auren // 22 carat gold vermeil hexagonal gemstone bracelet // £69. 
2. Orelia // gold tone metal and and cubic zirconia arrow bangle // £18. 
3. Finesse // rose gold plated Pom Pom bangle // £55. 

Earrings: 

1. London Road // 9 carat rose gold moonstone bubble studs // £175. 
2. London Road // 9 carat rose quartz and pearl Burlington drop earrings // £330. 

Ring:

1. A B Davis // 9 carat gold flexi ring, slim // £85. 

VINTAGE:: 

Sharon Mills // 9 carat gold ruby and cultured pearl cocktail ring // £485. Just look at this vintage beauty. Yes it's "out there", yes it's extravagant, but what else do you need from a cocktail ring? This is one to wear on special occasions with that black cocktail dress. 

Alice Joseph Vintage // 1980s Grosse gilt filigree glass stone clip on earrings // £140. The detailing in these 1980s beauties is just superb. The green glass appears to have a marble and opalescent look to it. I particularly like the twisted rope-type part that goes around the outside of each earring. 

Alice Joseph Vintage // 1980s Yves Saint Laurent pink Swarovski crystal clip on earrings // £300. How I long for these YSL earrings to hang from my ears. I've had my eye on these for a while but I just cannot afford them, they are just utter perfection. Sigh. 

Eclectica // 1960s gold plated enamel bangle // £115. I can't make up my mind whether the enamelling looks like peacock feathers, koi scales, or something else, but whatever they look like, the enamelling is stunning. It has a Japanese feel about it, do you think?

Susan Caplan // 1950s gold plated seagrass collar necklace // £95. As far as collars go, this one is one of the best. Described as seagrass, this collar is unusual and very much a statement piece. Classic. 

Eclectica // 1980s Monet gold plated elephant brooch // £65. How adorable is this elephant and pearl brooch?! I am really starting to enjoy brooches and John Lewis has a fabulous selection, most of which are vintage. This one is my favourite of the lot & I think it's the pearl that I like so much, along with the little "bell" under his belly. 

Alice Joseph Vintage // 1990s Elizabeth Taylor for Avon gilt rose brooch // £185. This brooch is over the top and I think it's brilliant. It is the epitome of Avon in the 90s and it's spectacular. Worn on a black coat, this would stand out beautifully. 

Eclectica // 1980s miracle gold plated dagger brooch // £60. When I look at this it reminds me of the Guerlain loose kohl powders [I'll add a photo] which makes me love it even more. If only it opened and had a secret something inside. This looks luxurious and special. 

There we have it folks, all my favourites from John Lewis online. I could have picked a few more, but I wanted to be semi-selective. I think there are some proper treasures here and maybe something for everyone [although my tastes are definitely on the more eccentric end of the scale]. 

I hope you've all had a lovely Sunday and that your week follows suit. 

Thanks for reading, 

L. x

Mother's day - gift ideas

Mother's Day is just around the corner [Sunday March 30th, in the UK] and jewellery is always a nice gift. So here are some things that I think would make the perfect token of your appreciation. 

To make things a little more interesting I'm putting my gift selections into categories; Splurge, pocket money, high street, personalised, and pre-loved. Remember, it's not the amount of money you spend on gifts, it's picking the one thing that you know will suit who you're buying for because you know that someone and you know what they will like. 

Let's go... 

SPLURGE: 

Goldoni Heart Earrings // Tiffany & Co // Paloma Picasso // £405 - I think these little stud earrings are just beautiful; made from 18k rose gold, I think they are the right balance between sophisticated and sweet. 

Slightly less of a splurge, but still very luxurious, here are the same earrings in sterling silver - £165. 

Astley Clarke Red spinel heart friendship bracelet // Liberty // Astley Clarke // £225 - Who better to give a friendship bracelet to than your mum?? This bracelet is perfect for stacking and is just beautifully thoughtful. 

POCKET MONEY: 

Budding Blossom sterling silver stud earrings // John Lewis // Kit Heath // £30. I think that these are an absolute steal at £30. They have the "two tone" look that I so often go for and they are very, very cute [yet grown up]. Aren't they fab??

Hugs and kisses [XO] sterling silver necklace // Accessories online // Dogeared // £42.95. Remind you Mum of all the love she has for you and you for her by gifting her a hugs and kisses necklace. Delicate, and subtle. 

HIGH STREET: 

Small heart daisy necklace // John Lewis // Alex Monroe // £135. If you leave your gift buying until the last minute & the high street is the only option for you, then John Lewis could be your saviour. This beautiful offering from Alex Monroe is the perfect gift, in my opinion. 

Sterling silver twisted drop earrings // Marks and Spencer // £19.50. I have seen these earrings myself [and purchased them as a gift] and they are very petite, and pretty and for £19.50 they are such good value, making them a perfect high street recommendation. 

PERSONALISED:

Milestone medium & tiny personalised necklace // Scarlett Jewellery // £79. Scarlett jewellery is one of my favourites. Her Mojo beads are personal and utterly charming. This necklace is made from actual cast pebbles and can be personalised with a message, name, initials, or even a date. Go on, give something uber special. As with most personalised items, things can be changed on this necklace; for example, the small pebble can be changed to a gold pebble. 

Silver initial heart charm bracelet // NOTHS.com // Hurley Burley // £29+ [additional charms cost more]. I need a representative from the bracelet club so here is a wonderful bangle from Not on the high street. You can add as many charms as you need, so why not add one for each of your siblings or your Dad? 

PRE-LOVED:

For pre-loved bargains you might get the best deal by scouring antique shops, charity shops, eBay, etc. However, these pieces are from my favourite Etsy seller, based in London - Addy. 

Vintage diamond and sapphire gold ring // £390. Such a beautiful example of what you can buy vintage. I would snap this up if it was in my size. The sapphire, the flower halo, the two tone metals... agh, utter perfection. 

Edwardian chalcedony drop earrings in yellow gold // £395. Just. Beautiful. 

These examples are both on the pricier side, so here is something more affordable but still amazing. 

Antique garnet and rose gold ring, circa 1880s // £125. 

There you have it, lots of lovely things to choose from - from higher cost, to lower cost, from new to old, from silver to gold. The latter items are pricey, but look at what you're getting - history, precious metals, gemstones, good quality products. 

So, what are you getting for your Mum for Mother's day? Let me know and comment. 

Thanks for reading, 

L. x

March = Aquamarine

Happy Saturday. Boy I am happy the weekend is here. Let's get going... 

Birthstones. We've all got one. Mine is peridot. The birthstone for March [March, we are in you] is the beautiful Aquamarine. Aquamarine translates as "water of the sea" in Latin and is the blue variety of the gemstone beryl. Yes, beryl. Siblings with such other beauties as emerald and morganite [morganite = swoon].  

Here's a fact from good ol' Wikipedia >> 

Sadly I don't own any aquamarine jewellery [yet] so I can't show you any of mine. However, I will show you some lovely aquamarine pieces from around the t'internet. Where should we begin? Gemstones... hmm.. Astley Clarke, of course! Gemstone jewellery at its... finest?! Let the search begin! 

Of course AC has not let me down, look at this beauty - Aquamarine Cocktail ring by Astley Clarke Tearoom. £2,450. Not only does it have a halo [which of course I love*] but it has a beautiful basket and it gives a good amount of finger coverage. It is made from white gold and has 4.46 carats of aquamarine; what a great example of how beautiful this gemstone can be. 

* My engagement ring is a sapphire halo. 

For something much less showy, but even more beautiful, AC has this stunning milky aquamarine ring by Astley Clarke Couture. £2,750. This would be my pick from the aquamarine on the AC website. I think it's the bezel against the milky stone that does it for me. It's very low profile so it would be great for every day wear. 

We can't look at rings all day, can we? Let's see what else we can find to showcase this beautiful stone. Maybe Tiffany & Co can offer us something? 

I am not disappointed, folks. Look at these amazingly petite but beautiful Elsa Peretti, Colour by the yard, aquamarine stud earrings. Sterling silver, .12 total carat weight. £360. 

Up next we have these 'oui' earrings from Dior. They match their famous 'oui' ring, which also comes in aquamarine, but I thought these were a less obvious choice. I have searched and searched but I cannot find a price for these, sorry. They are white gold. The basket, holding the aquamarines, is made up of the word 'oui'. Very sweet! 

It's all been a bit pricey recently, so let me look for something a little more affordable...

This very pretty aquamarine birthstone bracelet from NOTHS.com, by Between you & I, is a lovely way to proudly wear your birthstone. It's £39, made from sterling silver, and is made with 4mm aquamarine beads. 

Of course it wouldn't be my blog without a mention of Alex Monroe. Here is his aquamarine 8mm Hoya ring in 18ct yellow gold. The Hoya is one of my favourite pieces from AM and one day I *will* own the 8mm morganite. £945. It is so refreshing to see some aquamarine set in yellow gold as it is almost always set in white gold or silver. I guess its icy tone lends itself well to the coolness of those metals. 

I was going to end it there but in my travels I found a lovely ring [sorry that there have been so many rings in this post] on net-a-porter and I couldn't not share it. 

I adore flower clusters, but at £4,000 this one is currently out of budget. 

22 karat gold, 6 carat total weight of aquamarine, the petals actually rotate, and it is just beautiful. Made by Munnu The Gem Palace. 

There's lots of lovely aquamarine out there, so go and take a look. Do you have a friend or relative with a birthday in March? Did you get married in March? Mother's Day is coming up. Or you could just celebrate that it's the weekend. 

Enjoy your Sunday & you might even hear from me again tomorrow. 

I ordered my first ever Birch Box today. Get me! If you don't know what a Birch Box is, please go and have a look - they send you various cosmetics samples each month as well as how-to guides and the such. I'll update you when I receive mine. My Erica Weiner wedding band was also dispatched today, so I'm hoping to have that within the next few weeks. 

I'm off to watch Life of Pi.

Thanks for reading, 

L. x