Archive for January 2012

Home Archive for January 2012

How are you lovely people! I hope you had a great weekend. It was a lovely weekend in Miami, a little bit warmer than it has been, so I was out and about enjoying the outdoor weather. It was during my walk in Coconut Grove that I came to think about how lovely tsavorite is. Tsavorite is a variation of this month's birthstone, the garnet, so I thought it would be very appropriate to elaborate a little more about this gorgeous gem that literally leave people green with envy.

From my "Wanderlust" collection,
super fashionable chubby hoops in black onyx,
tsavorite, and 18kt gold.

Green is one of my favorite colors because it immediately makes me think of nature. That is why I initially was drawn to, and began working with Tsavorite. This gem might not be as precious as an emerald, but it is just as beautiful as an emerald, and comes in deeper color variety.

Fabulous and exotic, the shining tsavorite is a very multifaceted gem. Rediscovered by English geologist Campbell Bridges in 1967, this find made Tiffany and Co. take notice of this until then very rare gem. He could not export it from Tanzania, where he had found it first, but was able to, after much perseverance to ultimately find it, and export it from Kenya. At this time, the tsavorite was known only to specialists and gemologists. In 1974, because of its magnificent beauty, Tiffany and Co. began a widespread campaign to make this gemstone known in the US and it began to gain popularity.

Another fabulous piece:
Statement ring in tsavorite, diamonds, tigers eye,
lovingly handmade in 18kt yellow gold.

So what makes tsavorite so desirable? Well, for one thing its very vivid green color, which comes in different shades ranging from a springlike light green, to an intense blue green, to a deep forest green. All of these colors have an invigorating effect on the senses making the wearer feel as vibrant as the gem. It's also valuable because it has great brilliance and sparkle, sometimes even trough clothes.

Unlike many other gemstones tsavorite is neither burnt nor oiled. It literally is a piece of unadulterated nature. Tsavorite is also prized for its hardness. This is important for me because it allows me think of different ways to design and set the stone, and it is important to you, because a piece made of tsavorite is very unlikely to crack or break.

When thinking of the next piece for your jewelry box, give tsavorite a try. The deep green tones are great for most skin tones and go very well with casual or fancy attire. This "new" gem with the long history is sure to turn heads and leave others, as I said before, green with envy.

Love Always

Dani K

Anyone who knows me can attest that, although I live most of the year in Miami, I am so, so proud to be Ecuadorian. As an artist myself, I am also proud of the amazing artists that I share a background with, and of the ones I have the most respect for is the great master Theo Constante.

Abstracto
by Theo Constante

Constante is part of the Abstract Informalist Movement of Ecuadorian artists, and started his career at the School of Fine Arts in Guayaquil. He later studied at the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid, and had his paintings shown in Guayaquil at the prestigious salons of the city. Later in his career he also taught at both institutions.

Composition By Theo Constante

After showing in South America, Constante had his works show in the Salons in Paris. Later on in his career, Constante, along with his counterparts Enrique Tabara and Alberto More, participated i the Third Biennial in Paris, which was held at the Museum of Modern Art.

Museum of Modern Art in Paris

His work was lauded by critics, and won him other prestigious awards such as first prize at the Bienal in Quito. His style was abstract in nature, and consisted of many colors that melded together loosely drawn geometric lines. The colors orange, red and blue are often dominant in the majority of his works. In 2005 Constante was awarded the most prestigious prize to any artist in Ecuador, the Eugenio Espejo Prize, presented to him by the President of Ecuador for his amazing body of work.

Portraits of my grandparents by
Theo Constante

Theo Constante is a very special artist for me. I am so proud to have had such a great artist paint portraits of my beloved grandparents (above). Seeing them hung at their home inspired me so much through the years. His abstract works are a big influence in my designs, as are his magnificent colors and geometric shapes.

Fabulous geometric Tiger's eye earrings,
in 18kt rose gold and diamonds.

Hope I have inspired you to look at more great art, or maybe even visit a local museum. I think it's a great idea for a light and easy Saturday afternoon, don't you think? Have a great weekend my gems. Be back soon with more.

Love Always

Dani K

The temperatures are dropping, well for Miami that is, and winter is definitely here. It is during these cold and chilly nights that I enjoy getting staying in to curl up and watch a good movie, and this weekend I did just that.

Lucky for me there are so many good movies to choose from, and this time I watched Midnight in Paris, an amazing film by Woody Allen. This movie is so great because it brings together one of my favorite places, Paris, one of my favorite pastimes, art and writing.

The cast, as in all of Allen's films is superb. The movie starts with a young couple played by Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams on a vacation in Paris. They are engaged and should be loving the city of lights, but as Gil (Wilson's Character) prefers the city by moonlight, Inez (McAdams) would rather take in the sights by day.

Gil is a film writer, and is having a hard time finishing his first novel. Lucky for him, one night, at midnight he happens to find himself in a special vintage limousine that unknowingly transports him to the past, where his idols are lurking.

At night, Gil finds himself attending parties, and meeting luminaries of the Paris 1920's intellectual scene such F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, Salvador Dali, Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein. All of these are played by the very familiar faces seen below.

Familiar faces played by even more familiar faces:
Kathy Bates as Ira Stein, and
Adrian Brody as Salvador Dali

Ernest Hemingway as played by Corey Stoll to the left.
Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald played by
Alison Pill and Tom Hiddleston

Gil finds a muse of his own: Adriana played
by the gorgeous Marion Cotillard.

During his midnight madness, Gil also meets the very beautiful muse of all of the famous painters, Adriana, played by the magnificent Marion Cotillard. But don't feel to bad for his fiance Inez, she herself is also having the time of her life with an old friend of hers, who is also in Paris.

Inez meeting her friend Paul in Paris.

For the rest of his stay in Paris, Gil is able to live out every writers' fantasy. He has Gertrude Stein give him pointers on his book, he finds the inspiration from his new paramour, Adriana, and finishes his novel with great satisfaction. For me this was the best and most entertaining part of the film. Seeing this amazing cast play all these geniuses from the past was amazing.

Gil and the Fitzgeralds

In the end, Gil and Inez do not make it. She's too self absorbed for someone so poetic and naive. This decision is for the best. Gil decides to stay in Paris, a paradise for writers, and his longstanding fantasy. He ditches his career in Hollywood, and in the end gets to wander around Paris, at midnight.

I won't give away too, too much. You will have to see the ending and the rest of the movie yourself. It's worth it, if anything for the amazing cinematography. A definite must see.

Love Always
Dani K

Gold has been the most legendary metal in the history of decorative arts and jewelry. Its brilliant golden color, just like rays of sun, has had all cultures fascinated for centuries. The Aztecs for example called it " Teocuitatl" which means extract of the gods.

Aztec gold coin

King Ferdinand of Spain ordered the conquistadors to bring more gold rather than to conquer land, and the Egyptians considered it a sacred metal, divine and indestructible. This is due to their belief that the bodies of their gods and goddesses were made of pure gold. They even show it in their hieroglyphs in 2600 BC.

King Tut's golden tomb

I love gold because it is a metal that shows its natural beauty immediately. Its golden shine and the reflection of the light against it makes it the best metal for jewelry making.

One of its principal properties is that it is incredibly malleable, which allows you to make different types of jewelry such as earrings, necklaces, rings, amulets, pendants and bangles. You can also find it in coins, chalices and other decorative pieces.

In its natural state gold is 24 carats. Since its so soft, it is alloyed with other metals such as silver, cooper or platinum so it becomes 18 carats. This is the preferred type used for jewelry, because it becomes stronger.

Gorgeous rings from my "Wanderlust" collection,
in all three shades of gold, rose, yellow and white.

Gold also comes in 10, 14, and 22 carats, and can be found in different tones such as yellow, white and rose gold. It is measured in grams, and it is priced using the Troy Ounce, which is the equivalent of 31.10 grams.

Also from my Wanderlust collection,
a beautiful combination gold and gems

Transforming gold into a piece of fine jewelry is simply fascinating, and combining it with precious stones such as diamonds, rubies, and sapphires is simply a gift of nature. The magic that this marvelous metal posses has made it a part of all civilizations, and even a part of histories most memorable moments. Gold is, without a doubt, the king of all metals.

Love always

Dani K

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Tsavorite: Get Green with Envy

Inspiration: Theo Constante

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Midnight in Paris

Gold: King of All Metals