Looking Back: The Fantasy of Joan Rivers Jewelry

Living in New York City all those years ago, yes back in the dark ages when Starbucks was just a dream in the minds of New Yorkers (hard to believe I know), I was so lucky to be exposed, in a good way, to the world of Joan Rivers Jewelry. I eagerly watched as her line of jewelry launched on QVC; exciting times for so many reasons. I started collecting immediately with a heavy emphasis on her enamel pieces. In the early years, many of her pieces were made in Rhode Island. Yes, that Rhode Island. Believe it or not, Providence was a Mecca for jewelry design and talented designers and the quality of the craftsmanship of the pieces flowing out of the workshops was magnificent.

Not Your Daughter’s Baubles

I know, I know, the line usually goes something like “not your grandmother’s pearls” – but in thinking about jewelry, I believe there comes a time in our lives when we move out of the disposable jewelry and clothing category and step up to the investment clothing and real jewelry category. I’m not saying that we limit ourselves to just wearing precious stones and own just one or two pieces that we wear every single day; but I do think that, as women, we want to not only make a statement with our jewelry – we also want to leave the right lasting impression with it all.

Get the Look -- Mix It Up!

So many of you have asked, via my web site, if I would do a look book type thing that gives you ideas of how you can layer your TRL jewelry pieces. So, I thought I would do it here and eventually add a special section to the site. As you know, I am a nut for layering -- my thinking is that in most cases, if one is good, several are better. I keep that thinking in mind when I design and make each piece in my collection. My mind is always questioning..."how will I wear this?" I know, the mere mention of how my mind works scares me, but it's an interesting contraption. Most days you will see me around the studio or out wear-testing new designs and not just one at a time. My philosophy is just mix it up -- I am not one for a matchy-matchy look or even for the "wearing two of the same design" idea. I like it best when my jewelry "goes together" but does not "match." That being said, here are a few ideas to get you started.

Mixing it Up with Joan Rivers

Today, I was listening to Joan Rivers on QVC and it hit me -- I have been collecting her jewelry for 19 years. Yes, 19 years and I am not afraid to admit it. I started with "just the enamel bangles" and that lasted about one visit.