What is it about scientists that make such beautiful jewelry? A while back, we profiled The Designing Diva, a clinical scientist-turned-jewelry designer. And now we have Peggy Li.
Peggy started out as a chemical engineering major at UC Berkeley. But the eclectic artisans of the area changed her mind, and here she is with a successful – and equally eclectic – collection of handmade jewelry. A variety of materials are incorporated into Peggy’s designs: semi-precious stones, sea shells, sterling silver, and vintage charms. She even has …

“My jewelry starts out with a ‘What if?’,” explains designer Angela Saunders. “I ask this question, and things start to happen. “I find inspiration in that initial question.”
Angela was displeased with mass-produced mall jewelry (“I had no interest in wearing the same pair of earrings as the girl next to me”). So she decided to make her own. Starting big box craft store beads, Angela moved on to genuine stones and sterling silver (“big girl stuff”). Compliments led to sales (“I don’t remember …

Jib & Genoa has a unique take on bracelets. Make them big, but make them feather-light. Like all of their pieces, gold and silver are presented nearly flat, with intricate designs carved out of them. I love the whimsy of the Bubble bracelet. It’s a little tough to get on and off – it can be stretched open and closed, but I am too paranoid to open it much. The work is worth it. But my favorite is the Orchid bracelet. This unique …

This weekend, Mr. Spork and I went to the Griffith Observatory, one of the biggest, most technologically advanced public observatories in the world. I may be a fashionista, but I am also a little bit of a science nerd (just a tiny bit). So I was enjoying my time there from a purely educational standpoint. We walked down one hallway and I was confronted with an orgy of celestial costume jewelry. “The sparkling ribbon of time,” starting with the Big Bang, was illustrated by nearly 2,200 …

She Beads might not exist today if it hadn’t been for Michael Jordan. Yup, the Michael Jordan. While She Beads designer Sandy Rueve was working as an X-ray tech for the Chicago Bulls, Jordan spotted her stringing beads in the locker room and asked for his own set. Sandy wasn’t making her own beads at the time, but was motivated to do so, and thus She Beads was born.

She Beads are hand-rolled clay beads incorporating a technique called caning. Sheets, wedges, and rods of clay are …

I’ve fallen in love with Twisted Silver jewelry. A complete line of antique-inspired jewelry, creations range from Victorian to Mod. My favorite piece is the Hepburn earrings. They evoke that classic Hollywood style that I adore. Plus they are comfortable to wear and go with everything. These have become a staple in my jewelry wardrobe. Designer Debra Mitchell was kind enough to speak to Spork Fashion.
Tell us about your background. Have you always wanted to be a jeweler?
From as early as I can …

Whenever I find a particular item that I like, I buy it in every variation. Several years ago, I found the perfect tee at Express, so I bought it in every color. I own over a dozen different James Perse tops. I fell in love with a pair of pumps, and couldn’t decide between purple or green – so I bought both.
The same thing happened with these A.V. Max bracelets, purchased from BlueFly.com. I started with the purple and blue bracelets – loved them so much I bought three more …

Like any girl, I love jewelry, but I have a hard time spending money on costume jewelry because I have a tendency to run out without putting any on. On top of that, I don’t buy bracelets often. I have freakishly slender wrists, so most bracelets fall right off (or at least look bizarre).
So I was psyched to pick this beauty up. It was $14 on the Macy’s clearance table. At the time I remember feeling guilty about spending “so much” on a bracelet. I …