Jazmine

She is a high roller. She is luxury and she deserves it. She is the one who took me into Neiman Marcus on Union Square and walked in the place like it was her kitchen pantry (while I would normally be nervous and afraid I to leave fingerprints on the display tables). She also knows that good things come in an orange box. (If you don't know what that means, don't worry, I didn't either until I met her.) She is the only one I know that owns a Birkin bag. And while she demands luxury, she saturates the rest of the world with her generosity. To be her friend is to be bathed in the golden light that is Jazmine's giving heart. Those around her know this best of all especially if they have attended one of her ultra fabulous parties (nothing less than VIP treatment). While I am in that golden light, my confidence is miracuoulsly bolstered and doors seem just a bit more open. She calls it positive thinking, not being spoiled, a life lesson that is more valuable that anything that comes in an orange box. This was my gift to her. Pearls, of course, big ones (small pearls are inconceivable to Jazmine) on a gold chain with exactly '09 links.

Mabel

Mabel is the second eldest of my husband's four sisters. She is a consummate optimist and has the amazing ability to make something miraculous out of what ordinary people would call nothing. Two examples: 1.) When we were only at the dating stage, she asked my husband and I to be the godparents of her daughter. Usually you would ask a more confirmed couple for such a commitment but her rationale was, "They are going to get married anyway." We eventually did, of course. and 2.) There is a family portrait on my mother-in-law's wall, circa 1985, Mabel and her sisters have yellow daisies tucked behind each of their left ears. The story is that Mabel picked the flowers in the parking lot of the photography studio right before they walked in for their appointment. She made her sisters wear the parking-lot-daisies and the result of her efforts is the most endearing, precious family portrait ever.
Mabel had four children before her 30th birthday, which was a couple of days ago. These earrings are for her. I've had these purple square stones forever and I've been waiting for the right inspiration so that I could do something special with them. Wouldn't you know, it wasn't until I was trying to make something for Mabel's birthday that the clear glass beads and silver chains just fell into place, and they came out just perfect.

Karen

Karen is a striking natural woman. At a recent dinner party I noticed these green and silver earrings she was wearing. She told me that she got them at a farmer's market and I could instantly see her: fresh faced, maybe sunlight in her hair, returning a polite "thank you" to the fruit seller who gives her a sample of late summer peaches. At the end of the aisle, she has an artisan baguette in her cotton tote bag and perhaps a half dozen organic lady apples that she'll display on a white plate on her kitchen counter. She'll then pick up a pair of earrings, like these ceramic and silver beaded ones, and hold them between her fingers for a moment before she brushes her hair off one ear and measures their length along her neck in the hand mirror that hangs from the merchant's tent post. She appreciates their simple beauty; the slight luster of the antiqued silver and the color green, the same shades of green that surrounded her and filled her lungs on her last trip to Costa Rica. They are her last purchase at the market, she slips them on her naked lobes and turns the corner to make the rest of the walk home. Karen is a perfect Sunday afternoon.

Betty

It's the best show on TV right now. Seriously. I don't know if I tune in each week because of the captivating storylines or the fabulous historical fashions. I'm talking about Mad Men of course. And my favorite character on the show: Betty Draper played by 31 year old actress, January Jones. Her facade is so painfully perfect and impeccable that it's almost a relief that we are privileged to see any detectable flaws in her character. That's why I loved a resent episode entitled "Souvenir" (S3E8) where Betty accompanies Don on a business trip to Italy. While left to her own devices, Betty goes all out. She exchanges her "happy homemaker" coiffure for a haute-couture-Italian-do and wears a sophisticated mod black dress instead of her normal suburban pedal pushers and petticoat skirts. She speaks coquettish Italian as she sits in a outdoor cafe flirting with the ragazzi (until Don steps in to spoil the fun). She also wears these fabulous drop pearl earrings that I just had to recreate. Although here, I used turquoise (turquoise is the new pearl). I also tried to be poetic in my choice of turquoise bead to really caputre the essence of why I love Betty so much: the turquoise is flat (instead of a sphere) to represent how Betty and the women of her era are so often undersestimated. There are also cracks and fissures in the surface to represent how Betty's perfection is so tenuously held together...but more beautifuly fascinating becasue of this tension.

Cleopatra

I have a running theme for my daughter's Halloween costumes: QUEENS. Her first year she was a "Queen Bee" then "The Queen of Hearts". Last year she was Marie Antoinette, the queen of France. And this year she was Cleopatra, queen of the Nile. I don't know how long I will be able to choose her Halloween costumes, so I thought I would go all out for as long as I can. Along with this year's costume, I included a historical lesson about the female monarch behind the gold fabric and glue-on gemstones. Through our research, I realized that her story was a bit inappropriate for a three year-old. Cleopatra's rise to the throne involved imprisoning her younger siblings and then cold-heartedly having them murdered. In her lifetime, she married her brother according to the royal Egyptian tradition and then later betrayed her husband and formed an alliance with Rome by consorting with Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. As politically conniving as she was beautiful, there is still a discrepancy as to her death; whether by suicide or assassination. Hard evidence of her existence is still ellusive and archeologists search to this day for the physical remnants of this icon. Yet earlier this year, scientists made a remarkable discovery in uncovering the remains of what they believe to be Princess Arsinoe, Cleopatra's younger sister. DNA test on the skeleton revealed that Arsinoe, and her sister by relation, were of mixed race. Forensic reconstruction of Arsinoe's skull also gave scientists the closest true-life rendering of Cleopatra's beauty (that is if she looked anything like her sister). But alas, since I know from experience that you can look nothing like your sister, her true image can only be realized in legend....and maybe these earrings. Gold dangles emulate royal Egyptian lavishness and the amber drops are symbolic of how the legend of a woman can span the passage of over 2,000 years.

Roberta G.

When I was younger, my sister and I would do the "pretend news". It was our own little make-believe game where we dressed up our mom's suit coats, sat at the dinner table, and spoke to our reflections in the kitchen window. Yet there was always a point in the game when we would fight over who would present the weather forecast. Why? Because of Roberta Gonzalez, the local weather anchor. She was confident, beautiful, and glamorous...and she shared not only our mother's name but resembled her somewhat (according to our father). Ms. Gonzalez has been honored for her charitable work by the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, National Humane Society (to note a few). As well as received recognitions for her work on-air including 4 Emmy awards. I also heard that she is married to the play-by-play announcer for the San Jose Sharks (GO SHARKS!)...Given all of that, she's fascinating to me because of her style, like I said: a mix of confidence and glamour. I saw recent broadcast where Ms. Gonzalez was wearing this black and white bauble pearl necklace that was the inspiration for this piece. Here, I mixed merlot and cocoa drop pearls with large cream pearls on a silver chain. To wear it, I think you need a little confidence and glamour of your own.

Mary

There are women in our life who, although not biologically related to us, are our family. Surrogate mothers, aunts, and sisters who nurture us, teach us, and yes, love us. Mary, my own mother's best friend and former college roommate, is one of these women to me. When I think of her, I think of a story she told me about humbleness and appreciation. When she was a child her family did not have much. One day, her father came home with a bag of shoes for his children. He laid the shoes out on the bed and as her siblings fought over the nicer pairs and complained when they were not perfect or the most fashionable, Mary picked the purple shoes. The purple shoes that nobody wanted, that were the least perfect, and least fashionable. Her siblings ran out of the room with their new shoes but Mary was the only child to thank her father. She thanked him because she had shoes, purple or not, and because her father provided for her in a time when it was difficult to do so. Mary told me this story many years ago, probably at a time when I most needed to hear it and it has remained with me to this day. This necklace helps me remember what Mary taught me. The pearl is for motherhood and the purple pearl is for Mary's purple shoes. The pink Buddha is to remind me of her appreciation and humbleness even as a small girl. As a mother of two girls of my own there are virtues I would like to instill in my children that are difficult to teach and even more difficult to learn. Luckily, I have an excellent role model to help me with my goals.

Veronica

It's a drink order, a conversation starter, or a cry for help. Did you know one piece of jewelry could do all that? I named this set of silver necklaces after myself not to be narcissistic but because they, via my twisted sense of humor, are my solace during my sobriety. Being a mom involves a lot of sacrifices and while you are with child or nursing a child, a mommy's determination to protect is sometimes in direct opposition with certain hedonistic desires like:

VODKA - it goes with everything: pineapple juice, Red Bull, or even an orange ruffled halter top.

















BOURBON - bourbon and I had to learn to be friends. I always feel Southern drinking it, like I should speak with a drawl and declare that I have the vapors or something...which may be why people have stopped serving me bourbon. An interesting fact about bourbon that you may not know: the barrels used by the Jameson Whiskey Distillery are recycled bourbon barrels from America. So, there's a hint of bourbon in that Irish whiskey you are drinking.













GIN - on the contrary, Gin and I are old friends. It is what I crave most. For all you Twilight fans, if I were Edward, Gin would be my Bella blood. Icy cold with a whisper of vermouth and three green olives. That would be my martini. Alfred Hitchcock's recipe calls for five parts gin and a quick glance at a bottle of vermouth. While Winston Churchill adds gin and mere bow in the direction of France. The point is that it's all about the gin. It doesn't even have to be in a martini glass, serve it to me in a mason jar and I will be quite content. I miss you gin.












SCOTCH - one of the first lessons I learned in law school was that lawyers drink scotch. And unfortunately, that's all I remember.

So ladies, be bold, be wild, and be responsible: have a drink for me, I still have a ways to go.

Erica

I love yellow. I heard once that if you like yellow you could possibly be a lunatic. That may be true for me but not so much for my sister-in-law Erica. She taught me to love yellow. There used to be this woman I knew who wore these bright yellow pointy-toe heels and I thought her feet looked like taxicabs. But now, because of Erica and her sense of style, when I see the color I think of her and all things sunny and bright and happy... good beautiful things. I learned from Erica that yellow goes with almost anything, its not just a summer color but can bring a playful pop to your any day. These fun blue and yellow glass bead earrings are for her.

Alicia

Alicia the savior: I would not have made it through college without her. (There are several stories there, all of which may eventually compromise Alicia's potential political career so I shall purposefully omit.) In my relative maturity, I've learned a lot about friendship from Alicia. First and foremost, it is something to be treasured. Second, it, like all good things in life require perseverance. We've been friends for almost two decades and have not been without our ups and downs. I remember standing in Father Calero's office (our professor at the time) with Alicia and trying to explain to him how it came to be that we missed his lecture yet again. I don't remember all the nuances of the conversation but I do remember him telling us that all true friendships have disagreements, "A tested faith that survives becomes stronger." That statement didn't register then but it does now. Alicia and I have survived together and she is now one of my very best friends. This Murano glass heart and flame represents the Sacred Heart, which has a lot of personal meaning for us both. It reminds me of faith and survival both essential for friendship.

Robin

I have a lot of stories about my sister Robin, some of which I know I'm not supposed to share. While she may be embarrassed by this story, I think it shows how a belief in yourself and optimism can make anything happen.
Years ago, I had a flock of zebra finches. By "flock" I mean 16 finches that started as a gift of two. To clean the cage, I would let them loose in a closed room and they would fly around, stretch their wings, and land on the house plants. Miraculously, they would eventually fly back into the birdcage to roost in their little basket nests at night. However, on this occasion one rogue zebra finch would not return to her home and I was distressed something might happen to her while on the loose. She was out of the cage for three days when my sister came over to offer her help. I asked, "What are you going to do that I haven't already tried?" Her response, "Well, my name is Robin and that's a bird so maybe she'll just come to me." I could not contain my reaction to her explanation. I threw myself against the wall in fits of laughter and ended up rolling on the floor with side cramps. The woman was well into her 20's and this kind irrational hopeful thinking usually does not survive past the innocence of childhood. And yet, as I lay on the floor trying to compose myself, my sister extended her right hand over her head, held out her index finger, and closed her eyes. I kid you not, the little rogue zebra finch perched herself on my sister's finger. Robin took her other hand and gently enclosed the bird in her fist before placing in back into the birdcage with the rest of the little bird family.
This wood bead necklace is for her. The heart falls a little askew and off-center (as it sometimes should) and is decorated with the tiniest hummingbird. I've also included her own set of wings to be used as needed.

Helene

Garlic noodles at Crustacean: to eat them is to fall in love with them. How deep is that love? Well lets just say that after I die, I request that my internal organs be replaced with Crustacean's garlic noodles. I want to braid them in my hair and have the noodles fall around my shoulders as if I were a Pre-Raphaelite goddess emerging from a divine slumber. I want to wind them around my fingers and toes and have my lover sensuously suck them off before I kiss him in garlic-noodley passion. I want to string them in the eyelets of thigh high boots and walk around the earth surviving only off the sustenance of my garlic noodle laces. Yes, they are that good.
So, thank you executive chef of Crustacean, Helene An, for your delicious garlic noodles. I feel odd using the word "delicious" because it seems so pedestrian. The delight and joy that they bring to the mouth is beyond mere words. You inspired me to make these earrings, a little Asian fusion with carved red coral and German glass beads accented by the luster of tiny golden cubes.

Mari Paz

There were periods in history when women in Spain were totally prohibited from bullfighting. The contest between matador and bull is one of art and death and today still reserved, if not just culturally, for men. However, Mari Paz Vega is one of the very few professional female bullfighters in Spain. She succeeded where her brothers could not, yet it is doubtful that the bulls she faces in the ring give her deference for her gender. Despite your or my views about the humaneness of bullfighting, Mari Paz is an inspiration. She has supreme respect for the animals she kills and acknowledges, "Without the bull, I am nothing. Nothing."
The matador costume is called a "suit of lights" it is ornate and elegant, fitted more for the art of the dance rather than the ultimate bloody task. These long dangles are made to move like Mari Paz; elegant, dramatic, yet with fierceness of a real contender.

Sien and Rachel

While in Amsterdam, I made a vividly enhanced visit to the Van Gogh Museum. Years before, I saw my first Van Gogh painting in person at the LACMA and it was a spiritual experience. The flat 2 dimensional prints in my copy of Gardner's Art Through the Ages did not compare in the slightest. I cried as I stood in front of Vincent's Courtesan (1887). I could finally see the gravity of his painting; imagine the movement of his wrist and forearm in the length of the brush strokes and the amounts of paint saturating the bristles of his brush in the depths and textures covering the canvas. However, this time, in Amsterdam I don't remember such revelations but I was fascinated by what I learned about his life and his loves (or lack thereof). I remember the name of a woman he lived with, Sien. She was an alcoholic and a prostitute. She quite possibly bore him a son, but she was supposedly already pregnant when she met him, it is more likely she only gave him gonorrhea. Rachel was the name of another prostitute in Van Gogh's life. Reportedly when he cut off his hear he wrapped the missing piece and gave it to her.
I found these blue and white ceramic beads in Amsterdam. They remind me of Van Gogh and his obsession with Japanese woodblock prints. I think of the Courtesan and I imagine the women in his life. I wonder if these women drove him to insanity or saved him briefly from it.

Roberta

Over 40 years ago, my mom took a jewelry making class in college. She made some beautiful things including a prototype of her engagement ring (the real thing was later stolen and never replicated). The gold filigree elements and the light turquoise glass teardrops are vestigial components from my mom's creative college days, pieces she saved with a lot of other intentions. I love the way the teardrops are luminous even without the assistance of the afternoon light, they paired perfectly with pearls. So hopeful, so romantic.

Carmen

Shopping for my mother-in-law is an impossible task. There are at least three times a year I have to do this, Mother's Day, her birthday, and Christmas. She is the warm-hearted matriarch of a family of eight but she totally intimidates me. Every time I see her she gives me the most sincere hugs and I feel honored that she welcomes me so lovingly into her inner circle. I think it only helps our relationship that she only speaks Spanish and my Spanish-speaking skills are so lack-luster. Maybe this is why giving her a gift is such a daunting task for me, it's the only real opportunity I can express my appreciation and love for her.
This year, for her birthday I made something for her: a pair of stone earrings and a matching beaded necklace. The end product turned out to be something super simple, not too many elements. I matched the color of the wooden beads to the stones of the necklace and I used these special silver rosary beads that I had be saving for years. However, it took me almost 4 days to make it perfect. Since giving gifts of the homemade kind is not within the family custom, my husband and I also gave her a blouse to compliment the jewelry set. I still think the sentiment translated.

Silvia

Silvia is my sister-in-law.
She has three beautiful children for whom, I know she sacrifices everything. Two years ago, I brought her back some gold earrings from Madrid. I've only seen her wear these gold earrings and no others. She told me that they are the only ones she has. For her birthday I made her these, specifically because they match a brown sweater she always wears.