Gorgeous friend and client Jane emailed me last week to point out an Alexander McQueen poison ring on Net-a-Porter. “You were ahead of the poison ring curve!!!” she exclaimed.
Here are pictures of the McQueen ring. If you want more information about it … well, find it yourself! I ain’t gonna link to someone else’s jewelry. I will say that the ring is made out of silver-plated brass (not actual silver).
McQueen ring closed
McQueen ring open
Here’s my Juana Peekaboo Skull Ring, which I designed in 2006, using nearly an ounce of 18K yellow gold, diamonds and white sapphires. I was inspired by vintage memento mori that I had researched.
My Juana Peekaboo Skull Ring, shown both open and closed.
And here’s what I wrote about my ring in 2007, after the Juana appeared in L.A. Confidential’s Do column because skulls were “in,” then appeared again in the Don’t column five months later when skulls were supposedly “out.” (And that, kids, is why you should wear what you want and not worry about what other people think. You’re in, you’re out, you’re in, you’re out … it’s ridiculous. Don’t even sweat it anymore.)
The Juana ring was inspired by Juana La Loca. I have matching lockets here, here, here and here. You can also buy just the skull or crossbones in gold. My thriftiest version of the Juana is a sterling silver skull necklace with white sapphire eyes. It was made in New York by a great guy who works on all my most complicated mechanical pieces. This necklace is normally $500, but since I don’t want you to have to settle for piece of brass jewelry by another designer for financial reasons, I’m putting the silver and sapphire Juana necklace on sale for a week. Enter the promo code to get the special price at checkout.
For the dudes, I have cufflinks here.
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All the greats are copied. The sad thing is that the copy is NEVER as good as the original. Al’s skull is sad looking.
While I like the outer shape of the AMq, yours is overall SO much better. Like infinitely and AMq ain’t got nuthin on you.
I saw that mess, too. I yelled at the screen. When I realized that it couldn’t hear me, I was satiated in knowing that it can’t possibly come close to any ring bearing the WendyB label. Humph.
I stand hard for WendyB jewels, damnit!
No question, his looks like a cheap knock-off of yours! Bastard!
Oooh, I never cease to be impressed (and totally freaked out) by those skulls.
Your ring is the one, AMCq’s is a poor knock off at best…and too much of a copy in terms of shape of the Bulgari Pryamid ring.
Mmm well I have to say I’m a big fan of McQueen but he is a designer not jeweller and it shows. I’m not a skull person but having seen yours in the flesh it is absolutely stunning – his looks insipid opened.
The Mcqueen one looks awful, like some cheap tat from Claire’s Accessories. It’s obvious who’s the winner here.
and out of topic, but my anti spam world today is bracelt! even generators love WB jewllery..
you’re always ahead of the pack! i much prefer your brushed gold ring.
The copy is never as awesome and the original…. your ring is sooo much more beautiful 🙂
Hands down, yours is soooo much better. Better detail, better design, just better full stop. And btw – it was me that wants a few pieces from Francis Spring collection. I guess I can wait till next year.
Yours is so much cooler! it has cross bones, which obviously means that it is amazing.
I love your ring. It’s way cooler. It looks like something a secret agent would wear. I’d enjoy flipping open the cover and pretending I was listening to orders from headquarters or a boss named “Charlie.” Too bad I’m so poor or it would be mine, oh yes!
your ring is seriously so much cooler!
wow, I don’t know if that is a good or bad thing?!
I liked the necklace that had a heart that hid a secret skull.
coool!
The peekaboo skull ring is so cute!
OMG! YOUR ring is solely INGENIOUSLY FABULOUS!
MCQUEEN needs to REMOVE THE QUEEN from his name, why it BELONGS to YOU the QUEEN of FABULOUS jewelry!!!:)
I so agree with Kate and the others, this McQueen copy is just laughable, pity those who part with hard earned cash for that!!
I find them both alluring and frightening! I am not a skull girl. 🙂
Ahead of the curve as always.
That McQueen ring looks . . . inexpensive. It doesn’t look anywhere near as beautifully made as yours.
Both rings are gorgeous, but your design CLEARLY took more craftswomanship to create. Not to mention being imbued with meaning, as opposed to being a trendy token.
It must’ve amused you endlessly to see Juana be declared “in” and then “out” in such quick succession.
Clearly your piece is infinitely superior. I wonder if Mr McQueen would acknowledge how much inspiration he’s taken from you….though I doubt it somehow.
Maybe he’s been dreaming of Wendy rings as well?
I like your skull much better!
Great jewelry designs and thanks for the memento mori link, you do great research!
I want some sterling cufflinks with ancient coins on them, I was thinking of trying it myself if I could find a place to sell me the bases, but I should probably leave the making part to a professional designer. Elmer’s brand ™ glue probably wouldn’t keep the small coins on well would it?
Not trying to suck up of anything but your ring is a million times cooler!
Just sayin’ 😛
x0x0 Lusty
Yours is much better!
Your ring is the original and best, WB, and anyone who thinks otherwise is a numbSKULL!
xoxox,
CC
Oh, mercy. Miss J has LONG coveted the sterling Juana necklace…
The ring is really really cool!
OMG these are so cool
Wear yours to Fashion week and use it to poison MacQueen. Well, at least give him the runs or something.
xx
That’s so cool! I think I like yours better – the skull design is much more interesting.
I have to say, I like yours so much better!
You know oliveoyl was my old nickname:)
Love the head-to-head competition, cause it shows off the obvious winner. That MCQ. is dullllll.
Hey, aren’t guys supposed to give their women gifts of jewelry after they endure labor to produce their firstborn whatever? Hmmm, maybe I need to send you his email…
ok it is SO not cool to have ‘higher-end’ designers ripping off independent designers. your design is way more lust-worthy, and there’s nothing that annoys me more than overpriced designer jewelry that’s made out of cheap materials! 😛
by the way, i just posted about something related before seeing this post – 🙂
http://lesantimodernes.blogspot.com/2009/09/authentic-jewelry.html
Now, I love costume jewelry as much as the next person but there’s something about the prices that are charged for some that makes me crazy. Especially from mass market chains–JCrew has been really pushing it’s jewelry lately and it’s all plated brass.
Yours is definitely better.
Your ring is so far superior the mind spins. Seriously.
you have the sweetest smile