I’ve been a longtime admirer of the Etsy shop, Elephantine. Rachel Blakely designs delicate, feminine pieces that look far more expensive than they are.

So often I see a great design ruined by extra “bling.” Hmmm…it needs a little something…perhaps some extra crystals or pearls…” (To quote one of my favorite characters, Cyn from Working Girl, “it needs some bows ah’ somethin’.“) And sometimes that does have its own appeal. But there is a time and a place for everything, and Rachel’s jewelry is perfect in its own simple elegance.

The prices for all of the jewelry above range from $25 to $50. Perfect for gift giving – to others OR yourself. What – you don’t buy yourself little gifts? Well – you should (especially for $25-$50!)

Next time you’re thinking of picking up a bauble from J. Crew or Banana Republic (guilty!), restrain yourself, and look to Etsy instead. And don’t forget to put Elephantine in your favorites.

Also? She has a blog.

And speaking of Working Girl – we were weren’t we? – I’ll leave you with this classic tune.

I found this gem (pun intended) of a online jewelry store through a Cup of Jo giveaway, and I visit often to sigh over the beautiful vintage finds.

Here are some of my favorites:

We don’t have a lot of jewelry passed down as heirlooms in my family, but we all have the same love of antiques with their history and character. I’ve received many pieces of vintage jewelry discovered in dusty old antique stores (does such a thing exist anymore since America was exposed to the Antiques Road Show?), and I cherish them far more than anything that comes in a little blue box. (Though I wouldn’t turn down the robin’s egg blue! I mean – I’m not crazy or anything…)

See more pretties on the Erstwhile Jewelry website. They also have a fun little blog!

Ooops! Missed a day. And I was on such a daily blogging roll too.

Back on the wagon this week. And I’ll start with jewelry. I’m pretty sure I found these silk and satin creations from La Raffinerie on The City Sage. Aren’t they lovely?

And this one is pretty cool too:

See the entire collection HERE.

I saw some pieces from nOir jewelry on i suwannee over the weekend and decided to check out the site.

Here are some things that I loved:

FYI: The bracelet comes in two different colors – and BOTH are on sale!

Here are some things that I might love, but might just find really odd:

If you like rings with character (perhaps with sparkling animals) definitely take a look!

See something interesting about these bracelets?

How about now?

No? Now?

If anyone is still clueless, I think this pretty much spells it out:

How cool is that? Custom bangles from Cameo by Rux cost $350, but if you have the money they’d make for a fun personalized gift (for a wife – one of each of the couple’s profiles…for a mother – one of each of her children…for a narcissist – one of just herself?)

Another option is a customized gold or platinum ring (starting at $1,700).

Wedding rings would be pretty special – a seemingly simple gold ring featuring the profile of your spouse.

The bangles are a little more my style though (my wedding ring needs some sparkle).

Which color (or colors) would you choose?

I love to see the refurbished treasures in the Vintage Rehab shop. Here is the most recent one to catch my eye:

This 1890s Art Nouveau locket has relief on both sides (typically lockets are only adorned on one side), and if I had the money I would snatch it up in a second. But there is one odd detail. It comes with some photos from one of the past owners:

Here is what the description says about the photos:

“Inside are the original photos of Kirk Cameron and a woman who may also be a popular actor.”

Um – that would be Tracey Gold. It’s a Growing Pains tribute locket. “Show me that smile again” kids! Awesome.

Other current pretties include:

That last one is a baby locket. Beautiful AND tiny? I’m sold!