6.08.2011

summer jewelry


charlote gainsbourg wears this tiny gold necklace in a lot of photos, and i love the elegance and simplicity - it's the perfect necklace for summer. light, barely-there on a delicate chain, and adds just enough glimmer to an airy summer uniform. there's also a lovely interview where Charlotte talks about some of her favorite things, including the necklace.

jewelry is special because of its so-called 'sentimental value': the symbolic meaning given to it by you or others. the best kind of jewelry has the weight of histories and memories etched in its patina. there's a mysterious, romantic air floating about in an estate jewelry shop...all the stories contained within the lockets and rings.

i always wear earrings before leaving the house, and like to wear chunky costume jewelry (i have this one j.crew necklace that i call my 'party necklace') and funky estate rings for evening. however, the minimalist in me also loves very simple, understated pieces. i like to keep things consistent for day - i love the idea of wearing a special piece of jewelry all the time - so much so that it becomes a part of you in a way.

do you wear jewelry? if so, what do you wear?

25 comments:

  1. Thanks for posting that! She always has such great style. I found it really cute that she pronounced Hanro in such a distinctly french way.

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  2. I like the idea too, but the last time I wore any jewellery constantly must have been a good 5 years ago...I was very attached to a cheap little charm necklace from Topshop, for some reason. I like delicate rings, and jewellery with a nature motif.

    And agree with Amanda, the interview is lovely!

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  3. I also like to wear a statement necklace and have a couple of really nice silver and white gold ones that I normally wear on special occasions. On a daily basis I normally wear only earrings and my wedding ring. I too love the idea of wearing a really understated chain and pendant like Charlotte, but somehow it doesn't work for me.

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  4. I've never been a big jewelry person but the few pieces I do wear, I wear over and over again. I have a ring that was my grandmother's that I never take off. And I also wear a gold Mawi necklace that, which although is very 'costume', seems to go with everything.

    http://herribbonsandherbows.blogspot.com/

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  5. Love her necklace, I have a similar one, a small diamond on a thin gold chain. Just perfect. I usually rotate the same pieces for a couple of weeks before switching. But I am most loyal to a pair of studs made for my mother when she was born - gold stars with diamonds, tiny and perfect. And I love the sentimental value they hold for me.

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  6. i love sentimental jewellery. i wear a gold and diamond victorian ring that was passed down to me, and a cheap silver and mother of pearl ring that reminds me of when i was becoming the person i am now. i've been wearing them every day for years. i used to be a big wearer of pearls, too.

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  7. Awesome post. I love the simple, timeless, everyday elegance of that type of necklace. Like Prêt à Porter P, I only wear a watch everyday consistently. I rotate between a sports watch (ha, not too fashionable but practical) and a silver/diamond one on dressier days. I can't wear earrings, my ears are too sensitive and I haven't worn rings in years. I do have a nice solitaire diamond on white gold necklace I like but always feel like people will look at it rather than me. Perhaps, I'm just not wearing it enough for it to become a part of me ;) I do love bangles, even if they can clink around and get annoying. I love mixing bangles up - wood, gold, silver, etc. Turquoise is one of my favorite stones too. I like blue tones with my complexion.

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  8. Amanda: i'm always taken aback by how soft-spoken CG is and ethereal her voice sounds. i love that she's shy and doesn't try to affect any different airs.

    lin: i love jewelry with a nature motif too! etsy is great for that - tons of talented designers there.

    Pret a Porter P: i'll have to revisit your post a while back about your jewelry! that was very inspiring :)

    MyFavouriteThings: i vacillate between chunky statement pieces and really small minimalist ones. i do love rings of all kinds!

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  9. Alexandra: your grandma's ring sounds lovely! what does it look like?

    Ammu: i have one like that too! it's from an ex boyfriend actually :P but i've since neutralized the sentimental value and wear it because i love the design :) your mother's earrings sound lovely...i love tiny stud earrings.

    Kate: your ring sounds amazing! i'm also intrigued by your 'cheap silver' ring! when did you buy it?

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  10. i'm so absent-minded when it comes to jewelry. though i love statement jewelry, accessorizing never crosses my mind when i'm getting dressed. i also love the idea of wearing a special piece of jewelry all the time. right now, i only wear my engagement ring and two very small gold, diamond, and turquoise rings. i have been on the lookout for a dainty gold necklace, but i have yet to commit to anything.

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  11. i prefer to wear jewelry that i don't have to take off, so everyday i wear my simple melissa joy manning hoops and a tina tang tiny charm necklace with a star and lightning bolt charm. my rings are also always the same...

    my favorite jewelry is minimal and simple, but i do want to add one SUPER-fabulous BIG necklace to my wardrobe. just for fun :)

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  12. I wear the Pyrrha necklace my boyfriend got me for Xmas. It's the one with the swan. It's simple and I love the sentimental meaning attached to it.

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  13. I wear my watch and a silver necklace in the shape of a nut almost every day. During spring and summer I wear bracelets, silver and leather ones, a lot too. I'm trying to rotate my necklaces more, but somehow I feel like the nut pendant is becoming a part of me.

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  14. What a beautiful post, really enjoy reading it. :-)

    I like the idea of wearing something that means a lot to you persistently and am trying to apply this to my bags as well.

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  15. jennifer: i love etsy for delicate handmade pieces - your rings sound really lovely! did you end up getting the ones from mociun?

    grechen: i'm the same! i really love jcrew's costume jewelry for evenings out.

    Quivered: that sounds lovely! :)

    Garderoben: i think i remember you posting about that earlier. i used to wear a lot more silver (esp earrings), but i really love gold pieces.

    q9y8: thank you! your bags are TDF! would love to hear some of the stories behind them :)

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  16. etsy is such a great site! alas, i did not get the ones from mociun. i got something similar which will just have to do until i can afford the 'real deal.'

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  17. i love the new blog design, btw!

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  18. jennifer: mociun is lovely. i also really really love st. kilda - especially her rings. and my addiction to Showtime's The Borgias has me wishing for a Borgia ring from Wendy Brandes. :)

    thanks! i had lots of fun tweaking the blog design this weekend.

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  19. a chunky mix of silver and black bracelets has become my signature jewelry over the past few years. i wear a pseudo-random mix of pieces from the caribbean, mexico, vintage shops, and good old hot topic studs and spikes.

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  20. i love this interview with charlotte. she has such amazing charm (and i have the same sweater as her!)

    i have a rose gold necklace my husband got me last year for my birthday and a conroy and wilcox thorn ring that was a gift to myself last year. these are the only pieces of jewelry (besides my wedding band) that i wear daily. for me both are somewhere in between delicate and edgy - the necklace is an entwined heart. i'd love to layer it with other necklaces some day, when gold is not so costly!

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  21. style odyssey: i love layering jewelry too - yours sound like such a fun and eclectic mix!

    mel: i know! she seems like such a cool person to hang out with. i love c&w designs - they're just the right mix of elegant and raw.

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  22. I have an antique onyx and diamond ring that my folks gave me for my 21st birthday. I wear it everyday, without fail, along with a Tiffany Eiffel Tower necklace from my boy and I did have a 70s rose gold and citrine ring I wore on my other hand but I dropped it on the road outside work and a truck ran over it :S

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  23. what a lovely necklace. i just don't think to wear jewelery on most days and barely even wear my wedding ring. i should get a simple piece like this though.

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  24. very nice post, thank you. I am a serious jewelry lover, partial to silver (oxidized and polished). A few years ago, I invested in an expensive one-of-a-kind artist statement gold/silver necklace - I wear it on special occasions or when I'm in the mood. But as I get older, I find myself drawn to delicate jewelry; minimal is absolutely stunning and more eye-catching.

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  25. I am starting to wear a bangle every day. My current favorite is a half wood, half turquoise plastic bracelet which is H&M but made of such nice materials you'd never suspect it.

    Otherwise, I have a gold ring I got from my Dad with a small blue stone in it, and a silver ring with a stamped spiral pattern which I got from my Mom - those, I wear every day. I never leave the house without earrings on, either.

    Though I love the idea of having a necklace I wear all the time, even precious metals seem to irritate the skin on my neck and collarbone. So, I'm building a small collection of vintage silk scarves to add interest to my outfits instead. Also I scour the flea markets for pretty vintage brooches almost every weekend! My standards are high, though... I bought a leaf-shaped, gold tone art deco one with a fake opal on it last year, and so far, I haven't found anything else as pretty.

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