Good Things Come in Small Packages

These fashion times bid anything big, bright and bold. Jewelry is becoming huge and outrageous. And fun. However even in this inflating universe there is a consistent underlying micro trend that simply never goes out of fashion. Micro being the key word.

Poison comes in small bottles. They don't make diamonds the size of bricks. Less is more.

Tiny, delicate jewelry is a style of the sophisticated, ever-elegant woman. She is striking, so she does not need striking jewelry. A tiny gem around the neck or slight shimmer of metal on her earlobes will suffice. She stays young and fresh like the girl she was when she first wore a light silver chain with a precious minute pendant.

Anakit

May Birthstone: EMERALD

A stone of true mystic beauty, the emerald is one of the most coveted gems ever. I almost do not know a woman who doesn't simply adore the rich green of this magnificent mineral.



Handmade sterling silver and emerald earrings

 Emerald is one of the earliest minerals known to man. The name emerald is thought to be of the Ancient Greek word smaragdos meaning green stone.

It has been assigned a very large number of properties over the last 6000 years. Some beliefs are that emerald is a symbol of immortality, and that wearing emerald jewelry is good for the eyes and eyesight, that it prevents epilepsy, promotes cleverness, courage, eloquence, honesty, prosperity and much more. In general it can be said that emerald is believed to protect against illnesses, physical danger and evil and that it can improve your mind and character.


A tall order, but whether all of that is true or not, the fact remains that true emeralds are stunning in their beauty, so don't be surprised if you find yourself gazing at one for significant stretches of time. Ideally it should be at the mirror reflection of yourself wearing one!

Single chunk of emerald on a sterling silver hoop

The astrological signs of emerald are Taurus, Gemini and Aries.

Light coming through genuine emerald beads on multi-strand pearl bracelet

Vintage or Modern?

Real jewellery lasts for ever. The really beautiful pieces go beyond fashion. Don't you have a favourite that you wear time and time again? Or you let it rest for a few years and then rediscover it in your treasure chest? It happened to me recently when I pulled out a nice ivory cusp my dad brought back from India when I was 10! To be more specific (but not too specific!) that places it back to mid-eighties. A vintage piece so to speak and still looks great. The only difference is that back then I was able to spin it around my wrist despite its oval shape and now it just sits nice and snug on it.
I have always had a love affair with jewellery. Already as a kid I would dream of being a queen clad in huge saphires or rubies. Through the years I have accumulated an impressive collection of everything. Still the fashion has never been so much to my taste as this year. Bold, fifities, seventies, eighties styles suit me well. Only a few years back I would look ridiculous, but now I can pull off a Cleopatra, a Tzarina or a Jackie O without batting an eyelid.
In the last six months I have tapped into the world's richest resource - EBay. It's great for those unique vintage pieces that nobody has. You want a bib collar? Your wish be done. Just type in vintage bib collar, add color or metal of choice and happy shopping. You can get some really amazing bargains for nothing. I've bought chunky rings that everyone notices, even men! for less than 10 dollars. Things that used to belong to society ladies are now often up for grabs.

Another great forum and undiscovered source of great vintage jewellery is http://www.etsy.com/ It's not as popular as EBay yet, so the choice is smaller, but so are the prices. A great piece of vintage jewellery is unique, beautiful and well-made. Otherwise it's just old. The perfect fashion statement is when you wear a mix of vintage and modern, so as not to look like you've stepped out of a dusty magazine.

A great bib collar necklace will work best with sleek modern clothes. You can even wear it to spruce up a jeans and top outfit. You can choose between metals or plastic. Gold tones are especially cool this summer. The plastic of old used in vintage jewellery is lucite. It comes in different colors and shapes, it can simulate sparkly crystals or it can be found in popular ice-cream hues.

If you like being expressive with you jewellery then vintage is the way to go. The best thing about it, you won't break the bank. Although some pieces can be collector's items and if you have the misfortune of having excellent taste, so you might find yourself bidding against other fashionistas or jewelry dealers. Still the choice is so vast, you'll be damned if you don't find a steal.

http://www.anakit.etsy.com/

In the Beginning Was the Word

Well, well, well. Here we are. I never thought I would want to advertize things to the world, but there's a saying that every man in his lifetime should plant a tree, conceive a child and write a book. Well, I'm not a man, I haven't reproduced yet and all I've been planting is a few terrace pot plants. So that leaves me to write a book. Hmm. I love literature and I just love imagining myself typing away at some New England retreat, however I also like to stay down to Earth. A blog will do for now, and if it reaches many, that will be better than a book.

So what will you find here? Anything on life, love, fashion and jewellery. It's basically what we women revolve around. Good luck to us all!