A little something: The William & Judith Bollinger Jewellery Gallery... and Fashion Jewellery by Maia Adams

Today I made the most of it being Sunday (and having an extra hour in the day!) by indulging in The William & Judith Bollinger Jewellery Gallery at the V&A. With jewellery from as far back as 1200AD, there are some real treats on show, from Etruscan body adornments and Papal jewellery, to Memento Mori rings, stone-encrusted swords and Faberge figurines. 

 The William and Judith Bollinger Jewellery Gallery at the V&A. Image courtesy of suite101.com

Sadly photos weren't allowed (to my dismay and the confusion of some snap-happy tourists), so I may try and go back another time to get some more detailed descriptions of pieces; in the mean time they have a superb online 'portal' for exploring some of the key pieces in the collection. 

 The Hidden Treasures exploration page

As with any museum trip, the shop is the part I often most look forward to - and the V&A never disappoints. In their little bookshop I spotted Fashion Jewellery: Catwalk and Couture, a recently released book by Maia Adams, documenting some of today's most inspiring and alluring fashion jewellery. Focusing on 33 designers, including Alexis Bittar, Scott Wilson and Wouters & Hendrix, it profiles their styles and methods in a beautifully compiled book that will be dogeared within hours once I own it (come on, pay day!). Detailed pictures, great biographies and perfectly-timed - considering fashion jewellery is one of the fastest growing areas of retail today. Just what us jewellery geeks have been waiting for!

The cover of Fashion Jewellery: Catwalk and Couture, by Maia Adams

A little something: Adorn London Blog Post - Spring Pastels

Just a quick one today! I had the chance to write another guest blog post for Juliet Hutton-Squire's fabulous Adorn London jewellery trends and style site; so of course I leapt at the chance! This time its on the yummy spring theme of pastel jewellery - it's hit the shops in our clothes and accessories, so why not our jewels too? Take a peek here.

Designer: Wendy Brandes

Admittedly, I have some genius workmates. They're an endless source of inspiration, who keep leading me to fabulous websites of fabulous jewellers, that (I hope) equal fabulous blog posts! Today is Wendy Brandes, an American designer introduced to me by my American workmate Maia, a London resident by way of New York, Boston and originally Vermont. Earlier this week she introduced me to Wendy's blog, a funny, witty read about the jewellery industry and her interesting clientele. But the jewellery is the thing that's really caught my eye. Inspired by 'fascinating women of past and recent history', Wendy's jewellery includes poison rings and lockets amongst other quirks and charms. Making in both silver and gold, her price range spans from a mere $50 to $9000 or more. Really, though, I should just let the jewellery do the talking...

Venus Ring, 18ct rose gold, with rose quartz and white diamonds, by Wendy Brandes. Image courtesy of Wendybrandes.com

Silver Little Woolf necklace, in praise of Virgina Woolf. Image courtesy of wendybrandes.com

Livia Poison Ring, 18ct yellow gold set with a cabochon aquamarine. Image courtesy of wendybrandes.com

Queen Min Ring, named after the last (assassinated) empress of Korea. 18ct yellow gold and lemon quartz with hand-engraved crane detail. Image courtesy of wendybrandes.com

Eleanor Necklace, names after Eleanor of Aquitaine. 18ct yellow gold, with black onyx. Image courtesy of wendybrandes.com

A little something: BARK's 'Amsterdam' Necklace

The sun is shining! Spring is here! And my lazy self is now seriously considering hauling the bike out of hibernation, and beginning the daily commute across town. Luckily my darling workmate Lindsay is a daily cyclist who has been tempting me away from the rather up-close-and-personal Central Line, and onto the - just slightly - fresher London streets. Who knows, maybe this time next week my heart rate will have just about steadied following the morning cycle... Of course, BARK's Amsterdam necklace makes the thought that little bit easier!

Gold Plated Amsterdam Bike Necklace, by BARK. Image courtesy of barkjewels.com

Designer: Lucy Hutchings

It's been pretty hard not to fall in love with Lucy Hutching's jewellery, popping up on pages of the weeklies and the glossies. This is no bad thing of course; her jewellery is a clever mix of geometry, colour, future and heritage. The key thing is, you quickly recognise it as hers.

Having graduated from the University of Brighton with a first in 3D Materials Practice, her jewellery is based around the juxtaposition of metals, stones and materials. Her pieces are an alluring mix of the bold and the refined. Large and small, metals and ribbon, smooth and sharp.

 Lucy Hutchings at LFW. Image courtesy of Adorn London

Describing her AW10 collection as 'mixing the iconic style of 50s B-movie heroines, with the era's polished sci-fi visions of the future', the result is a collection which shimmers and shines. Combining metal cages with the soft spheres of freshwater pearls, tiger's eye beads and the metallic colour of hematite, Lucy's jewellery makes an inimitable statement. One to watch this year, for sure!

Cuff from the AW10 collection, featuring jade and hematite stones. Image courtesy of Lucy Hutchings

Peacock Feather necklace from the AW10 collection, as worn by Lucy, above. Image courtesy of Lucy Hutchings

Oversized black, cream and pink Pearl Ring, in Lucy's signature 'cage'. Image courtesy of Lucy Hutchings

Peacock Feather and multi-link necklace, from the AW10 collection. Image courtesy of Lucy Hutchings

Pyramid Breastplate Necklace, exclusively at Start London, by Lucy Hutchings. Image courtesy of Start London

A little something: Dreaming of the Sea

I was chatting with a friend last night, and found myself suddenly longing to escape London . A train to the coast for a bit of sea air (while seagull dodging!), riding my bike along the promenade and - just maybe - dipping a toe into the freezing sea... If only! So on that note, let's lust after Laura Tabor's magical Mermaid pendants; swimming silhouettes perfect for warm, lazy days on the beach...

Laura Tabor Gold Vermeil Mermaid Necklace 

Laura Tabor Silver Mermaid Loop Necklace, with white pearl

A little something: Jewellery Street Style at LFW - Adorn London

Just a quick one! Make sure you check out Juliet Hutton-Squire's fabulous street style snaps from LFW, over at Adorn London. On her never ending jewellery mission, Juliet's pieced together an eclectic mix of jewellery looks, as worn with a certain nous by those-in-the-know in and around Somerset House. From Rhiannon's Barbie doll earrings and oversized clock pendant (no Flavor Flav jokes, please) to Claire's ethically sourced looped necklace from Made, there's enough here for a month of blog posts. Gotta love that!

Michael wears a mix of vintage chains and pieces from Topman. Image courtesy of Adorn London

  

Rhiannon wearing her oversized clock pendant, and Barbie lapels. Image courtesy of Adorn London

 

Tara wears Laura Lee medallion necklace. Image courtesy of Adorn London

Alecia in chic triangle studs, from Rokit. Image courtesy of Adorn London