An item, torn out of the May 12, 2010, New York Times asks the above question about a new line of jewelry and concludes that the jewelry is “maybe all three”.

Well, why not? And how is it that this confluence of three vital definitions do not occur more frequently in jewelry today?

This news item has sat on my work table for nearly a month now. I confess I did not want to further explore what the competition was doing! I have just now picked it up and investigated the web site of Ashley Hanosh’s trendy clothing store, Honey in the Rough (www.honeyintherough.com) that displays the work, a collection of new jewelry from Florian, called Zulu Soiree.

I was prepared to snigger, but came away with full respect and admiration for the collection, produced in Austria, home to Swarovski and cradle of Czech beads. The bib neckpiece pictured in Mary Billard’s article is, simply put, a series of circles hanging from a circlet. All of it is done in Czech seed beads, one of the least expensive materials available to bead artists.

So: so what? Why does it cost so much and why had it commanded the attention of a New York Times writer, let alone garnering a home in a Manhattan boutique? Yup: Bah! Humbug!

Thus emotionally armed, I visited the website to explore the collection, including close-up details of the pieces as well. Yes, there were those silly large seed beads I hadn’t deigned to use in years.

But there is no “simply put” about this work: there is a great deal of art present in it. Let me tell you, having put together similar pieces, that managing colors, shapes and negative space is not as easy or infantile as it appears to be. Therein is the art that so many bead artists struggle with on a daily basis:  this is what the public pays for.

I am especially intrigued with the configuration of many of the necklaces that affords the wearer different ways to wear each necklace — so interesting. I plan to schedule a trip down to the shop, between heat, humidity, snow and rain, to see this collection in person and experience up close the careful planning involved in making this art. I hope there will be some left for me to see.

Care to join me?

On May 3 2010, one of TV’s sexiest mothers, Gossip Girl’s Lily van der Woodsen (Kelly Rutherford), was dripping in drama. The stylists for Gossip Girl selected our Diorissimo necklace to offset Lily’s man troubles with Serena’s (Blake Lively) father. The 24K gold necklace is stunning on brunettes, and amplified even more on blonds like Kelly Rutherford.

As a special tribute to Gossip Girl and the fashions the show promotes, we will be running a 25% fashion discount from May 3rd to May 5th. Enter LILY at checkout for 25% off your entire purchase of M. Sturman Jewellery and treat yourself to some Gossip Girl fashion. And treat your mom to some jewelry for Mothers Day. She will love anything you pick. Shop for the Diorssimo necklace at M. Sturman Jewellery (it’s a limited edition piece) >

We can also act as personal shopper help you pick something special, so contact us for personal attention.

This necklace is made of vintage yellow stones ordered by Dior from Swarovski after WWII.  The stones are bezeled with 14k gold-plated seed beads and suspended from a chain woven of the same beads.  All of it handwoven, totally one-of-a-kind fashion and totally Lily van der Woodsen, played by Kelly Rutherford.

Shop for the Diorssimo necklace at M. Sturman Jewellery >

This morning over coffee I lingered over the Fashion page in the New York Times, “The Big New Idea Is Modesty” by Cathy Horyn.  I don’t know about “modesty” – the root that word is “mode”  and I was taken by the gorgeous Marchesa dress, a “column of bugle beads” and especially the Anna Sui “wool shift with an embroidered bib neckline”.  Those trends right up my bead alley!

I researched Anna Sui and learned that her collection was inspired by the American Arts and Crafts Movement!  Wow!  I’m all for that.  The accessories shown with her collection were large and chunky, “amazing handcrafted necklaces and brooches incorporating actual tiles from Detroit’s Pewabic Pottery, founded in 1903” (http://www.stylelist.com/2010/02/17/anna-sui-fall-2010-fashion-week-runway-review/).

I fixated on the bib neckline of the wool shift pictured in the Times and thought that the bib piece ought to be separate, so it might be worn again.  I make several bib necklaces and woven collars, any of which might compliment a simple dress and be right in style with the upcoming fall trends.

Which bib necklace would you choose to embellish your simple wool dresses?

My morning Google blog alert for “CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements” pointed to a post on FTape, The Online Fashion Resource on the exhibition CRYSTALLIZED™ “Ways to Say Black” .
Being involved in the DIY initiative of CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements, I had heard about the exhibition but decided to check out the details on FTape:  this is “a one-off, touring exhibition of the iconic Little Black Dress. . . .  the initiative sees this fashion classic reborn amid a shower of CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements at the hands of the greatest established and emerging creative talents worldwide.”

Oh well, so they didn’t ask me but now I could understand why – the little black dresses were commissioned by established and well-known fashion designers from France, Italy, the UK and the USA.  I only design jewelry using their collection of contemporary and vintage elements.

But then I got to thinking:  these dresses are one-of-a-kind, iconic museum pieces that will ultimately be auctioned off to very high bidders.  The likes of you and I may only observe and delight in the marvelous photos of the dresses and perhaps attend one of the exhibitions – Paris, Beijing and New York City – to see them in person.  But to own one!  Not likely.

We each have our LBDs and it is possible to cash in on the cachet of the exhibit by dressing them up with jewelry handcrafted with CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements.  For instance, light up yours with my handwoven Crystal Jet Bib appliquéd with vintage Swarovski margarita beads.

For my son’s wedding last October, the bridal party all wore LBDs.  Being the mother of the groom, my dress was not little, but long, and appliquéd at the bodice with discreet little Swarovski Elements that sparkled in the light.  To accessorize it, I designed and wove a set I call “Collar and Cuffs”, a ruffled choker with matching ruffled bracelets, woven in various hues of black Swarovski Elements.  All very low-key but sparkling!

What will you wear with your LBD?

In looking through my website, I noticed that I have frequently been inspired to make many woven collar necklaces:  these may be chokers or neckpieces that lie flat at the collar bone.  I must have been a 19th century princess in one of my past lives – as these styles I’ve created certainly would fit in the wardrobe of a royal woman from that point in time.

The woven choker collar necklaces are very striking, particularly for long-necked lovelies.  I especially like my Ruffled Dog Collar choker necklaces http://www.msturman.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=73, available in any colorway, woven of CRYSTALLIZED^tm – Swarovski Elements.  I recently wove one in shades of black – yes, black! – that I paired with a set of woven ruffled bracelets, for a Collar and Cuffs ensemble that I wore with a black gown for my son’s wedding in October.  But nothing surpasses the flash, glamor and audacity of my Evening in Rio Dog Collar http://www.msturman.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=64  that is included in a publication from Swarovski, Images of Russia and Brazil.  It is handwoven of hundreds of various CRYSTALLIZED^tm – Swarovski Elements and captures the Carnevale of Rio.

Somewhere between a real choker and a woven collar is my Wild Things necklace.  http://www.msturman.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=43 Its base is of woven black onyx beads that fit a bit looser than a true collar and hangs at the collar bone.  It has wonderful movement and interest from the top-drilled black coral branches so that the piece can fill any neckline from a suit to a cocktail dress.

To assure you that I don’t only design in black – even though as a New Yorker it is my favorite “color” – I cite my Lace Bib http://www.msturman.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=68, a hand woven collar necklace in a colorway of blue and green crystals, similar in tone to my Green Tea collar.  Each of these major woven collar necklaces can also be worn with anything from a Tee Shirt to a little black (!) dress.

I’ve even used pearls in collars:  my woven collar neckpiece of diamond-shaped pearls http://www.msturman.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=41, two sizes of diamond-shaped pearls are woven with pearl drops and accented with gold plated seed beads.  I can’t help but think of this as the perfect piece to wear with a gown or cocktail dress, but really could also be worn to fill the collar of a suit.

Do you like hand woven collar necklaces?  Would you wear one?