Chrissy Cook is an up-and-coming jewelry designer with a unique, elegant and modern take on jewelry as modern art.
She’s originally from a small arts community in Pennsylvania, but traveled to London, England to complete her studies in jewelry design.  She’s worked as a goldsmith for the past seven years, but has just released her first collection of sterling silver jewelry to the public.
All the jewelry is hand-made by Chrissy, using a combination of sterling silver, enamel and semi-precious stones.
Here are a few of my favorite picks from her collection:

From the “rectangle” collection, a bracelet featuring citrine, smoky quartz and amethyst.

“Curve” …read more

Jewelry designer Annette Ferdinandsen uses precious metals like sterling silver and gold to create delicate jewelry pieces that have been inspired by the natural world.
You find some unique elements from the sea and the land in her collection from Ylang 23.  There are maple seeds, coral branches, sea plants and flowers, all interpreted in elegant metals, pearls and semi-precious stones.
Here are a few of my favorite pieces – it was definitely a challenge to narrow it down to just a couple!
The “Calla Lily” necklace features sterling silver leaves and a delicate Calla Lily bloom made from Mother-of-Pearl:

Feather earrings are a …read more

A great way to quickly update ensembles for a new season is with jewelry. For fall and winter, accessories will get a heavy dose of drama. You can easily make a big impact with gorgeous statement necklaces, intricate bracelets and bold rings. The following pieces are a bit flashy but quite wearable for day or night.
This statement making Marlyn Schiff Stretch Dome Ring ($45) is a great accent piece to use with a suit for work, jeans and tee for the day or with a slinky dress at night. It’s such a pretty combination of gunmetal hued hardware and …read more

Sterling silver is one of my favorite jewelry materials out there.
It’s normally a good choice for people with metal allergies, it’s versatile and the creative jewelry maker can create almost anything with it.
Jewelry designer Genevieve Flynn has created bubbles using sterling silver!

Her “Bubble Bangle” bracelet is made from layers of square sterling silver, embellished with silver beads that look like bubbles.
I love the soft, organic feel of this piece of jewelry – it reminds me of looking into a pond or stream.  The bracelet is also available in custom sizes – perfect if you’re petite or plus size!
image: Genevieve Flynn

If May flowers aren’t appearing as soon as you’d like, why not treat yourself to a flower that will last all year round?
This lovely sterling silver flower ring by Beth Cyr Jewelry.  The ring is made using the “lost wax casting method”, which basically means if anything goes wrong during the process – the ring is lost!  Casting creates a detailed piece of jewelry, after all – it’s been sculpted first!

image: Beth Cyr Jewelry

I spent many happy hours as a child, walking along the riverbank next to my house – collecting sea glass (or maybe it should be called “river glass”?).
Maybe those fond memories are why I like this sterling silver jewelry so much?  It’s made from real sea glass, collected on beaches.  Glass can spend years being tumbled around in the ocean before it finally washes to shore – and if it’s really lucky, it gets made into this:

That’s the “Nautilus” necklace, made from a sterling silver shell charm, sea glass and suspended on a silver chain.

East Coast Sea Glass collects the …read more

This hand-made sterling silver “Tree of Life” necklace from Shanalogic is a great way to celebrate the beginning of summer!

image: Shanalogic
Don’t forget to check out our Blog of the Month: Indie Style File for more great indie accessories!

I recently discovered the work of San Francisco based designer Jeanine Payer.  Oh my goodness she makes lovely jewelry!
Jeanine combines storytelling, poetry & metalworking to create her collection.  Here are a few goodies:

Her collection is available online here, or in store at various locations, including Barney’s in New York.

I’m loving this sterling silver butterfly wing pendant from Simone Walsh!

But then I would happily give the whole butterfly a home too

They’re both hand-cut from sterling silver & hung on silk cords.