Maybe we have Cleopatra to thank. Her and her exquisite bib necklaces and big “statement piece” earrings. What Ms. Cleo wore most definitely had a lot of influence on the people around her. She was undoubtedly a celebrity. And we all know how much celebrities impact fashion. And as long as there have been celebrities, there have been celebrities rocking amazing pieces of jewelry. From Greta Garbo in her chokers and long beaded fringes, to Audrey Hepburn in her dainty pearls, celebrities have always been a great source of inspiration when it comes to jewelry.

Here are some of my favorite celebrities shots from the past sporting some seriously kick ass baubles.

Josephine Baker:

Heddy Lamarr:

Pam Grier:

Sophia Loren:

Maria Felix:

Edie Sedwick:

Natalie Wood:

Ursella Andress:

Lauren Hutton:

Raquel Welch:

Wilma and Betty:

I just received my first batch of rings back from the caster and I am VERY excited indeed! They turned out even cooler than I anticipated and I am very excited to get my ring line up and running. Here are some pics of the newbies. Right now they are cast in sterling, but they will soon be lusciously adorned in gold plating. I vacillated on wether I wanted to keep these guys in silver or if they should be gilded… gold won. But eventually there will be 3 options: silver, gold plated and brass. The brass will be a more affordable option. That way you can get the big and chunky without having to dig deep into your wallets.

I have also been working on a line of flower rings. My goal is to have 2 ring lines in the next few months. The flower and the free form rings that you see above. I took some pics of the process in my studio. Its cool to see the transformation from start to finish.  Below are some of those photos of the rings while still in wax form.

It’s not a secret. I am obsessed with rings. Big, chunky cocktail rings, dainty and feminine antique engagement rings, gold bands, silver bands, vintage, new… I love them. They are my favorite of all jewelry pieces.(Don’t tell the bracelets please!) Maybe it’s because of my DISLIKE of my hands. Yup, I have been blessed with my Mom’s side of the family’s “hands”. This is not a good thing. I grew up listening to my Mom and her sisters talking about the ugly “Casey Hands”. Unfortunately, these “Casey Hands” did not skip a generation. This inherited family trait, plus the fact that making jewelry wreaks havoc on my hands, makes my hands not my favorite attribute.So in spite of this, or perhaps because of this, I have developed a love of rings to help conceal my not so blessed phalanges. Thank you,Mom.

I have been wanting to make rings for a long, long time. Alas… the time has come. Yesterday I sent to cast my first ring! Pictures to follow in my next post. I have been taking classes with the lovely and talented, Steven Hanna. In class I am learning how to do the LOST WAX TECHNIQUE, also called cire-perdue. This is a method of metal casting in which a molten metal is poured into a mold that has been created by means of a wax model. Once the mold is made, the wax model is melted and drained away, hence the name, Lost Wax. Soon enough I will be making tons and tons of rings! Plus a lot of other fun things! Once I get a better hang of it I will introduce Verve’s new line, “Lost and Found.” This line will feature all my pieces utilizing the Lost wax process. Pretty excited.