Anne

Anne Boleyn was second of the six wives of Henry VII and the mother of “The Virgin Queen,” Elizabeth I. She was both revered and despised for her role in the Reformation, when The Church of England first separated from Roman Catholic Authority. Unable to produce a male heir to the English throne (she suffered several miscarriages), the Queen was eventually tried and convicted for high treason (adultery, incest with her brother, and plotting to kill the king). She was then imprisoned in the Tower of London, and beheaded. It is apparent that during the three short years between her coronation and her execution she had a tremendous influence on the fate of England but the true reasons behind her downfall and her own tragic destiny are still debatable; whether she was insane with greed, impelled by love, or persecuted for her genius. It is fun to speculate about Anne and her story makes for good drama like the films “Anne of the Thousand Days” (1969) or “The Other Boleyn Girl” (2008) and one of my favorite television series “The Tudors.” It’s even more fun to be like her, at least for a little while, especially adorned in this regal gold and pearl necklace. Brilliant round pearls hang inside eight golden keys that are opulently linked by larger pearls. The keys are like an abstract portrait and mimic a queenly profile. Anne was granted special clemency from her husband the King and instead of suffering the brutal blow of the axe, a swordsman executioner known for precision was called from France to deliver her sentence because she had, in her own words, “just a little neck.” The adjustable chain allows these pearls to fit close around a "little neck" like a choker or longer for a more bosom-enhancing, provocative style.

Jody

For the life of me, I can’t keep an orchid alive. I’ve agonized over the growing instructions: water, orchid food, imported potting bark, Japanese ceramic orchid pot, indirect filtered light, diligence -- check, check, check, check, check, and check. But it is brutally apparent that I am the grim reaper of exotic flowers. To those who have bestowed an orchid into my care, thank you for the generosity and for the high praise in thinking I have the skills and necessary magical powers to care for such a temperamental plant. However, I confess that the orchid you gave me died. It barely lasted a fortnight before its precious blossoms withered away and its succulent green leaves deflated to a sad leathery brown.
Friendships are much like orchids because they require a lot of maintenance and nurturing to flourish. As in cultivating an orchid flower, if you make the effort you can grow a friendship that will last a lifetime and is as wonderful as it is rare. Yet, sometimes friendships are meant to be two-week orchids and bless your life for only a brief moment; a college roommate, your best friend in 3rd grade, a co-worker from your old job, or even a bridesmaid that you regrettably included in your wedding. You enjoy them while they last but eventually you let go and they become acquaintances, holiday card recipients, or maybe just a fond memory. Luckily, I have been more fortunate in friendships than with orchids. Case in point: Jody, one of my best, best friends. Jody and I have been friends since we were six years-old, which is essentially decades. Like this silver orchid on a double strand of fuchsia glass beads, she is everlasting and will be treasured forever. The orchid jauntily hangs slightly to the left in its most appropriate place, nearest to the heart. Tucked between the dendrobium colored strands is a surprising mix of purples and lavenders... because as Jody and I know all too well, things that are mixed are more special.

Michelle

Michelle's handwriting is unmistakable; she dots I's with little bubble-like circles, adds curly tails to the letters at the end words, and always uses purple ink. Michelle, herself, is an unbelievable beauty; with her soft blond hair and brilliant blue eyes she sparkles like mid-day sunshine. She is also unapologetically perky; she is as sweet as peaches and has an easy sort of kindness about her. Some might dismiss all of these feminine details as a weakness but such a oversight would be unforgivable. You see, Michelle's girly splendor is the way she stays positive even through a life-changing, world-crushing, dream-dashing event. Michelle is unbreakable. This cheery cherry necklace celebrates Michelle and her resilient optimism.

Elizabeth

Do you remember your senior prom? Did you plan every detail: shop for the perfect dress, dye satin shoes to match, and make a salon appointment so you could wear your hair in hairspray crisp curls pinned to the crown of your head reminiscent to Audrey Hepburn in "A Roman Holiday"? We may all have had illusions of the perfect prom night, but in reality how many of our prom nights played out exactly like our dreams?
This necklace is for one of my very best high school friends, Elizabeth. The day of our senior prom, she was driving us to get our manicures when she was pulled over in her white Volkswagen Rabbit for not making a complete stop at a traffic sign. Parental drama ensued and the kibosh was put on her after prom festivities. I'm so sorry Liz. I wish it would have turned out differently for you and I feel like in some way I was partly to blame, especially because I think you were distracted by my singing along to your mix tape.
Maybe we all have a secret hopes to relive prom. Not to worry though, you can definitely be the prom queen everyday wearing this butter yellow satin and tulle corsage necklace.
Three asymmetrical, beaded rosettes are hand sewn tightly on a felt and lace backing (almost as pretty as the front). The length is adjustable: just hook the lobster claw clasp anywhere along the opposite chain and a glass pearl and a yellow rose pearl counterweight will dangle elegantly down your back. Wears adorably with a crinoline and chiffon party dress but also just as easily with a scoop neck T-shirt or soft cardigan.

Leslie

A mother will drop off your forgotten swim suit at summer day camp on her valuable lunch break because it will crush her heart to think of you sadly sitting poolside all day while your friends splash and play in the deep end. A mother will also stay up all through the night to finish her law school assignment and not regret for a moment that earlier in the day she took the time to help you make valentines for your second grade classmates. Leslie is mother who does this AND looks fantastic in a beautiful gray suit and pointy-toe, suede stilettos. A modern-day super woman; her beauty, intelligence, and success are uncompromised by her motherhood. In fact, her beauty, intelligence, and success are made more remarkable by her motherhood.
This necklace is comprised of three clusters of fresh water pearls on a silver tone which represent Leslie and her two children. The clusters are blushed with gray and pink and accented by nuclei of large glass beads and pearls. All are sewn onto reinforced felt and backed in velvety pink fabric for wearable comfort.

Sr. Joan Marie

My fifth grade world was ruled by the "Iron Habit" a.k.a. Sister Joan Marie. As harmless as I appeared in a green and white plaid uniform pinafore, I seemed to be in constant trouble in Sr. Joan Marie's class. Some of my most serious offenses: 1.) sneaking a library book about chimpanzees into the girls' bathroom and forgetting to return to the classroom and 2.) copying gross words like "hemorrhoid" out of the dictionary. She was a stern disciplinarian but fair. For example: if you were playing kick-ball in front of the convent garage and she came roaring through the parking lot in her behemoth sedan, she would give you the courtesy of exactly one blaring honk before you better get your plaid-a$$ out of dodge.
She was an "old school" nun even back in my day and taught her students to fear Satan. She said that if you ever see him coming around the corner you should say "Jesus, Mary, Joseph!" and pray the "Hail Mary" every day. Well, maybe this necklace will offer a little more protection. It is a wooden tile painted white and bearing a transferred image of the Holy Mother. Iridescent turquoise glass beads, cobalt blue wooden beads, and vintage silver tone rosary beads hang amidst wired layers of white stone chips.

Reyna Sisters

I have four sister-in-laws and perhaps it would be a better story if I told you that gaining acceptance into their close knit family was chaotic and challenging, but it was quite the opposite. They welcomed me with open arms from the very beginning. And as I fell deeply in love with their brother, space in my heart for my new sisters also grew. Caring, compassionate, kind, and generous are just some of the characteristics of these truly queenly women. I count my blessings everyday and among them are Silvia, Mabel, Carmen, and Erica.
This regal necklace was inspired by my sister-in-laws. Three opulent strands of large white faux glass pearls are arranged on shaped wire to perfectly encircle the neck. The traditional images on wood tiles are repurposed from a handcrafted Mexican jewelry and have been framed with acrylic gemstones. A silver tone chain finishes the back of the necklace for comfort.

Lisa

Everyone respects Lisa; not because she demands it but because she earns it by treating people with value and kindness. She taught me that the best way to get to the top is not by stomping on the backs of others but having others lift you up.
Natural turquoise color stone cushions are lifted by glass pearls in these earrings inspired by Lisa.

Brenda

Acceptance is a pivotal goal of human existence. It is the driving force behind virtually all behavior beginning in early childhood. Biological anthropologists believe infants are inherently beautiful and attractive with large eyes, round faces, symmetrical features, and soft skin (characteristics more commonly known as "cuteness") so that they are accepted by their mothers and receive more attention, thus, increasing their chances of survival. The need for acceptance seems to be at its greatest peak in the teen years. Behind the popularity contests, clique formation, and bullying that perhaps tortured us all at some point of our young lives, is the hunger for a sense of belonging. However, if this need is somehow left unrequited during development, it is ever so much more achingly painful in later life -- it can turn into dangerous self loathing or deadly self destruction.
In the need for acceptance, we desperately ask the question "Who am I?" It is answered by our families, our peers, and our communities before we can answer it for our selves. In our membership among these groups, we see reflections of ourselves and learn the language of self expression. Sometimes membership does not come easily, as individuals we are all unique and are required to relinquish ourselves to some degree of conformity for acceptance. I cringe every time I tell my three year old she must stay in line at dance class and not spin around or pretend to be a butterfly when all the other girls are following directions. I know there's a time and place when appropriate behavior is necessary but I hope my reigning in of her free spirit does not extend outside the dance studio walls. I know some of the other little girls (and their parents) get a little annoyed when my daughter strays outside her line or pulls her t-shirt up over her head and bumps around. But then, there is another little girl who laughs at her antics and makes funny faces with my daughter in the mirror. During a break, I was helping my daughter fix her dance skirt and telling her to "follow the other girls" when this pure-hearted little girl, no more than five years old, said to me, "Don't be mad at her, she's my friend."
I looked into her big brown, concerned eyes and was reminded of Brenda. I too, have someone in my life who has stood up for me, Brenda. She was my friend when I was different from everyone else and for that I am grateful. This headband is for her. A single flower with light and dark brown leather petals and accented with white mother-of-pearl beads.

Becky

ME: "Bless me, Becky, for I have sinned. It has been two weeks since my last confession."

BECKY: "What happened this time?"

ME: "I don't know. I don't think I have a good excuse. When I do it, I always tell myself that it's not that bad. That I deserve it and I just can't help myself."

BECKY: "I know. Go on."

ME: "This time it was as if they were staring at me, calling my name. I couldn't leave them there. I think they needed me as much as I needed them."

BECKY: "How much?"

ME: "$79.99, but they used to be $164...that's like half off right?"

BECKY: "It's reasonable. What do they look like?"

ME: "Remember those orange leather wedges we saw with the braided straw heel?"

BECKY: "No way!?"

ME: "I know right? I just don't know if I can justify it."

BECKY: "Oh, orange goes with everything and once it stops raining, Summer will be right around the corner. I bet you they go really well with jeans."

ME: "They totally go with jeans. They also go with this halter dress I saw but I didn't get. I want to go back."

BECKY: "When?"

ME: "I don't know, what are you doing after work?"

(END SCENE)

Guilt is deeply seeded within my moral register. Thirteen + years (including Kindergarten and college) of Catholic school will do that. Which is why I find it poetic and somewhat entertaining that I confess my deepest darkest secrets to a runaway, coffee-drinking Mormon: Becky. She understands me. She doesn't judge me. I can freely confide in her when I blow through money earmarked for debt reduction on a pair of cognac-colored riding boots without being reprimanded. She will aid and abet me in ordering enough to reach the minimum spending requirement for free shipping when I purchase online. She will even allow me to ship packages to her house so certain individuals will be none the wiser to my clandestine activities. Some would say that she is enabling me in my addiction but I choose to look at it another way, that sometimes true friendship is defined by co-conspiracy. Someone needs to cover your back when the po-po's on your tail. Every girl needs someone who will be on her side when she's in the trenches, my someone is Becky.
This necklace is for Becky. A multi-faceted turquoise bead bridged across gold chain because she sees all my facets; bad, guilty, mischievous, insidious, and occasionally good.

J.R.

Shhhhh! I think I have a girl crush. I love everything about J.R. Firstly, she effortlessly plays this indie-rocker-chick vibe that is just insanely enchanting: ballet flats, skinny jeans, black eyeliner, and feathered headbands. Very fashionable and very trendy but the way she wears it, you would think the trend originated with her. Secondly, I've never seen a day when her hair was not perfect. Even when it's messy, it's fantastic. In fact, I think it's better when it's messy.Thirdly, she has done the impossible and made karaoke cool in my book with her side of a duet of the best rendition of Endless Love that I have ever heard. (No offense to Ms. Ross.) Fourthly, she's wicked smart and has intentions to change the world for the better. Last summer, she flew to France for an internship with the International Human Rights Council. She sent back super chic, black-and-white artsy pictures of her being very European like riding a bicycle through the streets of Strasbourg in a skirt. This list goes on but I think the most fascinating thing is that she is actually my friend. I don't even think she knows how star-struck I feel around her. I was afraid to tell her because I thought it might make things a bit awkward. For instance, there was this time we were up in the city celebrating when I went outside to get some relief from the hot party air and I saw her with a cigarette. I normally do not condone this type of behavior in other people but she was just so beautiful haloed in streetlight illuminated smoke, that I "bummed" a cancer-stick off another friend and started smoking too. She made a comment, while still complimentary, amounted to the effect that it was very strange that I should have a cigarette in my hand. Color me caught in the act! I shall never smoke again. These earrings are my abstract of J.R.'s smokey halo. Three gray glass teardrops ever so slightly prismatic that are angled on silver circles so they flitter in response to her motion. I gave them to J.R. for her birthday on her last night in San Francisco. She lives in New York now. *Sigh*

Katie

I'm sure you have an extraordinary aunt. Everyone does. I mean extraordinary in a many ways...but most of all because she offers something different to your life. Maybe she's an artist who spot welds and makes sculptures out of old mufflers. Maybe she collects porcelain dolls (which she names and displays in a special room in her doily-ridden home). My extraordinary aunt is extraordinary for many reasons. When I was little she sent me pictures of her children playing soccer in Guam and little mud dolls from Spain. She taught me how to make an angel food cake from scratch and how to fry pizza dough for the most amazing pizza ever. For my 9th birthday, she took my sister and I to the Happy Hollow Zoo followed by a shopping-spree at the Berryessa Flea Market. It was an adventure I will never forget and I still treasure the rhinestone necklace and earrings she insisted I couldn't live without. (I'll occasionally try them on and just as if I was 9 years-old again, they make me feel like a princess.) Somehow I always believed her when she told me I was beautiful even when I would otherwise be less convinced. She is magic. There's a little bit of magic in this offset silver poppy necklace with turquoise beads...something special, something different; just like your extraordinary auntie.

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.