surely I need more costume jewelry

I’ve seen so many compelling pairs of earrings lately, I seem to be in an earring-search-and-acquire mode. Not just any kind of earrings, either. Big, flashy ones. Sparkly ones. In many cases gaudy ones. You know the earrings teenage girls and bridesmaids wanted in 1985? Those ones.

I’ve been searching for a series of highly specific abstracts; massive sparkly cushion cut something or other with drop finding, faceted double teardrops in some shade of green, textured gold spheres ca. 10mm, large hammered brass oblong dangles. I just have these VISIONS. I just have all of these IDEAS.

OK. Here are the beautiful ones I found when browsing Bluebirrrd Dreams Etsy shop for pearls (you’ll remember that the shop owner let me borrow some lovely ones). I seem to find all of the best things when I am looking for something else.

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These are blue milkweed beetle (Chrysochus cobaltinus) wings, which have a gorgeous iridescent surface. Are they not fine companions for my scarab pendant? Hand-drilled and suspended on vermeil. Bold yet light and delicate, metallic yet organic. Lovely, lovely.

These got me thinking about my relative lack of flashy costume jewelry. Unacceptable! I thought. Must be remedied!

So, then.

Something like these seemed in order (mine are still in the mail):

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Evidently Angelina Jolie wore a pair like this for the Oscars a few years ago and it’s been easy to acquire simulations ever since.  My thanks, Angelina.

And I got something like these (again, mail):

681f6f3a6c080fa0247646e6e48c749fThey are like a cross between a classic gold sphere and a disco ball. Festive, no?

And I’m still hunting for something along these lines, which I intend to be quite large indeed, though I can’t yet decide whether I prefer the square or diamond orientation, nor which color I want. I just know I want this rounded square shape and a minimal finding with no accent gems or flourishes.

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images via pinterest

If I find a few I like inexpensively enough I suspect I’ll get a few variations. Studs, dangles, different colors, sizes, orientations. Something about this shape and cut is extremely appealing to me. Strange that one can feel a distinct preference for something so abstract as a shape. I like circles, too. Circles, squares, spirals. These kinds of affinities never seem like coincidences. They are the patterns within patterns that lead me to conclude: I am highly predictable.

Did you know that there are green amethysts? That’s on my mind, too.

And…I may have gotten a sequined skirt. A rose gold one. Possibly.

[If you are on the fence about getting a sequined skirt, you should definitely get one.]

I could blame it on a holiday party but this would be a thinly veiled excuse, and beneath me.

Speaking of holidays, happy Thanksgiving to those in the U.S., and thanks for reading.

earring storage ideas

I usually like to display my favorite objects, or have them on some system of rotation such that I can see and appreciate them even when they are not strictly in use, even if they are not strictly useful. I am much more likely to remember to use them and generally incorporate them into my life, if I can see them.

[At this point it leads to more clutter than I would like, or not exactly clutter…a sense of being cramped. But there are larger storage issues at work, which so overshadow and influence this that it is a concern to save for the future.]

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It must have been my mom who suggested stretching a loosely woven fabric over an embroidery hoop to store earrings, as I’ve stored my favorite earrings this way since I was a teenager. It’s great for dangling earrings. I like that they can be easily plucked off the wall to wear, and just as easily returned. Some less popular pieces that I like to look at (but rarely wear) are good candidates for this, too.

Several months ago now I had a sudden inspiration for storing studs, which I wear all the time lately. [The embroidery hoop method is only suitable for rarely worn studs, as it’s tedious to remove and re-secure them all the time.] I was looking for a ring display, actually, and realized that it would work just as well for studs (this one is black velvet). So pleased with it. I felt a bit brilliant really, when I hit upon the idea. Making small organizational discoveries like this can give me a sense of accomplishment all out of scale with the reality.

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pearls, pearls, pearls, pearls

I have a jewelry box for the less favored pieces, or those that are perhaps lacking versatility or kept mainly for nostalgic reasons, but I like to have the things I wear regularly accessible and displayed in such a way as to offer choice as well as the motivation to vary that choice. Once in a while I’ll substitute in alternates from deep storage or rearrange to give different pieces pride of place. The effect of even small revisions can be surprising, causing whole new patterns of wear and preference. This is invariably satisfying and good.