MrB and I went to California on Labor Day weekend to visit family and friends. We stayed near the beach in Santa Monica and it was so beautiful, daytime … … and nighttime. The buildings were pink, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky … … and the Champagne sangria was delicious. MrB and I…
Broken English
Buying Fine Jewelry Online
Folks often ask me, “Do people REALLY buy fine jewelry online?” And I answer, “Hell, yeah!” As a matter of fact, online sales are what have kept my business going since 2005. For more stories about online jewelry shopping, check out the this story in the Wall Street Journal. The piece by Lauren Sherman notes…
Good News From JCK and British Vogue
I’m thrilled to let y’all know that I was a finalist in the 2013 JCK Jewelers’ Choice Awards competition! My Empress Wu dragon earrings placed third in the Pearl Jewelry/Over $10,000 category. JCK publishes JCK magazine, the jewelry industry’s leading trade publication. (Here’s an interview JCK did with me last year.) The company also produces and…
Holy Halloween Sale, Batman!
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. To make yours even more fun this year, I’ve put my three bat necklaces on sale for the month of October. You don’t have to be a Halloween enthusiast to wear one of these. They’re also good for Batman fans (note the face on the pendant!) … or…
Wendy Brandes Heart Jewelry in Aventura Magazine
Big thanks to South Florida’s Aventura Magazine for including my 18K-gold Diana heart necklace in the September/October issue. The necklace is on the upper right side of the “Jewelry Box” page. If you see the issue with basketball star Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat on the cover, check it out! The necklace, which can…
Shontelle Shows Two Clemence Rings Are Even Better Than One
Quite a few people have stacked two of my Clemence rings together, but I’ve never managed to get a picture. Gorgeous singer Shontelle (“Impossible“) ended my photo drought last Wednesday when she performed and modeled at the “Real Fashion, Real Women” show benefiting Bottomless Closet. She wore my 18K-gold Clemence ring in rock crystal and…
Jewel of the Month: Lori’s Engagement Ring
I make custom engagement rings for all budgets and, as I’ve said before, I prefer the woman to be involved in the design. If the bride-to-be is not personally meeting with me because the man (or woman) who is proposing is trying to maintain some element of surprise, I want him (or her) to come…
Wendy Brandes Jewelry, The Killing and Entertainment Weekly
Luckily for me, the AMC show The Killing infuriated fans by ending its first season without resolving its central murder mystery. (The network said it regretted that it didn’t better manage viewer expectations.) Critics and viewers are looking for the second season — which starts on April 1 — to make up for the disappointment….
Jewel of the Month: Aquamarine, March’s Birthstone
All you March babies are entitled to a fabulous birthday gift this month, and I’ve got the perfect thing. I made one of my 18K gold Livia poison rings with March’s birthstone, aquamarine. My aquamarine is a curved, polished cabochon, rather than the more typical faceted gem. The cut gives the stone a soft, gorgeous…
Valentine’s Day Countdown, Day 2: Vampire Diana Ring
If you’re in the Los Angeles area, you’re in luck! You can go to Broken English Jewelry in Santa Monica and try on the one and only gold Vampire Diana heart ring I’ve made so far. The design of the heart pierced by a “wooden” stake was inspired by my love for the television show…