Friday, August 21, 2009

Getting from A to B


These colourful little vehicles will take you wherever you need to go.

nothing is wasted


Here, if it is possible to mend something, it is repaired and not thrown away.

outdoor living.


Everything is done outside.You can have you ironing done on the street by a very cheerful man with a beautiful old iron..

Choosing Stones


We spent much of today choosing lovely new stones to be made into pendants - here is Julie checking out the Amethysts. This lovely rich colour and quality comes from Africa in the rough, and is cut and polished in Jaipur.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

We’ve arrived...

We have arrived in a hot, dry Jaipur. Here is a flavour of the varied and colourful city:
busy roads, beautiful patterns.
and moments of peace and calm.The gardener is keeping the hotel plants lush and beautiful, but there has been very little rain here - the monsoon has not yet arrived and the surrounding city is looking dusty and dry We have fitted in some work on the lawn too and visited a few of our makers. We have found some really wonderful pieces. It’s all very exciting, Jaipur is an amazing place, very difficult to take in, a little overwhelming. Full of warm and welcoming people and a constant murmur of life and a buzz of activity. We will get some pictures up of new jewellery very soon and will be running a daily competition for you to get your hands on some new pieces so keep checking back and please keep in touch by leaving a comment.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Trips, Promotions and Generally Very Exciting Things..

We are very excited to be off on a buying trip to India in less than a week so you might like to see what promotions and special things we have in the shops whilst we are away.

In Barnes its Sale time and we have some lovely bargains there for you if you are heading that way.
We have some very beautiful things for summer in our other showrooms too. We have offers on our Charm Candy, which is happily compatible with most of the other brands including Troll and Pandora. These sets of three coordinating charms are just £25 (individually £45) so pop in and snap one up.


If you are heading off on holiday or seeking out some sunshine at home the heart charm necklaces are an ideal way of taking a bit of summer fun with you. In your choice of cord colours and glass beads you really can match up with anything and they make lovely pretty presents too. Take a look, I am sure you’ll love them.


Or if a simple silver ‘wear me everywhere’ pendant is what you are after pick up one of these pretty treats, reduced from £45 to £25
...and take it on holiday with you!

That should keep you in jewels whilst we are away but if there is something specific you would really like to see us do please comment with any suggestions of jewellery you would like us to look out for and any requests you have. We welcome ideas on colours you want to see, and jewellery you have in mind but just can’t seem to find-we will try our best to source it for you. So comment and let us know what you like and what you don’t and we will see if we can make our jewellery even better for you.

And keep checking back as we will be uploading pictures while we are away.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

The Birthstone Feature-August.

As it’s the start of August already you might be wondering what the birthstone might be for those summer birthdays.

There are actually two to choose from. The concept of identifying stones with zodiac signs, birthdays and other occasions is an ancient one, but the details vary widely across cultures, traditions and time. But, the most commonly used for the month of August are Peridot and Onyx.

A Little Bit of Information on Peridot

Peridot is a gem form of the mineral olivine and ranges in colour from bright lime to olive green. The Romans had a particular liking for peridot calling it ‘evening emerald’ as the colour remained bright and light at night-perfect for summer garden parties and evenings out!

The best peridots are found on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The name comes from the Greek ‘peridona’ meaning ‘to give richness’-particularly suitable for special birthdays!

Used as a gemstone for thousands of years, it has been found in Egyptian jewellery. Legend has it that it was Cleopatra’s favourite stone. Very large peridots are set in a shrine in Cologne Cathedral. It is also, particularly sacred in Hawaii as it is believed to be the goddess Pele’s tears.

More detailed information is on our website.


…and Onyx
For the chic Audery Hepburn types Black Onyx might suit a little better.

Onyx is a black or banded variety of chalcedony, found in Mexico, India, Brazil, Madagascar, Algeria and Pakistan.

The name onyx comes from the Greek ‘onux’ meaning nail. Legend says that Cupid cut the fingernails of Venus while she was asleep. He left the clippings on the beaches but since no part of a heavenly body can die, the fates turned them into stone, known as chalcedony. Hence, onyx was believed to encourage the growth of fingernails, hair and skin. For those choosing onyx as a gift I would recommend emphasising the link between the stone and Cupid and Venus-maybe not so much the fingernail part!

Crystal healers believe onyx promotes happiness and improves concentration.
Again, we have a bit more info on the website if you would care to take a look.

There are also lots of lovely pieces in the birthstones for you to choose from, and they all come beautifully wrapped.


If you are finding it difficult to choose may we recommend you take a look at our exclusive Ophelia Range, these pretty little pendants really do seem to suit everyone.