Philippe Ferrandis

I "discovered" a new jewelry designer yesterday and I'm already obsessed!  I was in between appointments and had a few minutes to kill when I passed by a jewelry store. In the window was a pin that I had photographed the night before for my NYSD column. The pin's owner had told me she got it on Lexington Avenue and I went inside to see if that was, indeed, the same store.  It was and now I have store information for my column, which is good.  But, the store itself is an amazing little gem!  It's called Baron De Limoges and they have very unique costume and sterling silver jewelry, and almost all of it statement pieces.

Something else I noticed in the window were two colorful bugs pins.  I really do not like most bugs (except the butterfly and lady bug types) and consider myself quite bug phobic, but for some reason I do like bug pins.  I asked to see the pins and learned they were made by a jewelry designer named Philippe Ferrandis, who previously worked for Givency and Nina Ricci.  I ended up buying one of them to add to my little collection of animal/nature pins.  It's some kind of flying bug, because it has wings.

Philippe Ferrandis flying bug pin

I liked the other one a lot, too, but one bug at a time......

Philippe Ferrandis crawling bug pin

The pins were made in France and are marked, which is important if you are a collector.

The tag

Designer's mark

They had a book about Philippe Ferrandis and I asked if it was for sale, but unfortunately it wasn't. I'll have to find it somewhere else.  I'd like to learn more about him and his designs.

The book

Former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, has a massive collection of pins and when she was in office as Ambassador to the United Nations and later as Sec of State she used to wear various pins as a diplomatic tool to communicate her mood and send messages to the different world leaders with whom she had to meet.   For example, after the government controlled Iraqi press called her a serpent she wore a serpent pin to her next meeting with Iraqi dignitaries to send a message.  (I'm guessing the message was "go to hell," but she doesn't say that.)  And, Vladimir Putin apparently told Pres. Bill Clinton that he would check Albright's pins to see what message she was sending.  So, if you see me wearing my new bug pin the question will be if I'm trying to tell the world "don't bug me!" or if I just wanted to wear a colorful piece of jewelry.

Style & Law

Who knew I would get "re-blogged" on a law firm's fashion blog?  Very cool that they mentioned me and my column in The New York Social Diary!

http://fashionindustrylaw.com/tag/menswear-2/

Guest Blogging For The New York Social Diary

Please enjoy my recent column, Summer In The City, in The New York Social Diary and see accessories from events to benefit The Museum of the City of New York, Doubles, the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation and more.

http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/guest-diary/2015/accessories-diary-summer-in-the-city

Oscar de la Renta clutch bag

Surprise From St. John

I got home tonight and found a wonderful surprise:  this beautiful St. John ring!

St. John ring

A couple of weeks ago I covered a St. John charity fashion show and photographed the jewelry someone from St. John was wearing.  I loved her ring and included a photo of it in my column and she was so gracious and sent one to me!  This ring is so pretty and I am going to enjoy wearing it often.  It's even more special because it's no longer sold.

Finding it when I got home late tonight was an amazing end to a very long day.  I've had a migraine headache for two days and I perked right up when I opened the box and saw this stunning surprise! Thank you St. John! 

A Mention In Quest Magazine

I am thrilled to be mentioned in the May issue of Quest Magazine in an article about Aurelie Bidermann jewelry, written by Lily Hoagland, the Executive Editor.

Quest Cover, May 2015

First page of article

Second page with mention of me

Guest Blogging For The New York Social Diary

Please enjoy my column in The New York Social Diary today, including photos of accessories from The Animal Medical Center's Living Legends luncheon, a St. John fashion show to benefit the Samuel Waxman Foundation, a Tiki party at Doubles, and two Fashion Institute of Technology events, one with Chanel fragrance and one a movie screening of Saint Laurent.

http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/guest-diary/2015/accessories-diary-may-days

Snake watch by Bulgari

Cartier Cockatoo

A Facebook friend of mine posted a photo of a beautiful tanzanite cockatoo bracelet on my wall because she knows I love jewelry and have a cockatoo.  I love whimsical animal themed jewelry, especially high jewelry.  I just wanted to share it here because it's such an extraordinary piece.  You can read a little more about it here:  http://thetanzanitefoundation.blogspot.com/2013/02/less-polish-more-personality-cartiers.html

Cartier bracelet

Octopus Envy

I've been working on a jewelry article for my column in The New York Social Diary and came across an octopus ring at the Jennifer Miller store that I have to share here, because I am obsessed with octopi (octopuses, octopodes, octopi...all plural forms of octopus).  They are such intelligent creatures and apparently very shy and there is just something about them I find both adorable and fascinating. I read an article about them that explained how a male octopus will stay outside the cave where his female mate lives to guard and protect her.  He will allow female octopi to pass into the cave and visit, but he will chase other males away.  It upsets me that people eat them or keep little ones as pets. As much as I would love to have an octopus for a pet I would never do that, because they belong in the ocean with other octopi living their natural lives.  So, I have octopus jewelry instead, including two pins from Raymond C. Yard and two Dodo by Pomellato charms on a necklace.  I've been looking for an octopus ring and this might end up being the one......

Sterling silver with jet black Swarovski crystal 

octopus ring from Jennifer Miller
(photo courtesy of Mark Ehret)

Close up of the ring.  I love his eyes!
(photo courtesy of Mark Ehret)

A look at my octopus jewelry.....

Octopus pins from Raymond C. Yard 

& octopus charms from Pomellato

A closer look at the pins....

The tiny diamonds on the small octopus are set to look like bubbles