Two years ago, I shared this photo of a brown-diamond engagement ring that I custom-made for a man to wear. (It’s shown next to one of my own platinum styles.) View this post on Instagram Man's 18K gold yellow ring with brown diamond, shown next to my own platinum thumb ring. Custom-made for a gorgeous…
my designs
Jewels of the Month: The Maneater Collection, Revisited
Throwback Thursday is a good time for me to wish a belated happy anniversary to JCK, the bible of the jewelry trade, which has been celebrating its 150th year in business throughout 2019. Yes, you read that number right! It’s been 150 years since the American Horological Journal — the watch-oriented progenitor of today’s sleek…
Recommended Reading: Anne Thériault’s Queens of Infamy
I’ve been scolding myself for nearly a decade (seriously!) for giving up my Thursday Book Club posts, most of which focused on the bad-ass historical women who inspire my jewelry designs. The last book-club post was the finale of my three-parter on A Distant Mirror, Barbara Tuchman’s book about the 14th century, which I posted…
Wendy Brandes Jewelry X Style Crone on CBS
Congrats to 76-year-old fashion influencer Judith Boyd, aka the Style Crone, for this wonderful feature on CBS Denver! I’ve known Judith since 2010 through blogging and, just this year, I developed an entire brand campaign around her called “Immortal Style.” I’ve been rolling out all the images on the blog for weeks. I’m beyond thrilled…
Wendy Brandes Jewelry X The Style Crone, Part 6
Here’s the sixth look from my “Immortal Style” brand campaign starring 76-year-old model Judith Boyd, aka the Style Crone. These photos feature my Carpe Diem black-diamond skull medallion and matching earrings. Here’s a closer look at the necklace … … and the earrings. These one-of-a-kind designs are not onyx! Each skull shape is cut from…
I’m an InStore Design Awards Finalist!
I’m delighted to say that the custom ring I made for gorgeous client Laura was a two-time finalist in the 2019 InStore Design Awards. The ring won second place in the category of Best Ring Over $5,000, and tied for third place in the Best Platinum Jewelry category. I so enjoyed making this ring! Lately,…
Wendy Brandes Jewelry X Style Crone, and Fenty Too
It looks like Rihanna and I are on the same page! The musician and fashion/beauty mogul introduced Fenty, her new luxury clothing line under the LVMH corporate umbrella, with hand-picked models including 68-year-old JoAni Johnson. What better time to reveal the fourth image in my “Immortal Style” campaign featuring 76-year-old Judith Boyd, aka the Style…
Wendy Brandes Jewelry X the Style Crone, Part 3
The rollout of my Immortal Style campaign continues! In this third image, 76-year-old model Judith Boyd — aka the Style Crone — wears the full suite of my Mary Queen of Scots snake designs: necklace, earrings, ring, and tiara. This collection was inspired by the term that the advisors of Elizabeth I used for Mary:…
Wendy Brandes Jewelry X the Style Crone, Part 2
It’s time to reveal the second image from my new brand campaign with Judith Boyd, aka the Style Crone. In this one, she’s modeling my turquoise skull ring. The hand-carved skull is set in 18K yellow gold and accented by 192 rubies weighing a total of 1.84 carats. This one-of-a-kind piece is available on my…
Easter Egg Jewelry
Believe it or not, charm bracelets have existed for millennia! While I’m normally obsessed with ancient artifacts, my favorite charms are of more recent vintage — generally the 20th century, when a lot of clever mechanical pieces were produced. I love designing mechanical jewelry myself, and I was once inspired by an old charm, though…