TRENDY & AFFORDABLE DESIGNER JEWELRY

Many jewelry enthusiasts eagerly follow the trends in designer jewelry, particularly longstanding jewelry brands like Cartier, and Tiffany & Co., Ippolita Rostagno's ten-year old label, as well as up-and-coming brands like Jennifer Meyer Jewelry.

However, despite the aesthetic and sentimental appeal of designer jewelry in some cases such trendy items as wishbone and key pendant necklaces or stackable, gold bangles prove to be fiscally challenging.

For this month's Splendor Sidebar I compiled a list of a few designers at Etsy.com whose offerings reflect fantastic alternatives to the aforementioned trends that are staples for the coming spring and summer months. Not only are their designs easy on the eyes but also on the purse strings without trading down on quality.

WISHBONE CHARM

Jennifer Ecklund of JenEcklundDesigns is based in California, and she has a lovely sterling silver wishbone pendant necklace attached to a silver gunmetal chain for $21 (the wishbone pendant is also available in gold). She also has some great cameos and wonderful delicate pieces with semi-precious stones.

MissAshleyLu based in Iowa has a beautiful sterling silver wishbone pendant necklace with accents of two, small freshwater pearls. The cost is $20. She designed several variations with different stone accents according to birthstone. She also creates affordable leaf pendants implementing a variety of real leaves dipped in 24-karat gold.
DougPetersonJewelers', based in Utah, has a beautiful, sleek 14-karat gold European wishbone ring for $155. Has been designing and creating jewelry for 30 years, and has a second, separate collection of organic, sculptural items called TreeForm.

Lailee, based in Ohio, offers a pair of gold tone wishbone earrings for $14. She also has a beautiful collection of floral-inspired jewelry.

LEAF CHARM

Fiza'sDesigns, based in New York, has a lovely 14-karat gold-filled leaf pendant necklace for $33 accented with a small, green amethyst drop.

Darrah of briguysgirls (or Otis B Jewelry) offers a beautiful, gossamer-like piece called Moonlit Trees Necklace featuring a real, 24-karat gold plated Cottonwood leaf accented with a single, freshwater pearl and suspended from a gold-filled chain. The cost is $40. Also does fantastic delicate designs using semi-precious stones.

Sammi of Sammi84, is based in Canada, and has a diminutive 24-karat gold vermeil leaf pendant necklace, and one in sterling silver. Each pendant costs $25.50. Also has beautiful cutout designs, and lovely work with pastel colored semi-precious gemstones.

KEY CHARM

Cascreatives based in New York has a Tiffany-inspired, sterling silver key pendant necklace for $15.25.

With a penchant for sterling silver jewelry, Fashionjunkie4life, based in Nevada, has a pretty sterling silver key pendant necklace for $18. She also has a great sterling silver wishbone pendant for $18 as well as hand stamped jewelry.

Skye Elijah of DecibelProductions, based in California, also has a sleek, Tiffany-inspired Victorian Crown sterling silver skeleton key pendant necklace. The rest of Elijah's jewelry is inspired by rock n' roll with edgy, bold colored gemstones and statement-making designs.

TURTLE CHARMCharms4You, based in Florida, offers a lovely alternative to the popular turtle charm pendant necklace worn by Courtney Cox on the television show Cougar Town for $8. The turtle is gold-plated over sterling silver on a beautiful gold-plated link chain. Store has an intriguing variety of charms from Chinese symbols to charms inspired by the Twilight movies.

PinkingEdgeDesigns, based in North Carolina, has a very nice gold plated turtle charm pendant necklace called Happy for $24. Charm is suspended on a gold-plated chain that is linked with eight, green Aventurine beads. She utilizes copper, and brass in innovative designs as well as beautifully carved gemstones.
*BONUS "COUGAR TOWN" FASHION* - Love the delicate look of Courtney Cox's long, gold disc necklace? The design by Jennifer Meyer Jewelry costs a whopping $3,500! Here are three designers with affordable alternatives:

Theresa Mink of Classic Designs, based in Texas, offers Golden Reign a 44-inch, 14-karat gold-filled chain with small, shiny gold discs for $74. This piece is also available in sterling silver for $74.

Arlyne of One Life Jewelry, based in New York, has a 36-inch version fashioned from 14-karat gold fill called Illumination and costs $65.

TheJewelryBar, based in New York, provides a 40-inch, 14-karat gold filled chain with gold-plated discs for $62 (piece is also available in sterling silver).

STACKABLE GOLD BANGLES

The designer for Loud Lion, is East Indian, she moved to Canada but now lives in California. Designer has some great 14-karat gold filled, Everyday Bangles for $22 each, and 14-karat gold-filled stackable, skinny gold rings for $14 each. You can get six bangles for $120, and five skinny gold rings for $55.

FavorJewelry by Monika Reed is based in Oregon and Reed has a set of three, 14-karat gold, stackable bangles for $90. The rest of her collection is nice too, minimalist and streamlined.

Jessica Russell of TumbleWeedBeadCo. is based in Oregon and she has some great, hammered 14-karat gold-filled bangle. She sells three, gold bangle bracelets for $66 and seven bangles for $132. She also sells three, thin sterling silver bangles for $45.

STACKABLE GOLD BANGLES WITH GEMSTONES

Based in New York, Bita Pourtavoosi of Bita Pourtavoosi Designs is influenced by a Middle Eastern aesthetic. For $20 each, she offers beautiful handmade, stackable gold bangles with a single, luminous semi-precious gemstone of the customer's choice.

Also based in New York is Diament Designs, which offers lovely textured, 14-karat gold-filled bangles with small blue stones. A set of six bangles cost $20. She also creates pieces with sterling silver and solid 14-karat gold.

INITIAL NECKLACES

StephieMc's based in Wichita has a pretty, gold fill over sterling silver Ecliptic Initial Pendant Necklace for $48. The piece is composed of slightly cupped discs, one on top of the other, with a matte, satin finish and suspended from a fine rope chain. She specializes in unique and beautiful hand stamped jewelry.

FreshyFig, based in Oregon, offers a different take on the initial disc pendant, using vintage typewriter keys over a hammered, gold-plated brass disc and costing $24.

Natasha Kahn of the Florida-based NatashaKahnDesigns, creates a Dark Ages Initial Pendant with an Old World aesthetic. An 18-karat gold initial is set against a hammered, slightly oxidized sterling silver background. Nice. A single pendant costs $75.

Rhonda at ProlifiqueJewelry is based in Florida. The initials of her Teenie Tinies Round Initial Pendant Necklaces are set in a sterling silver disc, and framed with a 14-karat gold-filled ring. It costs $28. She specializes in hand stamped jewelry.

NOTE: Prices listed are subject to change or items are no longer available/listed on designer's actual Etsy page.__________
Photos (from top right to bottom left): Sterling Silver Wishbone Pendant With Two Freshwater Pearls by Missashleylu; Sterling Silver-Dipped Laurel Leaf Pearl Lariat Necklace by Otis B Jewelry; Sterling Silver Skeleton Key Pendant by Fashionjunkie4life; Gold-Plated Turtle Charm on Gold-Plated Chain by Charms4You; 40-inch 14-Karat Gold-Filled Long Disc Necklace by thejewelrybar; 14-Karat Gold-Filled Everyday Bangles by LoudLion; 14-Karat Gold-Filled Hammered Bangles with Blue Stone by DiamentDesigns; and Matte, Satin Gold-Filled Over Sterling Silver Ecliptic Initial Pendant by StephieMc