Hi everyone!
I some exciting news. I have started a YouTube channel. I already have a video review of a really exciting photo product up and ready for you to check out!
You can also read more about the triple d photo kit by clicking here
After a long and dismal winter it is exciting to see signs of Spring and one of those signs is the return of color.
In their release statement Panatone says that their Spring color palatte, "Spring 2016: A Transporting and Transformative Canvas", contains colors that "transcend cultural and gender norms. Vivid brights give way to excitement and optimism, though quiet stability prevails in this season’s palette. For Spring 2016 there are truly no perceivable distinctions in color choices between the men’s and women’s collections, both of which focus on a desire to breathe and reflect, then play."
When I see color my mind immediately turns to gemstones (hazard of the job), so today I wanted to interpret the amazing mix of uncommon neutrals and vivid brights into gemstones. Some are obvious and some are not so. I had fun playing with color and I hope you do too!
ROSE QUARTZ: "Rose Quartz, a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure. Like a serene sunset, flushed cheek or budding flower, Rose Quartz reminds us to reflect on our surroundings during the busy but lighthearted spring and summer months."
For this color the most obvious choice was the best choice. Rose or pink quartz is just what the name says, a pink variety of quartz. The muted pinks are a perfect way to usher in Spring.
PEACH ECHO and MALAY GARNET: "The fashion and design communities, and consequently, consumers, have been in love with orange for several seasons. Coming to the fore this Spring is, Peach Echo, a shade that emanates friendlier qualities, evoking warmth and accessibility. It is an all-encompassing, tempered companion in the playful orange family."
Malaya (malaia) garnet is one of the rarer and more interesting 'hybrid' varieties of garnet. It is primarily a mix of pyrope and spessartine, which was first discovered in the 1960s. The term "malaya" was derived from a Swahili word meaning 'outcast'. Miners gave it this name because when it was first discovered, local dealers wouldn't buy it, simply because it didn't fall into any of the standard garnet categories and it was cast aside! This is an absolute shame because the pinkish-orange colors of the stone are simply stunning.
SERENITY and SAPPHIRE: "Weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, Serenity comforts with a calming effect, bringing a feeling of respite even in turbulent times. A transcendent blue, Serenity provides us with a naturally connected sense of space."
Considered one of "the big 4" in the gemstone world, sapphires are available in every color of the rainbow excluding red (red is ruby). The perfect compliment to Serenity is a cornflower blue sapphire. It exudes calm but also provides a nice pop of color.
SNORKEL and LAPIS LAZULI: "A maritime-inspired blue, Snorkel Blue plays in the navy family, but with a happier, more energetic context. The name alone implies a relaxing vacation and encourages escape. It is striking yet still, with lots of activity bursting from its undertones."
Lapis Lazuli (often called just 'lapis'), has been used as a gemstone for thousands of years. It has been mined from Afghanistan since the early 7th millennium BC. It was discovered in ancient burial sites throughout the Caucasus, the Mehrgarh and even as far as the Republic of Mauritania. The funeral mask for the ancient Egyptian pharaoh 'King Tut' was also decorated with lapis lazuli!
BUTTERCUP and LEMON QUARTZ: "With Buttercup designers reveal a shining beacon transporting its wearer to a happier, sunnier place."
Quartz is once again a great choice to bring the bright yellow color into your wardrobe, and because it is slightly less expensive it is a great way to bring large statement pieces in without breaking the bank.
LIMPET and ZIRCON: "A shade of aqua that leans toward the green family, Limpet Shell is clear, clean and defined. Suggestive of clarity and freshness, its crisp and modern influences evoke a deliberate, mindful tranquility."
Zircon occurs in a wide range of colors, but the beautiful aqua blue is a perfect match! To read more about this amazing stone click here.
LILAC GRAY and SPINEL: "As in most any season, the need for neutrals arises. Essentially a basic, the subtlety of the lilac undertone in, Lilac Gray, adds a distinctive edge to this classic gray shade."
Gray can easily be kind of a downer color if you let it, but grey tones gemstones are anything but boring. Spinel is a hard vitreous magnesium aluminium oxide that has been used as a gemstone for centuries. The beauty of spinel has even caused it to be mistaken for ruby and sapphire in the past. The lilac color is a beautiful way to accent this interesting neutral from Pantone.
FIESTA and SPESSARTINE GARNET: "The high energy Fiesta is a harbinger of excitement, encouraging free-spirited exploration to unknown but welcoming locales. A strong and fiery, yellow-based red, the vivid Fiesta provides a stark contrast to the calming, softer nature of this season’s palette."
Spessartine garnet in a redish hue provides the perfect punch to match this vivid color from Pantone. The name "spessartine" comes from the Bavarian word, "Spessartine", meaning "forest", which is a mountain range in Germany where spessartine garnet deposits were found in the 1880s. Spessartine was not often seen in jewelry until deposits were discovered and mined Namibia and Mozambique in the 1990s.
ICED COFFEE and SMOKY QUARTZ: "A transitional color that will take us through the seasons, Iced Coffee manifests as another strong neutral for the season. With its natural earthy quality, the softness and subtlety of Iced Coffee creates a stable foundation when combined with the rest of this season’s palette."
There are a surprisingly large number of "brown" gemstones (I happen to be a huge fan of brown stones). I chose Smoky Quartz because I wanted to (again) choose something that is relatively less expensive because having the option to create large statement pieces is always nice.
GREEN FLASH and TSAVORITE GARNET: "Green Flash calls on its wearer to explore, push the envelope and escape the mundane, radiating an openness that combines with the rest of the palette in unexpected but serendipitous ways. The popularity of this brilliant hue is representative of nature’s persistent influence even in urban environments, a trend continuing to inspire designers."
Tsavorite is one of the most impressive members of the Garnet family. Tsavorite/lite was named in honour of the Tsavo National Park and the Tsavo River which flows through it. The name was proposed by the former president of Tiffany & Co., Henry Platt, who had followed the developments of the gemstone from the very beginning. A beautiful and lush color for Spring!
Today is International Women's day so it seems fitting to talk about a woman who shattered a huge glass ceiling and whose brilliant diplomacy extended beyond just her words: former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
Albright became the highest ranking woman U.S. history when she was appointed to the position of U.S. Secretary of State in 1997 by President Bill Clinton. Before that becoming secretary of state, Albright was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Albright was not only the first female Secretary of State, but also the first top diplomat to turn jewelry into a communication tool.
Pins are not discussed in any diplomatic handbook, but Albright's quick wit and sense of humor made her jewelry into a useful diplomatic tool. It was during her time as ambassador that Albright began to use her jewelry, specifically her brooches, as a means of sending non-verbal pointed messages and opening lines of communication with world leaders. “It would never have happened if not for Saddam Hussein,” she wrote in her book, Read My Pins: Stories From a Diplomat’s Jewel Box. Albright recalls that it all began in 1993, just after the Gulf War:
"It all began when I was at the United Nations. It was right after the Gulf War and the United States was pressing for resolutions sanctioning Iraq. During that time I had something dreadful to say about Saddam Hussein on a daily basis, which he deserved because he had invaded Kuwait. The government-controlled Iraqi media then compared me to an “unparalleled serpent.” I happened to have a snake pin, and wore it to my next meeting on Iraq. When the press asked me about it, I thought, “Well, this is fun.” I was the only woman on the Security Council, and I decided to get some more costume jewelry."
Serpent Pin, circa 1860. An eighteen-carat gold snake coiled around a branch, with a diamond dangling from its mouth.
A second brooch reinforced her approach. This brooch was a blue bird. Until the twenty-fourth of February 1996, she wore the pin with the bird's head soaring upward. On the afternoon of that day, Cuban fighter pilots shot down two unarmed civilian aircraft over international waters between Cuba and Florida. Three American citizens and one legal resident were killed. At a press conference, Albright denounced both the crime and the perpetrators, "I was especially angered by the macho celebration at the time of the killings. "This is not cojones," I said, "it is cowardice."" To illustrate her feelings, she wore the bird pin with its head pointing down, in mourning. Her comment departed from the niceties of normal diplomatic discourse, and caused an uproar. Albright held her ground. She says of the incident that, "As a rule, I prefer polite talk, but there are moments when only plain speaking will do."
Albright's brooches were often her way of "plain speaking" without saying a word, and over time reporters, staffers and world leaders learned to read her pins. "As it turned out, there were just a lot of occasions to either commemorate a particular event or to signal how I felt," she says. On good days, she wore flowers, butterflies, and balloons, and on bad days, all kinds of bugs and carnivorous animals. Jewelry became part of her personal diplomatic arsenal and everyone had taken notice.
"I had an arrow pin that looked like a missile, and when we were negotiating the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the Russians, the Russian foreign minister asked, “Is that one of your missile interceptors you’re wearing?” And I responded, “Yes. We make them very small. Let’s negotiate.” Or, after we found that the Russians had planted a listening device—a “bug”—into a conference room near my office in the State Department, the next time I saw the Russians, I wore this huge bug. They got the message."
Blue Bird, circa 1880. Anton Lachmann, Austria. Photo by JohnBigelow Taylor.Albright wore this blue-bird pin when, in 1996, airplanes carrying four Cuban-Americanfliers were shot down off the coast of Florida.
Interceptor missile. 1998. Lisa Vershbow. USA.Albright wore this Interceptor missile pin when she visited the Russian president,Vladimir Putin.
Albright has said that she loved expressing herself with her jewels, and that making fashion statements — and commenting on each other's attire — is not completely unheard of within a diplomatic setting:
"You think that the heads of state only have serious conversations, [but] they actually often begin really with the weather or, 'I really like your tie.' "
That being said I think I can safely say that the former Secretary of State's brooches are far more intriguing than conversations about the weather, because behind every brooch are a thousand plainly spoken words.
This peace dove, ca. 1997, by Cécile et Jeanne of France, was a gift from Leah Rabin, widow of
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Among Albright’s favorites, the pin symbolizes the goal—peace in the Holy Land—“for which the prime minister had given his life,” she wrote.
Bee, Designer Unknown, USA. c. 1980. Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.For a meeting with Yasser Arafat, Albright wore this bee pin. She writes, "I spent manyhours wrangling with the Palestinian leader about the need for compromise in the MiddleEast. My pin reflected my mood." (He sent her a butterfly.)
"Because I am by nature a worried optimist (as opposed to a contented pessimist), I found many opportunities to wear my brooch of a brilliantly shining sun,” Albright wrote. This “Sunburst,” of gilded brass, was made in 1987 by Hervé van der Straeten of France.
“I was proud to be the first woman to serve as secretary of state. ... This is a pin showing the glass ceiling in its ideal condition: shattered.” The pin, called “Breaking the Glass Ceiling,” was made around 1997 by American artist Vivian Shimoyama, of dichroic and painted glass.
If you want to read more about Madeine Albright's pins and diplomacy I encourage you to buy her book.
Iradj Moini Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil, 2000. "When I went to Russia with President Bill Clinton for a summit, I wore a pin with the hear-no-evil, see-no-evil, speak-no evil monkeys, because the Russians never would talk about what was really going on during their conflict with Chechnya. President Vladimir Putin asked why I was wearing those monkeys. I said, because of your Chechnya policy. He was not amused."
