The Chinese zodiac assigns an animal sign to each year of a 12-year cycle, and the Year of the Rooster starts on January 28. That means the last Rooster Year was in 2005, two years before I started this blog. I’ve never celebrated a Rooster Year here, and that’s all the excuse I need to…
jewel of the month
Year in Review: Jewels of the Month for 2016
My Jewel of the Month posts highlight my newest — or sometimes my newsiest — jewelry designs. Here are 2016’s hot jewels from both my luxe signature line and my social-media-inspired WENDYB by Wendy Brandes diffusion line. Click the photos to read the original posts. Redesigning old jewelry is one of my specialties. January’s Jewel…
Jewels of the Month: Platinum for the Holidays
Still finishing your holiday shopping? Or are you like me and just getting started? Not to worry! If you’re in the continental U.S., I can get jewelry to you in time for Christmas Day if you order by Dec. 21. (If you’re in New York City, you have until Dec. 23. I’ll messenger your purchase…
Jewels of the Month: More Emoji Earrings
The Unicode Consortium — aka Emoji Headquarters — is killing it lately! The consortium used to approve new emojis at such a glacial pace that I started designing my own emoji-like jewelry right along with pieces representing actual emoji. For instance, I created an emoji-like middle-finger earring in 2013. Two years later, Unicode announced a…
Jewels of the Month: VOTE NASTY
The final presidential debate this week inspired me to put together a special stud-earring set, which I shared on Instagram. Do you follow me on Instagram? You should because that’s where I share spur-of-the-moment things like this — new designs, new combinations, and special sales. CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM. I only had…
Jewel of the Month: September’s Birthstone, Sapphire
Most people think of sapphire — September’s birthstone — as a blue gem, but it comes in a range of colors. Pink is one of my favorites. In fact, I used 262 one-millimeter pink sapphires in my Pink Elephant and Tipsy Writer Maneater ring. Nevertheless, with sapphires in mind, I decided to wear blue for…
Jewels of the Month, Part II: More Punk Platinum
When I started in the fine-jewelry business in 2005, a punk-inspired safety-pin earring or brooch was on the top of my to-do list. I’d seen plenty of costume-jewelry versions, but, as a customer, I hadn’t come across any gold or platinum pieces that I liked. It seems strange now that I couldn’t find something that…
Instagram Love for the Jewel of the Month
August’s Jewel of the Month — the two-finger ring I designed for ANZA Gems — has gotten some more love on Instagram, thanks to its appearance at last Monday’s press preview for the American Gem Trade Association’s Spectrum Awards. Benjamin Guttery of Third Coast Gems chose it as a personal favorite. My personal "editors choice"…
Jewel of the Month: Double-Finger Ring for ANZA Gems
Can’t take the heat? Then you should have tuned into Hallmark Channel’s “Christmas in July” programming earlier this month. Why wait till December to “Catch your favorite holiday Hallmark Channel Original movies!” when you can enjoy them in the summer, right?* I’m feeling a little like Hallmark right now because this is an “August in…
Jewel of the Month: Ruby Dangle Ring for ANZA Gems
July’s birthstone is the ruby, and, boy, do I have the ruby ring for you! It’s good-looking, has a good story and promotes a good cause. First I’ll give you the good story and explain the good cause. Monica Stephenson, the tall drink of water who writes the jewelry blog iDazzle, founded ANZA Gems in…