Afterglow Jewellery

Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite

Or in this case the scarab beetles...

Large Cage Necklace with 2 Scarabs
Real preserved scarabs « Chryophora Chrysochlora » (Peru)
18K yellow gold

 

Scarab Chandelier Earrings
Yellow gold,
8 real preserved scarabs
(Madagascar)

 
Greek jewellery designer, Lito Karakostanoglou cajoles delicate animal invertebrates such as the beetle into fine jewellery masterpieces.  "For me, it is always the material that comes first. The stone, the pearl, the coral, but also a beetle, each of them imposes on me its own personality". She is a master of technique and this shines through in each of her intricate pieces.

This gifted designer/maker explores the concept of preserving scarab beetles and making a permanent home for them in 18k gold cage necklaces. The tailor made cages are designed especially for each inhabitant. Scarab beetles are therefore not only worshipped by Ancient Egyptians as an embodiment of the god Khepri but also Lito herself, transforming them into fine jewellery with outstanding technique and the application of gemstones, paying the beetle the utmost respect.

Scarab Cage Necklace
Real preserved « Serrognathus Alcides » (Peru)
matt silve

Large Cage Scarab Necklace
Real preserved scarab « Euchroma Gigantea » (Peru)
18K pink gold

 
Lito exhibits her work at Galerie BSL in Paris  www.galerieBSL.com

 xx

Delfina Delettrez

Delfina Delettrez is a fourth generation Fendi, a Roman jewellery designer who at just 23 has produced outstanding collections that are a mirror to her young soul or atleast a refelection of her whims and fancies. Frogs, skulls, crosses, skeletons, and bows are a classic gothic meets romantic style.

  
She works from her fathers studio and his influence is obvious on her work, but never the less she brings a certain freshness to jewellery design with her exploration of exotic woods, Tuscan marble, and bone which she mixes with traditional metals.

 

Her current collection We-Man follows the idea of menswear for women, a reoccurring theme in the Spring 2011 Paris Fashion Week, drawing inspiration from iconic women like George Sand and Virginia Woolf.  Offerings include hand rings, crocheted necklaces, shirt cuff silver bracelets. Prices range from $200 up to $22,000 for her skeletal cuff come jewellery glove shown above. Perhaps a little above most of our budgets, but we can dream no??

www.delfinadelettrez.com

   
 

Charms xx

WIN ONE OF AFTERGLOWS COVETED ANTIQUE BRONZE BEADED NECKPIECES VALUED AT $390. JUST GO TO http://www.mammatuppy.com/2010/11/facebook-fans-win-this-amazing.html

Not Just A Label

I LOVE NJAL!!

 

Dedicated & delicious designer jewellery sites are as rare as hens teeth, why!!!! We have so many wonderful designer clothing sites(you know your fav’s that you trawl through when you should be working, cleaning, sleeping)they sell jewellery as well as all the other coveted goodies, sites like Net-a-porter have a gorgeous selection, I’m not complaining, promise!

My gripe is that there are few, if any sites specialising in luminary jewellery. We want passion, we want love, we want visionary jewellery, non? (if you know a jewellery site/blog  worthy of a mention, PLEASE let me know. )

UK site NOT JUST A LABEL ("NJAL") is not this elusive, cosmic jewellery site  :(  but it is the leading global business directory for showcasing avant-garde fashion designers of today and it has an astonishingly brilliant collection of international jewellery designers.

NJAL says “Fashion finds its freedom in the art of individuals; NOT JUST A LABEL is a place for those who find their way off the beaten track, allowing them to express themselves in a community where everything goes...break the mould, redefine the expected, re-colour the palette, inspire and be inspired.”

We promote our label Afterglow on NJAL and whenever I update pages I fossick around the store, articles and designer profiles, mostly jewellery of course. The designers are outstanding, their stories powerful, motifs strange and beautiful. You can shop for pieces that you just won’t find on your usual online love affair visa killer store.

Celebrities and A-Listers are among the strongest supporters for NOT JUST A LABEL's pool of designers. Stylists, editors, celbebrities can hunt for pieces for upcoming events knowing that they will find something inspiring and possibly undiscovered. Rihanna, Lindsay Lohn, Milla Jovovich, Beyonce to name a few!  Readers can buy pieces worn by Lady Gaga, Lara Stones or Paris Hilton if so inclined.

   

Dont you think that the brainchilds of NJAL are luminaries themselves?...
www.notjustalabel.com

Charms xx

Secrets

 

Charms xx 
 

2011 Jewellery Trend Report

Let’s call it the slow jewellery movement – in 2011 we are looking for quality, longevity and significance.

 
We are (hopefully) striving to achieve a greener lifestyle through organic products, renewable materials and sustainable fashion. This has driven a new generation of designers to research forgotten skills and traditional craftsmanship.  Untraditional skills that can adapted to jewellery will be used to mix the old with new, ethnic with traditional fine jewellery. A desire for the designer to support small village manufacturers will ensure that this ethnic influence will continue through 2011.

Art Neuveo and the Rennaisance period will popping up in statement neckpieces, huge rings and stacked bracelets.

       

 

 

 

Fringing is moving into jewellery and 2011 will see a mishmash of fringe, chain and set gemstones continuing the statement neckpiece trend.

 

 

 

 

 

Strong motifs are playing on our desire to connect emotionally with fashion.  Snakes, elephants, flowers, birds, bugs, baskets, leaves anything querky and cute.

 
 
Afterglow  will be showing delicious, soft pieces with chain male,  Toho bead and chain fringing.  I will be exploring my crush on knuckledusters with chain tassles and sweeping chains up the hand with my own take on a jewel glove.  My colour palette is heading towards steely grey, matt rose gold, silver, and earth red.  You will find a motif, something sweet, something yummy and for now it is utterly a secret!!

Lots of Luv

C xx

 

Jewellery  by Akong London, House of Harlow, Kate Moss for Top Shop, Fiona Paxton and Alex Monroe.

Hello green eyed monster...

Seaun Leane

 

 
UK jewellery designer Seaun Leane has a seriously beautiful and intense way of mixing the macabre, the fashionable and the traditional into fine jewellery. Oh dear, I am in major green eyed trouble here!

The UK Jewellery Designer of the Year 2010 has collaborated with the likes De-Beers, Bacardi and  Coca Cola,  has a huge and loyal celebrity following - Kate Moss, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bjork and Kylie Minogue who has adorned herself (and not much more) with his eagle claw bracelet in her new video clip Aphrodite.

But what really makes me writhe with a mix of jealousy and a huge design crush is his purely brilliant and iconic catwalk pieces. He has spent the last 15 years working with the late Alexander McQueen, golly! an experience fellow jewellery designers can only dream of!!! Shaun has designed runway pieces for Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, and various other fashion designers, each jewel a powerful and emotive piece of hardware that he has handcrafted at the bench.  My personal favourites- the spine & the armour both complete body hardware. (see style.com video below)

This man's jewellery of today has been quoted as tomorrows antiques, easy to see why, non?

C xx

Boho-licious!!!

   

Ihave just stumbled across these rings from the U.S. They are the perfect chunky Boho ring for summer and at $24US a pop, super affordable (go Aussie dollar).  I have already bought a dozen of them for my store  so be quick :)                                              

                                   www.thecarrotbox.com/store/agate_chunky.asp

 

Let's get serious here

 
OK,  

ok.. so I admit it, I have negleted my blog! I began this project months & months ago with a dreamy idea of writing on my love for design, fashion and imagery. This developed into only a few scattered posts and I am left wondering why have I been so horridly slack? Why did my blog feel like hundreds of other lovely blogs around the globe? Same, same, same....yawn!

Well clever me, I realised - uhh derr - that I should be writing about what I do, what I am apparently talented at, what I research anyway and what I am deeply and fervently passionate about....

DESIGNER JEWELLERY xx

Not the crafty crap that is made of degradable materials and symbolises yet another piece of flora! Dont get me wrong, I am environmentally aware but un-apologetically opposed to art jewellery simply because its well crappy.

So begins my journey both online and in the real touch me, feel me world, in search of jewellery that makes me tingle, giggle like a little girl, dribble, jump up and down or turn into a viscous green eyed monster-ohh yes indeed this happens more than you can imagine.

Yes, I am SO exited about this! Get ready for some seriously gorgeous gems, some super sexy jewels and stunning imagery of the worlds best jewellery designers. Ill be popping in designer interviews, the odd tip and hint on jewellery maintenance, top secret gem stores and jewellery thats famous for all the right reasons - for the fashionista's.

Welcome again....and

 take 2

Charms  xxx 

 

  PS: Photo is jewellery by Elke Kramer
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fashion is a part of what defines us...

 
Fashion is a part of what defines us, and what we wear is as much what we are as what we do. It is an extension of our personality; self-expression in its purest form. Clothes are to us what paint is to canvas and we ourselves are our own blank canvas. Getting dressed is a process of embellishing the body and the way we choose to embellish the body by way of the clothes we choose to wear is important as it speaks for us and represents us in a way that should not be overlooked.