That Gorgeous Gray

Whether gray has arrived naturally or you have chosen the color, 

your jewelry can really make that beautiful hair even more striking. Sterling silver, white gold, and platinum are all fine choices. For some, rose gold is also pretty.

Good stones for you? Diamonds, of course—the lighter ones and for some silver-haired beauties, champagne, coffee, and cognac ones, too.  We talked about diamonds here.

https://myjewelrydoctor.blogspot.com/2015/04/quality-is-girls-and-boys-best-friend_12.html

For a soft look, choose rose quartz, amethyst, or tanzanite. And don’t overlook the opals, including the power of fire opal. 

If your gray has brown undertones, you may really like mahogany obsidian and red tiger’s eye. Tree agate and malachite are wonderful for those whose undertones are cooler. Snowflake obsidian is sensational on just about everybody, with its gray and black combination. Onyx is another winner. And don’t forget gray labradorite. Hematite is great on some, too harsh on others with silver and gray hair. You be the judge. 

Sky colors are often a winner for those with silver hair. Aquamarine and blue zircon will sing on many of you; if you want to go deeper, choose sapphire, either the brilliant blue of Ceylon sapphire or the equally beautiful indigo. (And since we’re talking about blue, lapis lazuli is another lovely way to go.)

What about jewel tones? Garnet is a great choice for many. You’re probably familiar with rhodolite garnet and Mozambique garnet, but Tsavorite is positively gorgeous. Have a look at grape garnet earrings here. https://myjewelrydoctor.blogspot.com/2018/01/you-love-your-jewelry-we-understand.html

Tourmaline is a favorite stone for many. Emerald is another, as is next month’s birthstone, the ruby. More on that soon.

So if your locks are gray, don’t hide them away! Let the world see that shimmer.

©2109 Laynie Tzena.

Seeing Stars at the Barbecue

Can it be? The Fourth of July is a week from today. Wear one of these bracelet-earring sets, and you’ll be a star at the barbecue—and after it, too.  

Love stars? Call your friendly neighborhood* Jewelry Doctor at 415/796-3969 (text 415/596-4244), and let’s design something heavenly for you.

*If you can read this, we’re in the neighborhood.

©2019 Laynie Tzena. 

Such a Lovely Month, or You Must Remember This

Oh, no! It’s the question that strikes fear in many a spouse’s heart:  

“Do you know what today is?”

You rack your brain. Nothing. (BTW: It’s your anniversary.) 

“How could you have forgotten?”

Gulp.

Look, we’re all busy. Understood. But there is a cure for “anniversary amnesia.” Tell your Jewelry Doctor key dates you need to remember, including your anniversary. She will create a calendar for you and remind you as those dates approach.

We now return to the former nightmare.

“Do you know what today is?”

Blank look.

“You forgot again, didn’t you?”

Smile. Reach into your pocket and pull out the box with the perfect gift you’ve chosen*—  

Fade to sunset.

*How do you know it’s the perfect gift? Have a look here. 

https://myjewelrydoctor.blogspot.com/2014/04/hard-to-shop-for-not-any-more_27.html

©2019 Laynie Tzena. All Rights Reserved.

Sometimes A Necklace Just Needs A Little Something

There are times when a necklace just needs a little more pizzazz. 
Kat loved the pearls her father had brought back from a trip—

—but since it was time to restring them, she’d been thinking they could use a little something—maybe a new clasp?

There were many wonderful contenders.

https://cgmfindings.com/subcat/456/clasps/14k_gold/clasps_with_diamonds_.html

https://cgmfindings.com/item/6026PW/14K_Clasp_Square_Diamond_w__Pearl_White_Gold_15mm.html

https://cgmfindings.com/item/6077/14K_Clasp_w__Pearl_11mm.html,

https://cgmfindings.com/item/6085/14K_Clasp_Flower_14mm_w__Pearl.html

Which is your favorite? Wondering what Kat chose? Stay tuned, or call us at 415/796-3969 (text 415/596-4244).

©2019 Laynie Tzena. All Rights Reserved.

"Grandmother's Pearls" Live On

Carrie was sad that her favorite pearl necklace, which had belonged to her late grandmother, was in pieces. Then one day she met the Jewelry Doctor, who waved her magic wand and it was “Happy Ever After.” https://myjewelrydoctor.blogspot.com/2009/05/time-travel.html

A Little Movement, or It's All In The Arrangement

Nothing wrong with these earrings. 

In fact, Fred said she liked them when she bought them. But they sat in the drawer.

That would be the late Fred Bloebaum, one of my all-time favorite customers. Fred had style for days, and a real sense of life about her. She was open to all kinds of things, and gave me (and probably anyone else who designed for her) enormous freedom when it came to design, probably because she was a designer herself—a fashion designer who created a line of classic patterns called “Designs by La Fred,” wrote for Threads Magazine, led sewing retreats, and taught at workshops around the country and at Stone Mountain and Daughter in Berkeley, where I think of her every time I shop for buttons for the loop-and-button fastenings I create for bracelets and other jewelry. 
(More on button jewelry soon.)

“I don’t know what it is,” she said, showing me the earrings. “They just don’t do anything for me.”

I looked at them. The components were pretty, especially that blonde wood saucer currently hiding under a brass bead. 

The round bead at the top and the pebble underneath it weren’t helping, so out they went. I decided the overall problem was the earring design was too static—especially for Fred. So I tilted the saucer and wire-wrapped it, turning it into a modified donut, added an onyx bead above it to support the amber pebble now visible. Small onyx pebbles served as cradles for the rhyolite (sometimes called “rainforest jasper”) that formed the top of the new earring. The angled wires on the original earrings were fine, but not with this design; ball posts would show the earrings to better effect.

“Great!” said Fred, and we were on to another project. 

RIP, Fred. You had such a spark.

©2019 Laynie Tzena. All Rights Reserved.

Red, I Said!

More and more people are exploring a new hair color (or two). 
So let’s take a look at the kind of jewelry that works best for your 
hair color—whether it came from the crib or from a bottle a little later. We’ll start with redheads. 

https://myjewelrydoctor.blogspot.com/2012/12/sun-in-not-required.html