elsa peretti does it again.

i know what you're thinking, seeing the title of this entry - she's at it again with the tiffany jewelry. can't she find something else to talk about?

i actually do have some other ideas fomenting in my brain right now. but when i saw tiffany tweet about the new elsa peretti cabochon rings earlier today, i obviously couldn't resist looking - and fell in love right away. they are absolutely beautiful, and done in the classic fluid lines of the rest of the elsa peretti collection. take a look:

this is the elsa peretti cabochon ring with lapis lazuli in sterling silver. there are several different stones and the ring is offered in gold and silver, as is typical of elsa peretti jewelry. there is a ring with turquoise set in gold which i LOVE, but i think blogging about it would make me even sadder that i will never own it. at least there is a vague chance i might one day own this ring... emphasis on vague...

anyway, let's talk about the reasons i love it. one: i am a ring fanatic. i absolutely love them. i like how this ring looks big enough to be worn on its own, almost as a cocktail ring, but because of the simple design you could still wear it with other jewelry and not feel like you've over-done the accessories department. because it's elsa peretti, if you had anything else from her line, especially with stones in it, the colours would likely match perfectly. because i'm back in school / business mode, i've been thinking a lot about jewelry appropriate for wearing with suits, and i think this would look fabulous. it would definitely be noticed if you were wearing it while giving a presentation (especially if you talk with your hands like yours truly), but in a good way. it looks like it would suit almost anyone's hand - not too big to look awkward on small fingers, but not too small to be too dainty on larger fingers. 

second, i love love love the colour of the stones. so far there are four in silver - rock crystal, onyx, lapis lazuli and jade. they are actually the same stones as the elsa peretti round pendants... and for those of you who actually read this blog (thanks for that btw!) you may recall i featured the round pendant with rhodonite as my first entry. (rhodonite = pink if you are too lazy to go back.) can you imagine this ring with a rhodonite stone? i am actually a little disappointed it's not already available! it was the first stone i looked for when i clicked on the link... but no dice. oh well. i will be patient, and the minute it comes out it will be on my christmas list. even if it is january - no lie. 

this ring has almost displaced my obsession with the christine mighion holley lavender chalcedony ring (which i plan to blog about later... it is beautiful!), but not quite because it is so much pricier. it is definitely on my radar screen though. luckily graduation is just around the corner! my ring size is 7, in case you were wondering. i know you were. 

oh, and one last thing - i'm going to try my best to make this blog a weekly endeavour, probably updating on fridays. so stay tuned for a series on jewelry essentials... coming soon! thanks for reading!

my long-term relationship with Swarovski

i have had a love for swarovski probably since i was born. my aunt collects swarovski figurines, and ever since i was little i have been obsessed with "little things" (which has now progressed to jewelry) - so naturally i was completely captivated by her crystal figurines. i received the classic swarovski starter set when i was 9 or 10, and have been a relatively avid collector ever since.

in my teens, before i knew about the wonders of tiffany, i was all about swarovski jewelry. i have so many pieces from the early 2000s - and actually looking back on them, i'm kind of impressed that my style and taste in jewelry has remained relatively consistent, since i would (and still do) wear all of the pieces... perhaps aside from the mickey mouse collection, which i still love, just don't wear as often because i'm, um, you know, older.

but i discovered tiffany at about age 15 and since then, haven't really asked for or purchased any swarovski jewelry - it just hasn't been on my mind. that is, until my 21st birthday earlier this year, when my two roommates bought me a pair of swarovski earrings. they are gorgeous. then my bf and i were at the mall yesterday and we popped into swarovski briefly, and i was really impressed with what i saw in the jewelry collection. as such i decided it would be an appropriate blog entry, as there are definitely some pieces i would love to own:

i think the helios desert glow pendant is just beautiful. the colour pretty much perfectly matches the earrings my roommates gave me, and i would love to add this necklace to my collection to wear with them. it looks like it sits at about 18" on the model, which would be a nice length for a pendant of this size. swarovski jewelry is what i like to call classy costume jewelry if done right - as long as you're not trying to fool someone into thinking your swarovski tennis bracelet is a real tennis bracelet (you won't), i think it looks really nice with the right outfit. i've also found that for whatever reason, the metal swarovski uses in their jewelry doesn't irritate my skin, as long as i don't wear it all day every day. anyway...

and this is the matching bracelet. love love love. i think the three pieces would look fabulous with an LBD, or even with a black skirt suit and a white collared blouse. 

my sister wore the swarovski fidelity necklace to her grade 12 grad, and it was BEAUTIFUL. it was absolutely perfect with her sapphire blue dress. another classy costume jewelry piece in my books. i saw this in the store, and even a year and a half after her grad, i still love it.

and lastly, the swarovski chic white ring. swarovski has done rings in this type of style for a long time, and i have always loved them - except i really don't think i could pull it off, which is sad. my fingers aren't long enough i don't think. but i think this ring would be stunning if it was the only thing you wore with a cocktail dress or an otherwise fabulously fashionable outfit. the clear crystals match pretty much everything, and they speak for themselves enough that you don't have to wear anything else. it also comes in blue and pink if you prefer a bit of colour. 

and so my love affair with swarovski has begun again. funny how things turn full circle sometimes.