Mother's Day is on the horizon... and as we all well know, (or should know by this point) parenting is the most difficult job on planet Earth. The most rewarding and cherished, to be sure... but certainly not easy, and therefore, I feel we should all expend a little extra energy to honor the mothers and maternal figures in our lives. My own mother was an amazing and complex creature. Since she is no longer with us, I will honor her by doing some of the things she loved to do, with the people she loved the most. As for gifting for mothers and others, or for something to wear on Mother's Day as you're celebrating, we have so many lovely options. 

I am so happy with our new sterling silver pieces. The finish is a little smoky, a little incandescent, and feels much the way a good pair of vintage denim jeans do. I mean this in the way that they capture the patina of wear, and provide an instant sense of comfort and durability. These are pieces that are meant to be worn and enjoyed without any pretense or extra care involved. I designed these beads to be almost like pearls, with lustre, texture, and the irregular shapes of the most interesting baroque and south sea pearls. Little accents in the form of red silk knotting, or a spot of 18K yellow gold appear to offset and enhance the collection of textured silver beads.

Of course my heart belongs to gold, yet with the stratospheric increase in value I find that perhaps we can use it a touch more sparingly, really leaning into its inherent value and making it an accent instead of the entire main event. Much in the same way that Edwardian jewelry focused more on the white metals, using gold as more of an accent, I am turning towards reimagining some of my work in a mix of hand finished sterling silver with a just a little bit of 18K yellow gold.  

I think the mix is modern, quite cool, and infinitely wearable. Combining our 18K yellow gold alloy with sterling silver gives a piece an entirely different feeling. For me it creates an elegance and a utility that is completely different to a piece that is executed entirely in a singular metal. I'm such a proponent of layering in every sense: with pattern, color, and texture. Mixing metals is a natural extension of this philosophy, and something I think is essential to the creation of a well rounded jewelry wardrobe. 

I also love the way certain stones look when they are set into silver as opposed to gold. The silver, while also a noble metal and something that I find very precious in any form, lends a certain element of drama to stones. I love the juxtaposition of color with a dark frame, which is how I see the setting of the stones in this garnet cabochon ring. I am framing the color, the shape, and the smooth texture. For this particular parcel of stones, the blackened silver does what gold would not, and the silver seems somehow more appropriate here.  

On the wardrobe front, we have been busy with new shapes and new Liberty of London prints in both cotton and silk. I am delighted to introduce you to our popular new dress and blouse, Serafina. Serafina is cut on the bias with sleeves, and can be worn back to front, which makes it feel like two dresses or blouses in one with the pattern blocking. I packed a prototype of the Serafina dress for our trip to Europe a couple of months ago, and wore it in several different ways: to dinner, to walk the streets of Rome, underneath a cardigan, with a tailored jacket, and under a raincoat in London. The crepe de chine is perfect for packing -- the wrinkles just fall out in the time it takes to steam up a hotel bathroom in the shower -- and I received compliments on the dress everywhere we went.  

It has been an especially popular choice for the mother-of-the-groom or bride. In the silk twill or satin it feels a bit more fancy -- perfect for a special occasion. The one-of-a-kind or few-of-a-kind nature of the print blocking is an added bonus for such an important day or evening. We also have a sleeveless version: the Mariana. The blouse looks great with our silk twill Brigitte skirt, which is one-size-fits-most, and epitomizes the ease of what Spring/Summer dressing should be. The Mariana dress is slinky in the most elegant way, and gives you the option of wearing it back to front, for a deeper neckline if you so desire.

Whatever you're doing for Mother's Day weekend, I hope you enjoy. If you need a little something as a gift, we have delicious handmade beeswax scented candles, as well as heavenly silk sleep masks and even pillowcases, made in 100% silk charmeuse with one-of-a-kind print blocked Liberty of London borders... all of which would make anyone on your list feeI loved and pampered in the nicest of ways. If you feel like more of a splurge, we have an incredible selection of LURA handbags, which are both chic and incredibly useful. Come visit us! We love seeing you always, and hope you have a gorgeous weekend ahead.

Enjoy,