VIBE HARSLOF

Sterling Silver and Gold Fly Necklaces

Second in height to Paris’ Eiffel Tower, the Odin Tower, located in Denmark’s third largest city Odense, is one of many landmarks to see.  

In addition, Odense has been the launching ground for many renowned people including Hans Christian Andersen.  

Denmark is also home to featured jewelry designer Vibe Harslof.

NOOR FARES | N.OOR

18K Gold and Ebony Crack Cuff Bracelet
from Touche Du Bois Collection

The city of Byblos, located in Lebanon, is an area ripe with historical attractions.

They include ancient Phoenician Temples the Temple of Baalet Gebal; and the Byblos Castle and St. John the Baptist Church both built during the 12^th century.

Lebanon is also the birthplace of featured jewelry designer Noor Fares.

OSANNA VISCONTI DI MODRONE

Gold Manray Earrings

A seemingly ordinary looking palace, located along Italy’s Arno River, is Palazzo Pitti.

The structure’s unassuming outward appearance belies extravagant interiors that include the Royal Apartment that consists of fourteen “lavishly decorated” rooms.  Italy is also home to Osanna Visconti di Modrone.

MARGERY HIRSCHEY FINE JEWELRY

18-Karat Gold Pendant Necklace
with Moonstone, Sapphires and Diamond

The Rocky Mountain National Park is the most renowned park in the state of Colorado. 

With an expanse of over 200,000 acres the park offers over 300 miles of hiking trails including the Trail Ridge Road; a road that allows visitors to view the state’s incredible mountain ranges. 

Colorado is also the current home of featured jewelry designer Margery Hirschey.

STEPHEN EINHORN

Sterling Silver and 9 Karat Gold
Ourmite Jar Pendant Necklace

For ninety-one years England’s Imperial War Museum has provided visitors with historical information and memorabilia of WWI and WWII. 

Letters, full-size military vehciles, and ammunition are a portion of the attractions within its walls.  England is also home to featured jewelry designer Stephen Einhorn.

EMILY ARMENTA DESIGNS

In the heart of La Porte, Texas stands the 567 foot octagonal obelisk known as the San Jacinto Monument; a structure built over seven decades ago to commemorate the men who died during the Battle of San Jacinto. Texas is also home to featured jewelry designer Emily Armenta.

JULIA DENES

What better way to view some of Australia’s gorgeous scenery than while driving along The Great Ocean Road located in the state of Victoria. Built to honor soldiers who lost their lives in World War I, the 78-year-old road offers such sights as Apollo Bay, and the Otway National Park. Australia is also home to featured jewelry designer Julia Denes.

The distinguishing hallmark of many 19th century Australian jewelry designs was not a stamp but an emblem; a carved out semblance of indigenous fauna or flora.

Designs of the times were made with gold and usually offset with agates, quartz, blue and yellow sapphires, and of course Australian opals.

Today, Australian designer jewelry is stamped with the respective artist’s personal hallmark, but styles and aesthetics are eclectic encompassing the streamlined, classic pearl and diamond items of Nina’s Jewellery to the sensual, provocative jewelry couture of Sarina Suriano.

Denes’ streamlined design approach gives a nod to the subtle beauty of Asian aesthetics with likenesses of lotus blossoms, fans, and butterflies each fashioned from 18-karat rose, yellow and white gold, and sterling silver.



A certified jeweler, gemologist and diamond grader, after graduating from Sydney’s College of Fine Arts Denes spent two years traveling the world. The close-up viewings of multi-cultural handicrafts kept alive through generations left an indelible mark.

By 2005, Denes was ready to establish her brand utilizing her education, time abroad, and valuable hands-on experience obtained while working for Australian brand Rox Jewellery to bring her fine jewelry collections to life.

The hand-sawed, cutout designs of her gold necklaces and sterling silver earrings provide delicacy and lightness, while the bright red and blue hues of two gemstone necklaces, one featuring red coral, and the other Arizona turquoise beads, exude a tangible primal tone indicative of the rustic Australian spirit.

Overall, she maintains clean lines within classic yet ornamental structures accenting forms with the deep, rich colors of orange and blue sapphires, red spinels, and diamonds.

“I draw inspiration from my surroundings whether it is a lily pad or beautiful symbol,” says Denes.

“I like to keep forms organic with pierced details and a clean finish. I want to create a special piece of jewelry that anyone can enjoy.”
_____________
Photo 1 (top right): 18-Karat White Gold Plated Lotus Pendant
Photo 2 (center): Six-Strand Arizona Turquoise Necklace
Photo 3 (bottom left): 18-Karat White Gold Ring with Blue Star Sapphire

CLARA BREEN

A natural wonder composed of limestones and coccoliths has inspired songwriters, novelists, and poets. Located along the British coastline near Kent, England is the White Cliffs of Dover. England is also home to featured jewelry designer Clara Breen.

It is always interesting to see how a jewelry designer conceptualizes something as everyday as leaves, hair or paper into designs that are truly works of wearable art.

The designer jewelry of Nel Linssen (Netherlands) and Kiwon Wang (Korea) devote their respective collections to reinforced paper and nylon thread, and stacked, paper discs accented with pearls, while among Pawel Kaczynski’s (Poland) assortment of daring jewelry is an incredible metal bracelet in the form of a single, dreadlock.

It is a fascinating process of transference when a designer hones in on the understated nuances of an object—manmade or natural—capturing its essence within gold or sterling silver.

A graduate of the University of Brighton, Breen holds a bachelor’s degree in Three-Dimensional Crafts. Like her contemporaries Linssen and Wang she shares an attraction to paper, as well as leaves.


The focus of Breen’s aesthetic is twofold: first, she implements “fragments of found paper” such as train tickets, leaflets, and receipts into designs paired with sterling silver. The combination of materials are ridged, crinkled and curved with oxidized sterling silver earrings developing into forms resembling tiny seahorses.

Second, the designer takes individual sterling silver and 9-karat gold sheets forging the metal into finely textured forms that are reminiscent of the withering leaves of fall.

Everything from the gold necklaces offset with freshwater pearls, to silver rings with paper settings to crunched sterling silver earrings seem so weightless and delicate in their distinctive, organic forms.

“I create bold strata-like constructions with found paper combined with silver. The forms suggest a “personal landscape” composed of many mundane experiences,” says Breen.

“Attaching these apparently worthless paper items to gold and silver expresses their value to me, as tangible remains of a personal experience.

The visual language of geological stratas, corrugating metal and the forging process allows pieces to grow into unique forms. No two pieces are exactly the same.”

Breen’s dainty jewelry is available to buy online at lovedazzle.com, an affiliate website of the online gallery Dazzle Exhibitions.
_____________
Photo 1 (top right): Sterling Silver Textured Necklace
Photo 2 (center): Sterling Silver and 9-Karat Gold Textured Bracelet
Photo 3 (bottom left): Sterling Silver Layer Pendant Necklace

HERVÉ VAN der STRAETEN

France is a country renowned for its architecture (i.e. the Eiffel Tower); however, you can find a little bit of Rome there too.

The Pont du Gard, an aqueduct bridge built by Romans over a thousand years ago, still stands squarely across the Gard River. France is also the birthplace of featured jewelry designer Hervé Van der Straeten.

JAMES MEYER JEWELRY

The Scott Arboretum, located at Pennsylvania's Swarthmore College, offers year round information on landscaping and horticulture.

The assortment of flowering cherries, tree peonies, and roses not only provide lovely scenery for the campus grounds, but the flora also offers "living examples" to visiting homeowners searching for garden and landscaping ideas.

Pennsylvania is also the hometown of featured jewelry designer James Meyer.

FIONA KERR

Built by Scottish architect James Graham in 1851, the spectacular Ayton Castle is among Borders of Scotland's many historic castles.

Fashioned with red sandstone, the castle is a stunning part of the lush, Scottish skyline.

Scotland is also the birthplace of featured jewelry designer Fiona Kerr.