Admiring the Strength of the Elephant

One of my favorite animals is the elephant.  They're majestically massive and at the same time incredibly intuitive and nurturing.  They are complex creatures which explains why they are so prominent as a motif in several cultures.  Here I'm wearing some of my favorite LAGOS pieces while taking a look at the iconography of the elephant.

One of the most popular depictions of the elephant is through the Hindu religion.  The god Ganesha is easily identifiable with his large elephant head on a human body.  His likeness will be found across South Asia in countries like India, Nepal, and Thailand.  Ganesha is a patron of the arts and sciences and looked upon as the remover of obstacles.  A steadfast god to look to in times of trial.

In Buddhism you will find the presence of the elephant pair Kangiten, represented as male and female elephant headed humanoid figures embracing as a symbol of the unity of opposites.  Enforcing the belief of the oneness of all things though they may be seemingly different.

In Islam, the Quran has a chapter entitled "The Elephant".  A story of a Abraha's white elephant, Mahmud, that refused to cross into Mecca, foiling Abraha's plan to lead Yemen to conquer the holy city.  Mahmud could not be persuaded to cross by reason or violence, once again depicting the elephant as a creature of intelligence and resolve.

The elephant is not indigenous to Europe but was discovered through their exploration or Asia. Awed by the ferocity of the war elephant in battle, Europe adopted the beast as a symbol of militaristic strength. Napoleon even commissioned a giant cast bronze elephant fountain to be made from guns confiscated in victorious battle.  The fountain was never completed (hello Waterloo).

America adopted the elephant to represent the Republican party in 1884.  The origin is a political cartoon done by Thomas Nash.  The elephant is shown charging in dispersing other smaller animals representing other political interests at the time.  Another account of dominance and strength.

Lastly Elephants are native to Africa and usually where most people imagine them. In Africa the elephant is revered for its strength, wisdom, and memory. The elephant was depicted on several coat of arms throughout time in Africa including South Africa, The Ivory Coast, the kingdom of Laos, and the kingdom of Dahomey.

Globally you can see the elephant is respected and admired for it's strength, it is looked to for it's wisdom, and it is a symbol of conquering obstacles and embracing change.

Rashida Jones' New Jewelry Line Iconery

My hair inspiration Rashida Jones just launched her own jewelry collection, Iconery, in time for the upcoming Holiday season. See Her line here.

The color palette is high contrasting yellow gold and black stones with the core design concepts of protection and life.

Historically gems and jewelry were viewed as talismans with mythical powers, so it’s fun seeing Iconery playing with those ancient roots even being clever with the name itself.  The brand uses two prevalent portrayals from ancient religious iconography.

One motif used in the line is the Ankh, an Egyptian symbol meaning life. In Latin it is referred to as crux ansata “cross with a handle”. Ancient Egyptians believed we were to spend this life preparing for the next eternal life.  A concept that other cultures adopted and transformed into newer religions. Egyptian gods were often pictured holding the Ankh by its handle or holding it whilst crossing their arms across their chest.  

The other icon used is a Hamsa. Arabic/Hebrew in roots, it is a depiction of an open right palm. The Arabic work Khamsah translates to “five”, but could also mean “the five fingers of the hand”.  The Hamsa is believed to be a symbol of protection, often worn in jewelry or used as decor in the home. It is heavily associated with the evil eye, the curse of a malevolent glare.

The line is easy to stylishly layer as it has basic pieces to go along with the more symbolic pieces. The gold tone invokes the ancient roots of the iconography used. The price range is incredibly reasonable to give as a gift or to treat yourself. Overall I can see it doing well and hope to see her elaborate more on this empowering idea.

Source:

http://www.iconery.com/collections/rashida-jones

Chic Up the FitBit

I've noticed the movement on Social Media of the constant need to share and relay our fitness accomplishments.  This innate need to share our personal growth is so much easier with how so many of us are incredibly attached to our phones. At our finger tips we literally have hundreds of Apps at our disposal to satisfy any kind of fitness fad we decide to choose next.  I am guilty of it myself, sharing my run statistics daily to an online running club group.  

So now we have accessories that aid us in our endeavor to monitor our steps, heart rate, sleep REM, you name it, there is an APP or some kind of device out there created for it. What I have run into is I would love a fitbit, as an avid city walker I'd love to know how much I run around in a day.  The thing is, I just cant see myself wearing one, as someone who works with jewelry, I cannot fathom putting something on my body that does not match the rest of my wardrobe.  So my question is, can we make these tech devices pretty?

It's a new market field that some companies are jumping on, to make science fashionable.  With more people than ever using social media to share every aspect of our lives, it only makes sense to try to gain more consumers, and by doing so you want to cater to those that want their fitbit to scintillate in the sun because the chances are they will take a picture of the product and share it to their followers. Easy free brand advertising! It's a perfect recipe for success, so I wanted to take a look at who decided to take the risk and try out this market.

The first is Tory Burch one of the chicest brands out there has delved elbow deep into making the fitbit fab by partnering with the fitbit brand itself. They know their clientele would not be caught dead wearing something bulky and clashing on their wrist so they took care with their design.

The Tory Burch design is their iconic "T" that is offset by radiating grooves to echo the "T" pattern. The bold geometric gloss of metal gives a very Greek Goddess feel. This piece of merchandise is style savvy but a bit pricey since you are paying for a brand.

https://www.fitbit.com/toryburch

 

Another contender is a company that has built its brand on the merriment of fashion and technology, Bezels and Bytes.  With cute alliteration I'm already sold on the fun and hip vibe that the company sends out.  It seems more down to earth than the Tory Burch campaign, more approachable, much more likely something I could wear daily. Here we have a rectangular metal case with a patterned motif whether it is hammered metal, studs, or a woven pattern, they went for a uniform finish easy to style. Paired with the case are fun colorful straps, a much lighter option than a bangle, and definitely a better wear for the impending summer.

http://www.bezelsandbytes.com/

 And for all the thrifty shoppers out there, there is always Etsy and Amazon.  Doing a cursory search I see copious styles and variations to fabulously wear a fitbit.  As I always, I warn that with Etsy the quality may not be there and as someone who breaks out from cheap metal, I tend to avoid users that do not have reviews. However if you like to live dangerously, delve right in because there are a ton more options there than there is anywhere else. 

All in all, I really dig fashion getting fit, there are plenty of styles to peruse through to find a look that works for you.

Sources:

https://www.fitbit.com/toryburch

http://www.bezelsandbytes.com/

http://www.chipchick.com/2014-07-tory-burch-fitbit-collection.php

A look at Heritage in Bloom

   Pictured above "Heritage Flower Gaze"

Chinese jewelry retailer, Chow Tai Fook, purchased the Cullian Heritage rough diamond in 2010 at 35.3 million dollars.  Weighing in at an astounding 507.55 carats, artist Wallace Chan undertook the task to cut this miraculously (D) in color, near flawless diamond into several smaller counterparts in the journey to create his masterpiece, “A Heritage in Bloom”




47,000 hours of manipulation to yield the gorgeous and innovative neckpiece that can be worn 27 different ways.  Adorning the very center is a 104 ct Forever Mark inscribed diamond cut from the Cullian Heritage.  It is set in a layered seat to create dimension and to keep continuity of the piece, the eye completely remains undistracted by the setting and can focus on the form of the piece.  This centerpiece is echoed by its smaller cut brethren descending from the same Cullian Heritage diamond creating a sense if unity and completeness.  Historically we rarely see a cohesive plan for a high grade diamond, typically it gets passed around and cut down several times , so it’s truly beautiful to have it cut and set altogether in one place, one story from beginning to end.


Incorporated into the necklace are winged bats, a symbol of good fortune in the Chinese culture.This iconography is coupled with diamond and jade encrusted butterflies, a symbol of eternal love.

                                                  "Heritage Bright Day"


This neckpiece has an optimistic undertone of love and fortune apparent in the symbolism described above, but the mood is well executed in the utilization so soft pink diamonds and light shades of jade.  It portrays a soft tone of innocence and delicateness that we associate with love.  The sharpest edge in the piece is that of the bat wings that rest upon ones shoulder, even that has a sensual curve that we would not find in the bat anatomy in nature.

                                                    "Heritage Ethereal"

In past decades, even centuries, a piece as ornate as this would be created to showcase the wealth and power of the commissioner.  Here in the modern era we are treated in the delight to marvel it as a spectacular piece of museum quality art.  A means to push our ideas of how we can create something beautiful from something rough and amorphous, and have the end game be something to be admired for years to come.



Sources:

Artist's Site: http://www.chowtaifook.com/en/node/30685

Pictures: http://www.nationaljeweler.com/galleries/editorial/A-Heritage-in-Bloom-10004.shtml#4

Information: http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonydemarco/2015/09/03/wallace-chan-creates-statement-necklace-from-507-carat-diamond/#5edce2ae7629

http://www.barrons.com/articles/200-million-masterpiece-lifts-luxury-to-new-heights-1441335925