Uncategorized – Page 4 – Shine & Starfire

S. Kind & Co.

May 2, 2016May 2, 2016 shineandstarfireLeave a comment

Lovely constellation 14 diamond stone ring the current apple of my eye. Made with love in NYC from recycled metals and ethically sourced stones via S.Kind & Co.

I only wish it wasn’t so darned expensive! (+$1000) or they had a similar constellation band with less stones… for the economist. Also love their simple wheat engraved band ring- very delicate with a subtle design flare.

I’ve been eyeing contemporary and non traditional wedding/ engagement rings as the topic of work lunch these days have been the search for the perfect ring. Though I’m not quite yet ready to get hitched, window shopping doesn’t hurt. (I’m also one of those people who would buy themselves pretty rings to cycle though- for personal guilty pleasures hehe). Mind you, I also do not believe in giant 1 carat, 2 carat diamond rings etc because honestly, that’s a down payment for a house or a really nice vacation getaway.

Anyways, if you like rose cut stones and cannot afford large diamond rocks, S. Kind & Co offers moissanite rose cut stones with small pave diamonds in the band. Moissanite stones are popular replacement stones for diamonds. I believe almost all rings made are from recycled precious metals (yellow gold/ white gold etc). Did I mention, they like ring butts? Yes. Ring butts. Very cool. Very cool indeed.

Fun tidbit- Skind & Co is a resurrection of an old family jeweler (~144 years!) The more you know!

Mood: bleh. Work tomorrow ugh…

LUMO Jewelry

April 28, 2016April 28, 2016 shineandstarfireLeave a comment

Currently still obsessing over thread bare stackables! (mostly rings)
LUMO Jewelry is California based and features similar if not the same theme as Jennie Kwon Designs. (Pricewise again is around the same- pricey).
Noticeable difference in design keep LUMO and Jennie Kwon separate and yet similar in the thread bare minimalist hand, arm, and neck jewelry.
I especially love LUMO’s ‘cuff’ rings- offered in a varity of colored stones and designs.

There is something about cuff rings that really catch my eye. I guess its a design that when stacked with a solitaire or statement ring, adds some sort of brilliance. I especially love LUMO’s atria cuff ring as the three cut diamonds just intrigue me! Not to mention the fact that this design sort of reminds me of Tiffany & Co.’s victoria line of star arranged diamonds. Absolutely love. LUMO Jewelry also stocks necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. Thin cuff and thin chained bracelets are currently in (with the whole Alex & Ani craze still pretty popular with college students). Personally, my thin wrists would only allow for very few stackables (fingers included). Perhaps the reason why my eyes currently gleam over thin threadbares? But I digress. LUMO Jewelry has a thumbs up from me. A bit on the pricey side, but handmade designs warrant more TLC! A few snapshots below of some of my likes taken from google and LUMOs website.

Sidebar: LUMO jewelry makes their jewelery with either conflict free diamonds or Herkimer diamonds. Herkimer diamonds aren’t actual real diamonds- but double terminated (pointed) quartz known for their clarity and shine. Herkimer diamonds are legitimate herkimer diamonds if mined from upstate New York (Herkimer County). As wikipedia states, though double pointed Quartz can now be found in other areas, ‘Herkimer Diamonds’ only hail from Herkimer county!

The more you know.

Catbird

April 18, 2016 shineandstarfireLeave a comment

Been a long while since a post (busy with real life things now that I am no long fun employed woohoo for income!). But happy mid April everyone!

Current post on local jewelry haven for minimalist/ simple handmade jewelry from Catbird NY located in one of the trendier neighborhoods in Brooklyn.
This quaint little shop features dainty jewelry made in sterling silver, white gold, rose gold, and yellow gold. I’ve been on and off on their website eyeing their particular house made Famous Letter Ring as it has a cuteness factor of 7 coupled with 10 for customization! (and don’t I just love customizable jewelry).
Anyways, Catbird is one of those stores that sells their own small selection of designs aswell as being a major stockist for local (NYC) jewelers who share their style/ concept. It was from Catbird where I learned of jewelers like Satomi Kawakita etc.
Pricing wise, they are a little on the pricey side (simply for thin gold bands) but I wouldn’t mind purchasing from them as craftsmanship and customer service are A+. In addition- threadbare stacking rings are very in right now. Catbird also has their idea of the best ‘stack’. Currently they have a poppin online store that sells more than just jewelry – custom Catbird stationary, soaps, prints etc. In addition, earlier last year they opened up their own Catbird annex for the sole purpose of wedding, engagement rings. (I do adore their Odette the Swan). For me, I’m a sucker for rings so that is what I usually gravitate towards, but they do have a small selection of minimal earrings as wells as delicate chained bracelets and necklaces worth a gander.

Feeling: Tired as f***

Meadowlark Jewellery

March 10, 2016March 10, 2016 shineandstarfireLeave a comment

I have a thing for rings. No, seriously I do.
Meadowlark Jewellery, a New Zealand jewelry brand founded by the lovely couple Claire Hammon and Greg Fromont displays absolutely gorgeous statement pieces. Made popular mostly by young famous singer Lorde, but business is poppin.

One of my favorites from their various collections is their starburst ring. Alone, it stands proud and beatiful like a modified glorified chevron ring. Stacked, brings a whole new meaning to solitaire stone rings! Check out the images below- absolutely bring the burst of starlight to your fingers. LOVE.

Most pieces feature lets say non Christian ideals. In my honest opinion I see alot of skulls, pentagons, hexagons, car paws, bones, teeth, lightening thunder symbols and motifs– very… Paganistic? I don’t mean to bring religion into this but they have a ‘Ritual’collection and the newer ‘Zenith‘ collection that sports designs reminiscent of the Pokemon Unown. Talk about crop circles, aliens, other beings sending other messages. I have no beef against this. Simply divine. Oh and hey, hexagons are the new IN shape for solitaire rings now a days.

There’s something about customizable pieces that just attract me to jewellery brand/ company. Meadowlark Jewellery is no exception- so many customizable options including 9k white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, red gold, sterling silver, garnets, rodolite garnets, white diamonds, black diamonds, citrine, onyx, thai garnets, smoky quartz, rose quartz etc.

As Yoda would say, ‘Expensive, these are. Afford, you probably cannot. But treat yo self, you one day may.’ Over the top expenses for simple sterling silver (talk about equivalence of $100+ USD with no stone!)

Current Song:
No
By: Meghan Trainor

Chaumet ‘Bee My Love’

February 28, 2016February 28, 2016 shineandstarfireLeave a comment

Lusting after Parisian luxury jewelry brand Chaumet’s ‘Bee My Love’ stackable luxury ring line. A bit old (I believe released in 2013) Hexagonal bee hive pattern band rings available in rose, yellow, and white gold! Plain, alternate diamond stud or eternity band style. Mix and match, they intertwine and interlock with each other.

Absolutely stunning. Sadly, one of those cannot afford items. Selfridges.com sells them for about 560 British Pound which is equivalent to about $780 USD for any of the plain gold ones which is super pricey for just gold. So window shop and gaze longingly over the pictures I shall.

Sidebar- I am guilty of discovering or rediscovering Chaumet while oogling over famous chinese socialite Angelababy‘s wedding photos. That rock is ginormous! (how does one’s finger not fall right off??!?) And while I do like Chaumet’s pretty tiara inspired rings, my currently obsession is stackable rings. Go figure.

Currently Listening to:
I took a pill in Ibiza (SeeB Remix)
By: Mike Posner

Jennie Kwon Designs

February 20, 2016 shineandstarfireLeave a comment

Modern. Minimalist. Effortless Style.

Those are the top three words that describe Jennie Kwon and her line of fine jewelry.
Nothing much else to say about this LA based designer except that I strive to some day be like her. This woman has a background law degree! Makes my lust for a jewelry design career seem somewhat achievable… but not for awhile yet.

Simple yet stunning stackable and graceful designs are what depict her jewelry.
A myriad of glittering colors to bedeck the fingers with thin slivers of shining gold to wrap around all the world’s skin palettes.

Sadly, pricing is on the high side. $485 for her Equilibrium Ring ~~(of which I found one identical complete with 14kt gold and 6 tiny diamonds elsewhere for 1/2 the price!- but I’ll leave that for another post).~~ My heart yearns for a ring stack of her designs as they are just simply divine.

Lionette by Noa Sade

February 17, 2016February 17, 2016 shineandstarfireLeave a comment

Let’s talk about statement pieces. To be honest, I don’t own any statement pieces simply because I do not feel like I can rock it. Lionette by Noa Sade is NYC based and creates beautiful statement pieces. I found them via famous popular fashion style blogger Chriselle Lim a few years ago and I just love their pieces. Each piece is so unique and definite statement pieces. You can wear bracelets and necklaces stacked up or by themselves- either way draw attention to the pieces.

Now while I love love love these statement pieces, I doubt I will ever purchase from them via sheer price alone. Lionette NY’s popularity is definitely real and present. (Trust me I’ve seen the prices rise along the years). The prices are (in my honest opinion) utterly ridiculous. I don’t mean to bash them, but their pieces are made of plated brass and simulated semi precious stones like turquoise or opals etc. Let me say that again, plated brass and simulated stones. Why are you charging $400+ for brass and fake stones? I just can’t wrap my head around it. Oh and the designs however beautiful and ingenious can most definitely be replicated via materials from your local craft store (maybe not the cone shaped stones but you know what I mean).

Long story short, while I absolutely love Lionette NY’s designs and pieces (because they truly are gorgeous) I would not buy them because honestly you can get a 14k gold ring plus a tiny diamond for that price. Call me cheap but its simply not worth it. – unless you are filthy rich and do not care.

And while I was lusting after their Sinead bracelet for quite some time, I wouldn’t purchase because my wrists are sooooooo tiny and I doubt they will adjust one for my size (must I mention the fear that they might charge more for an adjusted one? not to mention charge the full price for materials?).

Miansai

February 9, 2016 shineandstarfireLeave a comment

This particular post was one that I was going to post later on… but upon close inspection and recent findings, I thought why not now.

I first heard about Miansai through popular fashion blogger Chriselle Lim of thechrisellefactor.com. I was introduced not via her blog but through instagram on her 2014 Christmas Giveaway post. Needless to say, I entered and didn’t win but it was to win a pair of rose gold colored cuffs (yes I enter all these contests because I’m a sucker for jewelry). I’m not particularly a fan of their ever popular Screw cuff bracelet (see below) because the design honestly reminds me of a pair of shackles.

Please see the following images and continue to read:

Do these designs look familiar to you? Hint: Nautical themed, nuts and bolts, nautical cord? Hello James Barts anyone? Tell me they do not look alike! Okay, okay some of you might be saying the nautical theme is free for all and I get it. But at the same time, personally I like to find unique designs and credit/ buy them from the masterminds. I hop on to their website and click on their ‘About Me’ section- all I find is a generic description of Miansai being made in America and a store in NY, nothing about when it was established and by who. (Later findings found this Q&A on racked.com)

My only question is, who had the idea first. I have yet to receive my James Barts bracelet in the mail but looking at pictures, I’d say Swedish quality looks better… (or do they just have better packaging?) ~~Would it be too bold to say Miansai copied James Barts?~~ Suffice to say, there are some very clear similarities in these designs and in my opinion James Barts takes the cake.
Pricing on Miansai’s bracelets are also a little on the pricey side $55+ USD. Options include rose gold plated, gold plated, silver plated, sterling silver, and full 14k gold (alongside various colored cords and leathers).

I am most definitely not a fan of the ‘D’ shape that are Miansai’s most famous screw cuff bracelets. In addition, their leather and cords look a little thin. There only one design I truly adore but it does not help that my expensive eyes dart immediately towards the $2.5k solid rose gold fish hook cuff bracelet.

Playing on Repeat:
Cheap Thrills
By: Sia

Novum Collection

February 8, 2016February 8, 2016 shineandstarfireLeave a comment

Here’s another one of my interesting finds. Categorized in the super duper expensive side is The Novum Collection created by American designer Logan Novum.
Very cool and very chic his designs revolve around conceptualizing the music world. I’m not quite sure when this company popped up, but based upon the teeny tiny collection, I’ll say not too long ago. The online store only has stocked about three different items (available in different metals: sterling silver, 18kgold, and black ruthenium).

Now lets talk pricing. It is ~~fucking ridiculously~~ expensive. Sterling silver jack bracelet starts you at ~$345USD. To be honest, its cute and they market it great on the website with a gorgeous model and I absolutely love the idea but the price makes me very apprehensive as their brand is new. I mean, if you wore these on the street hardly anyone would notice and say ‘oh its that necklace from The Novum Collection‘. On the other hand, famous persons in the music industry such as Chris Brown and Sonny Moore (AKA Skrillex) have been photographed with some of Novum’s pieces. Anyways, I would love to see this brand grow and expand in their collection. In my opinion the average everyday Jane/ Joe could not possibly afford such tiny luxuries, but it is nice to look at.

Oh- please do checkout their Craftmanship tab on their website. It very beautifully demonstrates quality jewelry creation processes through pictures and explanations. The perfect and best tribute as a run through from idea->sketch->3d rendition and print -> casting mold -> melting metals-> rough product-> polishing + finishing touches-> final product. Link is included HERE.

James Barts

February 5, 2016February 7, 2016 shineandstarfireLeave a comment

I have a thing for bracelets. Not so much for rings or necklaces but most definitely bracelets. You know those string bracelets? The ones when you were younger and braided and knotted with all the pretty colors and wore religiously on your wrists? Thats right, they were called friendship bracelets. Well James Barts kind of reminds me of them, with a nautical spin of course.

Side bar- I recently discovered this Swedish brand while looking for alternative right wrist accessories. I cut my gorgeous locks for an angled bob and what usually keeps my right wrist bare is no longer needed (the infamous black/ colored scrunchie!)
Anyways, back to the topic at hand. James Barts creates bracelets made of real nautical rope- is that even what you call them?– handmade from the best quality direct from Stockholm! (Who doesn’t love handmade items?)

Needless to say, I recently ordered a bracelet. They have several designs (not including all sorts of different colored cords) including the Octavia, Octavia Half Cuff, Deckhander collections. My favorite by far is the Octavia collection where simple nautical rope meets refined metals. The creators have taken there designs and have elevated them a step further by creating the octavia half cuff further extending its sleekness.

On cost: their inventory is vast and the cost is reasonable in my opinion. Their website is extremely user friendly including many language options. For any out of EU buyer, you will be happy to see that the actual cost on website is not what you pay for. I ordered one bracelet for $45 and was ultimately charged $36 (they took off 20% for EU Vat Tax!).

Word has it, they have a new watch collection coming out soon. I believe it will be close in design to the recently popular Daniel Wellington watches, but we shall see….