customizable – Shine & Starfire

Kat Kim

January 9, 2019January 9, 2019 shineandstarfireLeave a comment

Threaders.
Pearls.
Put them together and you get the most gorgeous pearl ear threaders to adorn your lobes.
Kat Kim crafts something a little extra with her eye catching threaders that are both bold and demure.

Piercings have been making a comeback as recent trends show. Quite a few brands are picking up on the trend and creating their own body jewelry/ piercing lines (much needed and undersaturated to be quite honest). It is often extremely hard to find quality piercing jewelry (non stainless steel/ plastic). As someone who is allergic basically all the alloy metals with the exception of gold/ platinum, I find it refreshing to increasingly be able to find quality piercing jewelry from upcoming brands that display some artistic flare.

Kat Kim does three things for me.

Picks up and adds to the current modern pearl jewelry trend
Provides piercing jewelry pieces for those of us who are bored of the normal diamond studs
Meshes diamonds and metal lines in a beautiful minimalistic way
Pictures for proof:

Need I say more?
Price Range: $$$
Bespoke: Yes
Custom Metals/ Stones: Yes

Note:
First post of 2019! I’ve made it one of my New years resolution to post more. I’ve got quite a bit of brands/ things I would like to share.
I will change it up a bit; I’ve noticed how I basically rave about all the jewelers/ brands in posts which can get boring and repetitive.
NEW CONTENT SOON!

Tilda Biehn

September 19, 2016September 19, 2016 shineandstarfireLeave a comment

Been super busy and lots of things of my plate as of late. Everything just seems to bunch together in stress factors and I haven’t had the time to go out for my daily jog around the park much less post something short here!

Anyways, here is Tilda Biehn, a fine jewelry line founded in 2014 by jewelry designer Andrea Lipsky-Karasz. Featured below are a few of her designs that are worth mentioning.
I was on the look out for a new pointer ring and stumbled upon her Aurora band; which is a play on the simple chain investing in it a smattering of shiny shiny glittery rocks we call diamonds.

What also captured my attention were her Stratus line earrings which kind of remind me of Bibi Vandervelden’s use of baroque pearls to depict cloud shapes! I mean, just look at the similarities!
But I digress. Lipsky-Karasz’ Comet line is absolutely beautiful. The half cuff/ wrap style is very much in and this designer does not seem to miss it. Lovely wrap style “comets” with subtle geometric aspects ingrained with options for colored stones make everything just rainbow.

Pricing wise, as I do love the ability to customize with engravings/ stones/ types of metal, still out of my budget.

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

MNGRM

February 5, 2016February 7, 2016 shineandstarfireLeave a comment

Let’s take a dip on the really uber cool very unique customizable side and talk about MNGRM. Whilst browsing on the 3d printing/ makerbot hashtag on instgram (because most of my finds are from instagram- go figure). I stumbled upon this little beauty of a find. MNGRM is a fine 3d print jewelry company (?) of little known background (well at least to me since I could not find who the owners are!)
So MNGRM takes two letters of your choice (usually your initials) and puts it through a 3d algorithm to create this kaleidoscope of a 3d pendant. The final product is a 3d mesh of one letter on one side that when you spin to the other side Voila!, it becomes the other letter! Pretty ingenious algorithm I must say and with all these personalizable pieces out there, MNGRM definitely take the cake and puts the spotlight on 3d printing and all its possibilities.

For those of you who are into the whole initials and personalized thing, go check out their website! I am definitely a supporter of all things unique and 3d printed but unfortunately, these pretty babies are out of my budget. MNGRM does have alot of options including stainless steel, polished steel, copper and even the precious metals like gold and platinum. The cheapest is the 1/2 in rough stainless steel option which starts at $70 USD. (ouch!)
Again, it’s not on the top of my list of must haves but it is one of those pieces that would get alot of attention and keep your ADD at bay.

Lastly, check out that dope packaging! Pretty 3d fine jewelry packaged in custom 3d printed white geometric boxes wrapped up in twine. Whats not to love?