Orchids for Mum

I have to start off by saying my mother is super cute and awesome!  She has always been extremely supportive in my career and my new business venture.  Recently, she pulled out a ring of hers, one I've seen her wear on and off over the years, and asked if I could remodel it for her.  Of course, I was really pleased to be asked, because I knew that my mother had not real desire to have a new ring or to change things up, she just wanted to be able to wear a piece of jewellery that her daughter made and proudly show it off.  I am slightly ashamed to admit, that at that point in time, I had yet to make any jewellery for my mum at all.  

original ring

Being that this was to be the first jewellery piece I was making for my Mom, I had to make it extra special.  However, 4 stones all of equal sizes can be a little difficult to get creative with, it was pretty obvious that they would look best all in a row and my Mom's instructions, "No, I don't want to add extra stones.  Design it however you like.  Make sure I can wear it everyday" left me with very little in aesthetic direction.  Luckily, I saw this....

Now this picture really doesn't do this plant justice!  This orchid is like the healthiest orchid I have ever seen in my life! It flowers all the time and doesn't seem to need any attention.  It just lives in my mothers kitchen, on the windowsill.  My parents both have green thumbs (something that I was not fortunate enough to inherit), and grow all kinds of plants in and around our family home.  My mom in particular loves orchids and grows all different types, from mini ones, small as a finger tip to these stunning, fist sized, blooms, which of course became the source of my inspiration.

The Quick Sketch

The CAD Design

 The Final Product

18K Gold Orchid Ring

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The World's First All Diamond Ring by Shawish

http://www.vogue.co.uk/jewellery/news/Rings/2011/04/04/shawish-all-diamond-ring

"It seemed impossible but we decided to embark in this adventure, to make a Dream come true" say brothers Mohamed and Majdy Shawesh, Ceo and founders of Shawish Jewellery.




A Dream come true indeed!  In the spring of 2011, through in-depth 3D animation, Shawish Jewellery of Geneva, unveiled a ring weighting 150 carats made entirely of one single faceted Diamond.  Copyrighted and created with precision laser equipment, this historic creation is expected to bring in £43 million ($70 million USD) when sold! www.shawish-jewellery.com

Celebrate Bloor

After years of construction and mayhem, Toronto's "Mink Mile", a stretch of luxury shops and fabulous people watching, was finally declared finished!  To make sure we all believed it, Bloor Street was closed down for a bit of a celebration.  If walking the red carpet on Bloor Street wasn't fun enough, the Stella Smooth Taste Team showed up with FREE BEER and equally awesome bikes!  The Smooth Taste team have been spreading joy in Toronto for a while so keep you're eyes open (or follow them on Twitter). 

Levain Bakery, NYC

These $4 cookies are so massive you may feel like you just had Christmas dinner after eating one.  But so good that it's so hard to stop munching! 

RetroSpecs

Geek never looked so chic.  It wasn't hard to fall for these vintage beauties at the Brooklyn Flea.  I nabbed two pairs and couldn't wait to sport them! 

Full fashion assault in NYC

Photo from: cooperhewitt.org

Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum was great not only for the huge collection of Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery but also for the interesting and engaging way in which they displayed them.  There were display stands that enlarged and projected the image of the jewel so that when you stood looking down the details were more apparent than if you looked straight at the pieces themselves.  There was also this magnifying display case.  Very fun!  As with most exhibits, photos were not allowed so that is all I have!

Next I headed to the Met for Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.  There's nothing really to say that hasn't been said by countless journalists, commentators and other (more eloquent) people in fashion industry.  To see his work in such close proximity is amazing.  The detail, the ideas, the theatrics are extraordinary.  I only have one word: Wow.  (Again, this photo was an undercover shot because I wanted to have something to share.  No photos allowed!)     

Spent four hectic days in New York dealing with temperamental weather, taking in the luxury of the Big Apple and going in circles on the New York subway (literally!).  More to come......