pronged; something new

Easiest marketing I've experienced is wearing my own things to places where money is exchanged for a good, thus the inevitable pause in conversation leading often, at least around these parts, to some kind of conversation, complement or statement pulled from visual cues. Since the exchange is hand-focused, I'm lucky enough to get to talk about the jewels on my hands a lot. And confess my favorite truth: I made this bitch.

Last week I got to work early and decided to splurge on a tasty americano from a place I had never been before on 9th & Alder. The girl behind the cash register was a cutie and liked the druzy quartz ring that lives on my left middle finger.

Right away she informed me that she's getting married and needs her something new! The next day I went back and picked up a piece of sea glass that she picked up near her Long Island home as a kid and I made it into a pendant that she plans to wear at her wedding later this month.

And, turns out, we have mutual friends. Portland, like any small city or town, continues to open up and shrink simultaneously..

It was a damn tasty americano. Happy Saturday!

URBAN BOLO premieres

Noelle says it all. Stay tuned for shop listings!

oh, and ROCKS!

So many in stock. Need some bling? Message me!

And, a sneak preview of what is to come....

The URBAN BOLO

leather WRAP CUFF galore

feeding the fire

What an amazingly full and wonderful weekend. People are slowly emerging from their long winter hibernations as temperatures outside are slowly climbing (notice the emphasis on the word slowly). The weekend was full of long feasts, productive hours at the studio, cuddling, an epic moon, a fun night out on the town topped with sunday brunch, and... a photo shoot!

Salim was amazing to offer his time and stud-factor to Stone&Smith for the afternoon.

And the only up-side to minor technical difficulties? We got to hang the heck out. Hope your weekends were equally as fulfilling. xox, mel.

Oregon State Gemstone

Sunstone.

Found in Southern Norway, Siberia, Middletown DE, Statesville NC, and, most plentifully, in Oregon. What makes the Oregon strain distinct are the traces of copper found within that give it a shimmery, labradorite hue. Take a look:

aka aventurine-feldspar

aka golden labradorite

aka UNbelievably stunning

aka i bought my weight in Sunstone this weekend

aka take me here

aka new spring line, coming right up...

lasso it

All kinds of beautiful bolo ties in the shop. Come check it out!

good taste noted by Hollywood

Oscars are exciting. Because I had only seen two of the nominated movies and desperately needed a productive Sunday evening, the red carpet fashion was my focus. My eye's prize? The bling, duh. Neil Lane is the supplier for much of the adornments seen last night on the likes of Mila Kunis, Reese Witherspoon, Halle Barry, and Jennifer Hudson. An excerpt from his interview with the Examiner:

“You have to own the look – you have to wear the jewelry, not let the jewelry wear you – that’s the real secret to looking glamorous,   and the women who wear my jewelry, they have that secret  ,” says  Lane. He goes on to say that while jewelry does have to be beautiful, it also has to reflect the personality of  the woman wearing it – and that, he says, is the real key to getting that glamorous, polished look.

“It’s really more about confidence than it is about style – how well the actress carries off the look is how glamorous the jewelry is going to come off looking – I’ve been lucky in that all of the women who have worn my jewelry have had that confidence – they make the jewelry look good,  not the other way around,” says Lane.

Couldn't agree more.  It's just as much about how the piece is worn and how it magnifies the person wearing it as it is the design itself.

According to Entertainment Weekly's The Best and Worst of Style, these three ladies were all given A+. Congratulations, Mr Lane.

healthy distractions

New custom design makes for perfect female pairing. Adriel chose this jasper stone which now sits delicately on her left hand and accompanies her while GRE studying.

I love seeing photos of people sporting their new bling. Please send any and all to stoneandsmith@gmail.com.

cuff links for the man

Dreams of creating male jewels. Any ideas? Send 'em over. My most recent endeavor was crafting cuff links out of tiger iron stones. Gifted them before pictures were taken, but got inspired by some of the following beauties...

leather line

I discovered the Portland Leather Company and have quickly dreamed up an entire new line. See pictures for a taste:

heartwarming & holiday-esque open house

First house party! Atlanta, 11/21/2010.

The formula was simple: a late November date (schedules not too crowded, yet people already starting to think about Christmas shopping), lots of snacks, lots of friends and family. It was great to reconnect with all of these people who raised me, some of whom I hadn't seen in years.

I miraculously got all of my pieces and tools through the security line, and even got home a few days early to put finishing touches on the bolo ties and find displays for all of my dainty creations. I felt on top of my game and excited.

The morning of, however, Caroline and Sarah took it to the next level. They turned what was a side street showcase (all my pieces crowded onto one table in the corner) into a true art gallery. Turns out that momma's house is an ideal space in which to uncover wooden boxes, earth-toned feathers, cotton pieces, river rocks, and fabric of all kinds. The girls made it truly stunning.

My plan? To make a giant vat of white bean chili. Who knows best? Momma. She made a spread: pumpkin breads, chess bars, wine bar, veggie platters, spinach artichoke dip, and her famous sweet tea.

And Paralee came with her soaps which truly made it a holiday house party.

Thanks to everyone who came out! xoxoxo.

Ladies playing dress-up

One example of Paralee's heavenly soaps. They are truly divine and lather like nobody's business. Check out her site and buy a bar for yourself!

The master gallery curators: Sarah Moffett and oldest sis, Caroline.

mother and daughter

My roommate, Trevor, hosted his family at the house in August. His family lives on the campus of Millbrook School in upstate NY and are always a delight to share a meal with. His dad pulled me aside and ordered two custom bracelets for his wife, Cindy, and daughter Carly. He gave me artistic license, thus it took me awhile to get started. After all, fancy ladies need fancy bracelets. However, I was able to spend a lot of time with them while in town and gleaned their sense of style. I hope they like them, xoxox.

mother / daughter

photographic evidence

A friend of mine, Jason Waicunas, recently offered to pair my jewelry pieces up with his mad photography skills. The result? Total success. We used a proper light box (which I now own. and would love to loan to any interested parties), and his macro Nikon lens from the 1970's, resulting in precise focus and balanced light. See for yourself! The bounty: