Manolo for the Brides

Today’s ‘from the archives’ info comes from a variety of sources.

As I learned from their web site, Belle Pearl (formerly known as “Princess Pearls”) is a mom-based company owned by Angela Apon, mother of five children, wife, and part time Registered Dental Hygienist. I like the idea of a company with a mom at the helm — I’m guessing Angela is no stranger to chaos and is ready to do whatever it takes to make you, the customer, happy.

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You know what makes you feel rich and poor at the same time? Buying a house. Suddenly, you have all this money in your bank account, and you’re writing these rather large checks. Probably the largest you’ll ever write, in all honesty. The Beard and I have recently been writing many such checks, and every time I’m manipulating another X-thousands of dollars, my first thought is “BLING BLING!”

I didn’t get the big bling when I got engaged… mainly because I didn’t want it! But that doesn’t mean I don’t like looking at (and joking about) ice that is NOT the kind you use to cool a cocktail. On that note, here are some engagement rings that are mainly for those who will be enjoying a lot more ‘for richer’ days than ‘for poorer’ ones.

Or maybe not. Go ahead and click on the pics above, but consider that dropping a cool eight thou on a ring for your sweetie likely only makes you feel really rich until you have a gander at your bank statement. Which leads me to contemplate an interesting question: What’s the ice on your finger worth if you can’t even afford to ice up your drink?

I love all things homemade. Okay, there might be a touch of hyperbole in that statement. But when it comes down to the choice between something mass produced in some far away country and something crafted by someone who genuinely cares about creating something beautiful, the latter something is going to win hands down.

To celebrate all things handmade, here are just a few of the wonderful baubles for the bride I found while poking around Etsy:

Most of these unique pieces cost less than the earrings, bracelets, and hairpins you might find in a boutique setting, but are every bit as lovely. For more info on the artisans who crafted everything pictured above or to support a handful of folks trying to get their work noticed, just click the photos!

Jade is one of the few gemstones that wasn’t initially revered for its beauty. In prehistoric times, its toughness and ability to withstand blows made it an ideal toolmaking material. But even if jade’s value runs more than skin deep, you have to admit that it’s pretty awesome looking.

We tend to associated it with the color green, but jade comes in white, gray, black, yellow, pink, orange, and violet incarnations. The “creaminess” of certain jades makes the stone pop when paired with gold, yet it remains understated enough to compliment almost any wedding gown without taking away from its thunder.

I reeeeaaaaally want that ring, but I’m saving for a house and thus can’t have it. *sniff* Had I found it a couple of months ago when I had a pre-nuptial license to spend, there’s a good chance I would have worn it on my wedding day!

Just in time for this weekend’s bout of online shopping (which will take place sometime between going to the zoo and making homemade pizza dough), I get an e-mail from the always on-the-ball Sterlingspider about some beautiful baubles that would look stunning on, say, a bride. While I can’t say I ever want to be a bride again, that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t treat myself to one or two of the wonderful pieces for sale at Vintage Bridal Jewelry.

Jewelry designer Marcia Morris creates beautiful vintage-inspires pieces using vintage estate jewelry, vintage costume jewelry, and pretty vintage beads and crystals.

If you don’t see anything that catches your on the site but you like the overall feel of the jewelry on offer, the good news is that Morris is happy to work with brides and their bridesmaids to create customized wedding day jewelry that will dazzle. And don’t forget that customization (for customization’s sake) is a great way to personalize your wedding style, as you can be sure that no bride you encounter in the future will be wearing precisely what you wore on your special day.

Kirk pointed me toward a collection of unusual rings created by designer and metalsmith Jana Brevick.

The above wedding ring set was created from sterling silver and serial plugs. See what they look like fitted together by clicking the pic!

And these were created using gold, sterling silver, and plugs with threaded sheaths. Again, see what they look like fitted together by clicking the pic.

Sure, they are a little bulky, as Kirk remarked, but they could make a sweet present for a technically-minded couple looking for something to set them apart.

And speaking of wedding rings, mine finally arrived today. It’s a good thing, too, as we were all set to cancel our order with our rather slow-going jewelrymaker. We even bought a set of plain gold bands so that we wouldn’t be left in a lurch if she didn’t come through. But here we are, scant days before the wedding, with a set of wonderful matte four-color, six-twist mokume gane bands. Yay!

A few pieces of dazzling jewelry can do wonders for an understated wedding gown. Though my overstated lady lumps make me look ridiculous in sheath dresses, there are few thinks I love more than a plain satin sheath paired with some beautiful and original baubles. As soon as I happened upon Jen Preston’s wonderful designs, I thought how lovely they’d look on some chic, sheathed bride. Her pieces have an architectural oomph to them that would likely be too bold when paired with an elaborate gown, but they would no doubt be strikingly elegant when serving as a focal point. Observe:

As an aside, this necklace makes me think of frequent commenter Sterlingspider.

There’s no reason that attendant gifts have to be these deadly serious pieces of sapitude that are oh so indicative of the depth of your relationship with your bridesmaids. If I was a maid or a MOH, I’d be delighted to find myself in possession of a quirky gift bag that included, among other things, one or two of these funky Murano glass rings from Forzieri.

Nothing particularly meaningful. Nothing fancy. Just a little spot of fun.

Ever wonder where the diamonds in your engagement ring came from? There is a chance they came from this ginormous open pit diamond mine (the world’s largest) near Mirny, Russia, East Siberia:

According to the U.S. Mine Rescue Association, the mine is 525 meters deep and a whopping 1200 meters in diameter. The air space over the mine is closed to helicopters due to a few accidents in which choppers were sucked into the pit by downward air flow!

And notice that tiny red arrow in the photo above. That arrow is pointing to a full size, 2o-foot-tall BELAZ 220-pound payload truck! Wild, no?