Everyone Loves Arm Candy

Everyone loves arm candy, it's easy and fun to pile it all on; real and faux! There are no rules, there is no rhyme or reason; it's what you think looks great together.  It is a fantastic and creative way to mix your favorite precious jewelry with your fun, trendy jewels.

We heart Kim, she LOVES the stack em bracelet - she piles it on everyday!

http://www.robertachiarella.com/store/item.php?sku=rc816

http://www.eatsleepwear.com/2014/01/06/sequin-stems/

Comin' down a chimney near you

It's almost time! Robertacharella.com has broken records with our 'embrace' collection and we're just thrilled. So many people ordered some items they literally sold out. But fear not, one of our best sellers, the chunky necklace, is available and ready to ship. You've got just a couple of days, we will rush out our orders on Monday 12/19 to get it to you before Christmas. After that, well, in a pinch I've wrapped up a photo of the item and given it when the actual gift is late so I'll leave it to your imagination.



The Swarovski Star at Rockefeller Center NYC



But you've probably gotten cousin Diane and her beautiful daughter Carly their gifts, the presents for your friends Linda and Binty are already in the mail to their homes. So treat yourself to something while it's on sale! In the winter you have so many opportunities to wear great earrings and necklaces, think bold when it comes to jewelry.



Get some sparkly big jewelry to go with this sweater!



If you've got a reindeer sweater to wear (thanks, aunt Elsie) get something colorful and sparkly to draw attention to your jewelry! Nobody will notice a tiny delicate earring, so get something fantastic like the 'larger paisley' or angie earring. You don't want a little necklace to hide under your scarves, your winter fashion jewelry ought to be big to be seen, so take a look at a statement necklace. You can wear the Brava Bib necklace with a red blouse and look festive and fantastic!



Chunky Necklace featured in InStyle!



When you gather with family, antique and estate jewelry always looks great, especially when Aunt Lorraine will be wearing a bracelet she bought in 1955 that looks amazing. What you can do is pick up our Moonstone Earrings, these beauties are made from stones I found in the basement of our jewelry factory which has been in the same family for generations. These beautiful stones were probably purchased in 1950 and there weren't a lot of them so I took them all. When these sell out that's it so get a pair today. 

New York City Christmastime

When you're done shopping take a deep breath and relax. Soon it'll be Christmas and hopefully you've been invited to spend some time with family and friends. It's been a long year and finally we get to enjoy a couple of quiet weeks and holidays. May you and yours enjoy good health, peace and prosperity in the coming year, thank you all for your support. Ciao!

Gift with Purchase!

 

the Queen that Queens is named for

Hi, everybody. Finally blogger's recent 'technical difficulties' have been resolved, and I am the new owner of a 'password recovery system' so if this problem happens again, I won't lose access to this blog. Hopefully! I also backed it up, which I never knew I could or should do. Just in case you lost access, it's easier when you're a follower- so I suggest you join, and get as many friends to join to as you can.

It's been a Queens weekend, after all the royal wedding stuff I just felt like I ought to spend some time at the old homestead in Queens, NY! Our county is actually named for an english Queen, Catherine of Braganza, who didn't spend a lot of time on the throne with her king, Charles II in the late 1600's. I didn't find too many images of her, and so we're not getting a Queen Catherine necklace any time soon! The Kate's necklace is a genuine hit, those earrings she wore during the royal wedding are available on the website now too!

Our super-hit this week has been the vintage look, People StyleWatch features Blake Lively in our Vintage Fan Drop Earrings, a wonderfully sparkly, fun earring we've got in three colors. It's in the 'under 100' collection and qualifies for FREE SHIPPING, so take a look!

The rest of my vintage items this weekend were all sold yesterday, at the annual Douglas Manor all-neighborhood mega garage sale! This is a once-a-year event, all the neighbors put out their finest new and old garage sale stuff and part of the proceeds goes to the garden club to help keep the neighborhood looking pretty. 

Follow the signs on every tree in town!


I couldn't resist making sure OUR sale was the best, so we whipped up some Swarovski Crystal earrings to give to each customer as a gift with purchase. Yes, if you bought my brothers old soldering iron from the 1970's, or my Mom's ancient (and sort of funny looking) horse statue, you got some roberta chiarella earrings with your purchase!

It was a great way to spend a nice spring day, meet the neighbors and chat and eat pizza and sell and sell and sell. I just can't figure out why nobody bought the wine glasses but they fought over the purple and green picnic table plates, but hey, I only try to guess hot jewelry trends, not people's taste in garage sale stuff. It was a great day and we all had fun. Bye-Bye, Schwinn Bicycle, I enjoyed owning you for so many years!



Blakes earrings- much better than garage sale vintage!

 We capped off the day with a great dinner at BKNY, our bestest, tastiest, spiciest thai restaurant in town. Thanks to Joe, Thomas, Donna, Denise and my honey, Brian, it turned out to be a surprise birthday party for yours truly. Yes, Friday the 13th is a lucky day in the Chiarella family and I was so happy we all had such a good time. Ciao!

A picture's worth a thousand words

People in my family know that it takes a lot to make me speechless,but when I opened up the April issue of ALLURE- I was overwhelmed by this beautiful photo. This Moonstone Bracelet was featured with a beautiful model wearing them! There's an interesting story behind this item, is made with vintage Swarovski stones that date from the 1950's. On a visit to our factory in Providence, RI we always wander around the storage rooms and other nooks and crannies. The jewelry factory has been in the owners family for many, many years and they've accumulated a few stones that were never used by designers, or ordered because they were too nice to pass up, but nobody designed the right setting for them. Well, I saw these crystals and knew that they'd make a great bracelet.



Moonstone Bracelets

They were expensive back in the '50's  but they're worth it, being of the highest quality and in perfect condition (sitting in a padded box for over 40 years. Like diamonds, they certainly just get more beautiful with age. It turns out there were enough to make bracelets in 4 colors, we decided to use a hinged bangle so it would fit right, and made the drawings and prototype so the amazing artisans in Rhode Island could turn them into the beauties you see here. They are obviously available in limited quantities, we're not gonna get these stones again so if you want this beauty, now's the time. Of course we'll ship them free and I'm sure you'll love them as much as the Allure editors did.

checkerboard necklace- $58

You know, even though I have been designing for a while I still get very emotional when I see my work in a magazine. It is such an honor to be picked, here in New York magazine editors have dozens of designers to choose from, they can walk down Fifth or Madison Avenue and see a hundred bracelets in shop windows on the way to get coffee. So, when they called and asked to borrow a couple for this photo shoot, and featured us with a credit, I needed more than coffee!

Dorothy

The other thing you've got to see is the new RC2 Escape Collection. These are going to be the hottest things as the weather is heating up! Look at the necklaces, they are beautiful, and in both gold and silver so you can choose your favorite look. We've got many affordable pieces, one of my favorites is the Dorothy earring, amazingly priced at $28 and available in 3 colors.

Of course we've got a promo code, just type in ESCAPE10 on our new shopping cart and any one item will be reduced by $10! For orders over $75 we ship free, too. Many of these pieces were inspired by the trend, or craze that's going around the fashion world of using these lucite-like resins, they are shiny, easy to take care of and the colors are just brilliant. Enjoy! Ciao.

Fashion's Night Out

What a great idea- get the entire fashion industry, from Macy's to Henri Bendel to that little boutique in Greenwich Village to stay open till midnight on a friday night. Have all of these places provide music, food, drinks and display their newest, hottest and most fashionable attire in a coctail party setting. It sounds like a  movie, but it was REAL, and (of course) we were there!

In Queens, the stores of the Queens Center Mall were all participating, of course you've got to take the subway to get there, so the models have their subway maps in hand to navigate their way over.

Models on their way to the subway!

 Last year saw Anna Wintour over there, this year the Swarovski shop had a great event along there. In Greenwich Village, the fashionistas spilled out onto the sidewalks, so many boutiques were packed with happy shoppers and folks enjoying the festive atmosphere. I was at our flagship outlet, Henri Bendel on Fifth Avenue, where the place was decorated and oh-so wonderful. Even though people came to see me, I got to see some of my favorite designers as well. Do I look happy to be with Allison Overbeke and Alex Woo or what!
And, the hit of the evening was the Ken doll collection, except those hot guys in the windows weren't dolls! They were probably not too comfortable in those boxes but they were really cute. After a couple of glasses of wine, the photo could be sharper, but you get the idea. Unbelievable!

The Roberta Chiarella design counter is on the second floor, and in Bendel's it is a big atrium, here's the view from my perch! We had a great time, and our jewelry was admired, desired, and purchased by lots of happy fashionable New Yorkers.

Then, before you knew it, it was midnight and time to go home. Much to our surprise, the models escorted the partiers and shoppers down Fifth Avenue in a parade of umbrellas!

It was a really great night, coming in the middle of Fashion Week (now at Lincoln Center) and on a beautiful summer evening. I hope you enjoy the pics, and we'll have more fashion week items in the next post. Ciao!

It's my lucky day

Friday the 13th. I was born on Friday the 13th, so it's not unlucky for me. But for lots of people it is a day to worry about. I went to a meeting today, the office building I visited did not have a 13th floor. At my brother's hospital, there are no rooms with #13. In Paris, if you are at a dinner party in a restaurant, the place will supply (for a fee, I suppose) a 14th guest!

I checked and checked our website, robertachiarella.com to make sure no jewelry is priced at $13. We haven't checked all the inventory, but if you have concerns, Elizabeth or Jose will be happy to count the number of Swarovski crystals on whatever you've ordered, if there are 13 we can always change to a different style. Our Flower Bud bracelet is in Bridal Guide (on the cover no less!!) and has 28 beautiful crystals, so it' safe.

So don't worry too much about the day, it's the third friday the 13th this year, which is unusual. We were too busy laughing to be afraid of the day once we saw what you call people who have a fear of friday the 13th. It's called friggatriskaidekaphobia! Ciao!

whats new?

New York is starting to heat up for summer, although you'd never know it from the weather. It's been so rainy we all feel moldy! I've been spending as much time outside as I can, getting some exercise and taking long walks with my pups all over manhattan. It is one way for me to get some inspiration- New York is full of tourists and you want to see what they are wearing. It's funny, in the past you could tell who the tourists were by the fact that they were so well dressed, in smart, modern european fashions.

These days, the guidebooks must be telling potential tourists that baggy pants and t-shirts are just fine. Maybe on the weekends, or at the Bronx Zoo, but midtown Manhattan is full of business people who, for the most part are a pretty fashionable bunch.

I just love meeting people visiting the city, so many come to my jewelry counter at Henri Bendel, we get some time to chat and I can show off my newest designs. I've met a few brides-to-be, thanks to the great press from Brides Magazine, The Knot and Modern Bride; my jewelry is featured in the issues on the newsstands today. Brides today want something 'super special' for themselves and their bridal party, and I've just started selling the grand super nova earring that really fits the bill.

It's an elaborate earring made with a micropave treatment of the swarovski crystals on the cage of the earring and it is stunning. These tiny swarovski crystals are so beautiful and sparkly, and micropave is a technique that you won't find from many designers, it is quite hard to make. The larger stones are inspired by the current trends in wedding and engagement rings, these are the most popular cuts and shapes out there today.

So, whatever ring the bride might be wearing, these earrings will complement it for sure. There are also some fun new items now available, the lucky 7 bangles is the perfect summer bracelet and comes as a set of 7 to give you the look that is so hot these days. We made it with many colors of stones so it's impossible not to find one you'll just love.

If you want to see some really outlandish beads and stones, be sure to head over to Coney Island. Today is the annual Mermaid Parade, it's sort of our answer to Mardi Gras. You won't believe the costumes, and the crowd goes wild when they see so many people dressed up as exotic sea creatures. There are lots of floats too, as it is undeniably hard to walk when you have fins where your legs would normally be! Check out this only in New York event, today at Coney Island, Harvey Keitel is the parade king this year. We hope to be out there with our cameras, see you there! Ciao.

Happy Spring

It's april 16th, and the annual income-tax-filing ordeal is finished. I always try to file early when I am expecting a refund, and file on the last day if I have to pay. This year, it's a refund, and I actually got my little check a couple of weeks ago. The amount wasn't enough to save, so I spent it on our easter dinner.
We had a great family affair, lots of food and good company. The easter bunny made an appearance, and my brother baked an easter cake. This cake mold belonged to either my grandmother or my great-aunt, and had been gathering dust for eons, but thanks to the internet he found the perfect recipe and the lamb cake, sitting on green coconut grass, was a big hit!

New York is greening up, the flower bulbs on the park avenue islands are starting to bloom, and the pear trees that line so many of our streets are covered with pretty white blossoms. The stores are having sales like you wouldn't believe, trying to get some business even though most of us are scared to spend. The tourists visiting manhattan have another view, and see the city as one big bargain. I always wonder how they can buy so much, unless they fly an airline that doesn't charge outrageous fees for extra suitcases!

We've been working overtime in the studio, shipping out our "angie" earrings and rings as fast as the factory gets them here from Rhode Island. Bob is doing such a great job with these beautiful swarovski crystals! Who would have thought these items would be so popular, but considering the images we have of Angelina Jolie at the Academy Awards, I am not surprised.
Of course, it's a new season now, and the spring jewelry has gone out to the stores and the website is featuring the newest items, along with our mother's day collection. My mother always told me to 'watch your money' but never followed her own advice- you should have seen her jewelry box! In that vein, I wanted to offer really nice stuff at a price that makes it easy to buy something great for mom. At these prices, you can buy a few things and treat yourself as well as mom.

In my family, we don't really go for the idea that "it's the thought that counts", our moms want presents! This is not exactly in keeping with the origin of mothers day. In 1912, a woman named Anna Jarvis trademarked the phrases "second Sunday in May" and "Mother's Day", and created the Mother's Day International Association. Ms. Jarvis used her powers as the creator of the modern mother's day to travel around the country and give speeches against the commercial nature of the day.

She sounds like a real grouch, and was against most of the mother's day things we do now, saying that sending a greeting card "means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world". She wasn't keen on candy either, saying "you take a box to Mother—and then eat most of it yourself". She didn't mention that giving jewelry was a bad idea, so that's what I recommend. You can't eat it, it won't get thrown away a few days later and it will make your mom (or yourself) look and feel great on May 10th. You know, Anna, I'm fine with that. Ciao.

omg, what a day to be on tv

It's scary to watch all these crazy things going on, wall street rescues, credit crunches, and my own bank is now owned by some other bank. The stock market was up, but now it's down, everybody seems confused. But, today was HSN day for me, with two shows featuring some new designs. Of all days, so much news made it hard to concentrate. It is hard not to love the incredible earrings, customers were so positive it made me feel great My journey to HSN studios in Florida featured an uneventful flight compared to my last one. The studios are upgrading to HDTV, and for the first time I wore the special makeup that is used for the high definition cameras. There are some talented makeup artists there, and lots of airbrushing! I was amazed that they apply colors and textures that we would never use to go out on the street, but with these lights and cameras the makeup comes out just right. The people who work with the on-air talent and us vendors are all a pleasure to work with, and lots of viewers and callers liked the products I brought to show. I am thrilled to be able to have my designs available in the HSN marketplace.

We had the baroque ruffle earring featured, this is a creation that I worked on for Swarovski. The people at Swarovski commisioned a select few designers from around the world to create something special to kick off the Crystallized Swarovski Elements brand. My Baroque Ruffle was chosen, and will be part of this promotion that will be unveiled in New York soon. It was just unbelievable to be able to offer this on HSN, and the viewers loved the piece.

You can see this one and the whole jewelry collection on the hsn.com website. With all that has been going on, I am so glad that I decided to work with HSN, doing so makes my stuff available to more people at a better price than at some retail stores. Take a look at a couple of the clips that HSN posted on Youtube, hope you like them.