We know that online shopping is convenient and available to every connected consumer but is it all it’s cracked up to be? Shopping in your sweats from your couch sounds amazing but not every “virtual store” is created equal and you can quickly fall prey to some very unpleasant realities. (more…)
If you’re lucky enough to be born in November you’ve got two great gemstones to call your own; Citrine and Topaz.
Citrine is the transparent, pale yellow to deep orange-brown version of quartz. It is rare in nature and before modern gemology was often mistaken for topaz. (more…)
The August birthstone is associated with prosperity, growth, dignity and love. It is also believed that the stone has healing properties and the power to protect against nightmares, bestowing peace and progress in one’s life. (more…)
Happy Birthday July babies! Your birthstone is the rare and radiant ruby; said to arouse the senses, stir the imagination and bring health, wealth, wisdom and love. (more…)
Followers of Made You Look on social media will know that last year we organized our first ever clothing swap among the jewellers in our studio along with interested friends and family. The idea was born after viewing the film The True Cost. For those who have yet to see the movie, it illuminates the fact that we consume over 80 billion pieces of new clothing each year – an astronomical increase from years ago. (more…)
Happy Birthday May babies! Your birthstone has the rich green colour of Spring radiating in vivid tones. Considered one of the rarest gemstones, emeralds are known as one of the “big three” which include rubies and sapphires. (more…)
Happy Birthday April babies. You have been blessed with the ‘coveted crystal’ birthstone also known as diamond. Whether it’s a multi-faceted sparkler or raw and uncut, diamonds come in many varieties and have a unique meaning and history that has been inspiring rich, passionate myths of romance, intrigue, power, greed, beauty and magic for centuries. (more…)
Here at Made You Look we like to show you the best alternative to roses and chocolates on Valentine’s Day. Our customers have come to expect the fun, funky alternative to traditional jewellery and this year is no exception. If you peek into our store windows you will find an eclectic mix of jewellery and accessories that say more than “I love you”. (more…)
We know how much you love your jewellery and keeping it looking as good as the day you bought it is important. Here are our insider tips and tricks for keeping those gems looking as good as new. (more…)
Here at Made You Look we were very excited to host our second clothing swap of the year last week, and are looking ahead to future swaps in 2016! For those new to a ‘swap’, it is basically a bunch of friends, colleagues and community members getting together to swap their gently used garments, shoes and accessories. (more…)
Source : andreahill.org
I’m not a consumer jewelry blogger, but this is something I wish every consumer jewelry buyer would know. It’s about how (great it is) to buy designer jewelry.
When you buy designer jewelry, your jewelry has a back story
Nearly every piece of jewelry I own came from a designer. As I write this blog, I am wearing raw diamond floret earrings and a raw diamond tennis bracelet from Todd Reed, a ring from Bree Richey on my left hand, a ring from Elizabeth Garvin and another from Jennifer Dawes on my right hand. I have lovely little button earrings from Robin and Remy Rotenier. I nearly always wear a bracelet from Walt Adler and another from a craftsman in Mexico whose name I have long forgotten but whose face I will always remember. My favorite brooch is a mokume-gane gem from Jim Binnion and Steve Midgett (yep! both of them). Someday I will own a heart pendant from Rhyme & Reason. Something from Mark Schneider’s color collection. Amother’s cuff from Erica Courtney. A Padparadscha anything from Omi Prive. Anything fromSuzy Landa (preferably green or purple), hoop earrings from Pamela Froman, something nouveau vintage from Just Jules, Diana Widman’s Night Sky pendant, and a piece fromZAIKEN’s Throwing Stones collection. (I have not received compensation from any of these designers for mention in this blog).
What don’t I own? A single white diamond ring. No diamond studs. I don’t own any Cartier or Tiffanys. I don’t buy jewelry for the sparkle, the status, the vault value, or even the fashion. I love the sculptural quality of jewelry, the gemstones (all of them), the art. In this way, I am representative of the type of women who buy designer jewelry – or women whowould buy designer jewelry if they knew what was available to them. There are many of us.
Everything You Know About Luxury Has Changed
‘Art’ and ‘Decorations’ are Different Buying Experiences
Buying designer jewelry is not, should not be, like buying generic jewelry. What is generic jewelry? Any piece of fine jewelry that was designed for mass appeal. Does saying it’s generic mean it’s not beautiful? Not at all. I can see the beauty in a perfectly manicured lawn, even if it is similar to the other perfectly manicured lawns down the same stretch of manicured road. I just don’t want that for my own yard. My yard was designed, layer upon delicious layer, to make a statement (entirely different blog here – but you get my point). Does this make me a better customer or a more desirable customer for jewelry? Not at all. But it does make me – and women like me – a different kind of customer, and one that is not currently very well served.
Buying designer jewelry is about buying art you get to wear. What do you do when you buy art? You look for something that speaks to you. You look for something that pulls a feeling out of you that you weren’t feeling before you looked at it. You look for art that you know you’ll be happy to sit and stare at for hours and years on end. You don’t buy art to match the paint and furniture in the room – for the right piece of art you design the room around it. Good art grows old with you.
Great art doesn’t have to be expensive. Would I be giddy with excitement to own an original Rothco? Absolutely. But there is a painting in my living room painted by an artist named James R Gros. He is not famous and the painting cost me less than $200. But it’s one of the most expressive pieces I own. I never get tired of studying it, and everyone who visits our home at some point wants to talk about it.
Too many people do not know the joy of seeking and acquiring art – which is not a money thing, it’s an awareness thing. You can teach a child to buy meaningful art on her allowance.
So when I look for jewelry, I want it to have artistic merit. I want it to have been conceived of and created as part of a thought process about beauty, and craftsmanship, and precious materials. I want to know that whenever I wear it, I will see it, and when I see it, it will mean something to me.
That’s the first thing I wish every consumer knew about designer jewelry. That it’s buying art. When you take a person by the hand and show them the sheer delight and wonder of buying art, the experience can be transformative. I want consumers to have that experience with designer jewelry.
There’s Another Opportunity Beyond Custom
The other thing I wish consumers knew about buying designer jewelry is the difference between buying custom/bespoke and buying a designer commission. If a consumer has an idea for a piece of jewelry he wants to make, and he primarily needs a pair of hands to help him execute it; or if he wants a design that is very traditional but using some of his own elements, that’s what I refer to as custom or bespoke. There’s no criticism in this – it’s an essential service and can be a terrific experience. But that’s not the same as buying designercommissioned jewelry.
Just as you wouldn’t go to Klimt, hand him a photograph, and tell him to paint your portrait precisely as seen in the photo, I personally wouldn’t go to a jewelry designer and tell him what to make. A big part of the value of buying jewelry from a designer is the designer’s point of view. It’s not that the customer has no input. Most designers who will do individual pieces have a discussion or series of discussions with the client first. They talk about gemstones, which ones the client likes most, and why. They ask about how the client wears jewelry, why they wear it, and how it makes them feel. As a client myself, I have loved those conversations. But once you find a jewelry designer who clearly has beautiful images in his head and the ability to turn those ideas into real objects, much of the joy in wearing the finished piece is turning the designer loose and seeing how that designer transforms your conversations about intangible things into a physical work of art.
Of course, not everyone who calls himself a designer is actually a designer. There is ample room for argument here, but generally someone who is truly a designer will have a clear point of view, a body of work that expresses that point of view, and a recognizable evolution in their thought process over time.
I have this imaginary scene in my head where a consumer walks into ABC Jewelry Store with her grandmother’s rings and says, “I’d like to turn these diamonds and rubies into something I can wear and love.” And the jeweler, who is very talented at the bench, asks “Do you know what you want?” The consumer says, “No, I really don’t, but I appreciate beauty, and I want something that is a bit unusual but which will keep me visually engaged for the next 30 years.”
And the jeweler thinks, “I’m really good at making jewelry – the best – but I don’t have an artistic point of view and what I make is pretty traditional looking. Since this consumer doesn’t want to direct this effort and she wants something different, perhaps I’ll teach her how to buy art!” Then he says to his new customer, “Let’s have some fun. I’m going to introduce you to some different types of designer jewelry – designers who will also do commission work. We’re going to see what you like and learn a bit together. Then, let’s pick someone for you to work with, and let them create a piece of art just for you, something that you will always treasure and be proud of.”
Shoot, I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
Is this experience for everyone? Of course not. But for some, the right guidance from the beginning would turn buying designer jewelry into an obsession for them, something to look forward to once a year, or once every few years.
So these are the things I wish consumers knew. I wish more people were able to have the ultimate experience of buying designer jewelry. Because my new ring designed by Jennifer Dawes just arrived today. I’m utterly conscious that I’m wearing it. It brought tears to my eyes when I opened it. And I know that if more consumers felt like I do right now after acquiring a new piece of jewelry, they’d want fine jewelry more often.
Source : indie88.com
Congratulations Jesse + Jim – so happy to have made your custom wedding bands for this fantastic event!
One lucky couple. One day’s notice. And one Valentine’s Day they’ll NEVER forget! The Indie88 judges selected two finalist couples from all the entries, and after over 16,000 votes…
Don’t forget to come out for festive fun this evening!
Yesterday I wandered around the One Of A Kind show for over 4 hours! A tradition here in a Toronto since 1975, the OOAK runs until December 8 at the Direct Energy Center and showcases the work of 800 + artisans. I always find gifts for the people on my list at OOAK, here are some suggestions for the people who might be on yours. (more…)
Smokey eyes updated
One of the fall/winter makeup trends that we love is the smokey eye. It adds that little bit of drama for an evening on the town or holiday party. Pair it with deep garnet lips and you have an iconic look updated for modern life.
5 diamonds we could never afford!
Just the other week at a Sotheby’s auction, a diamond of incredible beauty sold for such a staggering amount of money that it got me thinking about diamonds and why we hold them to be so valuable.
Made You Look’s brand new contest “Put a Ring on it” is for the best proposal story ever! The winning couple will receive the opportunity to work with one of the talented goldsmiths in our studio to design custom wedding bands worth $3000 (CDN).
The very first tool I picked up at collage was a jeweller’s saw. Given a bundle of tiny saw blades and a couple of pieces of brass sheet I was instructed to saw straight lines. Sounds simple doesn’t it? (more…)
If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, what would a diamond’s be?
Out of the four C’s – carat, colour, cut and clarity, hands down cut would win. In fact, some diamond graders consider cut to be worth 50% of a diamond’s value. While everyone gossips about the carat weight in an engagement ring they really should be impressed with (more…)
Looking for a gift for a November birthday?
Cushion cut ring by Toronto artist Kathryn Rebecca
Looking for that perfect November birthday gift? Topaz is the traditional stone of choice. It has long been coveted for its deep golden colour and sparkle and is one of the 12 gemstones mentioned in the Book of Revelations. Some say it derives its name from the (more…)
Recently engaged?
Now there is even more to be excited about!
Made You Look wants to give you a pair of beautiful Custom Wedding Bands, made by one of our famous designers!! Valued at up to $3000.00 CND.
Send us your video, or 300-word (or less) story and photo, telling your incredible
engagement story and/or what makes you and your partner such an awesome couple.
Get creative!
On February 28th, 2014, we’ll select 10 finalists who will then duke it out on Facebook for the most “likes”.
The contest is easy and you could walk away with a very special prize that you will cherish forever!
Tell your recently engaged friends!
Send your submissions to : info@madeyoulook.ca
Subject: PUT A RING ON IT
We love this city. We love its people. And everyone loves our beautiful handmade jewellery!
#madeyoulookgood is our campaign to celebrate all of these wonderful things. We thought about doing it exclusively online and then we remembered how awesome real, live people can be. And what do these people want? Free things, of course, and FUN!
On August 1st, we’ll step out into our lovely Parkdale streets and randomly ask a stranger two questions:
1. Do you have Twitter?
2. Do you like wearing pretty things?
This lucky person will get to wear a one-of-a-kind-RING designed by Ashley Winnington Ball, a Toronto-based artist, while going about their normal—or not so normal—life. We don’t like releasing our babies into the wild without accountability. Accompanying the ring, you’ll find an identity card. It asks that you share at least one (1) tweet, throughout the day, that explains what kind of adventure our ring had using the #madeyoulookgood hashtag. Tweets will be PG13 preferably. But get creative, you sassy wonder, you. If you see this contest as an opportunity to complete that grade 12 photo essay you skipped, go wild! Photos, videos, whatever. You can tweet from the perspective of the ring, or use your own fine thoughts! Just share the journey.
The only catch is that before the clock strikes 12 am, you must hand the ring off to another stranger by asking those same two key questions above.
Then we’ll all sit back and watch as our lil beauty makes its way around this bumping city, by searching #madeyoulookgood.
Pay it forward is a concept we love to keep alive in our vocabulary. Did we mention that you’ll also get a 25% discount off your next purchase just by participating? You deserve it!
Xo
Made You Look
Goblet – Brass and Glass, Prop made for a movie
Price – N/A
Visit the Custom Design Gallery on the Made You Look website to see a sample of our creations.