Why Are Pearls Associated With Summer?

 I don't know about you but when anyone mentions pearls I always think of Audrey Hepburn, Coco Chanel and Summer!!!

Coco Chanel and Serge Lifa, the principal dancer of Diaghilev's Ballet Russes during his final years 

in the late 1920's

The first two are self explanatory, but why Summer?

Here are my thoughts (and they are just my humble thoughts).

i) it's the gemstone of the month of June, and it is also the gemstone favoured by brides (which also seems to be in the Summer months).

Baroque Pearl Earrings 

ii) Pearls are automatically associated with the ocean (as pearls are harvested from clams) thereby creating visions of beachside luxury.

Whether you are frolicking in St.Barts or in the Med, pearls always add some laidback luxe to a Summer wardrobe.

Gold Pearl Rings here

iii) Pearls have a natural iridescence and lustrous glow that mimics the shimmering qualities of Summer sunlight. Their smooth, reflective surface adds a touch of elegance and radiance to any outfit (any season). 

They are also known for their timeless beauty; they can be paired with a t'shirt and jeans, party attire and of course wedding outfits.

iv) Pearls also have a rich history in many cultures. For example in ancient Rome, pearls were associated with the goddess Venus, who was linked to love and beauty (hence the connection weddings and bridal accessories).

Having said all of the above, pearls can really be worn and enjoyed whenever and however you feel fit. 

There are no hard and fast rules for how you should wear your pearls. Ultimately it is all about personal style and expression.

Long pearl dangle earrings here

So there you have it. My humble thoughts on why pearls are the epitome of Summer.

Are you a pearl girl? Is it your go-to gemstone?

Do let me know if you are a "pearly-Queen" in the comments.

Hairbands Are Having Their Moment

 Well, if you watched last weekends Coronation, one thing you would have seen was this.

I don't know about you but I absolutely loved this, especially the mini-me version on Princess Charlotte.

BUT can you wear headbands and hair accessories over 40, and for every day rather than just weddings and events?

I am going to say a resounding YES!!! Let me explain why.

I use headbands quite a lot just to keep my hair back, in-between cuts or even in-between washes if truth be told.

I think for every day a thin headband can really look lovely and pull your outfit together, if your other accessories are more minimal.

gold head-band here

I have heard it said that more structured designs rather than floppy are better as you get older. I don't agree however. Scarves as headbands give a really lovely boho vibe.

My biz mentor/crush HollyTucker MBE (and the founder of Not On The High Street), wears the most amazing head accessories and they are nearly always fabric. 

I wish I knew how to tie a scarf like here. Her hair accessories and colours always make me feel so happy.

Holly Tucker

As said, headbands can just be a great way to keep longer hair tidy and can subsequently become your signature look.

Silver Fern Headband Here

Chrysanthemum Gold Headband Here

One person who wears her head-bands like a Queen is the fashion stylist and influencer Tamera Beardsley She is proof that you can wear a hairband at any age and look incredible. There is nothing juvenile about the way she wears her hairbands. She owns it!!!

Ring here

So there you have it, my "humble" take on hairbands/headbands.

Tell me below, are you a headband fan?

Might you consider it now, if never before? 

As always I love to hear from you in the comments

Until next time

xxxxx

p.s If you want to see my full range of hairbands, just pop here.

Justify Your Investment Buys

 

OK. Are you sitting down?  To really appreciate the long-term value of jewellery, or any investment buy I always look at the cost per wear; whether I am buying a cashmere jumper, jewellery....whatever, this is how I calculate the true cost of the investment based on wearing a piece per year. As people move away from fast-fashion and more people think about what ends up in land-fills, more and more people are buying products that last. So this is how I justify my investment buys. I've based my calculations on maybe wearing a piece every day, once a week or twice a week for a year-just to give you an idea of how you can do the calculation whenever you do this for yourself. I hope it helps. FIORENZA: A modern and bold twisted torque bangle. This is a piece that will bring exciting originality to your outfit with its slick and elegant style. see here BIBI: Stunning hand-crafted daisy drop earrings. What's not to love? see here Mimi: Delicate Mimosa buds on this gorgeous wrap around bangle. The perfect wardrobe refresh this Spring. see here CELINE: I'm forecasting joy whatever the weather with this gorgeous Chrysanthemum statement ring (each petal crafted and cast by hand). see here So there you have it. A tip on how to calculate the cost per wear of any investment piece you buy. The days of fast fashion are vanishing quickly (you can tell by how many companies did not run Black Friday sales last year, many of which sent out messages explaining why). So I hope this little tip helps you buy better, which ends up cheaper in the long run. Sending love as always. xxxxxx

How To Buy Jewellery For Others This Christmas Season.

 As we come into gifting season, there may be women in your life that you would love to buy jewellery for; your partner, your sister, your mother, your BFF.......the list goes on. But sometimes it it tricky to buy for someone else. 

Here's some pointers that may help you establish what jewellery style your recipient may have.

First up is the floral and delicate style similar to Emily Blunt perhaps?

Floral Chrysanthemum ring here.     Sunflower pendant here.   Floral hair adornments here

Floral Collection here

Like Emily Blunt the jewellery style is one of florals; not necessarily delicate but must have petals or be nature-inspired.

They may wear delicate petal pieces, but they also may wear one floral statement piece. 

They are not necessarily hung up about the size but more about the floral details.

Next up is the 'hoop lover'.

Like JLo, if she is going to wear hoops, she wants everyone to see them. 

But they don't have to be the typical plain hoop. This recipient loves a re-work of a classic. Let's face it you can't have a bad day with a good hoop! (just saying ;-)

Rose thorn hoops here     Big hoops here.   Statement hoops here

Hoop Collection here

OK so the next recipient you may need to buy for is the 'colour lover' aka Anna Wintour.

Leaf earrings here  Turquoise statement cuff here    Stacking bangles here

Colour Collection here

Anna Wintour is proof you can wear colour and still look classic. 

She always wears vintage  Riviere necklaces in a multitude of colours irrespective of  her outfit, day or night; proof that you don't need to shy away from colour to be classic. You can still do coloured baubles without looking like a Christmas tree ;-)

Next up we have the wearer who loves to layer and load.......as much as possible. 

In fact they may be easier to buy for because you know they will just add it to everything else they are wearing at the time. You won't have to try and match the piece for them.

Matador charm necklace here      Stacking rings here.   Stacking bangles here

Finally we have the person who just wants big and bold aka Beyonce!

This wearer is the opposite of Rita Ora above; they prefer to just wear one stand out piece and let that piece do the talking.

Silver and wood bangle here.     Twisted bangle here.     Statement collar here

So there you have it. 

Some jewellery styles which I hope will make buying jewellery for other people (or even yourself) a little easier.

Serotonin Boosters

 I am reading this fab book at the moment, called Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee.

Initially when I bought it, I thought it was a mind-set book, but in fact it is more about just seeing the beauty where you are, and how you can improve/change that.

One of the things the author talks about is the impact of colour.

"............it was clear that the liveliest places and objects all have one thing in common;

bright vivid colour.........it almost seems as if the more intense the colours, the more intense the joy."

She then goes on to write how it is nearly impossible to separate colour and feelings and how children feel this connection intuitively. Think about how pre-school children get so excited with books, pictures and toys that are brightly coloured.

I truly believe there is something in this. 

Altho' I don't wear very bright clothes (I am getting braver though), I do love me some bright accessories.

Here are some I hope will give you a serious serotonin boost .

                                               Somewhere Over The Rainbow stacking rings

Casual by day. Glam by night. Here

Here

                                                                  Or match with the earrings here

Cuff Love Here

More Goddess cuffs here

Matching ring? This one worn by the lovely Tamera Beardsley

Close up of above ring. Here.

So there you have it. Some of my colour love pieces which I hope will give you a serotonin boost when you most need it.

Do let me know your thoughts on wearing colour.

Are you brave when it comes to wearing colour or are you like me and tend to keep it more for accessories? 

Do tell me in the comments. As you know I love hearing from you.

Wishing you a lovely week and end to July

xxxxxxx

Turquoise; The Colour Of Summer

 For me nothing makes me think of sunnier days like a little Turquoise (and I need this right now, as it hasn't stopped raining here in the UK; enough to look up how to build an ark!)

Anyway, Turquoise with some gold metal work worn with some crisp white linen smacks of classy gorgeousness for me.

That's the thing with Turquoise, you can use it every day with casual attire, or dress it up in the evening with a gorgeous black number. 

Cuff here

Either way it can look fabulous with/without looking like Cher in a throwback to the 70's (whatever is your thing).

However, I would say, just go for one beautiful, stand-out  statement piece. 

But then, what the hell do I know? LOL

Cuff

here

Sometimes you might want to wear something more under-stated. But with its strong colour presence Turquoise can still make a delicate statement.

Here

A matching ring could also elevate a formal or casual outfit. Both of these look fab with just a plain white tee and jeans! 

Ring  here

Someone who really knows how to rock Turquoise is the lovely Tamera Beardsley

I just love how she puts pieces together (see below on her trip to Marfa, Texas).

I just wish she would come to the UK to dress me everyday!

Tamera's ring 

Tamera's Ring

Here are some facts about Turquoise you "may" not have known:

i) Turquoise is a powerful stone for protection. It increases inner calmness and eases depression, anxiety and exhaustion

ii) it is the stone that strengthens female energies

iii) it is a stone for friendship and true love (who knew!?)

iv) it's a powerful stone that stimulates intuition

v) it's especially calming if you have to do public speaking

vi) it's a stone that strengthens the immune system.

vii) great for soothing headaches 

viii) when given as a gift it is said to bring prosperity and happiness to the recipient.

ix) it's a  great stone for using when meditating.

So  there you have it! 

A few reasons why Turquoise may become your new plus one this Summer!

I would love to know if  Turquoise is a stone you like or that you may start incorporating in your life/wardrobe in some way.

Until next time.

xxxxxx

Do You Know The Difference Between Your Golds?

Hello friends! I am back. It's been so long. 

And I am back with some questions I get asked by my customers all the time; what is the difference between gold-plated, gold vermeil and gold-filled jewellery? 

So I am going to break it down for you in the simplest of terms in the hope that it will help you when you come to choosing your pieces.

WHAT IS GOLD PLATING?

Jewellery that is gold-plated  basically has a thin layer of gold placed over a base metal such as copper or brass.

Gold plating is a way of creating affordable jewellery by using a less expensive base metal. Therefore it allows for a cheaper production process whilst still achieving the lustre of gold.

here

Is Gold-Plating Real Gold?

Gold plated jewellery is still made/created using real gold. So even though it is

combined with a base metal, the gold layer is still real gold.

However, for a piece to be labelled as "gold-plated", the layer of gold must be equal to

or greater than 0.5 microns (and you will see on my product descriptions I often list how many microns of gold the piece contains).

here

WHAT IS GOLD VERMEIL?

Gold vermeil is similar to gold-plating with some key differences.

It is made in a very similar way as gold-plating but the gold layer must be above 2.5 microns.

here

How Long Does Gold Vermeil Last?

Due to the thicker nature of the layer of gold, gold vermeil is a slightly more durable option than gold-plating, especially for every day pieces.

However, it is still recommended that you keep your pieces clean, away from harsh soaps and perfumes etc and NEVER shower with your pieces (Yes!!! I know many women who shower with everything on). But I will share some tips for cleaning your pieces etc in a further blog post.

here and here

GOLD VERMEIL VS GOLD FILLED.

Despite it's name, gold-filled is also referred to in the industry as "rolled gold" also.

It is similar to gold-plating in that a less expensive base metal is used (such as copper or brass). However, with gold-filled jewellery the base metal is then covered in gold sheets which are bonded together using a heat process. Once the heating process is completed you are left with a thick layer of gold on the piece. 

This thick layer of gold usually constitutes 5% of the jewellery pieces total weight. 

As a comparison, gold-plated jewellery usually consists of less than 0.05% of its weight in gold.

So there you have it, a quick run down of the differences in the various gold labels you may come across when you are buying jewellery.

In a further post I will go through the best, quick and easy methods for keeping these metals in their best condition.

here

here