Mrs-B's whole curated collection...(more or less...)

[pearaffair]

Thank you for all the extra pics! Even the Christmas-in-July pics

I just finished an Elin Hilderbrand book that had strong Christmas themes so between you and those books I'm feeling very motivated to actually deck the halls this year!

 

[dk168]

Thank you for the eye candies!

DK

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Thank you for taking the time to post this gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous collection!!

It's definitely a case where the collection itself is more than the sun of the individual pieces (is that even possible with all the stunners???!!)

 

[mrs-b]

Thank you! Fun tidbit. My spinel is the first loose stone I ever purchased and had no idea what I was doing or what I was looking at.

Then you did the smart thing and instinctively went for the color. Clearly, you have an eye for it.

 

[mrs-b]

@dk168 - you're very welcome!

@kipari - I agree. As well as having a lot of pieces I like, it's a nice feeling knowing that - whatever event pops up - I probably have the exact right piece/s to wear. And thank you for those kind words.

And @pearaffair - yesssss! Get into it this year and deck those halls! And here's a photo of the back of my earrings so you can see the floral-like detail.

 

[pearaffair]

@dk168 - you're very welcome!

@kipari - I agree. As well as having a lot of pieces I like, it's a nice feeling knowing that - whatever event pops up - I probably have the exact right piece/s to wear. And thank you for those kind words.

And @pearaffair - yesssss! Get into it this year and deck those halls! And here's a photo of the back of my earrings so you can see the floral-like detail.

Love!!!

 

[itskcc]

Love. I want more of this. Everyone post your collections and I'll stare at them all day and not do any work

 

[BlingBliss]

Love this so much! The words, the images, the careful thought and special meaning with the pieces. Thank you for sharing!

 

[lorrissey]

One of the most stunning collections!!! Those 3-stones and that mosaic disc bracelet are my faves but how to pick a face!!!

 

[jbkhere]

Mrs-B your collection is divine! I can't believe I'm about to say this - but I just adore your silver drops with your diamond studs! I love that you mixed silver and diamonds and the resulting look is perfect! Do you have ear shots somewhere?

 

[Cina_s]

I'm new-ish to this forum, but what a beautiful collection you have. I am working towards building my own collection now too. I love that you have it in colour and casual vs dressy, gives me something to think about as a acquire pieces moving forward.

I was looking at fun "fine" (gold vermeil) stuff a while back and my mother, mentioned that it was ashame its not real solid gold and asked if I was a bit too old to do the vermeil stuff. She made a good point to buy pieces that are forever and not pieces that are for fun. Save up and buy something I love. I showed her some of the "trendy" pieces that are thin gold bands with stacker rings. And she politely reminded me that I'm not longer in my 20s, and getting out of my 30s soon too.

So seeing your collection and listening to my mom, has really got me thinking to buy pieces that will last long.

I also love the history/sentimental pieces that you wear! Thanks for the inspiration!

 

[Ceilimom]

Mrs B I love your S-T diamond ring.

 

[mrs-b]

Love. I want more of this. Everyone post your collections and I'll stare at them all day and not do any work

@itskcc - @Dandi posting her collection, and @DorotheaBrooke posting her collection as well, inspired me to get a wriggle on and post mine. I'm hoping some other PSers might take the hint! There are some collections here that are simply off the chain!

Thank you, @BlingBliss! A lot of thought (too much, perhaps?!) has gone into this collection. I hope it shows.

Hi @lorrissey. It's funny - every time someone says "I think *this* piece is my favorite" - I always think to myself - "YES! I love that one, too!!" It probably took a dozen or so posts like that before I realized I was thinking that about EVERYTHING people said they particularly liked. And that's how I know I've hit the target of having only things I love, which are perfect for me: I absolutely love every single piece. So - #1 goal met, I think!

 

[mrs-b]

@jbkhere - do you not like silver? I love silver and think it's a massively under-rated metal. I love its whiteness, its fluid appearance, and the fact that it doesn't go the same drab grey that platinum does, nor need replating, like white gold does. It's very soft, so not ideal of setting expensive gems, but I think it's the prettiest of the white metals and wonderful for pieces like my bangles or drops - which are solid - and don't get dinged or damaged from being knocked around. And silver with high quality diamonds is a wonderful combination! So clean and white - a fabulous summer combination!

Thank you so much, @Cina_s! There's something I've said to myself all my adult life: you'll be old longer than you're young. I fully believe that, and the stats back me up. So I try to buy for now AND who I'll be going forward - not just for now. Consequently, I try to get the best quality I can afford.

@Ceilimom - me too. I wore it today and felt like a princess. <3

 

[jbkhere]

@jbkhere - do you not like silver? I love silver and think it's a massively under-rated metal. I love its whiteness, its fluid appearance, and the fact that it doesn't go the same drab grey that platinum does, nor need replating, like white gold does. It's very soft, so not ideal of setting expensive gems, but I think it's the prettiest of the white metals and wonderful for pieces like my bangles or drops - which are solid - and don't get dinged or damaged from being knocked around. And silver with high quality diamonds is a wonderful combination! So clean and white - a fabulous summer combination!

Thank you so much, @Cina_s! There's something I've said to myself all my adult life: you'll be old longer than you're young. I fully believe that, and the stats back me up. So I try to buy for now AND who I'll be going forward - not just for now. Consequently, I try to get the best quality I can afford.

@Ceilimom - me too. I wore it today and felt like a princess. <3

Oh quite the contrary, I adore silver and I often mix my metals. I just love the result of the simple drop and your sparkly diamonds. How they make a "bigger" look but still stay modern and cool.

 

[KristyDarling]

@mrs-b I just want to dive into your jewelry box and roll around in it! Ogling each photo was pure bliss! How do you even choose which pieces to wear?? You have such a varied and diverse selection, from dainty and twinkly to bold and fiery. I tried to pick a favorite but I honestly could not decide! Everything you have reflects your impeccable taste. (And thank you for your wise words re: being old for longer than we are young. I'm going to run with that as the basis for buying my next piece! )

 

[mrs-b]

@KristyDarling -

Well *that* mental image made me laugh!! If ever I open my jewelry box and find a crazy PriceScope lady rolling around inside, I'll know exactly who it is!

Normally I pick clothes first, then jewelry second. Once I decide on color of clothes for the day, metal color for that day also becomes clear, and that cuts down my choices considerably. And normally, I just keep it casual.

I'd love to figure out what my own favorite is....but I have a bunch that tie for first. It's a blessed place to be in.

 

[luckyblackcat]

@jbkhere - do you not like silver? I love silver and think it's a massively under-rated metal. I love its whiteness, its fluid appearance, and the fact that it doesn't go the same drab grey that platinum does, nor need replating, like white gold does. It's very soft, so not ideal of setting expensive gems, but I think it's the prettiest of the white metals and wonderful for pieces like my bangles or drops - which are solid - and don't get dinged or damaged from being knocked around. And silver with high quality diamonds is a wonderful combination! So clean and white - a fabulous summer combination!

@mrs-b, I just wanted you to know that your mini ode to silver made me fall back in love with the metal all over again and I dug out some older pieces to wear, such as a charm bracelet from my elementary school boyfriend!

 

[mrs-b]

@mrs-b, I just wanted you to know that your mini ode to silver made me fall back in love with the metal all over again and I dug out some older pieces to wear, such as a charm bracelet from my elementary school boyfriend!

Ohhh! I'm SO glad you said that, @luckyblackcat! I think silver is the colored gem of the metals world; not as expensive as the others, yet just as pretty while being very under-rated!

Mankind is a strange creature with what we value. When things are plentiful, we hold them cheaply. But - imagine if diamonds grew in our lawns like weeds! We wouldn't want them! As a creature, we tend towards what others can't have. It's sad, really. I mean, let's face it, if we valued things on beauty alone, tanzanite, tourmalines and opals would be beyond price! And silver and yellow gold, in my opinion, would be the most expensive metals, while a few ounces of platinum would get thrown into your shopping bag with a couple of scratchies, every time we went through the check out!!

And can I just say - your profile photo is just wonderful! I read about the ring you bought for your mother, and that wedding day photo is all sorts of perfect! And, of course, it made me want to buy a beautiful, warm, old European cut diamond too!

 

[luckyblackcat]

Ohhh! I'm SO glad you said that, @luckyblackcat! I think silver is the colored gem of the metals world; not as expensive as the others, yet just as pretty while being very under-rated!

Mankind is a strange creature with what we value. When things are plentiful, we hold them cheaply. But - imagine if diamonds grew in our lawns like weeds! We wouldn't want them! As a creature, we tend towards what others can't have. It's sad, really. I mean, let's face it, if we valued things on beauty alone, tanzanite, tourmalines and opals would be beyond price! And silver and yellow gold, in my opinion, would be the most expensive metals, while a few ounces of platinum would get thrown into your shopping bag with a couple of scratchies, every time we went through the check out!!

And can I just say - your profile photo is just wonderful! I read about the ring you bought for your mother, and that wedding day photo is all sorts of perfect! And, of course, it made me want to buy a beautiful, warm, old European cut diamond too!

So true that we’re too often guided by conventions on what’s valuable and what’s not rather than what’s in our hearts. I also love that silver holds so much superstitions and traditions whereas platinum can feel so... industrial. And this is as someone with a plat engagement ring I absolutely love, as I know I can bang my hand into just about anything and my ring will be fine!

Thank you for the very sweet words about my mom’s ring! My intention was to upgrade it for her at some point, but I think we’ve both grown too attached! Perhaps a larger stone in a different cut in the future... For her last birthday, I ordered a London blue topaz ring for her, but I haven’t seen it in person and every single photo she sends me is blurry!!

 

[yssie]

O. M. G.
HOW HAVE NOT SEEN THIS THREAD UNTIL TODAY!?

I will be back after work...

 

[mrs-b]

O. M. G.
HOW HAVE NOT SEEN THIS THREAD UNTIL TODAY!?

I will be back after work...

Hi @yssie

I'll look forward to sharing with you!

I think I mentioned to you a while ago that I was collecting small opals. In the next month or two I'm hoping to start a pair of opal and diamond drop earrings to add to my rose gold collection as a dressier pair of earrings than plain hoops - which is all I have in rose gold for earrings at the moment.

I'm doing opal and diamond drops: a bezeled trio of 3 point diamonds, then a bezeled opal, then same diamond configuration - then another opal - then diamonds - then opal. So - 3 opals and 9 diamonds in each earring. I have all the opals and diamonds - I just need to get them made now. I'm STILL working on She Who Will Not Be Named (ie my enamel and gold charm bracelet) - but when that's done, I'll be moving forward - posthaste!

 

[junebug17]

Outstanding collection @mrs-b! All very elegant, classic, and beautifully designed. It must be hard for you to decide what to wear each day!

 

[Cina_s]

Hi @yssie

I'll look forward to sharing with you!

I think I mentioned to you a while ago that I was collecting small opals. In the next month or two I'm hoping to start a pair of opal and diamond drop earrings to add to my rose gold collection as a dressier pair of earrings than plain hoops - which is all I have in rose gold for earrings at the moment.

I'm doing opal and diamond drops: a bezeled trio of 3 point diamonds, then a bezeled opal, then same diamond configuration - then another opal - then diamonds - then opal. So - 3 opals and 9 diamonds in each earring. I have all the opals and diamonds - I just need to get them made now. I'm STILL working on She Who Will Not Be Named (ie my enamel and gold charm bracelet) - but when that's done, I'll be moving forward - posthaste!

Cant wait to see the Opals! One of my personal favourite stones!

 

[mrs-b]

Hi @junebug17 To be honest, at home, I mostly wear either my gold wedding ring, my gold hoops, my AVR in my outer piercing and, if I leave the house, my gold bangle - or - my white gold hoops, my AVR in my outer piercing, my channel set asscher and platinum band or 7 stone diamond band, and, if I leave the house, my silver bangle - or - my rose gold heavy wedder, my rose gold bangle (if I leave the house), and my rose gold hoops with AVR stud,. That's my standard combo. About once or twice a week I'll go crazy and wear my South Sea pearl studs - still with the same other pieces. So choosing what to wear is kinda straight forward for me! I do enjoy my options, tho, and I'm so glad you enjoyed looking at my collection!

@Cina_s - to be honest, me too! This will add a little glam to my rose gold collection, and I've not had that before. So this will be exciting!

 

[Cina_s]

Rose gold and Opal would be so dreamy!
I have nothing in Rose gold though. Haha and will be diligent like you have, and build my staples collection first.

All my opals are small, in rings and a pair of small earrings!

Cant wait to see your opals once they are set and done!

 

[DorotheaBrooke]

Mrs-b, I have looked over this thread many times on my phone, sitting in the dark, waiting for my kids to fall asleep. Now I am making a point to sit at my computer and type up a proper comment. As you know, you and your beautiful collection are such an inspiration to me. Your aesthetic is quite close to mine, which allows me to see what could be possible in the future with focus and patience. The difference is I am drawn more to designs like flowers and butterflies, although I wonder if such designs will appeal to me less later on.

My favorite part of your collection is how you have sets for each of the three metal colors, plus defined sets within those sets. Well considered and perfectly executed. The stacking combo of the three metal bangles with the two diamond bangles is everything. Are there any pieces that you have a hard time taking off? Everything I have, I wear daily and it is difficult to imagine swapping out, but maybe that is because I have no other jewelry to swap out with. Perhaps if I had other beautiful pieces waiting in the wings, I would feel differently.

I am excited to hear about your opal, diamond, and rose gold earring project. Sounds delicious. And of course, your spinel ring project. Every time I look down at my left hand, I am taken by what an impact my spinel ring makes. So much beautiful ring for the price; I consider myself very lucky.

Going off-topic a bit, you mentioned that you spend much of your time gardening. I do, too! In a Christmas tree photo, I noticed what look like hydrangea paniculata outside the window. Those are some of my favorite plants. I have a couple of acres and the previous owners basically did nothing outside. Since I moved in four years ago, I have planted (let me count in my head) 28 hydrangea, most of them paniculata. I would love to hear more about your gardening. Also, thank you for sharing a bit about your late dog - she was a beauty.

 

[Olde Soul]

Now THAT is some collection. Absolutely gorgeous!!

 

[mrs-b]

Hi @DorotheaBrooke

Firstly, let me say that I used to think of you most often in winter. Every time I put on my pale blue cashmere cardigan, in fact. But now I'm going to be thinking of you in summer also - every time I look at my hydrangea paniculatas!

My house is on half an acre, and we've spent our five years here pulling back from the brink a house that looked like *this* when we bought it:



And here's out our back door originally - oh dear! And just to say - NOT our furniture! When we first moved in, it was the year MA had that MASSIVE snow dump all winter. The snow out the back door was piled 7ft high. As it melted, I remember saying to Tim - "There's something in the middle of the snow on the back patio. I *think* we have patio furniture!" and so we did - right up until we were able to drag it out and take it to the dump!



The only difference between this and when we bought it was that, for some reason, the lawn had been taken up. Why? Who can say? Here is the approach to our front door now:



It's actually more lush than this looks - so here's a sort of sideways photo....



I love trees. LOVE. And I love big trees. So we planted a bunch and are now waiting patiently for them to 'come in'. Shouldn't take us more than another 20-30 years. Big trees grow slow, so - slow it is!





I haven't taken any really recent photos of the front garden, but here's one from a year or two ago showing the beds we've put in along the front of the house, and the color the house is now:



But we moved to a neighborhood where everyone else (mostly) has big trees, and our back yard is full of towering pines, so we get by while we wait for our front yard to repopulate with something other than very ugly topiaries!

We spend a great deal of time on our back verandah or with our dogs on our back patio. All our old, wire furniture has recently been taken down to Connecticut to a dry-stripper, to have the old paint removed, and to be powder coated a bright red. Against the green lawn and all the big pines, it should look lovely.



I'm really into color - all colors! - tho I tend towards whites, blues, pinks and limes in my garden. But just when I think I have an elegant palette going, I break down completely and plant something orange or bright yellow - mostly roses. I've had roses - lots of them - in every garden I've ever owned. And hydrangeas are a staple.

But mostly trees. Always, always, trees....

By the way - did you see the Christmas photos back a page or two? I am a Christmas-lover and it's gorgeous here over the festive season!

(PS My dog was a male. And he was the love of my life - with all due apologies to all the people who might logically have a greater claim to that title.)

 

[pearaffair]

Gorgeous gorgeous photos!