friendship rings of yore

I love this idea--the stones set in these two early 19th c. rings bear acrostic messages for the wearer:

top

Diamond

Emerald

Amethyst

Ruby

Emerald

Sapphire

Topaz (? The source lists Turquoise, but to me it looks a lot more like a yellow Topaz)

bottom

Ruby

Emerald

Garnet

Amethyst

Ruby

Diamond

And this is another, from the turn of the 19th c., of interlocking bands with pave set letters which spell out "AMITIE" when worn:

So lovely. Both images from the excellent book Rings: Jewelry of Power, Love And Loyalty, (Thames & Hudson).

what do you think?

“I do not believe in eras or times. I do not. I refuse to establish the value of things based on time.”

Piero Fornasetti

There's plenty of eye candy and some cute animation on the website, here.

the baroquest of baroque pearls

These beauties are in the permanent collection of the Met. I wish I had better photos, but I haven't seen them there since this visit in probably 2007. Maybe they've been moved, or they're hiding out in the dark someplace in storage now? I never really cared much for pearls until I saw these, but now baroque pearls have a special place in my heart.

While looking for better images on their site, I did come across this sweet piece at the Cloisters:

The letters across the bottom spell "amor", and according to the museum, "It could have been worn as either a pendant or a brooch, and in portraits of young women, many similar jewels are seen in their hair or at the shoulder or neck."

(Found here.)

secret nest

discovered in my backyard today!

a love affair with ironwork...

west coast

east coast

in a kora kind of mood

Thee, Stranded Horse and Ballake Sissoko by lhizon

mid-week, mid-morning beauties