Bring on the Bling

Me in Jacob & Co. jewelry

As a senior editor for jewelry magazines and a stylist for personal clients, I try on many designer’s jewelry, when I am not sitting around my house on the computer (like now) in my sweatpants, hair in a disheveled pony tail and sans makeup and sadder still, sans anything that sparkles.

I’ve had a casual conversation with Stephen Webster while he nonchalantly slipped a bracelet around my wrist, which was ablaze in diamonds and had him laughing when I completely lost my train of thought. Todd Reed spilled out 100 carats of raw diamonds on a table, which I gingerly helped him get back into the plastic bag, when he realized he forgot the scooper to pick them up. I have accumulated stories and some amazing pieces over the years.

But a recent “editor’s day” at Jacob & Co last week was truly special. It transported me back to when I was younger and it was like playing dress up and fairy princess all over again. Oh the shimmer and shine of the twinkling gems. Editors got to pick out everything they liked, try it on and then have a ‘glamor photo’ taken with Sophie Elgort (a wonderful photographer in her own right and Arthur Elgort’s daughter)

I was offered professional makeup. Being sensitive to an array of beauty products and just a tad self-conscious about every new line and crease that appears overnight on my face, I don’t trust people with big thick powder wands. I don’t think this creates magic. I am steadfast in the belief that the more makeup you use the more you bring out the wrinkles you are trying to hide.  Understanding of my neurotic fear of foundation, they matched a color lipstick to my lips and tried to hide the dark circles under my eyes. A quick look in the mirror and I was ready for the jewels. I now felt less like a Disney Princess and more like a red carpet celebrity choosing my pieces for the award I was about to receive. Anything is possible among diamonds, emeralds and sapphires, oh my.

Unfortunately coming from three other appointments on a rainy day I was in a uniform of a black sweater white shirt and black trousers. After holding a few gems up to my neck, I nixed the white shirt.

My personal style has always been turning trendy pieces classic or classic pieces trendy. I prefer delicate and feminine to bold, discreet to glitz, antique to modern and steer clear of any long or chandelier earrings that look like it might take down my lobes lower than they have already fallen in the past few years.

But while I was there, I figured, I’d get out of my comfort zone and at least try on pieces that I had not considered “me” before. Angela Arabo, Jacob’s wife helped me pile everything I wanted to try on into a tray.

I held up a huge diamond centerpiece necklace with more diamonds all around. I tried on a ring that was almost as big as my hand. I had on a complete detachable necklace and looked at cuffs that would climb up to my elbow. I was binging on bling.

In the end, I went for the more dressed up version of me: A long tassel pendant with an emerald cabochon in the center and diamond chain. A spider crawling up my finger with a baroque pearl and a major emerald cut bracelet around my wrist. I was set.  And, now I was among the A-List divas that also play in Jacob & Co’s jewelry box, including Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Hough, Milla Jovovich and Beyonce.

I am still coveting the diamond emerald cut bracelet for the day I can leave my sweatpants and my computer behind, or at least find a way to be able to afford it and have some place to go to wear it.

Jacob & Co. diamond statement necklace

Oversized Garden Jacob & Co. Garden Ring

Emerald cut diamond bracelet from Jacob & Co. that I am coveting

Jacob & Co. emerald and diamond necklace