Monies, 2006                                                                                    2 7/8” wide

This stunning pair of mother of pearl bangles is from the brilliant design duo Gerda (nee Lynggard) and Nicolai Monies, who met in design school in the early seventies in West Germany.  They united both personally and creatively, and now work from their waterfront studio in Copenhagen where they are inspired and soothed by water and music.  The beautiful environment in which they create is reflected in their equally beautiful designs.

The Monies jewelry is made primarily from natural materials, including wood, bone, horn, amber and nail, as well as semi-precious stones.  Some fine man-made materials, such as resins, are also used.  Many of the pieces have leather cords which can be tied to the desired length; some have carved wood clasps; others have a toggle closure which repeats and continues the theme of the piece.  A number of the bracelets employ elastic cord (as do these) in order to maintain a clean, monolithic look.  Always the closure is an integral part of the design—never an afterthought—and that perfect detailing is a very important part of the appeal.  

I first discovered Monies jewelry in the mid-eighties—love at first sight!

My love affair with Denmark began when I was a very young child.  My uncle, who was a career serviceman, lived in Copenhagen with his family, and they sent beautiful Royal Copenhagen porcelain and Danish teak serving pieces at Christmas.  When they returned to the States I listened enamored to stories of royal palaces and exquisite gardens in far and away exotic lands, and dreamed of someday seeing it all for myself.

In the mid-seventies that childhood dream came true, and the reality lived up to my expectations.

I found the following when I did some research on Monies.

“We believe that the beauty of our surroundings will reflect on our work. And ultimately, in our customers. Therefore it is essential for us that our workshop radiates this beauty. For this reason the space we work in has been filled with eye-pleasing beauty and wonderful music. This atmosphere is an essential element in our creativity.

An ancient Chinese proverb claims that business thrives near the sea. With a view of the sea and the harbour, we are located on Copenhagen’s waterfront. And we know for certain, that the element of water lets the soul resound with inspiration. ”

Designers
Gerda and Nicolai Monies are an internationally-known design team from Denmark who create spectacular lines of jewelry.  Gerda and Nicolai met in design school in West Germany, and paired up personally and as designers- each working off and complimenting the other’s strengths and perspectives.  Both are inspired by natural elements and prefer to allow the essence of the material to speak for itself and determine what will flow from it.

Jewelry
The jewelry is made from nature’s own materials including wood, water buffalo horn, nail, bone, amber, and other semi-precious gems – as well as – fine man-made materials such as resins.  All materials used are certified in accordance with the International Wildlife Laws of the Washington Convention.

Popularity: 31% [?]

Technorati Tags: designer bracelet, monies, mother of pearl

anonymous, early 21st century
2 ⅜” wide x 4 ¾” diameter

So how much fun are these huge straw bangles?  Once again, it’s a triple impact trio when stacked together on one arm; it also works to only wear a single, or a single on one arm and a pair on the other.  Love that I found these at Neiman Marcus Last Call so I could get three for the price of one and have all these options!

These great bangles have no identifying tags; they look like Italian design and Philippine craftsmanship.

Popularity: 48% [?]

Technorati Tags: designer bracelet, Designer Jewelry, straw

Cecile et Jeanne, summer 2000 

I discovered Cecile et Jeanne in Paris in the spring of 2000; there were several single-line boutiques as well as counters in the department stores.  But, lovely as the jewelry was, none of the pieces moved me enough to purchase (I quite clearly remember not liking the hinges and the connecting details)…until I saw this stunning bracelet!  I had recently returned from Paris and found myself reliving those memories in the newly opened Soho boutique.  Even though this piece obviously came from the same designer, it also obviously did not come from the same production line of costume jewelry.  This cuff and a few other pieces in the shop were from a limited artisanal line.  So soon after my trip I seriously considered another luxury purchase, but this matte-finish gold on brass bracelet really spoke to me…and I’m so glad I listened!
   
I adore this bracelet!  And I wear it all the time—it’s another of those perfect pieces which accents casual or dressy in an equally elegant fashion.

Cecile et Jeanne was founded twenty years ago by the designer Jeanne and her brother Elie; they honor their mother Cecile in the company name.  Beginning with just fashion jewelry, the Parisian designed accessories line now includes handbags, belts, gloves, and perfume.  There are two New York locations, in Soho at 436 West Broadway (between Prince and Spring), 212.625.3535, and 1100 Madison Avenue (between 82nd and 83rd), 212.535 5700, as well as one each in San Francisco and Bethesda.

Popularity: 50% [?]

Technorati Tags: cecile et jeanne, designer bracelet, Designer Jewelry

C and N, summer 1992
1 ¼” diameter discs on a 36” cord (necklace)
⅝” diameter discs with a 1 ¾” drop (earrings)

This is the perfect summer necklace—it feels as light and airy as it looks. It can hang down in the typical fashion or drape horizontally across the shoulders. Playful as it is, though, it’s thoughtfully crafted with thin black tube cut into precise lengths that act as spacers for the edge-dyed acrylic discs. It’s also a great conversation piece; whenever I wear it I’m always stopped for a query and an inspection.

The coordinating earrings are equally delightful!

Popularity: 56% [?]

Technorati Tags: acrylic jewelry, c and n, caroline broadhead, Designer Jewelry, nuala jamison

Metal Pointu’s, spring 2000 

This lovely handcrafted gold on brass necklace was a find at the Galeries Lafayette in Paris…just a small digression from my handbag mission in the spring of 2000! I especially love it with the Francesco Biasia Wave Tote; the repetition of the undulating pattern reinforces the strength of each piece. And, the counterbalance of the precision-cut leather to the artisanal quality of the metal makes it infinitely more interesting.

Metal Pointu’s is designed by Bernard Bouhnik and fabricated in Paris. M. Bouhnik began creating jewelry in 1988; he now adds a new design to the collection twice a year to coincide with the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter Collections. In addition to the five Parisian boutiques, Metal Pointu’s can be found in Soho at 252 Elizabeth Street, NY, NY 10012, 646.454.1539. Enjoy!

Popularity: 53% [?]

Technorati Tags: Designer Jewelry, designer necklace, metal pointu

Vintage Ivory, early 1980’s
1 ⅜” point-to-point

Instant Karma got me when I found these vintage ivory star earrings! They are, quite simply, simply perfect. Perfectly proportioned with crisp edges, they make an out-of-this-world fashion statement.

Ivory trading was banned worldwide by CITES, the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species in 1989, but in 2008 there was a one-time auction of African ivory stockpiles which allowed importation to China and Japan. More about ivory in the future—

Popularity: 15% [?]

Technorati Tags: designer earrings, Designer Jewelry, ivory

Kenneth Jay Lane, mid—late 1980’s
1 ½” point-to-point

After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1954, Kenneth Jay Lane (born 1930) moved to New York where he began his career as an art director at Vogue.  It was there that he realized he wanted to be creating the beautiful objects with which he was surrounded, not just working with someone else’s designs. He began this new phase of his career by collaborating on shoe collections for Christian Dior and Delman; this eventually lead to his creating the baubles, bangles and beads which have been worn by fashionistas past and present, from Jackie Onassis, Diana Vreeland, Elizabeth Taylor, and Audrey Hepburn; to Sarah Jessica Parker, Nicole Kidman, Madonna, and me!!! And legend has it that the Duchess of Windsor is buried in the jeweled belt which was created especially for her.

These earrings came from the Kenneth Jay Lane boutique in the Trump Tower in the latter half of the eighties. Mr. Lane’s jewelry was (still is) affordable—somewhat more expensive than department store costume jewelry, but also more interesting and less mass market. However, much as I like these stars, I can honestly say they aren’t in the league of Robert Lee Morris’ nature-inspired, hand-crafted designs of the same era.

I find most costume jewelry to be too shiny (i.e., cheap-looking), but if it looked identical to highly polished 24K, why would we still be paying for the real thing? The mellow glow of the brushed finish of these earrings is very appealing—fun, fabulous fakes!

Wearing these Kenneth Jay Lane gold stars gives me the confidence of an accolade for a job well done!

Popularity: 15% [?]

Technorati Tags: designer costume jewelry, designer earrings, Designer Jewelry, kenneth jay lane

Jean Paul Gaultier, spring 2000

This amazing twelve-strand necklace and spiral bracelet look at once tribal and absolutely contemporary. I purchased them in Paris in the Jean Paul Gaultier boutique within the Galeries Lafayette along with the “bracelet clutch.” An important part of the appeal is that the jewelry is just ordinary metal—not so precious that it must be saved only for special occasions. Additionally, the warm glow is so flattering against the skin and much more elegant than the usual overly-polished costume jewelry. Even though these are production pieces, they have a wonderful artisanal quality.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Technorati Tags: designer bracelet, designer necklace, jean paul gaultier