Have A Banana

From Elle Collections SS2011. How to make your own Prada-inspired banana earrings.

Hands Up If You Love This

Just pilfered these lovely shots from photographer Estelle Hanania's website. The jewellery is by Ligia Dias who I wrote about in a previous post. Clever ladies both.

Wonky Wonders

Back in the 80s , when clashing was cool, my girlfriends and I thought that wearing mismatched earrings made us the queen bees of the playgound.

Having chanced upon this image of Frida Kahlo working the asymmetrical look in the 30s or 40s, I realise we weren't being as original as we'd hoped.


If these pieces are anything to go by, lopsided ear attire may be making a return to form.







Frida Kahlo
Ana De Costa
Ana De Costa
Betsey Johnson
Diana Olivia Maynard
Hannah Louise Lamb
Toodlebunny

Drawing Inspiration

Love the way Los Angeles-based Anita Ko has styled the jewels on her website. Humorous and fresh.

Cities Of Gold

Fancy a spot of globetrotting, but lacking the funds to do so? Look no further than Philippe Tournaire’s Bijoux Architecture. From the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben, to a Floridian penthouse and a Chinese pagoda, Tournaire's architectural miniatures (which continue a tradition that dates back to the 6th Centruy AD) mean you can have the world at your fingertips.

Lina Baretti

This month's issue of The World Of Interiors has a lovely feature on Lina Baretti, the Corsican couture jewller who - in her day - was feted by the likes of Balenciaga, Schiaparelli and Chanel.

Her use of lo-fi materials such as cork, metal, straw, velvet ribbon and tortoiseshell simply adds to the charm of her finished pieces. Just goes to show, you can look a million dollars without spending it.

Reasons To Be Cheerful

Lovely things put a smile on my face. Here's three images that have had that effect today.


This photo, advertising Boucheron's latest pieces, dropped into my inbox first thing. Decadent, indulgent, delicious. Especially noteworthy is the 'cupcake' ring on the model's forefinger.



Then the ultra-talented Alice Cicolini – author, jeweller, lecturer, curator – emailed me to say she thought I'd like this crown. She was so right.

Dating from the 1st Century AD, it's one of the exhibits in Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World, an exhibition which arrives at the British Museum on March 3rd.

It's thought to have belonged to a nomadic princess and is constructed from 12 separate pieces so that it could be folded away and transported easily. As Alice put it - a great example of early flat-packing.



And here's a beautiful piece by Alice herself. The Lotus Pendant features a faceted ruby and 23.5ct yellow gold beads, and the pendant itself is decorated with finely carved recycled ebony and meenakari enamelling - a technique known in Europe as champlevé enamelling... *sigh*...

Boucheron's Blingin' Bouquet

This diamond-and-sapphire studded, Baccarat crystal perfume bottle was designed as a very limited edition version of the classic scent, Boucheron Femme. At £15,000 a bottle, the price per dab's probably a little excessive. If you think of it as a supersized sized ring, however, it starts to make sense.

Dior Does Coral

I believe coral's my birthstone so (major hint) here's 3 little trinkets from Dior Joaillerie which will make perfect gifts for my big day this year...