SSSnake Earrings

These are decidely cool don't you think?  They look very sensual entwined around your ears, as if whispering sweet-nothings or suggesting something naughty.....

 Temptation

Talk About Statement Earrings!

When I first heard of them I thought: now how are these supposed to work, time-releasing hormones directly into the ears?  Surely they can’t be all that comfortable to wear…but what a statement they make!

 I’m talking about IUD earrings – Intra Uterus Device earrings! And message is: Don’t Get Pregnant! Of course the title of the article in nymag threw me off completely, being called IUD Earrings: Best New Contraceptive for 2015.  Captured my attention for sure I can tell you that. So I was feeling a little cheated when I learnt they were meant to be conversation pieces whereby the wearer may preach about either abstinence or responsible sex. Fair enough, but I still prefer conventional earrings and I can evangelize on a wider range of topics while wearing them.

The thing is visually they look rather painful to wear, because they resemble either fish hooks or anchors to me.  Upon reading the article, they  were instead supposed to be shaped like the inverted uterus. OK…have to bear that in mind before I impulsively say ‘Ahoy There’ to someone wearing them next time.  Take a look at them below and see if you can blame me! 
 

 

 Ahoy Landlubber!

But to be fair, the most 'painful' jewelry I've ever come across are those from Naomi Kizhmer.  She wanted to explore the relationship between mankind's addiction to energy and our natural resources.  Hence, she came up with a range of jewelry that literally hooks into the human body and harnest energy from its motion - one word...OUCH, and it makes quite a statement.  Talk about a pincer movement!

Shiver me timbers...maybe these are the best contraceptives; who in their right minds would hanky-panky wearing these?!

The Top Accessory Trends for Spring

Happy 2015 dear friends.  After a prolonged period of festive celebrations we are all returning to the grind of daily life!  But it really all that blue and dreary is it?  Let us anticipate Spring and what the new year will bring.

Having read Vogue’s piece about the top trends n accessories for this year, I’ll give you a bit of a summary here.  For those of you wishing to peruse the article in its entirety, here it is.  Of these 7 trends, top spot goes to handbags – specifically the ITs with their minimalist approach, included in this category are hands-free satchels.

Somewhat ho-hum if you asked me...

Second place, and my own favourite goes to Statement Earrings.  This is hardly surprising with all that transpires today, making either a personal fashion or political statement would be on many people’s minds.  We all stand for something right?  On the fashion front, Loewe’s shoulder dusters and Nina Ricci’s mismatched earrings come to the fore as real eye-catchers.

 Shoulder-dusting earrings
 

Nina Ricci mismatched earrings

The next 3 trends all have to do with the feet…namely the Gladiator, Flats and Platforms!  Having back-to-back flats and platforms really suggests the modern angst we live in today doesn’t it.  It’s downright schizophrenic in my humble opinion! Personally I scratched #5 from this list because I'm on the tallish side myself, and I hate the feeling as if walking on stilts - plus it makes me feel like Big Bird from Sesame Street when I have them on!  Give me gladiator sandals to do battle with, or sensible flats any day.

 

#5!

 The Gladiator!

In 6^th place is another bag, the Perfect Circle.  Still on the minimalist side and I too have a penchant for all things simple.

 

Finally bringing up the rear very nicely indeed is the Obi Belt, simplicity and elegance, and a fitting way to tie up the list of trends for the coming spring. Hope you've enjoyed the summary, and have a good, healthy and happy new year.

 An Obi belt

 

Have a Good One!

Happy Holidays

As the year draws to a close, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas indeed and a marvelous 2015 ahead.  This holiday season is especially meaningful as the world finds itself at a crossroad.  On the one hand we see so much political strife and economic troubles bedeviling us, that we feel a fair bit of trepidation for the days ahead.  Yet we must believe in the human spirit, that in the end, reason and love will ultimately prevail.  There is goodness in the world after all.

 

We had just commemorated the centennial of the Great War in August, now let us also remember the remarkable Christmas Truce of 1914 when goodwill made itself felt over the trenches and the senseless slaughter.  I bid you all dear friends, a blessed and peaceful holiday, whatever your faith and creed may be.  See you all next year.

Football match between the English and Germans during the truce...if only all conflicts can be settled in this way.

5 Must-know Rules for Wearing Christmas Jewelry & Earrings

Christmas is approaching, it is a season to be jolly. It is also a season to be surprised... the season for Christmas parties at work, home and all over town. Many people add Christmas jewelry to their outfits this time of year without knowing the fashion rules. With Christmas themed jewelry, you need to think about your personal style, how it will look with your wardrobe and what kind of occasion you might be wearing it. In most situations, choosing jewelry and accessories is mostly a matter of finding pieces you love and pairing them with the right clothing. However, selecting holiday jewelry can be a little more complicated. Here are some tips around wearing seasonal jewelry and accessories that will help you get into the festive season without compromising style:

 

1. Know Your Own Style

"Personal style is accepting who you are"- Diane Von Furstenberg. Do you agree with this?  What is style? It is effortless confidence in being yourself, it is a way putting yourself together according to your mood and what you want to project. Personal style appears to come naturally for some, but for others it can take a while to find it! Style is something each of us already has- all we need to do is find it yourself... I personally think seasonal items are very rare items in everyone's jewelry box. Your everyday style generally  reflects your  personality, so if you get to zealous with the holiday pieces, you may feel uncomfortable. You’ll want to keep reasonably close to your usual style of jewelry in order to feel comfortable, confident and happy wearing seasonal items. On the other hand, if you are normally conservative with your choice of jewelry, you may consider keeping your holiday jewelry simple and classic but with simple Christmas-themed earrings or jewelries.  

 2. Think About the Event/ Occasion

The type of event/ occasion will impact the jewelry you choose to wear. If the event is on the formal side, you may want to tone down the holiday jewelry and keep it classy,  elegant  and  simple.  For  informal  or  casual event,  large broaches,  dangling earrings  or  flashy  Christmas-themed  earrings  &  jewelry  may  be  appropriated. However, you also would be wise to not wear too dressy or showy, formal jewelry to a very casual event. So think twice and do matching before you put on those dress, earrings or jewelries...

 3. Make Everything as Simple as Possible, but NOT Simpler
When it comes to holiday jewelry, avoid the temptation to accessorize yourself like a Christmas tree or too eye catching.  One way to prevent this fashion disaster is to remember that less is more, and you’ll be better off aiming for a few classic pieces that enhance and not detract from your outfit.  Always bear in mind, simple is the best!

 4. Capture One's Attention(The Right Impact)

Because  it  is  the  Christmas  holidays,  you’ll  find  Christmas  jewelry  ranging  from gorgeous and classic to extravagant. A simple black cocktail dress with a sparkling red necklace with a pair of pearl earrings would be stunning. Avoid too much color or busyness by the pattern of the outfit or dress.  You may also pick  something that highlights one of the colors in the jewelry, or just choose black or white. The color tone of the jewelry and your outfit have to be matched accordingly. Last but not least; remember, your jewelry should enhance but not compete with one another.

 5. Choose a Color

At Christmas season, it’s easy to see that the usual festive colors like red, gold, green
and silver. Keeping your color scheme uniform is the best way to accessorize with holiday jewelry. Picking a single color will give disparate pieces a sophisticated. Avoid the scenario of red earrings, a green broach and a gold necklace, for instance, as this would overwhelm the outfit from head to toe. Opt for one main theme to keep things fresh, chic and classy. Remember these 5 tips for wearing holiday jewelry and you'll be perfectly festive and fashionable at your next get-together. Use your own best judgment and err on the side of under-accessorizing, and you'll be the hit of the party.

 

Pearl Earrings As Cute As a Button

It is a very interesting phrase, Cute as a Button. The original expression I believe was “acute or as clever as a button”...... referring to the shine of bright buttons. Some may say it as making reference to a bird or a flower known as a bachelor’s button. No matter the origin, we now use it to refer to something very lively and bouncy.  How about these very 70s-looking button earrings , purple in a cool and psychedelic way!

Vintage purple button earrings

category – an effervescence that’s evergreen.  The young teenage girl within you have that essence of cuteness. This is not some desperate attempt to claw back the years, but simply that the quintessential girl still resides in us despite the years…and sometimes it’s OK to let her out!

 

The better way might be to build yourself a pearl collection, and accumulate a range rather than just button pearl earrings. In this way we can choose pieces to wear to match a particular occasion or mood. Browse and explore our collection of high luster pearls. They come in a variety of colors from black to pink. Pink shades favor the younger wearer, while darker hues accentuate sophistication.   Obviously, I've got strong attachments to all things pearl...

Pearl button earrings

The photos show button pearl earrings and a selection of other types.   Button pearls are round when seen from the front, but look slightly flattened from the side.   You are welcome to visit my web pages in search of the perfect match for your cute or acute as a button teen, whichever the case may be.

...chic and substantial!

 

The Many Kinds of Earrings

I thought I knew about earrings, and I took some pride in that.  But after talking to someone at a shop recently while browsing, I was given a short little lesson on just how little I did know. First, a bit of neat naval history.

The Pirates and sea farers wore hoop golden earrings for several reasons:

1.      They hung wax off of them that could be used to plug their ears when firing the cannons that can shatter your ear drums when you fought in one too many battles;

2.      They helped with seasickness (I’m a bit dubious on this one), and they were a badge of honor given when a sailor first passed the equator; and

3.      The earrings were usually made of gold that was meant to compensate for burial if they drowned and their body were washed ashore after a shipwreck.

Throughout the centuries the trend continued amongst men, until tables turned and women began to dominate ear adornment. During 1970’s  piercing  reached  new  heights  as  nurses  began attending  ear  piercing  parties  at  department  stores,  alleviating  the  need  for home piercings using a needle and a prayer that infections wouldn’t occur. Eventually ear piercing guns were invented and improved sterilization techniques promoted further adoption of fashion piercings.

 

Here are the common ones that everyone's heard of:

Studs

 

These kinds of earrings create the illusion of floating on an earlobe, they are also the first earrings you wear after piercing your ears. Post earrings consist of the post that goes through the piercing and an embellishment that is fused or soldered to the front. Designs can be enhanced with drop rings for dangles. Stud earrings stay in place using a clutch or butterfly backing.

Earwires

Shepherd Hooks - the most popular of all pierced earrings, hook earwires are inexpensive and easy to make by forming wire. Many variations exist by changing the shape, altering the wire or adding ornaments to the hook itself. The drawback of earwires is that they often push forward out of the ear when the end-user wears certain hairstyles, scarves or turtlenecks. A rubber back stopper can help to secure these earrings in place to avoid losses.  

 

V-wires or Marquise wires - this is currently a popular variation on the standard hook shape. V-wires are typically larger than standard earwires and can support heavier dangles.

 

Ear Threads – these long earrings thread through the ear and out the opposite side so dangles appear both in front and behind the lobe for an interesting illusion effect.

 

Kidney wires – are made from wire shaped like a kidney with a hook that latches the finding together. Kidney wires are inexpensive and more secure since they rarely push out of a piercing. Current variations include larger wires that hang lower from the ear.

 

Hinged Ear Findings

Leverbacks – are a premium ear finding option. These findings have a hinge backing that securely snap into place behind the ear lobe.

 

Earharp-- shaped like a harp, these findings consist of a post and hinge backing that snaps in place for a secure hold.

 Hoops

 Wire Hoops – these lightweight and inexpensive hoops are ideal for beading or wirework additions. Wire hoops usually have one end flattened and pierced so the hook end can latch into the hole. Or, they may have a circular loop at one end to receive the bent latch hook. Wire hoops come in all shapes and sizes.

 Hinged Hoops – are a more expensive, premium option. These earrings have a hinge that securely latches it into place. Hinged hoops are often made with hollow tubing or solid castings. The larger surface area on the hoops allows for more ornate patterns, shapes and designs.

Endless Hoops – are primarily made from hollow tubing. The top arch is a finer gauge wire that goes through the lobe and then inserts into the open end of the tubing to create an “endless” loop shape.

 Non-pierced Earrings

 Clip-ons – are the most popular non-pierced earrings. They just snap to the lobe to hold it in place but do tend to slip off fairly easily when dangles are too heavy.

 

Screwbacks - literally twist into place, holding the finding securely to the lobe.

Others

Cuffs – wrap around the cartilage in the middle of the ear. They are purchased as a pre-made cuff or many designers create their own using ear cuff blanks. These are often embellished with a charm or a chain is added linking it to another earring located elsewhere on the ear.

 

Chandeliers – usually hang from an earwire. These resemble a chandelier and create a cluster effect in jewelry designs.