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This post is sponsored by Gemvara, but written by Kat Griffin.
Jewelry plays a huge part in most women's working wardrobes — pieces can add color, personality, and sometimes even a dose of class. I tend to believe that jewelry should come in two varieties for the office — a) the best gemstones and the best metals that you can afford, or b) statement jewelry that may be real/fake/even plastic. I was blown away by the huge selection that Gemvara has — for example, my birthday gemstone (garnet) is next to impossible to find anything but the most basic pieces in — yet Gemvara had over 17,000 garnet earrings, rings, and necklaces, and each piece is customizable in terms of gemstone, metal, and even earring backing — it's very cool.
N.B.: Yes, Valentine's day is around the corner, but do note: Significant others are not necessary for nice jewelry! In fact, one of my favorite pieces (a right-hand diamond ring) I bought myself — and I think it was on sale because it was Valentine's Day! I was with my mother when I bought it and we kind of laughed and said, well, it's a testament to being a strong, single woman. The diamond ring above is not my ring, but it is gorgeous — decorative and interesting and absolutely not an engagement ring, which is just what you want in a right-hand diamond ring. It was $2510, now $1490 at Gemvara: Autumn Palace Ring. They also have a ton of sapphire rings and emerald rings — I'm dying over this “vine cluster” emerald ring at right (was $2206, now $1421). Vine Cluster Ring
| Stackable rings are another favorite. First, a slender band is great for days I'm wearing a second larger piece (a necklace, a brooch) but still want to add some bling to my hand — second, they're a lovely way to build your collection, because you can wear them by themselves or with other stackable rings. If you definitely like the look of a thin, single band, you may even want to consider buying one that fits your pinky ring — if that's the only ring you're wearing on that hand it can be a delicate and fashionable statement. This garnet ring by Danielle Mershorer is lovely – I love the leaf motif. Was $461, now $265 at Gemvara. Stackable Leaf Ring |
| Gemvara has a wide variety of initial necklaces — and I'm loving these lowercase, gothic initial necklaces designed by Nick Blum, as well as the fact that you can customize which gemstone appears with them. It's a great idea for a newlywed who took her husband's name (with a stone in the wedding colors), or a new mom (with her baby's birthday gemstone). This one was $482, but is now $264 at Gemvara. Gothic “G” Initial Pendant With Gem |
| Simple earrings are a must for the office — you should never have huge earrings that distract from what you're saying. I like these teeny white gold hoop earrings — and I love that you can choose between four different kinds of backing. They were $925, now $492 at Gemvara. 14K White Gold Earrings |
Readers, what are some of your favorite gems? What are your favorite gemstone pieces?
Anonymous
These sponsored posts sound so forced. :-(
b23
I disagree about this one. I thought it was informative.
Louise
Me, too. The sponsor carries so many different pieces of jewelry, it must have been pretty easy for Kat to find ones she likes.
anon-ny
I don’t mind the sponsored posts in terms of learning about new products, websites, etc. since I feel Kat puts a lot of hard work into this space and deserves some sponsorships. But it would be nice to hear if anyone has experience purchasing from this website since it is on the pricier/investment end of jewelry.
RR
Those first two rings are beautiful, but I’d love to hear from someone who has purchased from Gemvara.
AIMS
I haven’t purchased, but can tell you I hate the name. I actually think the first ring is stunning, too, but Gemvara made me think it was a super fake CZ site for some reason.
I think I am too chicken to buy diamonds over the internet, at any rate.
Anonymous Poser
You know, that is interesting–“Gemvara” made me think the same thing!
AE
It’s a little amusing that this post is immediately after a post about paying off debt and saving money.
TKA
Ha! I found that funny, too!
Merry R.
I’m with Coco Chanel when it comes to jewelry to wear to work.
Other than special occasions, it is not worth the stress to wear fabulously expensive pieces for me.
That said, I will now be scouring this site for my birthstone.
Julie
I haven’t purchased from them but it looks like you can buy Gemvara products through Amazon and there are some reviews on there (http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/at-a-glance.html?ie=UTF8&seller=A1VD74HMFFE0E2).
Mella
I clicked through to Gemvara, but didn’t really see anything I’d choose to afford. (OT: plus I was squicked out by the testimonials on the initial necklace page. Hundreds of dollars for jewelry for a child’s FIRST birthday? I… am not the psychological demographic Gemvara is shooting for.)
Since Kat asked, I do like big bold statement necklaces, but mine come from the Chico’s/Coldwater Creeks of the world. I have a couple of colorful dichroic fused glass pendants from craft festivals that I wear on weekends, since the black silky cords they came with look cheap and casual (and I’m too lazy to replace them).
My favorite gemstone piece? My MIL gave me the perfect pair of gold/diamond hoops for Christmas several years ago. They were subtle and pretty and comfortable and one’s lost now which bums me out. When I opened her gift that day, I was worried about her spending so much money so I said something tactful, but she said happily “I’m glad you love them! They were on super sale at Kohl’s!”
Lola
Ha! I’m often so relieved when someone finds something nice for cheap as a present for me. :)
j
I gravitate towards ruby, garnet, rose quartz, jade, onyx and citrine. However, I usually buy man-made pieces, for cost and supply chain reasons. This is not an ad, but I’ve had great success with the Ebay seller amsco-ltd. I have right hand rings from there that I wear regularly. They were moderately priced but are expensive-looking, and I receive constant compliments about them. They have a lot of CZ and other diamond imitations, but I’m not so much into those because they are so much flashier (to me) than colored stones. I only wear one ring (my usual workday jewelry is ring, watch, earrings), so I like to have a piece that looks nice and unique without being overly flashy.
j
Oh, and I LOVE amber. I’ve been looking for a piece of amber for jewelry that has a fossilized insect in it. That is much too Jurassic Park for work, however.
AnonInfinity
I also love amber! I think that a piece with a bug in it would be fine at my office, as long as it wasn’t some big, huge, obvious thing. I often wear slightly quirky pieces (a fountain pen nib made into a simple necklace, etc), but I think it fits with my slightly quirky personality.
j
Oh, that necklace sounds awesome! I have a lot of quirky jewelry that I love wearing, but I incorporate very little of it into my workday wear. One piece at a time (today it’s my cicada-shaped earrings…). I think amber with an insect would be fine in my office, but sometimes I do get a little self conscious about my accessories choices – it’s hard to balance having a little creativity with the desire that one’s work should be what sets them apart from others….
AnonInfinity
Oh! I feel like I want to meet you in real life — cicada earrings?! Love it!
I got my fountain pen necklace on Etsy for $30, and it’s one of my favorites!
surrounded by lawyers
I can’t quite leave my quirk at home either. I enjoy, though, subtle pieces that most people don’t even notice but that make me feel good throughout the day. For example, I have a pendant that is a small gold-tone book. It actually opens and has pages that turn. I don’t think it’s any less professional than a heart pendant.
I also have stud earrings of my initials! First name initial in the right ear, last name initial in the left ear. They are delicate, small and metallic, so you really can’t see them unless you’re looking. For a typical work day, without any important event, I wear them.
AnonInfinity
Also, I agree that it should be one piece at a time. I think that sometimes people don’t even really notice the specifics of jewelry unless they are really into it (or if it’s really bold).
And surroundedbylawyers, I love the book pendant idea.
N
Okay, what’s with the no bracelets thing?
NB
I don’t know if it is a “thing,” but a lot of people who spend most of the day at a computer find bracelets annoying or distracting. I love bracelets, but I have to take them off at my desk, so it’s rarely worth it.
Anonymous
I can’t type with bracelets on. I think most office-job folks feel the same.
Jay
I love my bracelets. I have to wear a wrist support when I’m using a computer, and that covers up my bracelets and keeps them from moving or distracting me. But even before I had the wrist problem, I always wore bracelets (2-3 thin silver ones) and they never bothered me. I’m not as much of a necklace person, but bracelets work for me.
N
I’m a law firm associate pulling minimum 12 hour days in front of a computer while in the office (the rest is travel, etc). My rings irritate me much more than bracelets, fwiw.
K
Sadly, I’m not the type to spend $1,500 on jewelry because I absolutely love those first two rings! I appreciate the sponsored posts because they do let me know what is out there even if it’s not my thing/my budget/whatever. And they’re clearly marked as such.
shrink
I actually wear a variety of organic pendants on a sterling silver collar …fossils, ammolite, amber, mabe pearls, picture jasper, lava, coral, pietersite, etc. People seem to like the variety and, for me, it is unique enough that wearing the occasional brooch or string of pearls is enough different “looks.” I just make sure I know how wide/deep the bale needs to be for things to slide on that collar … things from travels become meaningful, easy to transport home, and don’t seem to require color matching/contrasting in the morning. Also, I wear simple silver earrings with everything as a result. I have few “gems” – telling my DH of 26 years that his mother’s ismple one carat ring was “gems enough” for me … and having him, over the years, create this lovely cache of organic pieces instead.
Just my take on the gem world. Yes, I am not in law, so I have more latitude on everything. Especially being the “boss.” :)
EK
On right-hand diamond rings: I hesitate to ask, but are there Rules? I’ve recently begun wearing my grandmother’s wedding ring (very delicate, with five tiny diamonds set in the style I believe is called pave) on my right ring finger. I love the ring– the significant sentimentality aside, it is very much my style– but am I doing something wrong?
Quite frankly, I wear the ring where I do because it fit there naturally. I could have it re-sized to fit a different finger if it mattered. It’s the only ring I wear, and it’s already led a new acquaintance to inquire after my (non-existent) husband. I laughed off his mistake, but now I wonder if I contributed to the confusion by violating an unspoken fashion rule. Thoughts?
Ru
I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong. Some people get confused with right and left hands and may have assumed you were wearing an engagement ring. Even more confusing, some men and women wearing their wedding/engagement rings on their right hand. So carry on and enjoy wearing your beautiful ring!
EK
That’s what I figured in the first place. Thanks for the support. :)