This has been a year full of twists and turns for me in terms of jewelry design. I started 2018 with an unusual custom job and ended the year feeling increasingly excited about my decision to phase out my silver collection to focus on my gold designs. Here are the pieces I highlighted on the…
Brooches
More About the Garnet Man Brooch
I already wrote about the garnet man brooch that is January’s Jewel of the Month on Monday, but here it is again! I can’t resist, because Monica Stephenson — ANZA Gems founder, garnet provider, and customer — shared the brooch on Instagram, and I’m amused by her caption. Shhh! Can you keep a secret? We…
Jewel of the Month: Garnet Man Brooch for January
January’s birthstone is the garnet, so this is the perfect time to unveil my latest creation for ANZA Gems: a 20.36-carat rhodolite garnet “man brooch” accented with seven rose-cut diamonds and set in 18K yellow gold. All of my ANZA designs are special because I get to work with ethically mined gemstones that give back…
Throwback Thursday: Paris in June
In June, MrB and I visited three cities in Europe. MrB was giving speeches and/or participating in panels everywhere, and I went along for the ride! Paris was first. When MrB wasn’t busy, we walked around by the Eiffel Tower, because I can never take too many pictures of that. On our way there, we…
Madeleine Albright’s New Hillary Brooch?
I’ve always meant to write about Madeleine Albright’s Read My Pins book. Albright — the first woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of State (from 1997 to 2001) — is known for cleverly matching her large collection of brooches to important occasions. The book explains that it all started in 1994, after Albright, then the…
Throwback Thursday: ’80s Rainbow Pins
This rainbow-striped toucan brooch is one of the treasures I found last month while rummaging through the remaining childhood belongings at my parents’ house. I loved this thing so much. I guess I just had a passion for rainbows. I found this pin in the same box as the toucan. Come to think of it,…
Dick Clark, Madonna and My 1980s Jewelry
Dick Clark — the host of American Bandstand and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve — died yesterday at age 82. You’ve probably seen his famous Bandstand chat with Madonna a thousand times in the past 24 hours, but I’m going to link to the clip again anyway. I was glued to the television when this originally…
Valentine’s Day Countdown, Day 12: Worthy of Michelle Obama
Last year, I explained that fame doesn’t necessarily equal fortune. Many people are surprised by that. They think magazine credits and awards mean you’re doing big business; in reality, a small designer thus recognized might not even able to get appointments with stores, let alone sell anything to them. The lead story in today’s New…