tale of mystery

Happy Halloween everyone!  Today, I will present you with a tale of mystery called the Cheapside Hoard.  A treasure trove of jewelry was discovered in 1912 in a house being demolished in the Cheapside District of London.  The hundreds of items found, hidden there for nearly 300 years, are a rare glimpse into a history of jewels and jewelry making.  But who collected this treasure?  Why was it buried there and never claimed?  Curators have tried to piece the story together but there are no definite answers.  Read everything you need to know about this beautiful collection, now being shown at the Museum of London.  (I was drawn to this story by the image of the ring above, one of the pieces found in Cheapside.  How amazing is this table cut diamond with it's black and white enameled band?!) 

labradorite love

On a mission to find a labradorite eternity ring!  Usually I like straight lined eternity bands (for whatever reason a channel set labradorite ring just does not seem to exist!), but the bubble bezels of this ring might add nice visual appeal to a ring stack.

mixing metals

My new favorite ring stack!  I am really trying to embrace mixing white and yellow gold metals.  I feel like my yellow gold jewelry doesn't get the attention it deserves because most of my every day staples are sterling silver or white gold.  So I am breaking my own rules.  Rings featured are a super thin white gold half eternity diamond band from Pompeii, two of my hammered gold plated super thin bands, and still one of my favorite rings I have ever made, my rose cut champagne diamond ring set in a gold bezel with an oxidized silver band.

reimagining

Love this ring by Claire Kinder Studio!  But instead of diamonds I am imagining it with labradorite baguettes.  And my wishlist keeps growing... would it be outlandish if my entire Christmas wishlist is jewelry?!  Nah, I didn't think so either!

forget me not

On a new antique hunt... an enamel forget me not ring!  I am pretty much looking for the above style in ring form.  This particular flower is near and dear to my heart... this is the tattoo I got for my husband when we were on our honeymoon (it is the flower for the month we were married and symbolizes rememberance of loved ones).  As soon as I saw this flower on a piece of jewelry, I was determined to find one!  Oh, how my antique jewelry wishlist keeps growing, but it's so much fun!

hexagons and octagons

Hexagonal and Octagonal engagement ring settings have been catching my eye lately.  I love box set engagement rings that turn round diamonds into squares (it's why I chose one myself!), and this is another great way to get an interesting shape with the maximum sparkle of a round diamond.

violet gray

Oh mama!  This 0.90 carat gray violet cushion cut diamond is unbelievable!!!  I can only imagine the possibilities for such an exquisite stone.  If I hit the lotto, this baby is mine!

tiny birthstone ring

One of the things I love about jewelry is what a piece can represent to its owner and I personally love commemorating moments in my life with jewelry.  Every piece of jewelry has a story.  One of the simplest stories can be told with birthstones.  I became especially excited about this idea last Christmas when I was making jewelry for a few family members.  And a birthstone can represent any special person in your life... your parents, grandparents, best friend, children, significant other.  Simple birthstone rings are a subtle way to represent the most important people in your life, always carrying them with you.

etched bangles

These bangles look shockingly similar to a pair of bangles I purchased from a random antique store.  I wear them just about every day.  I might need to stock up on some more!