We have many new items in store and we would love to help you find something special for your Mum.  To make sure you get your presents on time we will be upgrading our standard shipping to express shipping  - for free (Australia only). We are also offering free gift wrap and a gift card, our cut off date is Wednesday 8 May at 3pm (WST), to ensure you get your presents in time for Mother’s Day.

Just in case you don’t know what to get your Mum we are offering 10% of our Gift Certificates, this offer is available up until the 11 May; if you are running late we can email your Gift Certificate to your Mum!  Please contact the store to find out how you can redeem this offer.

My best wishes

Image R (top left clockwise):  Cross your heart ring and Wings earrings by Flick Pope, Oke Doke earrings by Flick Pope, Amethyst – Image earrings by Caroline Bassett, Sea Lace necklace by Louise Douglas and Carmen and Pearl necklace by Mary Odorcic.

Gift Guides:

Elegance

MONOCHROME LOVE

We have some awesome new rings by Shauna Mayben, these rings are a part of her ‘Penny for Your Thoughts’ Collection.  Shauna uses 100% upcycled sterling silver, so you can enjoy wearing these stunning rings and feel good about it too!

Image Above: Swan Queen Ring, Image Below, Florabunda Ring, Flourish Ring

It goes without saying that any day that celebrates the nurturers, care-givers, and creators of life, is a special one.

“It takes some one really brave to be a mother, someone strong to raise a child and someone special to love someone more than herself.” – Lilly

In celebration of Mother’s Day, we are pleased to offer the following (available until the 10th May):

• free gift wrap
• all purchases over $100, will receive a free Brazilet**
• all Australian orders will be upgraded to overnight delivery.

Happy Mother’s Day!
Charmaine xox

** please indicate your colour choice with a backup option, we will do our best to meet your first colour choice.

Image (R): A trio of sublime shades of blue by Katie Diamond, Dew Drop Pendant, Tala hand wrapped Necklace and Aqua Rose

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

It’s always a pleasure to present a selection of gift ideas for Mother’s Day, and I am confident that there is something special in store for the significant women in your life (including you!).

Image Above: Halo Necklace by Jose Marin.  This beautiful necklace has an enchanting combination of fine silver (99% silver), freshwater pearls and crystal quartz.  Each element has been gently hand wrapped in fine silver.

Image below From top L to R clockwise:

• Double Lily Pad Earrings by Rebecca Overmann: Rebecca’s work is best described as elegant minimalism, these earrings are just that, with the luxe richness of 18ct gold fused to sterling silver.
• The Divine by Jose Marin:  This lovely ‘boho’ styled pendant can be easily worn long or short, a great wardrobe staple for winter, made in fine silver (99% silver) with a leather cord.
• Peacock Pendant by Priya Himatsingka: this pendant has the triple factor: sumptuous, glamorous and appealing, good to go from day to night.  Priya crafts this pendant from bi-metal – 22ct gold fused to sterling silver, and for a stylish contrast, she finishes the look with an oxidised sterling silver chain.
• Heart in Hand Bangle by Felicity Pope: this romantic and gorgeous sterling silver and brass heart bangle, evokes the strong spirit of motherhood – giving with all your heart.
• Laurel Wreath Ring by Priya Himatsingka: soft, floaty and ethereal, this sterling silver ring hugs your finger gently and adds a luminous highlight to your hand.

Spring is nearly here and the first big family gathering in our social diary is Father’s Day, so I thought it would be a good time to highlight the fun, funky and highly desirable cufflinks we have in store.

There are all sorts of handcrafted cufflinks, miniature treasures to give to your Dad as a special present this Father’s Day.

To help you choose, I have put together a list of cufflinks and matched them to the many varied and different personality types of the Dad’s out there.  The cuffs are in no particular order but there is a lot of choice to suit your Dad or any of the special men in your life.

Sporty Dad, loves his footy and cooking where there is danger involved (like the BBQ)! Sterling silver Football Cuffs by Felicity Peters, Western Australia

Map Dad, adventurer & explorer.  Map Cuffs: Oxidised sterling silver cuffs, with remnants of maps from yesteryear and perspex by Clare Hillerby, Scotland.

Creative Dad, likes to be different and thinks outside of the box.  Circle Cuffs: sterling silver, Chiyogami hand pressed paper, Resin by Susan Fleming, U.S.A

Do It Yourself Dad, loves his shed and is a true handyman (just ask him and he will tell you!).  Corrugated Cuffs: sterling silver by Felicity Peters, Western Australia.

Current Affairs Dad, loves the news, travelling, ‘TOP GEAR’ and using the GPS.  Post and Map Cuffs:  Oxidised sterling silver, remnants of maps and postcards from yesteryear, perspex by Clare Hillerby.

Sun, Surf and Sea Dad, loves to sail, windsurf, swim, surf and enjoys hanging at the beach.  Sail Cuffs: Sterling silver by Felicity Peters, Western Australia

Collector Dad: loves to scour wine shops for back vintages, car yards, bike shops, antique stores and car yards and collects car magazines.  Three Colours Stamp Cuffs: Blue:  Oxidised sterling silver, stamps from yesteryear, perspex, by Clare Hillerby, Scotland.

Timeless Elegance

It was great to catch up with Rebecca in New York, in February this year, and I relished the opportunity to feast my eyes on her entire range, I am in awe of her skills and the beauty and elegance of her collection. There is a sense of understatement in Rebecca’s work, soft lines silhouette dreamy moonscapes, diamonds are added to highlight and each piece has a tactile quality, a textural finish; it makes you want to reach out and touch, to wear and claim as your own!

Rebecca re-invents and designs jewellery in a way which is not fussy or over the top;  a touch of colour and sparkle - with a champagne (briolette) diamond to a necklace, or a sprinkling of diamonds to 14ct gold or sterling silver,  her work is highly polished and luminous. Rebecca also uses bi-metal in her pieces, for example, her double lily pad earrings are made of 18ct gold, fused to sterling silver, this reduces the price point and gives you the luxe of gold but not at a solid gold price.

Lobo Luxe stocks one of her Rebecca’s favourite bangle designs from her collection, the ‘Spine Bangles; she wears them in a stack -of different metals and finishes - as shown in the image below.

We have some new work of Rebecca’s in store including the Full Moon & Diamond Ring (shown above top right), the Celestial Flower with diamond pendant (shown above lower right), the 14ct Gold Full Moon & Diamond Ring (shown image below ), the 14ct Water Circle Necklace with Champagne Briolette Diamond (shown image below) and Spine Bangles (shown image below).

Below is an interview with Rebecca, you will find out that she is passionate about designing and making jewellery and is obsessed with rough diamonds; more power to her  - I say!

Charmaine: What led you to jewellery design?
Rebecca: I started Savannah College of Art & Design as a photography student — by chance, I signed up for a beginning studio class in jewellery as an elective. In this first class, I found that I really enjoyed creating dimensional objects (probably more than I enjoyed creating photographs), and got caught up in all the excitement of the contemporary jewellery movement that was happening in the US at that time — artists like Thomas Mann, Paloma Picasso, and of course my first teacher, Julie Mihalisin (who also happens to own the very first piece of jewellery I made). In retrospect, I think what I was first drawn to, was that at the end of the day, I could wear what I had created — I love the idea of an ornament or decoration that’s both an accessory and an art object.

Charmaine: What inspires / influences you?
Rebecca: Ultimately, I’m most influenced by natural forms — rather than designing pieces that are literal representations, I tend to create pieces that are loosely based on reality rather than something specific. I’ve also found myself a little inspired (obsessed might be a better word) with raw diamonds. I can appreciate the perfectly cut stones we’re all used to seeing, but for me the imperfections and array of colors in the raw and antique cut stones are infinitely more interesting.

Charmaine: How would you describe your collection?
Rebecca: I’m not interested in ‘fussy’ jewellery — too much detail and clutter. My collection is about form and function — something inspired and interesting, that someone would feel comfortable wearing everyday. When I create new pieces, it’s important that they ‘say something’ about the process and inspiration, but also that they could end up as that favourite piece that never sees the inside of a jewellery box.

Charmaine: How do you plan your collection, ie how do you decide on themes and does one inform the other – are there links?
Rebecca: I wish I could say that my collection is planned, but it’s really more a series of happy accidents, a lot of trial and error, and maybe even a little intuition. Most of my great ideas come in the weeks before a show or a new collection is launched — my instinct and the reaction of buyers, customers and friends steers me towards the creation of a larger body of work. As far as themes and connections in my collection, the more I create, the more I believe that everything I do is related — the themes of texture, mixing of metals and stones, and a love of things in their raw form are evident in all of my work.

Charmaine: Do you share your workspace ?  How would you describe it – organised or organic?
Rebecca: I’m lucky to have a beautiful (and spacious) studio space in a great neighbourhood (in San Francisco)— sure I have to contend with the occasional leaky roof, but I can’t imagine a better place to be. I’d say that structured chaos describes my studio fairly well — I’m a bit of a neat freak, but as an artist, those two parts of my personality frequently do battle. If I had it my way, I’d be at the bench full time. I currently share with another designer which provides a little bit of a reality check once in a while, and of course keeps me from turning into a hermit.

Charmaine: What are your passions outside jewellery?
Rebecca: What do you mean ‘outside jewellery’?

Charmaine: What tips would you give on how to wear jewellery?
Rebecca: This is a pretty personal question — it’s a different answer for everyone, so I can really only speak as to how to wear my jewellery : )  Everyone has a couple pieces that are those ‘special occasion pieces’ — maybe because they’re a statement, or maybe they’re sentimental. For everything else, I like the idea of wearing it every day. Wear it in the garden, to work, or out to dinner. The greatest compliment is when someone comes back to me and says that their ring needs some cleaning or repair — because they never take it off and it got little scuffed while they were out pulling weeds. The thing I try to show my customers, is that the jewellery should belong to them — it should become a part of their own signature look — and that they don’t need a piece of jewellery to define themselves.

Charmaine’s Note: Does anyone wear  jewellery to do their gardening?  Clearly the lovely Ms Overmann has not read the Lobo Luxe care of jewellery section ; )

The image above includes a picture of Rebecca and her studio in San Francisco.

Inspired by Nature

Inspired by the forest and sea, Louise Douglas from Nelson New Zealand, shares with us her passion for jewellery and gives us an insight into her collection.

Louise’s work has a strong feminine aesthetic, softly formed pieces that echo organic shapes found in the forest or beach.  It is charmingly nostalgic, reminiscent of holidays, sun, sand and surf.  Her work also reflects a gentle tactile quality, a feature that resonates beautifully with Lobo Luxe clients.

There are some new stunning pieces from Louise’s collection in store: the Leaf Lariat, Leaf Earrings and the Branch Bangle/Peacock.

Louise tells us more about her inspiration and her collection:

LL: What led you to jewellery design?

Louise: I have been fascinated with jewellery since I was a little girl, my mother and grandmother both loved jewellery and I was always digging through their jewellery boxes and dressing up. So, I started making jewellery when I was 18 years old and selling it to fashion and design stores throughout New Zealand. I then moved to New York when I was 21 and started to work as a designer for large fashion jewellery houses. I took a few classes along the way, but really I learnt most of my skills on the job or from experimentation.

LL: What inspires / influences you?

Louise: I have always been inspired by the intricacies of the ocean and the natural world in general. I love art and fashion too, but the truth is what I am always most inspired by stems from nature in some way.  I look at a lot of old scientific botanical style drawings when I design but I stylise things to fit my aesthetic. The main aim of my work is for people to feel closer to the beauty of nature when they wear it.

LL: How would you describe your collection?

Louise: Feminine, delicate, nature inspired, unique, personal, fashionable, yet timeless!

LL: How do you plan your collection, i.e. how do you decide on themes and does one inform the other – are there links?

Louise: I might see a plant or a texture or a scientific drawing of something organic and it will inspire me to build a collection around it.  I see jewellery possibilities in a lot of the natural things I find out there. So from here I start with a few rough sketches of how the collection will look as a whole and then I do a finer sketch for the carving – which I make from wax. I then create wax moulds and casts using the lost was casting process.

LL: Do you share your workspace?  How would you describe it – organised or organic?

Louise: I have a workshop at the back of my home which it is surrounded by mountains and native birds that sing away all day! I am a typical messy artist but I can usually find everything in my studio when I need it.

I also work at a local workshop in town. It is a great place to chat with other jeweller’s and get feedback etc. I sell my work there too, so it is a good way to keep in contact with some of my clients. I am a really social person and sometimes jewellery can be a bit of a lonely profession so being part of a greater community of jewellers and artists is really important for me. Nelson is great for that.

LL: What are your passions outside jewellery?

Louise: I like to abstract paint and do arts and crafts. I also love movies and the outdoors. On my days off I like to go second-hand shopping with my mum and sister. They just opened a cool little vintage shop up the road from me!

LL: What tips would you give on how to wear jewellery?

Louise: I love long earrings but sometimes people are afraid to wear them…I think they can frame your face, lengthen your neck and just make you look glamorous in general. Sometimes it pays it to move a little out of your comfort zone when it comes to jewellery. Experiment and have fun, it will get you noticed and add interest to your style with only a little effort and risk. You’re worth it!

Image below: clockwise starting from lower left – Leaf Lariat, Long Sea Lace Necklace, Leaf Earrings, Caviar Ring, Sea Lace Ring, Branch Bangle – Peacock and Caviar Necklace.

Thought I’d let you know that the Wave Bangle, with the straight smooth band, is now in stock.  The Wave Bangle is a stunning piece of jewellery by Perth’s very own,  internationally renowned, Felicity Peters.

The Bangle has been a very popular item in the store, so for those who are thinking about getting one for Christmas, be quick!

The idea behind my store was to present a range of collections that are unique and not easily accessible to women who are time poor or would need to travel great distances, to find that special something.

Looking through the store I hope you have noticed there is a diversity of design, every designer/jeweller has a different approach to creating pieces to adorn the body.

Adding to the diversity of the store, and the list of great Australian designers at Lobo Luxe, is collection of works by Shauna Mayben.   Shauna’s work has a strong narrative behind each piece and she believes that jewellery is more than just a ‘bauble to adorn’.

Shauna tells her story through her pieces: whether it be the impact of money on our lives in the “Money Makes the World Go Round” range; the sentimental connection we have to photographs – in her “Antique Photo” range; the romance in “He Whispered Sweet Nothings in Her Ears” earrings; or in her signature Locket pendants – with a hidden gemstone, these pieces further highlight her skill and craftsmanship, Shauna refers to them as “precious vessels for treasures to reside in”, a contemporary twist on lockets from yesteryear.

Not only is her work beautifully made but it also has a strong sustainable element, and this was recently recognised when she received the Tasmanian Government’s Bricolage Design Prize, for environmentally sustainable products.

Shauna prides herself in using 100% recycled silver, and upcycling industrial off cuts, rescuing abandoned photographs, diverting materials from landfill and making wearable pieces that don’t cost the earth.

I hope you enjoy Shauna’s collection and maybe you will add your story to one of her pieces by making it your own….please see her range at Lobo Luxe

I have just added a charming and delicate collection of necklaces by Yasuko Azuma.  I love the intricate detail of the pieces, the brushed finish of the pendants, the combination of  gold and silver, and the delightful sprinkling of diamonds and semi-precious stones.