{favourite five: the jewelry designers at m.flynn}

Jewelry is made by creating bonds: melding precious metal and stringing luxurious pearls, jewels and gems, melting pieces of glittering gold; but the most important bonds are not made with jewelry, but through it -- the bonds between people that a piece of jewelry can create are eternal.



M.Flynn creates the kind of jewelry that memories are made of, whether the bracelet that glistens in the summer moonlight on a stroll after a first date, the sparkling crystal earrings that glitter in photographs from a best friend’s wedding, the necklace that marks a first anniversary, or the the ring that is passed down to a granddaughter.

Elizabeth Taylor, who owned one of the most admired jewelry collections in history, once said, “My pieces of jewelry are my most cherished stories about a lifetime of fun and love and laughter.” Memories can be made of the details--after all, it is all in the details . . .



The savvy duo that makes up M.Flynn is comprised of Megan and Moira Flynn, two sisters with a passion for jewelry who got their starts studying business and marketing. Turning their passion into a business, Megan and Moira recently opened a boutique {second from top} in Boston's South End neighborhood to showcase their enchanting designs.

From their chandelier tiered drop necklaces to their antique Swarovski flower earrings, each charming and elegant piece is made with the utmost attention to detail. Their special occasion accessories line, faire la fête, (French for "to party") features the perfect accessories for weddings, galas, balls and soirées.

Along with their own designs, Megan and Moria re-create timeless pieces from their grandmother's expansive costume collection and also re-work antique heirloom jewelry.



This week, in a special two-part Favourite Five feature, Moria and Megan each share with us:

......................................................................................................

{the top five ways a background in business can contribute to artistic endeavors:}


For Moria, the top five ways working in banking & attending business school has influenced the jewelry-making process and the creation of their business:

1. I worked at the bank during the Argentine economic crisis -- it was an extreme circumstance, but it made me realize that things can change quickly and that being flexible is important. With business we realize that we may need to change or adjust our model every once in a while.

2. Sloan [business school] taught me how to analyze a balance sheet and income statement.

3. Our style is timeless and easy-to-wear. Business school taught me that you don't need to chase trends in order to be relevant. We stay true to our customers and set ourselves apart with high quality and customer service.

4. Our operational budget is always a work in progress -- we are small but we know it is important to keep overhead and production low.

5. Argentina is known for their classic, sophisticated style, which has always influenced our design.

......................................................................................................

For Megan, the top five ways working in marketing & receiving an Master of Science degree have influenced the jewelry-making process and the creation of their business:

1. We realize that we can be creative, but school taught me that we ultimately need to make things with our customer top-of-mind.

2. Writing was a focus of my program at Medill and is the most-valuable skill a person can have . . . well, Math is important too. Every day we need to write our customers and potential customers in an effective, concise way.

3. Communication is changing so quickly, but I think I have learned that picking up the phone or talking face-to-face is incredibly important and will never be replaced by email, Facebook or Twitter. My first job in PR made me pick up a phone and forced me to sell my clients to editors who didn't want to hear from me. When you own a business you need to put yourself on the line every day. I force my employees to use the phone -- they don't like it but I feel it's important to be direct.

4. Measure, measure, measure. Every piece of communication should be measured. We are still working on this, but today's direct marketing programs make it easy to track your effectiveness. Even a small business can evaluate an email campaign.

5. Success in fashion is about skill, a good marketing plan and doing the math to see if you can afford it all.

......................................................................................................

p r e v i o u s f a v o u r i t e f i v e s :

* actress & writer: shiva rose
* jeweler: camille eddera
* artist: kimia kline
* actress & fashion muse: chloë sevigny
* floral stylist, part 1: denise porcaro
* floral stylist, part 2: denise porcaro
* fashion photographer & illustrator: garance doré
* interior designer & architect: nina freudenberger
* entrepreneurs: rent the runway
* designer: rachel ashwell
* interior designer: tricia foley
* photographer: romina shama
* food editor & author: donna hay

~ laily


{all images created by this is glamorous from M.Flynn}

{at the shops: nallik by jean balke, new york}

. . . always adore a perfect juxtaposition -- vintage & modern, old & new, simple & ornate -- and what could be better than rough-hewn, natural elements paired with delicate chains and glamorous gold?

nallik, a word borrowed from the inuit language, cannot be translated directly, but means protection and nurturing in a loving way; according to designer jean balke, the "Inuit people appreciate that we are all connected to each other and our surroundings. They respect the environment and know it contains everything we need to live."

balke, who grew up in germany, lived in helsinki, london and san diego, currently resides in nyc; before she began designing jewelry, she worked as a photographer and art director, and has travelled to over 45 countries, drawing inspiration from the people and landscapes she has experienced along the way; the result is this utterly perfect mix of rock & refined . . .





















{p.s.} previous at the shops:
* florence & florence, uk
* lady grey, new york
* ralph lauren, paris
* neology by mina, brooklyn
* mrs. press, australia


{all images from nallik}

{favourite five: camille eddera}

There are very few things in a woman’s wardrobe that withstand the test of time, trends and life’s changes. It is for this very reason that Los Angeles-based French designer, Camille Eddera, set out to create elegantly refined, timeless pieces that become treasured family heirlooms. "Eddera", which means “ivy” in Corsican, is the inspiration behind many of Camille’s pieces.

Camille, a former model, attended both the French National Institute of Gemology and the esteemed Ecole Du Louvre in Paris, where she was selected as one of fifteen students to have the unique privilege to study under Adalbert Smoliar, the head jeweler for Van Cleef & Arpels. To this day, Camille recalls Smoliar's sage advice and still does everything the way she learned in Paris, before graduating as a bijoutier-joaillier and gemologist. While in Paris, Camille also worked for two of the world’s most prestigious names in jewelry: Boucheron and Chopard.



Each beautifully handmade piece Camille creates integrates classic details found in Parisian flea markets with elements of graceful modernity, incorporating the most stunning arrays of 18k gold vermeil, white topaz, aquamarine, tourmaline, green onyx, sparkling topaz and turquoise. Camille's pieces are adored by a loyal following, including stylist Rachel Zoe, Marion Cotillard, Victoria Beckham, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Camille officially launched her own line of jewelry, Eddera, in January of 2008, and the rest is history . . .



This week, she sits down with us to share the:

......................................................................................................

{top five most fascinating things about the jewelry-making process}

1. There are only 9 ways to set a stone. Eight of these were created during ancient Egypt! Egyptians were way ahead of their time...

2. Diamonds aren't actually that rare, and shouldn't be that expensive. The company De Beers owns basically 99% of the diamond mines and they only release a certain amount of stones each year to keep the prices high. We could all be covered with diamonds if it weren't for these people.

3. Rubies and Sapphires are kind of like non-identical twins. They're both Corundum. The red in the ruby is caused by the presence of more chromium. Most sapphires are heated up in order to have a more beautiful color. Oh, and when they tell you "This is a pink Sapphire", it's basically a marketing term. You think that a Sapphire is blue so you get the impression that you are looking at something rare. If you were looking at a pink Ruby, you would think "hey, that's not a very good Ruby since it's not red but pink." I know, it's sad, but it's the truth! It broke my heart when I found out, and I have a gemologist degree.

4. The only new way to set a stone was created by Van Cleef & Arpels, sometime around 1930 and is called "the mystery setting". The stone paving procedure uses no visible claw; basically, you don't see any metal in between the stones, it's invisible! I've been (unsuccessfully) trying to create a new kind of stone setting for the last 15 years. If anyone has any idea, call me!

5. You can see how good a jeweler is when you look at the back of the piece of jewelry. A true master will make the invisible as beautiful as the rest!

......................................................................................................

{p.s.} previous favourite fives:
* designer: rachel ashwell
* actress & fashion muse: chloë sevigny
* floral stylist: denise porcaro
* entrepreneurs: rent the runway

~ laily

{at the shops: lady grey, brooklyn, new york}

. . . still and always a fascination with minerals, and most taken with the asymmetric bronze necklaces and angular bangles from brooklyn-based lady grey's beautiful sacred geometry collection, and most of all, with their stunning sprinkling of crushed jet & pyrite . . .

{holiday give-away: crystal necklace}

. . . and while we're on the topic of holiday soirées, now that a winner of the last glamorous give-away has been announced, it's on to the next, and utterly delighted to announce this week's holiday give-away: from swoon, vintage inspired handmade jewelry filled with the romance of forgotten vintage and antique pieces such as brooches, bracelets, chains and buckles, intermingled with semi-precious beads and stones to create beautiful works of art . . .



. . . and for the impossibly exciting news: one glamorous reader will win the adeline necklace {retail $200.00}, made of glittering strands of crystal in shades of powdery blue and smokey grey and adorned with a stunning rhinestone brooch, as perfect with a soft, brushed cotton t-shirt under a belted cardigan while at the shops searching for the perfect gifts, as with a sequined party dress and sky-high peeptoes on a festive december night . . .

to enter, {click here} to visit the swoon bijoux website, or {here} for another glimpse of the adeline necklace, then leave a comment below

{bonne chance!/good luck!}

* one winner will be randomly selected and contacted by e-mail after wednesday, december 8, 2010; if you do not have a blog or contact e-mail on your blog, please include it with your comment for notification; images: martha stewart living; maria kashleva, backstage at christian dior cruise 2011, shanghai; }

{it's beginning to look a lot like . . .}

. . . absurdly late and for some unfathomable reason, still awake, and despite the darkness and stars beckoning with promises of dreams laden in romance and softly falling snow, they can never match the romance of being awake and in love, the new chilly-ness in the night air bringing with it a deep anticipation for all the adventures yet to come, and days have faded into weeks and soon the weeks into a new year and it's beginning to look a lot like . . .


{p.s.} tiffany's inspired décor

{images: doutzen kroes & neal bledsoe photographed by peter lindbergh for tiffany&co., facebook via priya on twitter, more at a glamorous little side project}

{at the shops: andrea bonelli jewelry, san francisco}

. . . have been having a wonderful time dreaming up holiday gift ideas, and quite adore self-taught san francisco bay area-based metalsmith andrea bonelli's beautifully simple and classic handmade jewelry line -- filled with diamond stacking bands and glittering moissanite studs, the collection is also eco friendly, using recycled and ethically mined diamonds and gems and would be the perfect gifts, boxed and wrapped in gold paper and tied with velvet ribbon, or, if you can not bear to part with them, equally perfect with silk-taffeta one-shouldered dresses for upcoming holiday parties . . .

{images: andrea bonelli jewelry}

{at the shops: neology by mina, brooklyn, ny}

. . . have fallen in love with these ultra-stylish and ever-so-thin gold & silver handmade rings and the beautiful way they stack and twist . . .

{p.s.} previous at the shops:
* mrs. press, australia
* rothschild & bickers, uk
* billy bride, australia
* satomi kawakita, new york

images: neology by mina on etsy via hip hip gin gin}

{the lighter side of freja + the winner is . . .}

. . . adore seeing the softer side of freja in this beautiful ad campaign for harry winston . . . and while we're on the topic of bright and happy things, utterly delighted to announce, at long last, the winner of the last glamorous give-away: warmest congratulations to peggy, who has been randomly selected as the winner of a stunningly beautiful crystal & 24 karat gold or sterling silver tray . . .

*** congratulations, peggy! ***

thanks to everyone who entered and hope you're having a perfectly wonderful week so far,
xo

{image: fgr}

{at the shops: satomi kawakita, new york}

. . . could spend hours browsing the rings and things at satomi kawakita jewelry, with its wonderfully organic sense of beauty -- there are tiny gold flowers, intricate & lacy details and delicate bangles, and most of all, exotic and startling beautiful gray diamonds . . .

{p.s.} previous at the shops:
* the society inc.
* crucial trading

{images: satomi kawakita jewelry via wit & delight}