My Everyday Jewelry (Plus All the Pieces On My Eye!)
Warning: This is the least budget-friendly newsletter I will maybe ever write
Shitters!!! First thing’s first—have you voted yet?!?! If you haven’t, find your polling place/hours here, make your plan to vote, and use that site to find more info on ALL the candidates and measures that will be on your ballot! If you have voted already, text your friends/family members (especially the ones in Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nevada) to make sure they do too! When you look at margins like the ones we had in 2020 (and could definitely have again), something as simple as helping your aunt and uncle find their polling place or early voting hours could make all the difference.
Ok, now that my conscience can rest easy, we can get to the fun stuff! Today we’re talking about one of my favorite things in the world—jewelry! Specifically, my little collection, and the pieces that are on my eye! I figured as we approach the holidays, now would be a good time for a little rundown (jewelry often has a longer lead time, so now’s the time to start shopping if you’re looking for gift options!). Plus it’s something I’ve been dying to write about again!
^I still stand by everything in this guide circa 2021—that is true service journalism.
I LOVE jewelry. I don’t wear a ton of it or buy a ton of it—as I said back then, I prefer fine jewelry (meaning pieces made with precious and semi-precious stones and real gold) that will last forever, which means that my collection is relatively small. But they are my little treasures, and I love telling people about them when they ask!
I tend to go for pieces that I can wear every day, that I know I’ll love for years to come, and that I can hopefully pass down one day. And with the exception of a couple very generous gifts, most are things I bought for myself, usually to mark a milestone or after an end of year bonus hit the good old checking account (speaking of which, I’m about to stage a January 6th-style RIOT against Chase Bank for getting rid of autosave goals in savings accounts—how am I supposed to know how much I’ve saved for health insurance vs. something fun now!!!!!).
But before we get into it, you should know—fine jewelry is expensive. And in the past year alone, the price of gold has shot up astronomically, making pieces that were already splurges to begin with hundreds (in some case, thousands) of dollars more. Most pieces on this list are ones I bought at considerably lower prices than they’re listed for now, there are some that I would not be in the position to purchase today, and many on my wishlist that now feel way less attainable.
In short, it sucks.
If you’ve saved up to get yourself a new piece this year, that is even more of an achievement than it usually is. If someone else is giving you jewelry, know that they’re really putting their money where their mouth is. And if this is not your season for a new piece, I get it—I’m with you.
What follows are the pieces I’ve been wearing lately (plus some that are on my eye!). Whether you’re in the market yourself or just browsing for now, I hope you find a piece or brand that catches your eye!
Didi Rose Handmade Fancy Chain: My newest piece! This chain is handmade by Benedicta—a Nigerian jewelry designer living in Georgia whose styles BLEW UP on jewelry TikTok late last year. It’s modeled off of a vintage trombone chain with a clip on each end that you can use to attach charms and adjust the length. The links are solid gold, which means it has a nice weight to it (though it also means that it’s more expensive than a hollow chain), and to me it really is the perfect size. I went into my search looking for something a little more substantial than the dainty necklace I wore before, but I never felt comfortable in gold pieces that were too chunky. To me, this feels like the perfect in-between—it’s still a statement, but not too much for everyday. I finished mine off with their T-Bar, which really turned it into a whole new piece! Mine is 18 inches long in 14 karat gold (though I probably would’ve been happy with 17 inches too!).
Fewer Finer Family Bracelet: This is a splurge and a half these days, but it’s perhaps my favorite piece in a collection of favorites??! It’s just so special and unique—an heirloom in the making! This bracelet is made of rectangular gold bars (along with a gorgeous statement clasp!) that you can wear plain or engrave on each side. It gets its name because the founder Madison (who is now a friend!) engraved hers with the names of all of her family members. It’s such a special, sentimental design—again modeled off of a vintage piece!—that I have admired ever since it came out. I had originally planned to get myself a different bracelet of theirs to celebrate SIBAL’s fifth birthday (I always shop their pieces during their twice-annual sales), but as I was trying things on in their showroom, I just didn’t want to take this one off. If you have even more cash burning a hole through your pocket, the necklace version of this is INSANE, as is that diamond pendant…!
Fewer Finer Everyday Bracelet: Clearly a Fewer Finer fan over here! I love the way a super simple gold chain looks on an otherwise bare wrist. FF doesn’t have this listed on their site anymore, but Catbird makes a very similar option!
Catbird Ring Stack: Speaking of Catbird, I treated myself to a few of these little rings during Black Friday 2021 to celebrate getting a job hosting What A Day, and I think I’ve worn them every day since! My stack is made up of four of their diamond fizz rings—three are the petite version, and one is the larger one. They’re pretty tiny on their own, but I love how they look stacked together and have gotten so many compliments over the years! (Catbird runs a great Black Friday sale, so if you’re thinking about these, come back here then!).
XIV Karats Thumb Ring: This simple rose gold thumb ring from XIV Karats was inspired by my friend Juliet, though she would never wear rose gold, and she would want me to be very clear about that! To me it feels very LA cool girl, and even though I’m not an LA cool girl anymore, I like the little reminder of that period of my life! Here’s a very similar option from Catbird.
Diamond Studs: Diamond earrings make me think of Kim Kardashian getting thrown into the ocean by her then-boyfriend Kris Humphries (he SUCKED and it was very obvious to the viewers of her wedding special—aka high school me, who purchased all four parts on iTunes—that marrying him was a huge mistake), but they also make me think of my Nani, who got me a beautiful pair after graduating college (what a journey we’ve been on during this one sentence…!). To me, if you’re looking for something timeless to give or receive as a milestone gift, it does not get better than this. I tend to wear my studs on their own day-to-day and for events, but on occasion I’ll swap them out and double up on huggies and other fun pairs (at one point I used to have six different ear piercings, but these days I’m lucky if I can poke through my double pierce).
And now, for a peek at my mostly delusional wishlist…!
Lucy Delius Chain and Pendant: You guys will know I’ve hit it big when I start wearing this gorgeous combo by Lucy Delius—I love the black rhodium plating on the pendant!
Fewer Finer Diamond Drop Earrings: I have the smaller version of these earrings pictured in the model’s second hole—my first FF purchase, a true gateway drug!—but I’ve always loved how they look stacked with the bigger ones!
Fewer Finer Napa Chain: Madison’s chain full of charms has me in a chokehold! If I were starting my own collection, this is what I would wear them on.
Dorsey Emerald Earrings: I’m a little torn on the lab-grown jewelry thing, though in the face of otherwise insane prices, theirs are definitely more manageable (this particular pair was still more expensive than I was expecting though!). I’ll probably place an order for these to do some market research, but I think that similar to a tennis bracelet, this is a style I’d love to have a real (likely much smaller!) version of one day, so I’m not sure it’s worth buying an already pricey stand-in in the meantime. I’ve had chats about lab grown jewelry vs. natural stones with paid subscribers before, but I’d love to hear more about how you think about this.
Fewer Finer Diamonds in the Cuff: Every time I see Madison I cannot stop staring at this cuff—it is STUNNING!!! The diamonds are HUGE and so bright, though unfortunately the price tag is also blinding. Perhaps something to treat myself to for ten years of SIBAL???!
Cartier Tank Louis Mini: I don’t have any jewelry purchases planned in the near future, but a watch is likely next on my list? The Tank Louis is a classic, but I’m finding that the standard size looks a little bulky on me. I’m holding out for the mini that they’re supposedly re-releasing next spring, but vintage is always better, so if anyone tracks one down…
That is all for today, but this truly one of my favorite topics—if you have wishlist items of your own, brands you’ve discovered and love, pieces you’re debating, suggestions you need, drop a line in the comments!!! Would love to hear more about the pieces you love!
I shouldn't have read this....I'm currently pulling out my notes app and adding to my list haha.
Fewer Finer is new to me, so thank you and also how dare you. 😂 Also, I’ve never heard the expression “on my eye” used for when you have your eye on something. Is this because I’m over 40? Or is it something regional? I kind of love it?