Sassy Summer Looks
For the July newsletter I am taking a brief vacation from our usual discussion of diamonds and all things bridal to focus on just gorgeous jewels! Summertime is filled with barbeques, days at the beach and parties under the stars. Occasions that call for flowy dresses or my personal favorite white jeans and a fabulous top! I have a friend who refers to these as the “ubiquitous white jeans”, worn throughout the summer on almost any occasion, dressed up or dressed down. They go with anything and always look crisp and good!
I attended a Marrakech night party where I wore of course my white jeans and a chiffon top adorned with the amazing 60’s gold and diamond necklace and cocktail ring below. I felt like Liz Taylor! Many women wore Marrakech inspired outfits but I must say my simple outfit was the showstopper because of my jewels! Women stopped me and even the most staid man said, “he never liked jewelry but that necklace was awesome”. I love to wear outfits of solid colors and spice them up with big gold and diamond pieces, enamel accents or splashes of color with semi precious stones. A great piece of jewelry always makes for interesting dinner conversation!
Another absolute favorite of mine is layering necklaces. For the fourth I wore yet again my white jeans and a navy blue sweater with the below necklaces. I wore the enameled backgammon pendant long and the heart short. Even though they appear not to go together once they were layered up, they formed a great look. The enamel backgammon pendant is designed by Aldo Cipullo. Short or long it is a wonderful piece and is on my wish list, especially since I love the game. The heart is a Cartier piece featured in our last newsletter and just feels great. I wore the necklaces with the blue topaz earrings I mentioned a few newsletters back and of course an aquamarine cocktail ring. I was decked in blue and feeling very patriotic!
It's A Charmed Life
Wonderful charm bracelets walk through our door all the time. They are filled with charms that signify special moments in people's lives, the places they have been, birthdays, and some just plain fun. We have charms that say Happy Anniversary or quite a few that are tributes to Hawaii, a popular honeymoon spot then and now. Inspired by the idea of honeymoon jewels and the fabulous charms we have at CDB. I thought what
could be more wonderful than starting a charm bracelet to celebrate the beginnings of married life. Each year or special occasion you can add a charm and after a lifetime that will be one big bracelet! My ideal first charm would be a gold globe, so I can mark all of the places that I have traveled with a diamond or sapphire starting with my honeymoon. Then add charms for birthdays, anniversaries, children and wonderful memories. I love this idea that you have a wearable piece of your very own history. Every time you look at your wrist you have a reminder of those wonderful first memories of married life.
Honeymoon Jewels
Summer is almost upon us as well as wedding season! After all the parties, the ceremony and the dancing it is time to relax and retreat on your honeymoon. Most newlyweds I know head to a tropical location where they can spend the day relaxing on the beach. Flowing dresses, sandals and tunics seem to be the uniform for the honeymoon. What better items to accompany these romantic outfits than long chains that you can wrap around whether you are dressing up for dinner or want to spice up your
beach attire. These necklaces capture island living, Persian opals the color of the sea and citrine the color of the sun. The other chains are set with large stones of white sapphires, aquamarines and tourmalines. Necklaces are easy to throw on and can transform a simple white tee and jeans into a glamorous outfit!
Much like the long chains there is nothing that quite sets off a tan like a great pair of earrings. The gumdrops from the last newsletter are light, fun and colorful, the perfect addition to any beach outfit! More designs like these are coming soon! For evening after you have been sun kissed and your hair is wavy from the salty air, there is nothing like a hanging earring. These wonderful pink tourmaline drop earrings are romantic and sexy. Have fun with your jewels, spice it up, after all it is your honeymoon!
The chains are wonderful pieces to layer as they range in lengths and are very reasonable. I have worn these earrings nonstop and have received many compliments on them, they look amazing on and as Camilla would say are a big look for the price!
Groom & Groomsmen’s Gifts
The traditional black tie for weddings has gone out the window! Nowadays, you see khakis and blue blazers with pastel color ties that match the color of the bridesmaid’s dresses. These wonderful cufflinks make the perfect groomsmen’s gift and are a perfect accent to these more colorful groomsmen outfits! The links are designed by a wonderful British company called Deakin & Francis, their quality is superb and the enamel work could not be more beautiful, not to mention guys love the lever backs because they are easy to put on! We can custom order a design for you or a more simple link in almost any color imaginable.
Clearly, I was in a spring mood when I ordered these links! Last year I did the seahorse cufflinks in pink and blue for a wedding at Tuckers Point in Bermuda, where the seahorse is the logo for the club. I gave my husband a pair for our wedding day that added a touch of color to his penguin suit. They were of course skull and crossbones because we were married on Gasparilla Island which was discovered by Gaspar, the pirate! A fun detail and story that can be quite the topic of conversation on the wedding day.
Bridesmaids Gifts
I have discussed the option of custom made bridesmaid necklaces, earrings and bracelets. I thought I would include these wonderful mother-of-pearl and diamond earrings as well as these freshwater pearl drops. Simple and elegant earrings that will accent any dress perfectly. I assure you they will be a gift that will be worn daily after the wedding unlike those bridesmaid dresses!
The dress, the veil, the hair and makeup all of these components together form the perfect bride. Yet, there is nothing as beautiful as that natural bridal glow! I have realized that nothing illuminates or transforms the look of a bride better than a pair of earrings. They draw the audiences eye to the brides face and keep it there, in essence framing the glow. They can take a very simple gown and add sophistication and sparkle or they can take a complex gown and add just a hint of sparkle so as not to take away from the dramatic effect of the overall look. Earrings are also a wonderful bridal gift from the groom.
I have found that more and more brides are requesting custom designed earrings because they cannot find what they want, and they have an idea of the look they would like to achieve. Brides don’t want a simple pair of pearl cluster earrings, they want earrings that are sophisticated yet sparkly and a piece that they will wear beyond their wedding day. I designed a pair of earrings for my sister in law that were diamond studs that suspended a drop shaped pearl set atop with another diamond. The wonderful thing is that the bottoms were removable and she could wear the studs every day, which her husband was very happy about!
The two pictures here are of two very different designs but for two very different weddings. The blue topaz and diamonds were for a New York winter wedding. The brides dress was white satin and very simple. These brought the dress to another level of elegance. The mother of pearl pair were designed for a bride who was wearing a lacy dress that she was going to layer with Victorian chains from her grandmother. She wanted a pair of earrings that would enhance the look of the necklaces but would soften them as well. I thought a mother of pearl drop (I love mother of pearl) would accent the ivory of the dress and the added diamonds would lighten up the gold of the chains. As you can see a very simple design but on the ear they just popped!
Why not on your wedding day deck yourself in earrings that make you feel like a queen after all it is the one day that you can rightfully call, your day.
 
CDB designed so many engagement rings in 2009 that we actually ran out of ring boxes! Just because you are not a blushing bride does not mean that you cannot benefit from our custom design ring services. Quite a few ladies have come to us stating that they want to freshen up their ring a bit, perhaps add some side stones or pave diamonds or even the basic complaint that my ring looks "too heavy" and they want a more delicate handmade look!
Very often, a lady will come in and say, "There is just something about my ring that bothers me" and they cannot put their finger on it! Sometimes it is the smallest detail that can be fixed to change the overall look and feel of the ring. The wonderful thing about designing a ring is that you can focus on the very minute details, changing the prong style or thinning out the shank or setting a stone lower. Some ladies have reservations about changing their original engagement ring, but we try to keep the integrity of the original design so that you do not feel that your ring has completely changed. Or if you want a whole new look, often times we have kept the old mounting and set them with a semi precious stone, so that you will never lose the ring that you said yes to!
Then of course there is the other problem that occurs, diamonds do tend to “shrink” after having been worn for so many years, in which case there is only one cure for that!
December as the old song goes is “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!” Everyone is feeling happy and excited about the prospect of the holiday festivities and the impending New Year! Not to mention that there are many rings out there just waiting to be put on a lovely ladies finger just in time for a summer wedding! Shhhh…
I was feeling very festive for this newsletter and wanted to show you some gorgeous rings. Nothing gets you in the Christmas spirit quite like rubies and emeralds! The ruby has been ignored for quite some time as an engagement ring, but I think there is something spectacular and seductive about the rich red of a ruby. Emeralds are my mother’s favorite stone and therefore have always been a favorite of mine too. Sometimes they are so scrumptious in color they look like a bright green gumdrop as seen by the accents in our Edwardian marquise shaped ring, look how they make that diamond pop!
Over the top beautiful larger “rocks” to show that the winter freeze is not too far away, although I am pretty certain this form of ice is certain to keep you warm! A glorious cushion cut, an absolutely stunning Asscher and the classic beautiful emerald cut. The rings speak for themselves, elegant and timeless stunners.
Sapphire engagement rings are in full swing. Perhaps, it is all the wonderful shades of purple that are so popular this fall that are inspiring our future brides and grooms to embrace the blue of the sapphire. We have seen wonderful rings centering a fat cushion cut sapphire flanked by trillions. Or for the longer fingers there is the elegant oval shape flanked by half moons. One of my personal favorites was a sapphire nestled in an Art Deco mounting surrounded by baguette cut diamonds and round diamonds that formed a plaque ring. Often we will see a classic three stone engagement ring with all diamonds, but if the bride craves something a little more adventuresome, you can always put a sapphire in the center of the three stones or flank the center diamond with sapphires.
Sapphire wedding bands are another wonderful way to incorporate the rich blue onto your fourth finger. Whether you want a hint of blue or a blue centerpiece there is nothing quite like the velvety blue of a sapphire.
CDB engagement rings have been on a world tour recently! They have traveled to a barn in upstate New York, South Africa and St. Peter’s Square in Italy to just name a few places! Our grooms to be are getting quite creative with their proposals.
The proposal that took place in a barn is one that will go down as one of my absolute favorite proposals, perhaps because it was for one of my nearest and dearest friends Betsy. She was my roommate in college, sorority sister and bridesmaid!
It all started with a wonderful email from her now fiancé, David asking when we could talk and of course swearing me to utter secrecy! Several meetings ensued and the whole time, it was wonderful to see a man who is clearly so in love with one of your closest friends. He wanted the ring to be absolutely perfect for her. Our secret meeting paid off, for one night in August David got down on one knee, gave her the CDB yellow box, and she said Yes!
It was quite obvious that Betsy had found “The One” and after we had spent hours discussing this wonderful man. I invited her to come play with some diamonds and see what would look best on her hand. I brought in a bunch of stones for Betsy to try on, and we had a fabulous time! She came in thinking she would like perhaps an emerald cut or a cushion and she left loving the classic, the round brilliant. Betsy is a timeless beauty like the round brilliant, bubbly as it is sparkly, and just as elegant.
When David came in, we must have looked at 20 stones searching for the perfect one that was in essence — Betsy. He chose a gorgeous stone that sparkled like no other. We discussed several design options for the setting. Ultimately, we wanted a setting that would be totally different from our friends’ engagement rings but would still compliment the round stone. We tested the round diamond in an old Deco mounting and it was a perfect match! I had the jeweler set the diamond in a hand made platinum mounting that was flanked by two baguette cut stones from a Deco mounting. We actually kept their original setting and created a new ring around them that was incredibly delicate and set very low. The end result was, I must say, breathtaking. David did a fabulous job choosing the stone and the older cut baguettes add to the fire of the round brilliant without detracting from it.
I have said it before and I will say it again, there is really something special about being a part of people’s engagement story, whether it is the yellow box or the meetings leading up to it or the wonderful pictures that people send to me afterwards, I am truly so lucky. However, helping the man that your friend is head over heels for nothing will ever rival that experience. Having him ask you to be a part of the engagement plan and to help design a ring that she will wear every day for the rest of their lives and being trusted with the secret that her life is about to change in an incredible way.
Over the past few weeks I have met two men who sat in our showroom and described their soon to be fiancé with that nervous sparkle in their eye as well as utter adoration. One man talked about how his girlfriend was classic in her beauty and her mannerisms but with a bubbly side. He went on to describe her hands and tell me how she was a writer and very creative but she had very small fingers. He thought the ring should be elegant just like her and delicate so as not to overpower her hand. He chose a gorgeous asscher cut diamond just over a carat flanked by two baguettes that were set vertically to add a slight “flare” to the timeless piece. The ring was a tribute to the Deco period with a twist just like her!
The second man was clearly very enamored of his wife to be, glowing whenever he said her name. He described a very different girl than the first man, one who was of course beautiful but was not the most graceful creature. She had a penchant for “falling” during many of her outdoor activities—characteristics, which he clearly thought were quite adorable! He wanted a ring that would match her active lifestyle. One that would not get in the way during her strenuous activities and could also withstand being banged up a bit. He did not like channel set bands because he thought they were quite boring for an engagement ring. Ultimately, he decided on a beautiful eternity band set with end-to-end baguettes accented by a small indentation of platinum between them. Thus the band had lots of sparkle but was durable and the setting looked unique from every perspective. I am not sure if the band will help with her balance considering one isn’t paying attention to where they step when they are staring at their hand!
The engagement ring does not always have to have a single stone or even stones at all, it's purpose is a promise of forever. However, it is always nice to see two men so clearly in love that they want the ring to not only be a promise but to capture her personality and all that they adore about her.
One of the wonderful aspects of working with engagement rings is the opportunity to meet interesting new people. You instantly become a part of their love story, their proposal, and in a small way feel as though you are a part of their wedding because you hear about all of the wonderful details. I would like to share with you a wonderful couple who walked through our doors and were an absolute delight to work with! Beth & Graeme Sanderson.
The newlyweds were married in March in Bermuda! Beth works in the fashion industry for the designer Milly (if you do not know “Milly”, you should become acquainted, she is fabulous. All of the clothes for my honeymoon were Milly – fun, fresh and flirty designs) Graeme works for Goldman Sachs and the couple live downtown in the Financial District. Now you really must hear how he proposed because it is of course incredibly romantic and unique!
The engagement as told by Beth….
August 16, 2007. It was the night before we were leaving on a weekend trip to Jamaica, we had just returned home after a concert and were getting ready to go to bed because we had a 6am flight. Graeme asked if I wanted to open some wine while we were packing up, I was super tired but said ok. He gave me a wrapped box, which I opened and found a 2004 bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild. I was a little confused and asked if we were going to drink that that night. He said “No, I thought we could save it for our 10 year anniversary” and he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him with a beautiful diamond engagement band. Of course I said YES! Later that night he gave me his great grandmother’s ring that had been given to his mom and who had given it to Graeme to give to me. We celebrated with champagne and nearly missed our flight the next morning!! Also, unbeknownst to me, he had flown down to Florida the month before and asked my parents for my hand in marriage.
Beth & Graeme were referred to CDB by a mutual friend because they wanted to reset his great grandmother’s engagement ring. We offered several options for the design of the ring and they settled upon a beautiful classic setting that was true to the original design of the ring but with a modern flair. The updated ring was a success and Graeme presented it to Beth on her birthday a couple months before the wedding.
Beth and Graeme returned to pick out their wedding bands. They thought it would mean a lot to have the same wedding band so after several visits looking at the options they decided on classic platinum bands. We had each band hand engraved with a message that would be revealed on their wedding day! They both decided on a traditional engraving of initials and the date and on their wedding day discovered that Graeme’s parents had the same engraving in their wedding bands.
Then the real fun began for me, as Beth wanted to surprise Graeme with a present for the wedding day. She designed wonderful enameled anchor cufflinks that reminded her of Bermuda and were the turquoise color of the wedding. She even provided me with a swatch of fabric to match the color of the enamel on the cufflinks to their “wedding color”. Then Graeme called me to say he wanted to design diamond earrings that Beth could wear on their wedding day with her dress. She not only wore them on that day, but has worn them almost every day since!
I felt so honored to be a small part of their intimate surprises on their wedding day. These special wedding moments give me true joy.
©Becky Spencer Photography
©Becky Spencer Photography
©Becky Spencer Photography
Once you have put the engagement ring on her finger for that one word – YES!
Now you must have a ring for those two wonderful words - I DO!
We have an array of wonderful antique bands that are the perfect accent to our Edwardian rings. For the classic engagement ring, we have fabulous channel set bands or shared prong settings or diamonds set with colored gemstones and of course the classic plain platinum or gold band. We look at the bride’s hand and the setting of her engagement ring to determine which style of ring would be the perfect fit.
I could not find a wedding band that I thought would compliment my engagement ring, so I designed my wedding band. The band was set with baguettes all the way around that mimic the baguettes flanking my center stone thus highlighting my engagement ring. One of the great aspects of designing a wedding band is that you are able to incorporate elements of your engagement ring therefore, providing the perfect accent to your ring!
We also have gentleman’s wedding rings in various widths and designs. A wonderful personal touch is to add a hand engraved message inside of the band. We have loved hearing the wonderful phrases that brides want to say to their grooms and vice versa. The message is just one more surprise for the big day!
One of the many wonderful services that we offer the bride is to create customized jewelry for her bridal party. We work with the bride to design pieces that will incorporate the wonderful colors of the wedding and the bridesmaid dresses. The bridesmaids then have a unique gift that is a memento of the wedding and something they will wear forever.
I was married this fall in an all white wedding on a small island in Florida. When I designed the necklaces for my “maids” as I called them, I wanted to capture the natural colors of the island and the feeling of the beach. The bridesmaids wore long flowing white dresses therefore I wanted the necklaces to have a presence that would enhance the white. I chose wonderful large pieces of carved mother of pearl to give them the “umph” but they also looked as though they had been plucked from the beach! The mother of pearl was separated by coin pearls with fabulous luster and to add a touch of color, my favorite, Persian opal briolettes that captured the color of the sea. You can see below my wonderful matrons of honor walking down the aisle in their necklaces.
When planning a wedding, you try and make the whole day a representation of you as a couple. What is so wonderful about this service is that it continues with that idea, you are creating a piece of jewelry that is so personal to you, the bride and your bridesmaids that captures all of the elements of your wedding. A piece that evokes such special memories and will be a memento to treasure forever.
 
©Unruephoto.com
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