August 08, 2006

UPDATE: Claudette of Claudette jewelry has very kindly offered to give a discount to WWND readers. I will be posting with details soon, so hold on before you place an order. :)

I've been asked about my jewelry more times than I can count. On this blog, by my friends, randomly on the street. But I seriously don't have any secrets to divulge. I usually buy my jewelry at small independent boutiques. Travelling also affords me diverse jewelry options. I found one of my favorite earrings of all time in Fort Bragg, North Carolina while visiting a friend. I still have a necklace I got in Singapore from a tiny boutique next to my hotel.

I also scour Ebay for unique finds. Sometimes there are great bargains to be had. Just be careful that the material is of good quality when buying. I once bought a necklace without really researching the metal, and after one wear, the gold tone wore off, to reveal the black metal underneath.

I like Shopbop and Pink Mascara for their selection of costume jewelry. I like to support up and coming designers and one of my current favorites is Claudette.

I have this ring by Claudette:


It features green onyx, turquoise and blue topaz. I love bold rings as much as I like dainty ones. The great thing about Claudette jewelry is that everything is done in sterling silver or gold-filled wire and with semi-precious stones at pretty reasonable prices.

Another favorite designer is Nathan & Moe. Sure, some of the stuff are overpriced but there are certain pieces which I absolutely adore. Plus, jewelry should be thought of as investments, specially if it's made of quality materials and precious or semi-precious stones.


Whenever I am at Neiman Marcus, I thoroughly browse their main floor where they stock beautiful 14k gold-filled chandelier earrings and semi-precious necklaces made of peridot and citrine. I also like the costume jewelry sold at stores like Nordstrom in the U.S. and the Bay in Canada. If you are observant, you might find good stuff among the Monet and Miriam Haskell collections carried by Macys. If you are in NYC and have the means, a great place to go is Henri Bendel. They always have a good selection.

For fine jewelry, I am a big fan of Ippolita. I usually place custom orders for fine jewelry. My mom is a big believer of having custom-made fine jewelry sets made, so we have been going to a couple of jewellers' for a long time now.

When looking for jewelry, keep an open mind. If you are someone who never goes to department stores for jewelry, you should check them out, you might be surprised. Never underestimate a hole in the wall boutique, those are the best places to score completely unique gems. Also, try your local Little India or Little Italy or Little China for ethnic, one of a kind pieces.

Now that I've ranted on, it's my turn to ask. Where do you go for your jewelry?

102 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for this post. I have been wondering about your jewellery sources as well.
I live in London and one of my sources are flea markets. Great vintage finds just waiting for you.

12:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love Pink Mascara too. I also frequent Parts & Labour, a store in Austin that carries local designers. The things at Claudette are very pretty, thanks for the link.

1:59 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i've been into vintage-y, romantic accessories lately. i got a couple of necklaces from her!

2:11 PM  
Blogger WWND said...

Lookiemonster: will be sure to stop by Parts & Labour if I am ever in Texas!

Paz: These are lovely. Thanks for the tip! :)

2:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hey WWND: thanks for the tip on little india/little china. you are so right. can't believe i never thought about it before, but little china has great jade pieces and little india is one of the best sources for gold jewelry, just have to remember to bargain, hehe.

2:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just visited Claudette. You are right, absolutely lovely stuff at a good price.
Thanks for all the great info!!!

3:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

can't wait for that discount. I have been eyeing a couple of pieces. :D

6:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you for this post! I have been meaning to request a post on your jewellery, so thank you!!

7:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tip on Claudette & Ippolitta. :)

Check out Margo Morrison's items at http://www.siouxeagle.com/Margo%20Morrison/margo_morrison.htm.
Slightly overpriced, given the fact that similar jewelry can be found at lesser prices but pretty, nevertheless.

10:28 PM  
Blogger Frapp said...

Usually I get my earrings from Claire's (I'm a bit paranoid when it comes to wearing stones in my ears, I have an obsession with my lobes getting pulled down permenaently like a friend of mine's) and the same for rings, I only ever wear plain silver or gold rings most of the time, maybe one with a little detail but nothing big. It's dainty little necklaces that get me, I have a gorgeous gold flower necklace and the inside of the flower is opal that I got from Australia. I heart it <3

5:06 AM  
Blogger WWND said...

Anon 10:28- Thanks for the info. on Margo.

Frapp- That sounds like a lovely necklace. I saw this gold daisy necklace and earring set a couple of months ago and really liked it, and to this day I kick myself for not getting it!!

9:31 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am like you. I keep an open mind and always check out potential places.

Thanks for the claudette tip.

6:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hey wwnd- check out moondancejewelry.com. cute stuff. :)

7:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm also a scavenger when it comes to jewelry, but my favorite is Dedemetal (dedemetal.com).

7:53 PM  
Blogger WWND said...

Megan & Michelle: Thanks for the heads-up on these finds. :)
I love finding new and exciting jewelry designers.

9:20 PM  
Blogger The Bag Hag said...

Jul B. Dizon in Manila makes excellent pieces.

Im into period jewelry, and I love the antique pieces at sjphillips.com though they are rather pricey :(

Another online shop that's worth looking at is rauantiques.com

talk about eye candy :)

xo

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