Hello darlings, Happy new year!! Is it still okay to say that on January 16th? I’m going to say yes, because the year still feels all fresh and new. January can be a rough month for me: the sky is dark, the weather is cold, and I’m still worn out from holidaying through the end of 2023. But we just had the fireplace in our new house repaired, so I’ve been spending a lot of time curled up in a fuzzy blanket in front of a warm fire, reading great books. It’s lovely. The sun will return eventually and then…
Author: ANGadmin
I’ve been looking forward to sharing today’s post with you since last year, when Shari of Seal & Scribe called me to tell me she was creating this new collection with antique seals and would my readers be interested in hearing about it? Now it’s here and I can’t wait to show you! First things first: what’s a wax seal? Before modern adhesives, letters were sealed with wax. For special missives, letter writers could add another layer of meaning by pressing a seal into the molten wax before it hardened so that it would leave an impression: a reverse image…
This gemstone chandelier isn’t technically jewelry, but it IS made of jewels! I’d wear it if I could, but I think pure size dictates that this one has to be jewelry for a house, not a person. Or perhaps a castle – it is that spectacular. Alhaja is a work of gemstone art by Colombian gemologist and designer Sebastian Jaramillo. This mind-boggling piece took over 6 years to build, is made up of 2,000 individual handmade pieces, and features more than 23,000 carats of gemstones. Jaramillo was studying with GIA in New York City when inspiration struck. In the designer’s…
Hello my darlings, My goodness, this has turned out to be a busy summer! If you follow my on Instagram, you already know that Mr. DitL and I just bought our first house (!!!!) so we have been running around trying to find furniture and fix drywall and refinish floors and buy a new bathtub and 10,000 other exciting, frustrating, fun, exhilarating, overwhelming things. It is very exciting and we’re so happy to have found our home, but it’s definitely taking up a lot of time and energy. Do any of you have advice for us first-time homeowners? Please feel…
I loved Loriann Jewelry’s Modern Renaissance collection before I even saw it. My introduction to this gorgeous new line came via a phone call from the designer, Lori Friedman. I stood in my kitchen as Lori walked me through the collection’s evolution and inspiration; her words painting pictures in my mind. I had to wait a few more months before I had the pleasure of seeing Loriann Jewelry’s Modern Renaissance collection for myself in real life, but oh my goodness, my darlings. It was worth the wait. It’s one of my favorite things in the world to see a jewelry…
Mark your calendars now, because the first ever NYC Jewelry and Object Show is coming to Manhattan November 16-19th! Created by a jewelry lover for jewelry lovers, this brand new jewelry show will showcase dealers from around the world offering some of the best and most interesting vintage, antique, and estate jewelry and objects around. Most of the antique jewelry shows you’ve heard of are legacy projects that have been happening the same way year after year with very little innovation. Whether you’re a dealer exhibiting at those shows or a shopper hunting for treasures, you know that these old…
I’m so happy that spring is here! And I’m not the only one enjoying the season: high-end antique and vintage jewelry store A La Vieille Russie has curated the prettiest spring-themed edit of jewels for us to enjoy. There’s even a tiara!! It’s incredible. I’ve had the honor of visiting A La Vieille Russie‘s NYC brick and mortar store twice, and both occasions were extremely memorable – even though one visit was just a frantic 10 minutes before I had to go catch my train home. If you ever have the chance to go visit them IRL, definitely do it.…
Hello my darlings, Spring has reached Maryland at last! The cherry trees are budding, the sun has returned, and the wind no longer bites my skin. I love love love this time of year, when the world emerges from its long winter sleep and I suddenly feel like everything is possible. Did you see that I finally won my first real jewelry auction?? I told you recently that I was a jewelry auction novice…and then when I did start bidding, I couldn’t win any! But I finally broke my streak and won an auction for a holy grail dream piece.…
If you spend much time on antique jewelry Instagram, you’ve already seen GemBank1973’s posts. They’re always sharing beautiful jewelry close-ups and eye-catching themed group shots. But have you ever looked at their online store? Because I hadn’t until last week, and it totally blew me away. I knew from Instagram that GemBank1973 had great antique jewelry, but I didn’t realize that they were a family-owned business that has specialized in jewelry for three generations. That’s some serious history, the kind of background that brings connections and knowledge. They’re also an established member of LAPADA, a very well-respected UK Association…
Fun stud earrings are a daily staple for me – they’re subtle enough to throw on for any occasion but can still pack a serious style punch. I recently discovered Tai Jewelry’s demi-fine stud collection and I liked them so much that I knew I needed to share them with you! We haven’t done a Treat Yourself post in a while, so as a reminder: Treat Yourself is my series dedicated to jewelry under $300. Because museum-quality jewelry is fun to look at, but sometimes you want something that you can just snap up without needing to worry about your…
