ALICIA HANNAH NAOMI

Reason I love Instagram number 1 million: It introduced me to the beautiful jewellery of Australian designer and badass silversmith Alicia Hannah Naomi.

(HAUD ON, didn't I just do a post about rings n stuff? Yes, yes I did, but the more finger bling the better, I ALWAYS SAY.)

Check out these awesome shots for her first official collection available to buy on her website. Pretty banging...

Alicia describes the collection: Deeply moved by the subtle and the intimate, the asymmetrical and the austere; the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and processes. Believing in the poetry within things that carry this hallmark. Endeavoring to create beautiful, wearable objects that transcend our mainstream binge-and-purge lifestyles. Embracing precious, organic materials, and not compromising on quality.

Discovering beauty in imperfection and the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. Underplayed and modest; the kind of quiet, undeclared beauty that waits patiently to be discovered. Appreciating that all things in nature are transient, and taking pleasure from the aesthetic elegance in objects that carry the burden of their years with dignity and grace.


I'm not sure about all that, BUT LOOK HOW PRETTY! I'll have one of each please.

  

  

Threw in wee pendant for good measure. Seriously, I love these so much. Totally feeding my current obsession for stacking chunky rings. This is my favourite ring of hers though - not up on the website as I think it was a custom order. Smoky quartz perfection!

 

Urgh! I need! And that manicure as well please.

You can follow Alicia on Instagram @aliciahannahnaomi

BEST OF ETSY: EMERALD RINGS

Perusing the fine jewellery section of Net a Porter this morning (as I'm increasingly inclined to do) I stumbled upon this beautiful green gemstone ring by Canadian designer Pippa Small...

Something about the vivid green colour contrasted with the yellow gold setting TOTES caught my eye. Kind of magical, right? Like something a particularly CHIC witch might wear for a special occasion. Reminds me of those labradorite and onyx Monica Vinader rings I won last year..

You may or may not know but I am rather prone to a pretty gemstone and while this isn't actually an emerald (it's a gorgeous gem called chrysophase or seamfoam chalcedony as Ruth reliably informs me) I couldn't help but do a wee Etsy search for emerald rings anyway, just for the HECK of it. Here's some of my favourites...

I'm completely obsessed, especially with those uncut, chunky ones. I NEED to get myself a green-stoned ring like yesterday, even if it's not a real emerald cos they are EXPENSIVE, yo.

Lucky for you if you're birthday is in May since the emerald is your birthstone, as well as the traditional gemstone for the astrological signs of Taurus, Cancer and sometimes Gemini. Emeralds are also said to be connected to the heart (anahata) chakra, which alongside other functions, balances the energy flow between the upper and lower three chakras. Emeralds worn around the neck or placed on the heart area are said to bring emotional balance.

But, regardless, they are so PRETTY! What jewellery are you loving at the moment?

ETSY SPOTLIGHT: CALYPTE COLLECTION

Back in June I spotted this Vanessa Mooney necklace on the ever-stylish Morven's blog and fell head-over-heels in love with it. Like for real. It's all I could think about for weeks. HOW. SAD. AM. I?

But at over £200 it was just a tad out of my budget. OK, it was WAY out of my budget! Luckily for me I discovered Calypte Collection on Etsy, run by the lovely Carol, who, after a few emails back and forth, managed to cobble together this almost-identical necklace for £20!

The spikes are a little larger and I opted to have the smaller chain in gunmetal instead of silver, but it's sufficiently similar to the designer version to warrant some MASSIVE swoonage, right?

Carol emailed me a few other versions including this badass one which I ummed and ahhed about for a while... 

Awesome, right? But in the end I'm more than happy with the one I decided on. You should check out Carol's shop for more chunky chains and spikes if that's yer cup of tea, plus she's uber flexible and creative so if you have something specific in mind she'll knock it up for you no bother. Sawwted.

What jewellery have you guys been obsessing over recently?

PAMELA LOVE: HIPPIE WEDDING PERFECTION

So I would totes love to sit here and tell y'all that I am NOT the kinda girl who goes all swoony and mushy over weddings... But, well, I AM.

Sorry to shatter your perceptions of an icy-cool demeanor folks, but the heart wants what it wants. I pretty much love ALL weddings , especially when they're on the telly - Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, Don't Tell the Bride, Bride Wars, Four Weddings, Bridezillas... You name it, I love it. You might also remember I was BESIDE MYSELF for last year's Royal Wedding... Yuh, it's a THING.

So when I perused Vogue.com this morning and discovered that acclaimed badass-jewellery designer Pamela Love got hitched to her beau Mathew Nelson in Montauk Long Island recently, I couldn't help but drool over the photos.

You remember Pamela Love, she's the uber-awesome designer responsible for amazing rings and necklaces like this:

I DIE. My kingdom for the arrowhead ring!

Anyhoo, her nuptuals took place in an old 1950s holiday camp-turned-resort and of the hippy vibe, she said “I wanted the wedding to be about being in a natural, wild environment—which is kind of what love is.” AWH!

Tell me this doesn't look like something straight out of Sofia Coppola's dreams...

The cake included one vegan layer for her hubby

The vows...

Pamela's custom-made jewels for the day

Matching white gold wedding bands with turquoise inlay

'The couple spent the day before the ceremony potting flower arrangements in Mason jars that decorated the tables, and Love approached the chuppah to a rendition of Neil Young’s Heart of Gold. During the reception, guests played on wooden swings in the trees. “It was perfect, like hippie summer camp,” Love said.'

Could this have looked any more laidback and relaxed? So many weddings are so rigid, over planned, and it seems like everyone except the bride lets their hair down. Not here - apparently Pamela and her hubby were the last to leave the party!

*SNIFF* I do love a good wedding.

Sorry, I think I have something in my eye...