stackemup – 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.

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

Vita Fede

February 1, 2016February 5, 2016 shineandstarfireLeave a comment

Introducing my ultimate all time favorite and classic –
I believe every girl (or guy) should have at the very least one item from Vita Fede. Fashion genius American born Cynthia Sakai of Japanese descent is the owner and the designer of Vita Fede. I cannot tress the simple elegance of her famous ‘Titan’ and ‘Mini Titan’ bracelets. These seemingly simple hinged cuff bracelets with conical edges create the perfect shine and breathtaking look. Founded in 2009, Sakai has proven that she can think outside the box while still delivering new and upcoming ideas in fashion jewelry. Just when you think there is nothing more you can tweak with the Titans, she releases new and over the top designs. Most importantly, her bracelets match just about anything and everything! Wear them as a single statement piece, or stack em up! I simply just can’t get enough!

Make and models vary in price. Most all bracelets are 14k plated making them sturdy and durable. I have yet to see a diamond studded piece (which I have mixed feelings over) but she does have a selection that sports fresh water pearls of various colors and Swarovski elements.

images (1) Prices vary depending on bracelet; cheapest would be the Mini Titan ~$250. Lowest price item currently on the website is ~$125 (Ultra Mini Titan Ring). Throughout the years, prices have definitely soared as I scored my gold mini titan on a sale bargain price of ~$185. Personally, I would love to purchase more but it is simply too expensive for 14k plated only. Stoned pieces can rise to as much as $450+! (which is wayyyyy too much). I would however love to see when and if she decides to rise to luxury jewelry – meaning producing her jewelry in 14k gold, rose gold in entirety. This would definitely give Cartier’s love bracelets a run for their money!

Sidebar: her designs are such a hit there are so many copycats out there. While a great way to get styles you love for a better price, quality just won’t be the same.