periwinkle

Periwinkle has an onomatopoeic quality to me. I just think when you say the name you can instantly picture the cute little bright lavender flower that is it's namesake.  Unfortunately for you readers, I'm also an oncology nurse and a huge science wonk. And I love learning about origins of certain medicines. Like vincristine, a major chemotherapy (the O in RCHOP and, yes, I get that that is majorly confusing, don't get me started on medical acronyms that make you go huh?) used to treat lymphoma, it is derived from Madagascar Periwinkle. Vincristine (aka Oncovin, that's where they get the O from) can never be used intrathecally and has a maximum dose of 2 mgs (you can thank me later if that helps you answer a question correctly on Jeopardy). Two cute little teardrops of perwinkle quartz wrapped in gold wire with four rosy lavender glass crystals dangling above. All wire 14 kt gold-filled. $23

lakshmi

Lakshmi is your one stop shopping goddess according to wikipedia. She bestows wealth, both spiritual and material, and she's the embodiment of beauty, really what more could you need? Perhaps these earrings. I wanted to name them after a hindu goddess because I think these would look amazing on someone Indian. The garnet red, with a pop of coral, the smoky topaz glass and gold vermeil spacers between the beads, should I photoshop them on Padma Lakshmi's ears so you can see what I'm talking about? Well I think they would look great on anyone but when I made them I just kept seeing someone with darker coloring wearing them. Prove me wrong, or right. All wire is 14 kt gold-filled. $19

anjou

For the past two weeks I've been experiencing a panic attack. That's right, a two week long panic attack. Needless to say, it sucks. Will my insides ever stop feeling like a vulture is clawing at me? But, on the bright side, I lost any winter weight I gained. Perhaps I have a pheochromocytoma. I am in love the the singsong rhapsody of certain medical terms 'pheo' being a tumor of your adrenals, a fight or flight hotspot for the release of catecholamines, a little epinephrine and norepinephrine to help make your heart feel like it's about to jump out of your chest? I get hung up on words, like the fact that the sympathetic nervous system, paradoxically it would seem, primes the body with a stress response that makes you feel very bad. Maybe the sympathetic nervous system goes by the misery loves company, we're in this together, school of thought. 

This is neither here nor there with respect to these earrings. Four red anjou pear drops weight a tiny trellis of fine gold-filled chain. Bronze, gold and deepest red glass beads climb towards your lobes. All metal is 14 kt gold-filled. $23

the orchid thief

This is probably my favorite of the 'petal necklace series' the irridescent purply color is to die for. I swear I must have beeen a tacky hippie in an alternate life, I've really got a thing for irridescent stuff. In the summer at Whole Foods they have the most glorious orchids lining a wall that marks off the eating area, so my kids and I will go have sweet treats in the orchid forest. Did you know about orchidelirium? One hybrid word that's supposed to sum up the obsessive madness that claimed people in their avaricious quest to acquire new varieties of orchids during the Victorian era. I love stories of obsession; even if it's oftentimes misdirected and heavy on greed, it makes for good fiction if nothing else.  Four tiny petals of a purply-gold hang on a slender thread of gold chain. It's a simple, elegant piece. Clasp, chain, beads and wire all 14kt gold-filled. 17-1/4" in length. $37

sugar plums

Now visions of sugar plums can dance on your lobes instead of in your head. A spectrum of plum colored pearls and glass wrapped in gold wire hangs on a thin sliver of chain. Delicate and delectable, it's a sweet treat that won't go to your thighs. 1-1/2" in length. All metal is 14kt gold-filled. $19

petals on the wind

Yes, I'm naming this one after a spinner rack novel, and for those of you that didn't work at a book store that's a rather elitist diss to the wildly popular books that used to occupy the spinning wire racks in independent bookstores. Remember them, before all that existed was Barnes & Noble and Amazon? Sigh. I feel so old sometimes, because I question the greatness of a future where everyone looks at their phones instead of looking up and taking in life, perhaps smiling at a stranger and striking up a conversation. But I digress. When I was in middle school I devoured all those spinner rack novels; Danielle Steele, Sidney Sheldon, and their made for tv movie ilk. Oh but V.C. Andrews, she was special. So creepy, dark and erotic. For someone on the cusp of teendom her works were shocking.  I was hooked and whipped through those books a day at a time. So out of the trilogy Petals on the Wind was the only one I could make work with my jewelry, although maybe I'll branch out and try an If There Be Thorns necklace. Seven petals of pale golden pink glass, separated by six golden beads, hang on a fine gold chain. Beads, clasp, wire and chain are all 14kt gold-filled. 18-1/4" in length. $37

he loves me

This is like the gem version of picking petals off a pretty pink flower. But you can keep the winning petal close to your heart. A faceted teardrop of rose quartz wrapped in wire hangs on a gold chain. Wire, chain and clasp are all 14kt gold-filled. 17" inches in length. $37

Au

Yes, that's periodic table speak for the element gold. My dorkiness (and pretentiousness) knows no bounds. I can only hope some J Crew designer sees this, rips off my 'color' and names a sunny summer cotton sweater Au. The focal piece of this necklace are glass petals of the most lovely iridescent golden color. Separated by three tiny beads and hung on a gold chain. This necklace is very simple and dainty, but elegant too. The chain, clasp and beads are all 14kt gold-filled. 19-1/4" in length. $37

break the night with colour

I gotta put the u in colour because this is the title of a Richard Ashcroft song and he's British. Now I was years late to appreciating this song, apparently it came out in 2006 and I only downloaded it this summer. But oooh, I want Richard Ashcroft to just sing oooh to me nonstop. It's heady stuff, who knew a man could put so much emotion into one syllable? Seriously when I first downloaded this song I'd just hit repeat nonstop while on the treadmill, I thought of looping his ooohs so I could fall asleep to that, I'm sure it would guarantee very yummy dreams. This multi-strand bracelet has pearls that are the deepest blue black, coupled with paler bluish grey seed pearls and a strand of iridescent cut glass that sparkles blue, lavender and pink. Quite a conversation piece, this is a bracelet that would be a lovely accompaniment to a little black dress. 14kt gold-filled clasp, 8-1/4" in length. $41

in the pink

The popular saying is that diamonds are a girl's best friend but I think they are wrong. At the very least it's far too predictable. Pearls have a quality that diamonds cannot match and if you are lucky enough to have wonderful skin there is no gem, in my humble opinion, that equals the pearl in showcasing just what a gift a lovely complexion is. It's the luminous quality of the pearl that will make your skin look like it is lit from within. This is a simple, elegant pearl necklace of a muted petal pink a color that will suffuse you with an enviable glow no matter what your skin tone is. Pearl are separated by glass beads in the same petal pink. 14 kt gold-filled clasp 18-1/4" in length. $47

kiss kiss

Like two chocolate kisses to adorn your lovely lobes. These earrings would accompany the chocolove necklace perfectly. Two chocolatey tear drop shaped freshwater pearls with amber colored cut glass crystals atop each one. 14-kt gold-filled findings. 1-1/8" in length. $19

connect the dots

Yes, connecting the dots, usually on any paper menu at a family friendly restaurant. And, when it comes to my life, can seem so painfully obvious in hindsight but when you're living it, it's like a big rat's nest of knots or dots. Oh well, guess that can make life interesting. In this case the dots are gems, freshwater pearls of a lovely warm brown hue and various shades of griege (gray + beige = greige). I wonder what a book called fifty shades of greige would look like, perhaps a more literate take on what it takes to keep the fires burning with an attractive non cliche ridden middle aged couple? So I'm getting off track. There are also smoky quartz colored glass crystals strung along this fine 14 kt gold-filled chain. 18-7/8" in length it would look lovely with chocolove or at first blush. $37

if

SOLD please email me if you like what you see and would like a similar piece.

When my son was younger he received a wonderful book for his birthday called If which is such a joy to look at with your children. The illustrations are beautiful and the ideas fantastic that Sarah Perry conjures. Unfortunately, the one that always comes to me first is 'if toes were teeth' which, I have to say, is one of the more unappealing ifs to me. But when I look at this necklace it makes me think 'if tears were drops of sunshine'. A single, lovely teardrop of the palest yellow citrine hangs on a delicate chain of gold. The chain and all findings are 14 kt gold-filled. 17-3/4" in length. $37 

what a bunch of abalone

Yeah, you read that right, not baloney but abalone. I wouldn't know how to fashion any jewelry out of bologna. I'm astounded that there are spam sculpting competitions, who does that medium call to? But I was quick to think of a wonderful way to showcase this piece of abalone, keep it simple and let the mollusk's inner shell (or nacre, my fifty cent word for this post) shine on it's own. So I wrapped it in wire and hung it on a delicate chain. The chain and all findings are 14 kt gold-filled. 16-1/2" in length. $37

pas de deux

Otherwise known as the necklace so nice, you'll wear it twice. Well, hopefully more than that, you can get twice the wear out of it this two faced piece, and I promise it will not trash talk you to the other pieces in your jewelry box once you take it off. This is a really beautiful ceramic bead (just under 3/4"by 3/8")  that was handcrafted by a local artisan. It hangs on a delicate gold chain, all the findings and the chain are 14 kt gold-filled. 16-1/2" long. $31

london calling

SOLD please email me if you like what you see and would like a similar piece. 

These earrings shimmy and shake with the best of them. Why not add these to your lovely lobes whilst you're hanging out at Glastonbury in your very best wellies and bring some Kate Moss chic to the occasion. Murky green-grey glass beads with 14 kt gold-filled findings. 1-3/8" in length. $23

by the sea

Stretching out the last lazy days of summer, finding treasures in tide pools. These earrings dance above olive glass drops with shimmering cut glass crystals reflecting the colors of the sea. 14 kt gold-filled findings, just a hair under 1-1/2" top to toe. $23