Sunday on Monday

Good evening. We had a beautiful day yesterday. It was 23 degrees in Sussex and everyone was out and about. We took a lovely trip into Lewes, East Sussex and had a look around the antique shops. We grabbed some lunch and listened to a man with a lute. Just when I thought it couldn't be more perfect, I stumbled across a stunning ring in an antique shop. I have what I refer to as sausage fingers. They are very long, but they are also big; I have big hands so even when I lose weight not much comes off my fingers [finger lipo, anyone?] so I was amazed to find something so close to what I've been looking for and in my size. I wanted to show you yesterday but with all the excitement my iPhone battery died and I was sans photographs until now. The guy in the shop thinks it's from the 1950s. It might not be that old, but I love it. I'm scared to get it appraised incase they say it's from 2001 or something, but it does have markings on the inside so I may do one day.

There were lots of lovely pieces of jewellery in the antique shops and I was recommended a jewellery auction which is held locally, which I'd love to check out one day. I also stopped off at Silverado which stocks lots of my favourite designers such as Alex Monroe, Alexis Dove, Dogeared, Dinny Hall, Monica Vinader, and more. Amazing stuff. I'd already bought my ring at this point otherwise I certainly could have been tempted by a new Alex Monroe necklace or bracelet! 

Here are some photos for you...

[Lunch]

[Lemon cake] 

[The Alexis Dove rings I went out wearing]

[The stunning 9 carat gold & Turquoise antique ring] 

[The ring on my jewellery stand]

[The windows at Silverado] 

[Lewes street art] 

Great, huh? The mezze and the Sicilian lemon cake were both amazing. The wild rose rings are from Alexis Dove and were a birthday present. The tiny one in yellow gold vermeil and the small in silver. Isn't my new ring amazing! And some fab displays from the windows in Silverado. 

Antique shops will be scoured more thoroughly from now. I've eagerly looked before but I now have the bug. Please comment and tell me about your antique shop finds. 

I'm going to say g'night, I think. I've had a tough day at work and no chance to discover anything new. I need to get on with doing some research this week into jewellery making / silversmithing courses.

Thanks for reading,

L. x

Edited to add: my new ring has some beautiful heart engravings down the arms but it's too dark to take such detailed pictures so I'll have to add those later. Coming soon! 

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 

Howdy - Happy Thursday

Evening to all. I don't have long to go as it's only 45 minutes to bedtime but I thought it would be nice to say hello before I go. My day at work was cray-cray busy but I got through it and it's almost the weekend. 

I went for a classic look today by wearing my Tiffany & Co pearl stud earrings, and here is me today... 

And here is Lord Fox-a-lot, my fox necklace from Alex Monroe. 

This is what he looks like when not being photographed by an amateur on an iPhone... 

Isn't he gorgeous?! That reminds me. If you like foxy jewellery, which I do, then Alexis Dove makes an awesome fox ring which I am yet to get my hands on, but I hope to one day. 

What have I seen today that I like? A-ha, I did a search for "California necklace" earlier. I love California, it is special to me, so I would like to have that love hanging around my neck at some point. This is what Google came back with: 

The California necklace by Kris Nations. I was tempted to buy the silver one, but it says that it is "silver overlay". What does this mean? Silver plated brass, perhaps? No thank you. If it was solid sterling silver then I'd be very, very tempted. Anyway, it's a lovely design and comes in cute packaging - $42. 

I am watching a bit of Gossip Girl as I type. I'm really behind and only on season 4. The fiance is napping on the sofa, and the cat is napping on the armchair. In my head I'm swanning around like Blair in New York, buying up Louis Vuitton totes, Hermes scarves, and Tiffany & Co diamonds by the yard. Alas, I am here but I've got lots of online sparkly things to look at, so life is not bad at all. 

I guess that's it for tonight, it was only supposed to be a quickie. I'll come back soon with something more substantial. 

Thanks for reading, 

L. x

update: 

I forgot to add that this morning, on my way to work, I came across an amazing thing... the Chanel Candy necklace! I used to love these candy sweets as a kid, and I've never had the urge to buy anything Chanel monogrammed but this collection has me smitten. From what I can gather, it comes out in August, but here is a sneak-peak... 

Free People - new discovery

Good morning! I've got the day off work today because we're going to the O2 Arena tonight for a good ol' fashioned concert. I've spent the morning listening to Rumours by Fleetwood Mac on vinyl and eating scrambled egg and avocado for breakfast. You could say I am winning, and you'd be right. 

That reminds me, before I get into the reason I'm actually writing this post today, that I added a necklace to the wish list last night... 

Heartbeats by Erica Weiner. It's new and it's 100% me. You can pick various lyrics but of course I want the Fleetwood Mac one. 

Back to the reason I've suddenly had to blog... 

I was just reading on BuzzFeed that Urban Outfitters have reported less of a profit than usual and in that article they mention that they have another store within their ring of brands, and it's called Free People. I may well be behind the times, but I've not seen this company before. Of course the first thing I did was to check out their jewellery section on the website and I am impressed! They actually have fine jewellery [hoorah] instead of just 'not forever' jewellery. So here are some of my favourite picks... [warning, this one is going to have a lot of pictures!]... 

Bhanda stone bracelet // by Adorn // £58 // available in pink or turquoise. I actually cannot pick between the two. I LOVE turquoise [I've mentioned it once or twice before] and I thought "bah, I probably won't like the pink" just as I clicked on the link, but the pink is ALSO beautiful and it turns out that it's made from pink opal. Here they both are... 

What's next...?

Tell me about it cuff // by Nashelle // £128 // available in 'forever' or 'amore'. These are gold fill and made in the US. There are a million + 1 cuffs out there, but there is something quite sweet about this one. I think it might be the pinched ends? 

Loved ring // by Nora Kogan // £128 // available in sterling silver. Yikes, this is pretty expensive for sterling silver, but I had to post it because it's a ring that I've had my eye on for a while but I've only seen it on American sites. It's nice that this website has some lovely American designers. This has a message on side especially for the wearer. Very cute! 

This one made my heart skip a beat. Erica Weiner. IN ENGLAND! I'm still waiting for my Erica Weiner wedding ring to get to me all the way from America, so it's nice to see that she's selling some things over here too - it makes the process a lot quicker! This is one of my favourites. I think I'd have snapped it up already if it came in my size and I only found it 10 minutes ago! 

Herkimer diamond solitaire // by Erica Weiner // £88 !!!! // sterling silver. SWOON. 

Tribal princess hoop // by Studio Lil // £98 // 18K gold plate on sterling silver. These beauties are made in Israel. I've noticed quite a lot of nice jewellery coming out of Israel lately. I got a lovely lace bolero for my wedding from Israel too. I love unusual earrings and these fit the bill. Fit for a princess. 

Making shapes bracelet // by Marida // £48 // 14K gold filled and made in California. I have a personal Pinterest board of geometric shapes. I like things that are shape...y. This bracelet is just wonderful. 

Here comes another absolute GEM from Erica Weiner... 

Gypsy Spark ring // by Erica Weiner // £325 // 14K gold ring with .03 carat diamond. I'm seriously going to have to freeze my bank card in a block of ice. This one has me itching to make a purchase. I wonder if this one can be re-sized... available with black diamond or white diamond. I'd usually prefer the black diamonds but I think the white is stunning. Look at those carved bits! As always with EW jewellery, there's a little story behind the design of this one, so please check out the link. 

Well, I was going to end it there but I thought I'd have another quick look through in case I missed anything and... CATBIRD! They have Catbird! I can see that I'll be stalking Free People a lot. They have this lovely, delicate chain ring which sounds pretty odd but looks really pretty on... 

Tiny gold chain ring // by Catbird // £58 // 14K solid gold // made in New York. 

Right, well, you've heard far too much from me for so early in the morning so I'll leave you for now. I'm listening to Jagwar Ma's album Howlin and looking forward to some Japanese food later at Wagamama. YUM. I'll also be checking out the rest of the Free People website in case they have other amazing bits & bobs. 

Thanks for reading, 

L. 

Cat jewellery

HAPPY MONDAY! 

Please excuse my lack of posts over the weekend, I was out with a migraine. Boo. 

I have a list of things I really, really like. On that list you'll find things like scented candles, scatter cushions, jewellery, scarves, handbags, leather accessories, cosmetics, and perfumes. At the top of that list you'll also find cats and cat-things. My cat ring is dear to me, despite it costing only £16, hence the photograph of it in my profile. I like it because it's subtle, which enables me to wear it daily. My own cat is family to me and who doesn't love cat salt & pepper shakers, cat t-shirts, cat cushions... cat earrings!? Not everyone, you say? Oh... well I do, so here are some of my favourite cat-inspired jewellery pieces.

Silver cat necklace by Katstudio on Etsy. I love its simplicity which is perfect for everyday wear. Yours for £14.12, what a bargain! 

This one is a little pricier at £207.44, but it is made from 14K gold and diamonds! The baby kitten necklace by MichelleChangJewellery, also on Etsy. Subtle but slightly glitzy, this necklace has made its way on to my wish list. Purrrrfection in a necklace [gettit??]. It also comes in white gold, and silver, and cheaper options are available without the diamond eyes for about £35. 

Michelle Chang has so many things in her shop that I've had my eye on for a while, she has snake rings, skull bracelets, and more. One day... 

Next up is the Kitty Cat ring with blue sapphire eyes by Yayoi Forest, via Catbird NYC. Made from 14K rose gold, set with sapphires, and hand made in Brooklyn, New York. $320. Petite and beautiful. 

Another beautiful piece from Catbird is the Choupette necklace in rose gold by Hortense. I've tried to bring myself to blog about the matching earrings but they are SO expensive and sold as individuals, which is really odd to me. I almost bought them before realising that the price was for one! This necklace is more reasonable at $298. 

Here's a cheeky link to my very own cat ring. 

The vintage kitten bangle from Alexis Dove is next. I know, I know, I should be able to write a post without mentioning Alexis or Alex Monroe, but they are my favourites! I have the vintage kitten on a necklace, but as I've already featured some necklaces today, here she is on a bangle. If you're anything like me, then you love a bangle. £90 in sterling silver. 

I can't post the vintage kitten without the vintage cat mum to follow! [prices are based on a 17" chain, also comes in 18" and 21"] Yellow or rose vermeil - £125 and polished silver £100 and for an extra £10 you can have an initial engraved on the base. 

Sterling silver cat ring from Tatty Devine £35 [reduced from £85]. In small, medium, and large. 

And finally, why wouldn't you want a cat hanging from some yarn, around your neck? WHY? Look at this little gem, from Les Nereides. Tout Beau Tout Doux necklace. 105 Euros. [Tout Beau Tout Doux means all beautiful fluffy in French - heart melt]. Made from silk, pearls, rhinestones, and more. Just so. darn. cute. 

That's it for tonight, folks. I need to get some beauty sleep. I did make a purchase this week though that I can't wait to share with you, so I will be back this week when the lighting is a bit better and I can take some good photos. 

Goodnight. Thanks for reading, 

L. x

Mr Gingerbread man - foodie necklace

I thought I'd keep it short today, so here is the necklace that I wore to work. It's one of my favourites and I actually won it from Alex Monroe in a Twitter competition. Here is a link so that you can buy one of your very own [£180] >> LINK and here is the description from Alex Monroe >> 

Yes, you read that correctly, he has 5 black diamonds for eyes and buttons. Cute, huh? He comes in silver or gold vermeil. Finally, here are a couple of my own photographs [the one of me wearing it is from today - please excuse my uniform] and there is also one of Mr Gingerbread man riding his Alex Monroe bicycle! I'll tell you all about the bicycle next time I wear it. 

Do you have any food-inspired jewellery? If so, please comment. If not, please say hi anyway. 

'night folks. 

Thanks for reading. 

L. x

My top ten stud earrings for under £100.

Good evening folks. It's Wednesday [I thought it was Thursday for a second - ouch!] and this evening's blog is My top ten stud earrings for under £100. For this mission I am going to use some of my favourite retailers [i.e. the links will not be to the e-shops of the designers]. Let's go...! 

1. Silver forget-me-not earrings by Alex Monroe, from Astley Clarke. £78 [£96 in 18 carat gold vermeil]. I love how dainty they are and I also really like nature-inspired jewellery. Pretty. 

2. Silver bunny stud earrings by Alexis Dove, from Silverado. £48. Cute as a button! What's not to love? Bunnies... silver... jewellery - check! 

3. Gold and ruby dot stud earrings by Embers, from Notonthehighstreet.com. £34.75. I really like the warmth of the ruby in the yellow gold, it's such a great combination. The natural texture of the gold is also a lovely selling point. 

4. Trillion cut stud earrings in labradorite by Amrapali for Dinny Hall, from John Lewis. £75. Trillion cut labradorite? THAT, my friends, is why these made the list. Such a fabulous cut and something from Dinny Hall had to make it. 

5. Astrid studs in black garnet by Katie Diamond, from Catbird NYC. $150 [£90]. Look how pointy they are! Oooo. 

6. Copper circle earrings by Lovely Pigeon, from Hannah Zakari. £18. These are made from brushed copper and formica with silver plated posts. On the cheaper side of the scale but I think they're just lovely. 

7. Turquoise sonatina earrings by Astley Clarke Colour, from Astley Clarke. £75. Turquoise is one of my favourite stones and here it is set in 18 carat yellow gold vermeil. A brilliant way to add colour to your day. 

8. Herkimer diamond solitaire studs from [and by] Erica Weiner. $110 [£65]. As with all Erica Weiner jewellery there is a story that goes with these, so please go to the website and check them out. I think these are wonderful; I have a thing for "rough" stones. 

9. This one is another one that comes straight from the designer's website because I can't find a retailer that stocks this particular brand - Alison Macleod. They were too cute to not include. Just like little pearl studs. £32. 

10. Lastly, I have Pink floral earrings by Les Nereides, from ASOS. £34 [currently on sale from £59]. Les Nereides is one of my favourite "not forever" designers. Their pieces are made from plated brass, and to me that means that they won't last [boooo] which is a shame because their stuff is just amazingly beautiful. Anyway, enough of my rambling, you want to see the studs! 

So there we have it, 10 beautiful pairs of stud earrings. Which ones are your favourites? Please comment below. 

Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of the week, everyone! 

L. x

p.s. Today I wore my Alexis Dove belle hook earrings, my mushroom necklace from Alex Monroe, my engagement ring, cat ring, 3 x silver rings, and a classic gold Casio watch. That's all folks.