…has become my solace in this time of economic uncertainty. my squeeze and i like to indulge in artistic purchases as inspiration for our own creative endeavors and jewelry has become an area which i have been paying more attention to. there are trends which follow the season in lengths, color, size, etc. and then there are pieces that you make a deeply personal connection with that defy the containment of the jewel du jour. i have found several which have made their way into my collection. earlier in march i went to the dupont for the yves st. laurent retrospective and found inspiration not only in his work but also in this handmade beauty by dori csengeri. each piece is unique with embroidered silk cords, glass beads, swarovsky crystals and semi precious stones. she has a background in textile design and each piece lays like an article of clothing. she bases her collections on various sources of inspiration and in this case, gustav klimt. kind of appropriate considering the breadth of the ysl exhibit. my next piece is also the creation of a textile designer by the name of fiona paxton. her pieces are flapper inspired necklaces which in their origins, took native american beadwork as creative direction. each work is handmade and mounted on mesh for comfort. the result is a fluid necklace that sets off even the simplest outfits. the next piece is by a lesser known young artisan who is quickly making a name for herself by producing progressive minded pieces using conflict free precious stones. i found belle brooke on the artwalk last night in downtown los angeles and was struck by how singular her creations are. winner of the 2008 mort abeleson new designer award, this sterling silver canoe ring is set with champagne diamonds and accented with aquamarine. the photo does not begin to do it justice as my photograpic skills are abysmal but if you click on any of the images, it will take you to sites where professional shots of similar pieces are available. this ring is large with a high bling factor and despite how it looks, it only sits on one finger. having played with it a bit, i found it could live in several different collections from edgy rocker chic to clean, avant garde elegance. the deal breaker was her use of conflict free gems which means no blood was shed resulting in guilt free pleasure. definitely worth reading is the thoughtful artistic statement she wrote with regards to her work. she was one of several artists displaying her work last night but above all, she shone the brightest. the final piece was a gift from my squeeze on his return from australia. pamela dean is a sydney based designer who focuses on sculptural necklaces of semi-precious stones and silver. her background as an exhibited artist is evident in her handling of the stones and their balance in asymmetrical placement. again, my photo of this all white necklace simply can’t capture the faceted cuts of the moonstone and white turquoise nor the carved scarab accent found on one of the stones. all in all, i’m very impressed with what i’ve been finding as of late, especially in my own backyard.