Jewelry Transformation: Heirlooms, Stones and More!

By Eli Kosinski

Eve J Alfillé Gallery and Studio is known for Eve’s inventive and person-oriented custom work! If you have an idea for a project, Eve will fulfill your vision with her vast collection of gems and design wisdom. But we don’t always start the process with only an idea: sometimes, jewelry that you no longer wear is the subject of a transformation. If you own precious materials, like a family heirloom or loose gemstones, Eve is able to tailor them to suit your tastes. Eve believes in honoring the original integrity of the materials while simultaneously breathing fresh life into them!

For example, a customer recently came to Eve with a gorgeous pink opal set in a gold ring. As a ring, the opal wasn’t getting its moment to take center stage. So Eve thought of a few different options for this stone: she drew up ideas for it as a pendant, and then as a ring of her own design. But because this customer loves bracelets, they decided to set the stone in a sleek and delicate gold bracelet. Now, the pink opal is flanked by two pretty pie slice elements from Eve’s “Just Desserts” series. This decorative trio of opal and dessert pieces are attached to a simple gold band. Through collaborative processes like this one, you can highlight the beauty of the stones you own!

In that case, the opal was a singular element that sparked a bigger creation. We can also go in the other direction, and create multiple projects out of a single item or collection. For example, another customer arrived at the shop with her collection of gold and jade rings.

These jade ornaments are rich in both color and in emotional value: these deep-green cufflinks were purchased on a honeymoon. Now, they will be repurposed for another happy occasion. Eve is resetting two of the jade stones as cufflinks for the customer’s new son-in-law, as a wedding gift. Projects like these are a special way to preserve the sentimental meaning of the piece while updating its style or format. Eventually, another two of the rings might become a pair of earrings!

Similarly, customers might have a ring, or other piece of jewelry with multiple stones in it. If these stones are very tiny, a great way to update their appearance is to transform them into an eye-catching yet every-day type of necklace: a “Rain chain”. These types of chains are decorated with stones in simple bezels. Diamonds are classically a favorite choice for “Rain chains”, but other types of stones can also rock this modern look. Pictured here is a photo of a diamond “Rain chain”.

These are just a few examples of the reimagining that Eve does. If you think you have a stone or piece of jewelry that could use a trip to the gallery, please bring it and any ideas you have!

Jewelry: Travel Edition

By Alyssa Arroyo

When traveling it’s essential to keep your jewelry safe, here are a few ways to secure your valuable and sentimental jewelry as you travel.

When going through security at the airport it’s okay to keep your jewelry on, it’s even encouraged by the TSA. You can wear a majority of your jewelry through the metal detectors without a problem. In the case that the metal detector does go off due to bulky or heavy pieces, the officer can inspect you there or you can ask to go to a private room so they can assess and examine you properly without unnecessary attention to your valuable jewelry.

DON’TS

You can wear all of your jewelry through security but it would be unwise to walk through with most of your necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings on all at the same time as you pass through the security checkpoints. So where do you keep the jewelry you’re not wearing? It’s vital to keep your jewelry close in a carry-on that will be on your person at all times. Be sure to place this jewelry in your carry-on prior to getting to the security point as you don’t want to forget, lose, or cause unwanted attention to the important pieces of jewelry you might be traveling with. Don’t place your jewelry in your checked luggage, as it can get lost or stolen. You also don’t want to place your fine jewelry in the bins or bowls used for change and money clips as they easily tip over and your items can get lost or damaged on the conveyer belt.

DO’S

Carry your jewelry in a travel jewelry case that has a zipper component in order to enclose your jewelry, and it should have a dedicated space for items like your rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. A pearl folder or jewelry pouch work well for organization and keeping your things from getting tangled and disrupted. Another way to carry your jewelry is in a travel jewelry roll (foldable/rollable) soft fabric or leather organizer that can keep your jewelry all together and compact for safe keeping in your carry- on.

For quick at home organization when you’re on the go or try reusing your household items, buttons, cardboard, straws, pill boxes, and towels, they can provide useful storage solutions.

• Buttons: You can place studs or any earrings with posts into the holes on your buttons and secure them with an ear nut on the back so they stay together and are easy to find.
• Cardboard: Similar to buttons, you can poke holes into thick cardboard and place your earrings into the cardboard in pairs and secure with the ear nut on the back.
• Straws: Necklaces and bracelets can be slid into the straw and clasped which keep them straight and prevents tangles
• Towels: Fragile jewelry can be wrapped in a towel and placed in a tight bag to keep secure and prevent any damage throughout your trip or at home
• Pill Boxes: These can be great for separating your jewelry into individual compartments for organization and to prevent pieces rubbing together.

SMALL, SECRET, SECURE

Keep in mind that you want to pack lightly, be discreet, and keep your items secure. Jewelry can easily be lost or stolen, Natalie and Michael Hekmat, a couple from Manhattan lost $88,200 worth of jewelry. On their way to Los Angeles from New York, the couple placed a jewelry roll with 9 rings into their checked baggage and when they arrived in Los Angeles and looked through their luggage the roll was still there, but the rings had vanished. In another case, a couple of American Airlines baggage handlers stole nearly $300,000 from a suitcase belonging to David Diamond, a jewelry dealer, he lost 925 items totaling $280,000.

Although it seems that we are in safe hands while going through the airport and traveling, there are many factors that can put your items in jeopardy. Here are some extra precautions to keep your jewelry safe:

Keep it small, only take what you need. We often over pack, although we might want to bring our entire closet, it’s best to figure out what jewelry you might actually wear. Leave behind the items that are extremely valuable to you or items you most likely won’t need while you’re away. A good plan is to take 1 or 2 pairs of Eve Earrings with her special hook and bring a few different (inexpensive is best) removable drops to change their look and coordinate with your outfits.

Make a list of your Jewelry. You’ll want to keep a visual inventory of the things you’re bringing along. Take pictures of everything and if possible any receipts. This will come in handy if you insure your jewelry on your travels, which is also another option. By keeping track of your jewelry in this way you can easily see if you forgot or lost anything you came with.

To summarize, carry your jewelry personally. Your jewelry should never leave you, whether thats on the plane or in your hotel. Be sure to have your jewelry in your carry on so you are in constant contact with it and keep an eye on it throughout the journey. When you get to your destination you can keep your jewelry in a hotel safe or in a secure area to make sure it’s protected while you are away from your room

Of course we think it’s important to stay stylish everywhere you go, even on your 4am flight. Be sure that wherever you are, you can keep your jewelry safe by taking these few extra steps for organization, security, and safety.

“Unwrapping” Just Desserts by Eve J. Alfille

The new series will be revealed Saturday, May 5, 2018 from 1:00 p.m – 7:00 p.m. at the Eve J. Alfille Gallery and Studio, with guests enjoying festive refreshments, live music, winnable prizes, and Evanston-made art jewelry.

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How We See Sweets

All jewelry by Eve Alfille.

There are a few things in life that are as universal as they are self-evident: food is one.

We eat to live.

But…wait…what about sweets???

It seems that Nature has explicitly directed that sweet things go directly to the head of the pleasure line, perhaps ahead of all others. And humans acknowledge this by giving immoderate veneration to their desserts, by cosseting them in special decorative vessels, by adorning them to the point of extravagance, by giving them a special place in the processional order of the meal.

We shake our heads when told of the wondrous goings-on at the palace in Versailles: the lineup of waiters, each bearing an ever-higher dessert, the pastry chefs vying for who could create a more teetering ‘pièce montée’ of candied fruits, pastry and fondant.

But hey, just behold the petit-fours at the bakery! Who can say that Versailles isn’t still with us? The unapologetic cuteness, the unnecessary swirls of frosting, the poufs of sweet cream! You know, I just think that desserts, to us, are the jewelery of the meal!

The Jewelry of the Meal

All jewelry by Eve Alfille.

There is the old rationale for the emergence of jewelry in human culture: originally perhaps as a marker of transcendence, then a talisman for protection, to become a beacon of status. You don’t need jewelry, but it gives you a boost in many ways–it occupies a special place in human cravings, and we expect it to be exquisitely formed.

Well, doesn’t the same go for our sweet indulgences? If it’s your birthday, and an unadorned slab of cake appears; what a disappointment! Here is the sundae I ordered…what, no nuts or cherry on top? If it’s dessert, it must be somehow fancied-up!

True that sugar can appear in main dishes as well, sweet and sour pork or sauces. But this only shows that it is not just the sugar, but the social constructs.

The Power of Sweets

We do not need sweet foods, but they mesmerize us…we idolize them, wrap them in bright foils and frilly skirts, hold them out as rewards, turn to them in consolation, acknowledge them as guilty pleasures. Even use them, sometimes, to trade for personal safety.

Four years of my childhood were spent under war conditions–rationed foods, dark bread, no meat, butter, or sugar. We lived under assumed identities.

My forward-looking mother had somehow managed to stash away a few pieces of wrapped candy: I was told I could have one once a year for my birthday, and you can imagine how I anticipated the little ceremony of unwrapping it and sliding it slowly into my mouth.

But one time, as I was tossing and catching a ball, it veered off, and broke a neighbor’s window. These were the dark years, no telling if the neighbor would be understanding, or report us to the Gestapo. My mother, when she heard, seemed very upset. She immediately went to her special closet, brought out two of the precious candies, wrapped them in a newspaper cone and instructed me directly to take them to the neighbor and make my excuses.

I was furious, and bawling! Me, she only gave me one a year, and here the neighbor would get TWO! And what seven-year old wants to go ‘make excuses’ (i.e. apologize)?!

I don’t remember how the neighbor received the apology–I think my mother ended up going with me, and I felt plenty guilty when I finally understood it could have been a matter of life and death for us.

-Eve J. Alfille

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Please send RSVPs to either 847-869-7920 or contact@evejewelry.com. To learn more about Eve Alfille and see more of her works, visit http://www.evejewelry.com.

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All jewelry by Eve Alfille.

D is for Dreamy

London is the place to be for lovers of the exceptional this winter. Recently revealed to the public in hopes that a private collector will do just that–collect–a very, very special stone which awaits its new home. 

Image by Sotheby’s.

The exceptionally proud founder and chairman of Sotheby’s, Patti Wong, has announced of the stone that “in the course of my long career, which has brought me close to some of the greatest stones the earth has ever yielded, I have not encountered anything quite like this.” 

According to a statement released by Sotheby’s:

“at 102.34-carats, this masterpiece of nature is the rarest white diamond ever to come to the market and the largest, round D color flawless diamond known to man. [This is] the only stone of its kind ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the diamond has achieved the highest rankings under each of the criteria by which the quality of a stone is judged – ‘the four Cs’.”

The mode of sale currently underway, however, is rather unusual for this caliber of stone…typically, such a dazzling diamond would be put up for auction. Instead, Sotheby’s has daringly opted to quietly keep it available for private purchase. 

According to Sotheby’s statement:

“Only seven diamonds weighing more than 100 carats and with the highest colour for colourless diamonds (D colour) has ever sold at auction; none of them were of brilliant cut.”

Whether it will sell immediately, or not to this generation, is unknown. But what we do know is that if you’re in London and have some spare time, maybe the Rosetta Stone can wait. 

Making Markle Sparkle

One of the hottest topics of 2017 has been the happy news that England’s most eligible bachelor has finally locked it down with American actress Meghan Markle. The whole world has been a-buzz with the ensuing frenzy of planning their spring wedding…but could it be that a hot proposal by Prince Harry could also lend some interesting insights into the hot, harrowing history of the earth’s crust? 

The Botswana resort where Meghan and Prince Harry fell in love.

 

…Of course, no royal proposal would be complete without the perfect, fairy-tale ring…a romantic at heart, Prince Harry used diamonds from his mother’s private collection, as well as a central diamond hailing from Botswana (where the royal romantics met). These days, the African nation enjoys a climate of relative volcanic peace compared to what once was: a clime so fraught with explosive volcanic power that it rained diamonds on more than one occasion (an event which would have pleased the likes of Marilyn Monroe, but for the scalding ash and magma that came with it!).

 

 

It’s no secret that Botswana has boasted more diamonds than any other part of the world since the eighties…while it’s true that these lovely, lustrous gems can exist anywhere in great quantity, in most parts of the world they’re also inconveniently located 100-or-so miles underground. It takes a historically massive upheaval to send them into the air and a bit closer to the surface for miners and princes alike to easily find. Research by scientists like Janne Koornneef  has indicated two such events in the region Markle’s diamond hails from, both 1.1 billion and 3 billion years ago.

 

 

This first batch was caused when the Zimbabwe Craton -a rather sizeable chunk of the earth’s crust- broke free and slammed into a neighboring craton! The second time a diamond-scattering took place, it was during a time from whence the ‘Umkondo Large Igenous Province’ drew its name…the entire region was completely transformed by the large and overactive volcanoes covering the terrain.

 

 

…Not so interested in tackling the trip to Botswana for a blind date, like the auspicious pair did, or in facing walls of steaming ash for your diamonds? Maybe consider giving a visit to the Eve Alfille Gallery & Studio up in Evanston instead!