So...Kanye East (of everywhere fame) has an amazing Etsy store that I've featured on this blog before.  This evening she posted this lovely rough diamond multi chain necklace with silver and gold chains.  I like it a lot (as per usual with items from the Gewgaws store) but it also got me thinking about mixed metal jewelry.  Sometimes its great.  Sometimes its good.  Sometimes its okay.  And sometimes its just awful. But I find it super useful in my jewelry collection - I mean I can pair it with either my silver OR my gold jewelry - that's extremely useful!  So I thought I'd find and recommend some nice mixed metal jewelry tonight.  But first, here's Kanye's lovely creation (on-sale now for $94 though she offers a Corporette discount....which I probably should have checked if I should post that here.  

So - one of the keys for me with mixed metal jewelry is that you have to balance my desire for the metals to look as real as possible while still blending somewhat - a balance well struck by the rustic metals Kanye used above.  Hammered metals also often work well as good.  Sometimes the really bright metallics don't work as well, in my opinion.  I also REALLY love when there are other metals involved, like copper, bronze, tungsten, whatever - anyway- now that I've written an ode - lets get to the shopping.

So - that's all she wrote (literally) today folks.  Sorry the post was a bit late; I was having a *day* and just was super grumpy.  But then Kanye posted the perfect necklace and gave me IDEAS!  Hope you like the outcome.  Do you mix metals?  What's your favorite piece of mixed metal jewelry and how do you wear it?  Leave a comment below!

Editor's Note: Did you all notice I started a twitter for this blog?  I have no idea what to do with it (or how to use it for that matter) but you should follow me if you read this blog - I might post occasional other items I see that I like ... and also I like followers.  They give my life meaning.  (Kidding - sort of.  ;-)  You can get to my Twitter by clicking the icon on the top of the page, the envelope allows you to email me directly if you have comments or questions, the Yahoo! icon actually leads to my Tumblr (there isn't a Tumblr icon and I thought it was ironic since Yahoo just bought Tumblr) and the YouTube brings you to, well, my Youtube channel which has one video and no near term plans to increase that number.  OKAY - social media update complete.


Thanks for reading - I hope this post was fun and inspired you to adventure you into the fun wild world of mixed metals (also - shoes are another place where metals can be mixed with great pizazz.)  Happy shopping and may the sales be ever in your favor.

I was yet again inspired by an item I saw on Etsy to do a post on a genre of jewelry, in this case - rustic* jewelry.  The item in question was this "wearable art euro cuff" beaded rustic bracelet by Fishbaysunsets out of Washington State. ($45)  It is a pretty bracelet with fabulous colors and metalwork, glass beads, and natural stone beads.  Very pretty.  But of course, I couldn't rest with just one.  So what follows are my selection of rustic jewelry items off Etsy.

Orange agate gemstones with brass metal wrappings by Jewelry Accessible in LA ($65)
Green and tan agate dangle earrings by CopperNichols in Ohio ($14 - neutral enough for every day use.)

Hammered Copper Cuff by Seventh Willow in Arizona ($59 - more depth and texture than commercial versions.)
Yellow Jade and Copper Hoop Earrings by JensBeadBox in Texas ($22 - so pretty!)
Mixed Natural Amber Necklace by Karuba in Poland ($161 - expensive yes, but she has good reviews, and I'm a sucker for natural amber.)

Rustic linen necklace with robin's blue beads by boorashka from Ukraine ($22 - has excellent reviews.)
Beer Quartz Earrings with Copper Floral Medallions by JensBeadBox in Texas ($18 - like these.)

*Some might notice that my take on rustic is a bit particular.  I tend to identify rustic with the following elements: darker metals (think coppers, brasses, rhodiums, pewters, etc.), leathers, natural stones, natural gemstones, and glass beads in darker colors.  Impressive metal work is always good.  

• On the other hand I tend *not* to associate rustic with jewlery meant to evoke tribal or foreign elements of a particular culture.  Both because I frequently find that they are poorly executed but also because I would not want to be seen as appropriating symbols of cultures of which I am not a member.  So I tend to avoid things that clearly do so.
  
• I also don't consider "steampunk" stuff under the heading of rustic.  Now I actually love steampunk accessories and would be happy to do an entire post on steampunk stuff - I just think that their purposefully affected take on a particular era isn't really "rustic" in any traditional sense.

And I have now explained my reasoning behind a post WAY MORE than I ever have before.  This is what happens when its 4 AM and you have insomnia.  But have fun!  


Do you like these rustic options?  Do you wear rustic jewelry?  Do you have any other suggestions on what I should add to my ideas about the "rustic look"?  Leave some texty text in the comments and let me know!

On the weekends I like to work a little rustic* charm into my wardrobe, especially in my jewelry.  And I was inspired by this beautiful Wearable Art Beaded "Eurocuff" Bracelet from Etsy seller fish bay sunsets ($45) to look for other beaded bracelets and necklaces for the weekends that give off this chunky, rustic vibe.  What do you think readers?  Am I coo-coo for cocoa puffs with these?

Orange Agate and Brass Necklace by Jewelryaccessible in LA ($65 - I adore the colors of this necklace.  ADORE.)
Agate Dangle Earrings in Green and Tan by CopperNichols in Ohio ($14 - neutral enough for daily wear.)

Hammered Copper Cuff by SeventhWillow in Arizona ($59 - I like this, it has more depth and texture than commercially available hammered cuffs.)
Yellow Jade with copper hoop earrings by JensBeadBox in Texas ($22 - these are gorgeous.  Jesus.)Natural Amber Necklace with several amber types by Karuba in Poland ($161 - a bit expensive and the pictures aren't great - but it does look lovely and I'm a total sucer for natural amber - plus the seller has good reviews.)

Rustic linen necklace with robins egg blue beads from Boorashka in Ukraine ($22 - a more delicate take on rustic, but still very pretty - 219 positive user reviews.)
Beer quartz faceted earrings on a copper floral medallion by JensBeadBox in Texas ($18 - love the design, might switch out the color of the quartz.)

*So, you may notice that rustic might mean something different to me than it means to me.  To me it means the use of natural stones or glass beads that approximate the look of natural stones with traditional metals or materials - especially copper or brass or hammered silver or pewter or rhodium - basically your darker metals are all good.)  I tend to not like things that go for the tribal or exotic look - partially because I think they are frequently a pale (and sometimes unfortunate) imitation and partially because I don't want to be seen as appropriating a culture I am not a member of.  I also don't really consider Steampunk hipster - I would LOVE to do a whole steampunk post - and probably will in the future, but I think that's its own aesthetic viewpoint that's separate from what I was doing here.  So..yeah.  Lots of words meaning basically nothing.  :-)

What do you think rustic means?  Did I get it right?  Leave a texty text in the comments!