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#JOTW My 2021 Sparkly Year In Review

secretagentdee said:
What a beautiful collection. Congrats and enjoy. My personal fave are you new studs
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Thank you SecretAgentDee! (lol I love your screen name!)

My favs are my new studs too, I wear them everyday, even when no one is hear to see them, not even my DH. They just brighten my day (and we all need that sometimes!)
 
LLJsmom said:
RWS, congratulations on such a haul for 2021. And if any year could use some jewelry cheer it would be 2021. Your studs are aspirational. Really, just permanent and forever. They are stunning on you. As will your finished tennis bracelet be. That thing is gonna blow the socks off anyone that gets to see that in person. Because of course you have to see that many colorless ACAs lined up to get properly humbled. And such great diamond staples to have in your wardrobe, hoops, dbty. Perfect for casual, everyday, with the proper bling effect. I don't know why I haven't pulled the trigger on the turquoise studs yet. I just need to do it. Yeah. The onyx and YG really suit you. Too bad that you don't like it as a 20. But if you don't you don't. Gotta go only with what stirs your heart. When you know, you know right? Oh, and of course saving the best for last, that Tiffany dragonfly? Don't kill me but aside from your studs, that is the most stunning acquisition of the year. I would want to wear that with everything, even my sweatshirts. Please feel free to share any other random action shots. Your collection is stunning, and so perfectly you. Thanks for sharing everything and can't wait to see the pieces for 2022.
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Thanks so much LLJsmom! That means a lot coming from you, as you have on of my all-time favorite collections on PS! Thanks for cheering me on!

My tennis bracelet is still a couple years away from completion, but I'm super excited about it -- baby step by baby step. And you are right, I adore Draco, the dragonfly brooch and even wore it folding laundry and vacuuming the other day when I needed a pick-me-up. Amazing how a little bit-o-bling can lift the spirits.

I can't wait to see what fun and beautiful directions your collection goes in in 2022. Your taste is impeccable!
 
oncrutchesrightnow said:
What a beautiful capsule collection. Not only is each item a sweet piece of jewelry by itself, but you could wear pretty much any piece with any other piece. Sounds like you had quite the year, for bling and for life in general. Feel free to share more music videos any time!
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Thanks OnCrutches!

Ha! Are you The Cure fan too?

You know your rose cut has gotten me fascinated by that cut. PS makes my wish list grow way too fast (my wallet can't keep up!).
 
canuk-gal said:
HI:

I am happy that your Dad recovered and that your roof was mended.

And seeing your gorgeous collection made my day! Thanks for sharing!

cheers--Sharon
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Thank you so much Sharon! Very kind of you! :kiss2:
 
PreRaphaelite said:
This isn't just a thread, it's a honours class in beauty and quality. Might have to start calling you 'professor' !!

Your collection is astounding, and every piece suits you so well! Amazing.

I will never stop looking at these photos. <3
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Thank you PreRaphaelite! I loved your comment so much I read it out loud to my husband who is actually a professor! I told him that he has to move over now, there's two professors in the house LOL!

Seriously, you made my day, thank you. :kiss2:
 
RunningwithScissors said:
Thank you PreRaphaelite! I loved your comment so much I read it out loud to my husband who is actually a professor! I told him that he has to move over now, there's two professors in the house LOL!

Seriously, you made my day, thank you. :kiss2:
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Dear Dr. RunningWithScissors,
They engraved the wrong name, but here is the Loving Cup from your students:
a001.098_v2-copy.jpg


In unrelated news, this is the other class I'm taking currently, but her syllabus does not compare to yours:

 
RunningwithScissors said:
Hello lovely Mrs B! :wavey:

Sorry I'm late to responding to your thoughtful comments -- my household has been caught up in world events this week (my husband's line of work).

But lets escape into the land of beautiful, peaceful jewelry (I've had all the war talk I can handle before my head explodes.)

I LOVE that you are starting a new earring project! Spill the deets!!! What direction are you going -- dangles, clusters, studs? Are you building on ones already in your collection, or starting a completely new project? I love how your mind works designing, building and reconfiguring until you are completely satisfied.

Thanks for the compliments on my 2021 additions. You asked for more pics of the turquoise dangles...your wish is my command! (please excuse the wrinkly shirt and dry complexion, haven't gotten much sleep lately and it shows.)

Turq Dangles 1 small.jpg

Turq Dangles 2 small.jpg

Turquoise Dangles on Me small.jpg
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These are utterly stunning. And THANK YOU for the ear shots; I *hate* doing ear shots - I always look like I have no jaw and like I have a bad case of smallpox when I take close ups of my face! (Actually, I was taking a close up look at my face in the car not half an hour ago and it's possible I DO have small pox - my skin looks terrible! IPL facial, here I come!!). Anyway, suffice to say, I love these earrings and, if I could find something similar, would buy them *immediately*!

As for my new earring project....

I'm not sure if you remember *these*:

20200712_112800.jpg

They were lovely and somewhere around 4.2ctw. But they were set in bezels in platinum, and they were heeeeavy! My old ears don't need any more pulling down, so I found myself reticent to wear them.

Consequently, I'm now having a pair made in *this* style, to match this ring:

20210612_155000.jpg

They have substantially less metal - both around the diamonds, but also underneath them, so will be much lighter. They'll be roughly 5.1ctw - maybe a smidge more - yet considerably lighter.

Since I have the world's largest earlobes, I do need good coverage, so clusters work well for me. They're currently in production, so I'm hoping a few weeks will see some progress. Maybe...end of the month, perhaps? Fingers crossed!

And thank you for the extra photos - you're a trooper! I'm not sure if you've seen my turquoise drops - very different to yours and faceted, but I wear them a lot. It's that COLOR, y'know? :mrgreen:
 
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PreRaphaelite said:
Dear Dr. RunningWithScissors,
They engraved the wrong name, but here is the Loving Cup from your students:
a001.098_v2-copy.jpg


In unrelated news, this is the other class I'm taking currently, but her syllabus does not compare to yours:

Click to expand...

Too funny :)

Seriously though, that Roman Architecture class looks like it rocks! Hmmm :think: maybe this summer when its 109 degrees outside I might hibernate in the whirl of the AC and take it online!
 
RunningwithScissors said:
Too funny :)

Seriously though, that Roman Architecture class looks like it rocks! Hmmm :think: maybe this summer when its 109 degrees outside I might hibernate in the whirl of the AC and take it online!
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Please forgive the thread-jack!

Roman Architecture | Open Yale Courses

oyc.yale.edu oyc.yale.edu

Leisure and Luxury in the Age of Nero | Portable Wealth and Adornment

Leisure and Luxury in the Age of Nero: The Villas of Oplontis near Pompeii
exhibitions.kelsey.lsa.umich.edu
http://irfrome.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/acta47.pdf
(I'm completely obsessed with Ostia)
 
mrs-b said:
These are utterly stunning. And THANK YOU for the ear shots; I *hate* doin ear shots - I always look like I have no jaw and like I have a bad case of smallpox when I take close ups of my face! (Actually, I was taking a close up look at my face in the car not half an hour ago and it's possible I DO have small pox - my skin looks terrible! IPL facial, here I come!!). Anyway, suffice to say, I love these earrings and, if I could find something similar, would buy them *immediately*!

As for my new earring project....

I'm not sure if you remember *these*:

20200712_112800.jpg

They were lovely and somewhere around 4.2ctw. But they were set in bezels in platinum, and they were heeeeavy! My old ears don't need any more pulling down, so I found myself reticent to wear them.

Consequently, I'm now having a pair made in *this* style, to match this ring:

20210612_155000.jpg

They have substantially less metal - both around the diamonds, but also underneath them, so will be much lighter. They'll be roughly 5.1ctw - maybe a smidge more - yet considerably lighter.

Since I have the world's largest earlobes, I do need good coverage, so clusters work well for me. They're currently in production, so I'm hoping a few weeks will see some progress. Maybe...end of the month, perhaps? Fingers crossed!

And thank you for the extra photos - you're a trooper! I'm not sure if you've seen my turquoise drops - very different to yours and faceted, but I wear them a lot. It's that COLOR, y'know? :mrgreen:
Click to expand...

Oh those will be gorgeous!

I hear you about a maximum weight threshold for earrings. I have a lovely pair of Cartier Love hoops my DH gifted me, I feel edgy and modern in them, perfect for gallery hopping...BUT I can only wear them for a few hours before they hurt...14 grams is just too heavy. After trial and error with many pairs of earrings (most I've re-homed) I know for me, 9 gram (total weight) is the maximum for all-day comfortable wear. Everyone is different. I think I remember @missy saying her comfort weight maxes out around 6 grams (hope I got that right.)

Do you have a weight threshold you are aiming to stay below?
 
PreRaphaelite said:
Please forgive the thread-jack!

Roman Architecture | Open Yale Courses

oyc.yale.edu oyc.yale.edu

Leisure and Luxury in the Age of Nero | Portable Wealth and Adornment

Leisure and Luxury in the Age of Nero: The Villas of Oplontis near Pompeii
exhibitions.kelsey.lsa.umich.edu
http://irfrome.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/acta47.pdf
(I'm completely obsessed with Ostia)
Click to expand...

Makes me want to go back and watch the original I, Claudius with Derek Jacobi. Set design was terrible (the columns looked like they were from Hobby Lobby) but the acting, oh man the acting! All of my favorite actors in that series!
 
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RunningwithScissors said:
Oh those will be gorgeous!

I hear you about a maximum weight threshold for earrings. I have a lovely pair of Cartier Love hoops my DH gifted me, I feel edgy and modern in them, perfect for gallery hopping...BUT I can only wear them for a few hours before they hurt...14 grams is just too heavy. After trial and error with many pairs of earrings (most I've re-homed) I know for me, 9 gram (total weight) is the maximum for all-day comfortable wear. Everyone is different. I think I remember @missy saying her comfort weight maxes out around 6 grams (hope I got that right.)

Do you have a weight threshold you are aiming to stay below?
Click to expand...

No. But I know you're right and I should work that out before I proceed. I'm hoping to have them in platinum, but they might need to be in white gold. Ugh. I need to stop avoiding the details and lock this down!
 
Patty said:
Beautiful collection, RWS! So many classic beauties.

I’m so glad that your dad is doing better now.

I’m looking forward to seeing your tennis bracelet once it’s completed. Do you worry about keeping the stones and certificates together or will it not matter once you have the bracelet made? You’re going to need a storage container for all of those AGS certificates!
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Thank you Patty!

Interesting you should ask about keeping the diamonds and certs matched when the stones are set in the bracelet. It was on my mind too. Yes, I am going to have WF list for me the order of the diamonds from clasp to clasp (the AGS #s) so that if I need to, I can pinpoint a particular diamond. And yes, oh my, those certs are already taking up a lot of room and I'm not even half way there yet! It will be a mountain of certs!
 
SandyK said:
I second this!! I have been anxiously waiting for this thread, and I put commenting on my to-do list this week, but I've been holding off because I haven't found adequate words haha. I still haven't, but @wildcat03 sums your incredible collection up perfectly!

I am so happy for you and your dad's recovery, and hopefully your house is fully recovered too. Thank you for sharing your gorgeous pieces with us -- I know I'm not the only one who will be revisiting this thread frequently. Your beautiful sets complement each other, fill a unique niche, and fit you perfectly. I love everything, but you know your studs are my absolute favorite :kiss2::kiss2::kiss2: I seriously cannot imagine a more perfect pair; they are complete show stoppers and I'm pretty sure I would pass out or hyperventilate if I saw them in person :lol:

Enjoy your beauties so much!!
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Thank you SandyK! Thanks for your well wishes and all your kind words about my 2021 sparkly additions! That means a lot coming from the lady with one of the most drop-dead-gorgeous emerald cut diamonds I have ever seen!!!!
 
wildcat03 said:
Your collection is elegance and class personified, much like its owner. May you wear them in good health. I'm sorry 2021 was so hard, but I'm glad your dad is doing well.
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Thank you so much @wildcat03! You are very kind and generous! :kiss2:
 
bling_dream19 said:
Everything is SPECTACULAR! I am especially enamored with your studs and Dainty. You are beautiful and your gems compliment your beauty! Thank you for sharing.
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Awww...you are super kind @bling_dream19!!! Its amazing how sparklies lift our spirits during stressful times. I wear mine even when I'm home alone doing laundry! And YOU have an awesome collection, so many unique and beautiful pieces. :kiss2:
 
Cristallo said:
What a beautiful and well curated collection you have:kiss2:. Hopefully you will be able to add a VCA SO 20 motif sooner than you might think.
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Thank you @Cristallo! (Love, love, love your avatar ring btw!) Regarding the VCA 20 motif...perhaps late in 2022. My poor wallet is on strike at the moment. It needs time to sit in the corner and lick its wounds LOL. :twisted2:
 
carbonfan said:
Swoon! Your collection is so artistically balanced (not surprisingly!) and each piece is so thoughtfully chosen, tasteful, and timeless. Each of your treasures is STUNNING and quintessential in its own right! :love: (And your pups are adorable, too, btw!) And I am so happy to hear that your dad has rebounded so nicely, too! Truly, you exude beauty both inside and out, and you have such immaculate taste as well! Enjoy every second of wearing these beauties, and thank you so much for sharing them with us!
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Thank you so much @carbonfan! :wavey:

I certainly do enjoy every moment wearing my new sparklies! Amazing how such tiny, inanimate objects have the power to lift one's spirts so much.

Are you enjoying your gorgeous VC beauties? I love your sapphire ring and your diamond trilogy -- those babies are PriceScope hall of famers!
 
diamondyes said:
Well you and your collection are absolutely stunning! Thank you so much for sharing, and you are 100% correct in that the photos of the jewelry being worn are so helpful for envisioning and planning. Thank you for helping your fellow PSers to this level! Such detail! I love it all.

I’m curious if you did a lot of collection culling along the way? I’d love to hear more about your process, if you’d like to share.

Amazing news about your dad’s recovery!
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Thank you @diamondyes ! I'm so glad the modeling shots are helpful. I get frustrated sometimes when I'm considering purchasing a particular piece but can't find any images of it being worn.

I did quite a bit of collection culling along the way. I don't like owning extra items that I either don't love or don't use somewhat regularly. I had a lot of items gifted to me over the years that just weren't "me", or were duplicates of something I already owned, or had broken/didn't fit, etc. I got rid of these items in waves -- the same way I do it in my house (the lowest hanging fruit gets removed on the first wave, then I can more clearly see that the next batch of low hangers, etc) It can be difficult to part with items you aren't sure about, its human nature to not want to let go of material possessions. But knowing that I can sell the unloved items to fund future purchases of items I will love, helped spur me on. Also, I enjoy having "breathing room" in my jewelry box, like I do in my clothes closet. Waking up in the morning and walking into a beautiful, roomy closet (not overstuffed) and having an easily accessible jewelry collection (not one bulging out of a box or a tangled mess) is a breath of fresh air and a jolt of happy.

My collection is slightly larger than what I've posted in this thread, and there are definitely items I still hope to acquire to complete different looks or pairings with pieces I already own. And there will probably be pieces that fall out of favor over the course of time, so I will re-home them.

I also am trying to get all my "foundation" pieces purchased first. Its so tempting to empty my sparkly fund every time I see something exciting online that I hadn't thought of before, but I remind myself how important (and how useful) the foundations pieces on my wishlist are, and I am less tempted by impulse buying.

Hope this helps! I would love to hear your strategy for putting together your collection! Its so fun to see everyone's different styles and approaches! :kiss2:
 
Ann said:
I love your approach to acquiring your much-wanted capsule collection. Each piece is a treasure. And a classic. I wish that my younger self had thought of acquiring a capsule collection of stunning basics. I adore that dragonfly brooch, no wait, I covet that brooch :). Thank you so much for sharing your collection.
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Thank you so much Ann! You are very kind.

You have beautiful pieces in your collection, so whatever approach you took to get there worked!
 
MissGotRocks said:
Thanks for sharing all of your lovely, classic pieces! They are gorgeous and you wear them well. Fingers crossed that you get the bracelet completed this year; availability has probably not been plentiful.
Your Dad’s recovery sounds remarkable. Hope he enjoys many more years of the good life!
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:wavey: Thank you so much @MissGotRocks !!! Your collection is one that continually inspires me!

Yes, diamond availability has been down and up and all over the place this year. So I'm getting there one baby step at a time. Thanks for cheering me on! :kiss2:
 
donnabrsd said:
I watched the video 3 times in a row. Love the light show and the music!
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Thank you @donnabrsd !! And thanks again for letting me copy your fabulous crown settings -- they made all the difference in comfort and the way the studs sit on my ear. Love them!
 
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