Some new inventory and updated Spring calendar

I had some new inventory floating around, so I put some new items in The Queen Bee. 

It's hard to see, but that's a flat, gold filled bangle with black enamel and a safety chain. Many of you ask for just that criteria. 

I got these crown cufflinks converted to earrings. It's quite appropriate that these sit in The Queen Bee. Also shown is a brass brooch/pendant on a long chain with cabochon stones. 

This is a great right hand ring for someone who loves big statement jewelry. It gorgeous on the hand. 

I'm planning out my spring calendar to get substantial new inventory for those of you who are asking. There's a potential trip in March, and my trip to France is confirmed. We fly out on the 17th of April. I'm going for leisure, but I certainly intend to come home with a stash that is up for purchase. You might have to fight me to keep some of it, though. 

Let's just hope I stumble across the right pieces at the right prices. 

The grand opening

I've been a very busy girl. Pardon my absence.

The grand opening went so well. Thank you to all of you that came to support little ol me. The store looked incredible, and I've said it many times, but I'm so glad that my inventory is surrounded with such elegant decor. Shannon has got some good taste; I'm just glad she's asked me to be a small part of her adventure.

I told you she had good taste. So go check out the inventory at LD Interiors in Southdowns Village on Perkins Road. I'll be putting new stuff in often. Hope to get some good feed back from you! 

Playing dress up

As women, do we ever tire of playing dress up? 

I don't think I do. 

Enter what's called a "slave bracelet ring." I've seen these before but never knew the official name. 

While I was junking antiquing a few weeks back, I came across this here bauble. 

I did not purchase, as I do not care for this look, but I always like learning about these kinds of things. I find them interesting. And I don't mind a funky 70s gem here and there, but this was a bit much for even me. 

But wearing it around the store for 30 minutes? Oh, yes. My 6-year-old "gotta wear it" attitude is exposed when I'm handed anything tacky, funky, chunky, or appalling. 

Remember?

Ah, well it's  all in good fun. 

Images from my real collection coming later this week. Trust me, you won't want to miss them! 

Oh Cartier...

Just because I don't blog, doesn't mean I don't think about jewelry!

Check out this Cartier beaut!

Got $30,000 to spare? This can be yours. Click here. 

I've been seeing my jeweler a little lately. That sounded scandalous! It's not what you think! Just need some small repairs done before my next show September 2 in Anderson, SC. More info to come soon. I'm thinking of having a summer sale here in Baton Rouge. There's a lot of things I've been "thinking about." I hope to resume jewelry updates soon! 

Beauty in an opal ring

Many of you have inquired about opals. The October stone must be very popular among you Southern girls. Here's a piece that I recently acquired. It's a reproduction piece replicated from a mid-1800 beauty. 

You all must know by now that I don't like "matchy-matchy" pieces. And you all must know how much I like stacking. That's why I would suggest wearing this with a diamond band or plain gold band or even an opal solitaire would be pretty. Think outside the box and test out what looks good to you. 

My new interest

Clearly, I've been behind on blogging about jewelry. I've hit a wall lately. I'm always inspired by beautiful jewelry and beautiful things, but for some reason Cherche' has been put on the back burner. I hope to bring it a little more to the forefront of my life here soon.

Like I said, I'm inspired by beautiful things. You can probably assume that pintrest is my new interest. You are correct. Even Andrew has come across some old pieces of jewelry. He, like me, is learning all about jewelry and the history and the design.

I leave you with a few images from his and my pintrest. Enjoy.

A professional photographer makes all the difference

It's true. Having a sister who is a photographer doesn't hurt. I'm so glad she snapped some of these photos from last week's show. Many of you expressed interest in the show but weren't able to attend. Take heart! I plan on doing another show in the Baton Rouge area again soon. It was very impromptu this last time. I promise to be more intentional for the next. 

Take a look at some of the collection. You may recognize many of these images from previous posts. Here they are again. 

Remember Miss Sally? These were her "scatter pins" that were popular in the 1950s. I made them into french hooks for pierced ears. 

This was the "backward necklace" that Andrew photographed a few weeks back. This is a very old piece, early 1900s with a paste stone set in gold filled. 

My inspiration for a write-up I'm doing. More on that later. 

This piece may get the most attention. I know why: it's gorgeous.

Small 14k pendants. Will be getting the chains soon. I realize people would like to buy the piece "ready to wear." Those 14k chains can be pricy for me, but I will bite the bullet and do it. 

Gold filled love knot pendant; love knots have unintentionally become a staple in my collection. 

A 1960s piece: mother of pearl leaves with 14k hooks. 

White gold filled with emerald. 

1950s turquoise studs set in 14k gold. From an estate in Arizona. 

A show stopper! 1920s art deco 14k white gold with diamonds and 2 sapphire stones! It was a stick pin converted into a pendant.  

Maybe it's because I just watched Oprah interview Ralph Lauren this afternoon, but I think this "good photography" thing has a lot to do with the picture ol' Ralph Lipschitz {original name} paints in his story telling, brand identity, and persona. His creation of classic style is genius, but good photography tells such a beautiful story. His ads are inspiring. I'm inspired by beautiful things. Who isn't, really? 

Sometimes you need a morale booster; a success story to keep you going. I know my husband needs inspiring on daily basis to create something wonderful. I need it too. 

Bottom line: don't give up. I tell myself that. I tell my husband that. And I know I'll tell my kids that. You know, I was thinking of the changes in life: the paramount events and how parents watch their kids graduate from kindergarden and make the sports team, or not, and so on. But no one really talks about the progress of the 20-something year old: the successful dinner party, the 2nd wedding anniversary celebration, the nutritional supper you cooked for your husband, recovering from the bad day at work. They all sound trivial, but it's those things that matter in our life, and sometimes we need encouragement. We need encouragement to keep going. 

So let's keep going. 

Classic beauty

There's something about sapphire's that cause my mind to immediately think 'antique jewelry.'

Today, I'm featuring a rather old beauty. This ring is set in 14k white gold and has 3 sapphires. She is believed to date back to the late 1800s because of the type of filigree seen here. The less "scroll-like" filigree is associated with that of the 1920s and 1930s. 

Ain't she pretty?

Dream worthy

I had a dream last night and the ring shown above was the main feature in the film of my {crazy} brain. 

The dream was something to the effect of an auction, hideous other rings, and this one standing alone. I remember I so desperately wanted to have it and keep it. 

I thought I should share with you that I dream of jewelry. It's not the first time this has happened. I'm sure it won't be the last. 

This ring is still for sale. 

Who needs diamond bands?

Who doesn't need diamond bands should be the question!

If you have a solitaire, you might need these. 

If you like stackables, you might need these. 

If you're getting married, you might need these. 

If you're fabulously single, you might need these. 

Okay...you get it. You need these. 

Need is such a strong word. If you want diamond bands, you have the opportunity to get a steal of a deal here. 

Details: I have the appraisal for these diamond beauties if interested. Both are set in 18k white gold. They are not soldered together; you can wear them separately or together. 

Jaded

This is my mother's great aunt's ring, and it is not for sale. I photographed it for inspiration to a new design I'm creating for a reproduction piece. 

It is set in 14k gold and consists of jade stones. You intend to be noticed if you like this kind of a cocktail ring!

I was going to write about the origin of the word "jaded" and how it originated from the gemstone, jade, but I recently found out that's not true. I was told that jade doesn't get warm; it stays a cold stone, hence the term jaded. 

The truth is this: jade does take a while to get warm and stays cold longer than any other stone. It's a good way to test if you have what looks like jade and aren't sure if it's the real thing. There's several other tests you can perform, too. 

It would have been a pretty neat analogy to write a story how the gemstone jade spawned the word "jaded." Come to find out, it actually comes from the word "horse" around the 14th century. 

My story needs to end here because I know nothing about the origin of words or horses. I have become jaded to this new-found information. 

Genuine antique

Check out this amethyst beauty! Amethyst is the birthstone for you February babies, and this one couldn't be more beautiful. It's set in 9 ct gold, which indicates it's age and origin. It's most probably English and over 100 years old. 

Beauty beyond the bad photo skills

Check out this p.o.s. photography! 

Sorry if you're offended but the language or the photo skills. Or lack thereof. I wanted so badly to show you my new {old} find. I really didn't want to wait for my husband to meticulously photograph and edit this onyx beauty. Although, he does do a fine job. 

So here it is. Raw, terrible photography, unedited without the Cherche' logo and all. 

It's a size 7 onyx ring set in 14k with a small diamond in the center. 

I hope you find my ignorance to technology endearing. 

What can I say? I'm an old soul that loves old things. 

{Despite the horrendous photo job: SOLD}

I don't hate

I do not discriminate when it comes to my liking jewelry. The newer designs need some lovin' too. Enter Kybele Sterling jewelry. Check it out. 

Mountain birthday woman

I love birthday's, especially mine! Is that horrible? I think I love it most because of the time of the year: late October. It's so crisp, and this year, I'm able to notice the leaves change because of where I live! I'm almost a Yankee living this far north! Right now the weather is just charming the way it alters our moods to be so delightful, even mine! Just ask Andrew!

This past weekend, Andrew hesitantly took me on a picnic and a day of antique shopping in the mountains for my birthday. I say "hesitantly" because it was rainy and about 44 degrees there, and he "knew" that I wouldn't want to stay in that weather. But this is what I wanted for my birthday, so we went. I knew better than to say anything about how cold I was. And I was. Freezing, but happy.

The gazebo that we found.

Our humble little lunch. It wouldn't be complete without a little wine and cajun mix!

Andrew made my sandwich, sweet thing.

We had such a great time, and I was excited because I was going antique shopping in my favorite, secret place!

Here are the "goods" that I found! It was well worth the trip to get these items for someone special, and for Andrew and I to have a special little birthday celebration for moi!

This October stone is gorgeous. It's an opal set in 14 k gold.

This Sarah Coventry bangle is such a show stopper, especially in person. I hope to do a story on Sarah Coventry and other "vintage" designers!

A few rings.

I just loved searching for these next pieces: Rings! Click on the pictures to see the details in these beautiful settings. Let me know if you would like a price on anything you've seen!

This is a sweet wedding set! It contains 3 tiny diamonds in the engagement ring, and 3 in the band. It is white and yellow gold. Please note I've put a temporary ring sizer on this piece. You may see it in the picture.

I'm calling all Chi O's to this piece! It's a 24k gold coin ring with a wise owl and inscription meaning "of Athens."

This is a dark sapphire; it's so dark, it almost looks like onyx. I thought it was until I cleaned it! It is set in a sterling silver filigree setting.

I love the filigree work on this ring as well! It holds a 2k blue topaz, also set in sterling silver.

This gorgeous sterling silver ring contains 2 sapphires and 2 diamonds on either side.