The Love of Holiday Jewellery

September has crept up on us and everyone’s got that back to work / school vibe so it’s an ideal time for me to talk about one of my favourite subjects…HOLIDAY JEWELLERY! I have mentioned this before, in my welcome post, but I love to buy jewellery to mark special occasions and remember holidays by. Most of the jewellery I wear (other than my own designs) is sentimental and has a story behind it. – I tend to buy something whenever I go on holiday…with the odd exception!

This year back in June, maybe influenced a little by social media and other people’s Instagram feeds, my partner and I found ourselves in the very picturesque Santorini and it didn’t disappoint! A beautiful two-week break doing a mixture of exploring and soaking up the sun with a good book. For me, the highlights of the holiday were discovering jet-black sand and swimming in the hot springs of the volcano, a must do if you’re ever lucky enough to visit.

We stayed in Perissa but did venture across to Oia to take in one of the famous sunsets and it was on the way to find our spot for the sunset that I found my piece of holiday jewellery…a gorgeous ring that was inspired by olive leaves by Stilvi Jewellery from a lovely little shop called Aquamarine. – I’d recommended popping in if you’re in Oia. I was really impressed that after purchasing my ring I was given a little card with the details of the designer, so I could find out more. From their website It looks like Stilvi Jewellery isn’t sold directly online but through select stores throughout Greece and Europe, which makes my little find even more special to me. Stilvi Jewellery is definitely a brand worth checking out if you do find yourself near a stockist.

As with most holidays I came back relaxed and calm, feelings I want to hold onto as we move into autumn. So now as the weather gets colder, or when I find myself in a never-ending meeting, I just need to catch a glimpse of my new ring and I’m transported back to my fantastic day in Oia. Where I had the best Greek omelette I’ve ever tasted washed down with a glass of chilled white wine whilst I watched the world go by, followed by catching the sunset next to a lovely Australian man who kept moving his fancy camera setup, so I too could get some good shots of the sunset with my iPhone.

I’m already thinking about next year’s holiday and wondering what jewellery I’ll purchase. Do you have a favourite piece of holiday jewellery? I’d love to hear about it.

Love,

Fiona x

Further Information:

www.stilvijewellery.com

AQUAMARINE, Oia, Santorini,

King of Thieves – The Unbelievable True Story of the Hatton Garden Heist

I absolutely love the diamond artwork on the official film poster. Image Source: Pinterest

When I started my blog (all those three weeks ago) I didn’t envisage writing about a film but then I saw “King of Thieves” advertised about the Hatton Garden Heist and I thought it was worth a look and mention. So, on Tuesday night with Cineworld card in hand, my partner and I headed off to our first unlimited card screening experience. – Anyone else have a Cineworld unlimited card? We love ours and are always at the cinema.

A little recap about the Hatton Garden Heist… It took place over Easter 2015 and £14 million in diamonds, gold, jewellery and cash were stolen from over seventy safety deposit boxes by some older career criminals with colourful pasts out to do “one last job”. (Some sources quote up to £200 million but I am sticking to the figure shared at the end of the film). The entertainment industry has used the heist as a source of inspiration, I hadn’t realised there has already been another film released in 2017 called “The Hatton Garden Job”, it has been featured in an American investigation series, plus it looks like there may be a four-part mini-series making its way onto TV at some point too.

When writing this I wondered what to share, as I didn’t want to be accused of any spoilers, but having watched the film, and looked back at coverage of the event, I was very surprised at how closely the plot has stuck to the actual events! From conversations that were recorded by the police via listening devices, to one of the characters reading “Forensics for Dummies” at the kitchen table, which I laughed aloud at during the film not realising the book had formed part of the evidence! Where the film varies from real life is probably within the cast and characters themselves. It was a great cast of older generation British actors playing (very good) versions of themselves, apart from Jim Broadbent. For me, Jim’s was the standout performance of the film.

I sometimes feel a bit uncomfortable with films that glamourize crime, especially when most of the culprits are still alive, but I was able to get passed it for this film. Early critic reviews for the film aren’t very favourable, but my conclusion is it’s worth a watch when it’s released on the 14th September if you like British crime dramas. Now, at the end of the film the infamous Basil was still at large but latest news reports state he’s awaiting trial so let’s see what happens there…

Let me know what you think of the film if you are going and see it.

Love,

Fiona x

 

PS. I’ve popped the links below to some articles and sources I found useful/interesting when writing this post.

 

Sources / Further Reading:

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/23/one-last-job-inside-story-of-the-hatton-garden-heist

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35126667

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt5789976

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7168119/judge-postpones-hatton-garden-suspect-basils-court-case-until-two-weeks-after-michael-caines-film-on-25m-heist/amp/

The Love of Jewellery Quotes

Oh, I do love a good jewellery quote, whether they’re style related or solid gold life advice, here are some of my all-time favourite ones:

I’m a huge Diane fan and love the DVF brand (one of my favourite bags that always gets a compliment is from there) and this quote is so true! I love how jewellery can pull an outfit together, the finishing touches can make all the difference. On a side-note, if you’re looking for a fantastic, inspirational read I couldn’t recommend Diane’s memoir “The Woman I Wanted To Be” enough.

PS. I can spell English readers, just not tampering and sticking to the original American for the quote ?

The struggle IS real, but we have to do our best don’t we?

Taken from her book “Style A to Zoe”. I love Stylist Rachel Zoe and couldn’t agree more with these wise words. I tend to find clothes more dispensable too whereas I invest in jewellery that I know I’ll wear time and time again. I used to binge watch “The Rachel Zoe Project” and swan around my flat mimicking her saying “I die” over and over again…anyone else or just me!?

I do love pearls, but they have their time and place, sometimes they can be a bit much for everyday… I think the modern-day equivalent to this quote would be “A woman needs layers and layers of necklaces”. There are so many people out there who have nailed necklace layering, it’s an artform in itself! I love seeing what people put together and hearing why certain necklaces are special to them.

Finally, if in doubt it never hurts to listen to Rihanna.

I hope you enjoyed reading, I’d love to know what your favourite jewellery quotes are!

Love,

Fiona x

 

 

A little introduction to THE LOVE OF GEMS…

Hello, my name is Fiona and I am a jewelleryholic…welcome to the club I hear you say! I am the designer behind Fiona Harris Jewellery but I am also passionate about a lot more in the jewellery world than my own designs and this is how THE LOVE OF GEMS has come about.

I am the person who:

  • Loves discovering and wearing new jewellery designers
  • Enjoys spotting and reviewing trends within the industry
  • Likes to share the fabulous jewellery boutiques I’ve found
  • Buys pieces of jewellery to remember holidays by and to mark special occasions
  • Will happily purchase from the High Street when I see something great
  • Wastes hours lusting after “price on request” pieces I can only dream of owning.

I wanted to create a space where I can shout about everything jewellery related and get to know others who share my passion. Expect to see interviews and profiles of my favourite designers, show reviews, my great finds and take on the trends. Now a little about the name, as well as the reference to gemstones, gem also means “an outstanding person or thing” therefore who knows where this blog space will take me!

I hope you enjoy reading and following my jewellery journey, please comment or get in touch with any content ideas you would like me to cover on the blog. I’m looking forward to exploring the world of jewellery with you!

Love,

Fiona x

Hello from me!