JEWELRY

Brown is beautiful. As a proud black woman, I’ve always known this. It has taken a long time for the fashion world to realize this, but more and more designers are embracing the color of chocolate. By now, people know that a brown dress can make your skin color glow, no matter what color you are, and that brown isn’t just for UPS delivery guys. But now, it’s going a step further: brown jewels.

Brown jewels? Really? Oh, yes. There is nothing that is quite as sophisticated as a strand of chocolate cultured pearls. Or subtly seductive as chocolate diamonds. Or as hypnotic as tiger eye. I also adore dark ambers, specifically cognac amber. Amber has a natural glow, and cognac amber just smolders when the light hits it.

I love the sensuality of autumn: biting into a crisp apple, walking through a sea of crunchy fallen leaves, picking out a perfect pumpkin. When you’re sipping cider with the perfect guy, wear the perfect fall jewels!

Gros bisous,

Noelle

This woman came into the jewelry store today and she was all in a huff. She wanted to buy a gift for her niece, but she’d been from store to store all up and down Madison Avenue and hadn’t found a thing. Why? She didn’t like the new bangles.

“Two hundred dollars for a piece of plastic?” she said. I wanted to tell her that the bracelets aren’t made of plastic and that they’re fierce (haha, one of my Tyra moments). But I didn’t want to blow the sale. My store doesn’t sell those types of pieces (although I wish it did). Instead, we have classy, more vintage-y jewelry. I told her that she could find something fashionable for her niece that was both fashionable and classic.

“The Art Deco and Edwardian looks are hot now,” I told her.

“Oh,” she said. Her whole face lit up. I showed her some really hot pieces, including a platinum and diamond pendant, a pair of diamond earrings and a very cool white gold diamond and sapphire ring. I also showed her a couple of Edwardian style diamond pendants and a gorgeous Edwardian style bracelet with old mine diamonds–I’ve been salivating over that thing ever since it came in. In the end, she bought the ring, and I commended her on a classic choice, though I really wanted her to get that bracelet–the commission would have paid for a trip to Barbados!

Ahh, c’est la vie.

Noelle

It’s August already, which means it’s time for me to write about August’s birthstone, the peridot. Peridot, for those who may not know, is a gemstone that ranges in color from yellow-green to murky olive green. (Guess which I prefer?) Peridot is a humble gem. It doesn’t come in any other colors and it doesn’t have any mystical significance, making it the Charlie Brown of gem stones. However, like Charlie Brown, peridot has an understated charm and measurable warmth.

L. Erickson Dahlia Bracelet with Swarovski Crystals is the perfect gift for the August birthday girl. The bracelet is a translucent green set with peridot crystals. (There is also a blue version that comes with sapphires.) Incredibly versatile, you can wear this piece with a t shirt and jeans or evening wear. It will also go nicely with this fall’s neutral, gray. This bracelet turns the peridot from a humble Charlie Brown into a hip, sexy Miss Buxley.

Do you need something to match your shiny shoes and shiny bags? How about a shiny bangle? Do you know what’s shiny? Resin. A resin bangle is very shiny and very in right now. Nordstrom makes a very classy, very stylish metallic resin bangle bracelet that comes in several colors including gold, silver, turquoise, rasperry, brown and gunmetal. Wear it with an off the shoulder dress to really make your look pop.

Looking for something brighter and a little more fun? Go with the resin safari bracelet fromAngelique de Paris. The giraffe pattern is positively delicious and is the perfect thing to complete an outfit for a night with the girls. Though I prefer the pink or turquoise, it also comes in red, caramel, amber, black, coral and clear.
For something that will really stand out, go with the Kenneth Jay Lane Coral Stud resin bangle. It’s versatile enough to wear with couture and jeans alike.

The Nordstrom bangle is very me; the Angelique de Paris bangle is very Graciela. This trend offers something for (almost) everyone!

Yours Truly,

Noelle