Come by for a private showing

05 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by annecarsondesign in Shop Anne Carson

Clients who can’t make the trunk shows are always welcome to drop by my workbench and see what I’m creating before it debuts in the newsletter, or joins the next trunk show, or finds a spot in the online shop.

Just email me for an appointment over the summer – info@annecarsondesign.com — I’d love to see you.

A light, versatile chain finished with a baroque pearl and three amethysts in different sizes.

Two necklaces layered for impact. The sterling silver chain with a large, decorative lobster clasp has two pendants. A big, showy pale blue aquamarine and smaller version of the same stone.

It’s paired with a rope turquoise beads finished with a larger pieces of turquoises and quartz, accented with silver beads.

A big, bold, silver link chain with eye-catching pendants. A faceted moss green aquamarine; and antique Roman coin; and a sterling silver plated vintage Italian key.

Few necklaces have as much impact as this collar of cranberry-red garnet briolettes.

That’s just the pieces I’ve had time to photograph. For more new pieces, including bracelets and earrings, sign up for my newsletter here.

Theodora in charge

17 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by annecarsondesign in Amusements

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theodora

Be warned: Theodora is running the shop while I’m in Hong Kong on a pearl safari, June 19 to July 2.

I have many good things to say about Theodora, who is an excellent model. Patient. Uncomplaining. She is also an excellent co-worker since she’s not too chatty. But if I’m being completely honest I have to admit she is just dreadful at filling orders.

So if you need anything – wedding sets, gifts for grads, birthday presents – I suggest you order them before I leave June 19. I won’t be back to work until July 2.

You can send emails with the request directly to me, or via the shop, all through June. But good luck getting Theodora to wrap it up and send it to you. Really, I have no idea what she does when I’m away.

Maybe she’s growing a little vain? Her first ad is getting some attention.

Statement necklaces for every day

24 Sunday May 2015

Posted by annecarsondesign in statement necklaces

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anne carson design, everyday necklaces, statement necklaces

While I love to see my necklaces swan off to glamourous parties and fundraisers, that wasn’t why I began making them.

I started designing unique pieces for myself as a way of elevating what I called my work uniform – some variation on dark jeans and a white shirt. I was one of those ironically named stay-at-home moms. Ironic, because of course I was never home. I was ferrying children around between school and activities. Running the endless errands that go into managing a family home. And running my own part-time photography business.

So I was looking for statement necklaces that would take me from 7 a.m. to midnight and make me feel I was dressed like a grown-up. I wanted real silver, real pearls, and real gemstones since I think plastic beads and crystals are for children playing dress-up.

And today, most of my customers choose my jewellery for the same reason I did: they want to give their work clothes a distinctive, personal look that will take them from that first breakfast meeting to an evening at the theatre.

You’ll find a fine selection of statement necklaces for everyday at my online shop.

Better than a commemorative tattoo

21 Thursday May 2015

Posted by annecarsondesign in gifts

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GIFTS, grads, pearls

At this time of year I know that many of my pieces are destined to be grad gifts but one of my favourite commissions was a request from a mom for a group grad gift.

Her daughter ran with a posse of five girls who had all been friends since elementary school. The Five Musketeers were due to split up after high school, leaving for different universities, travelling, and work, and they wanted a memento of their time together.

Tattoos were not out of the question. Mom wanted to forestall that, too.

Jewellery has always been used as a talisman, so she thought matching earrings would be just the thing to remind the girls of their friends as well as marking their entry into adult life.

So I made a jewellery wardrobe staple for these young women: pearl drop earrings. Classic, creamy pearls with a silver bead.

I do endless variations on this earring, in different shades of pearls, since it has always been one of my bestsellers. They suit everyone, go with everything, and aren’t so big that they get in the way of using the phone. Still, they’re eye-catching; substantial enough to wear in the evenings but delicate enough for someone young. And they’re affordable, with prices beginning at $55 depending on the size of the pearls and the silver beads.

Classic round white pearls.

White baroque pearls have an interesting shape that’s a nice alternative to classic rounds.

But perhaps the loveliest thing about them is that real freshwater pearls and high quality sterling silver will last forever. Pearl drop earrings are timeless, which means these young women will still have those sentimental earrings in their jewellery boxes 50 years from now.

And a bonus: 50 years from now, pearls and silver will look way, way better than a tattoo.

My pearl drops range in price from $30 to $160 a pair, depending on the size and rarity of the freshwater pearls and the silver beads. You’ll find lots of these in the shop, but if you’re interested in a group gift let me know, so I can make sure I have enough matched pearls.

Blush baroque pearls and sterling silver accent beads.

You can find more pearl earrings in the shop or if you have something specific in mind, contact me and I’ll create some pearl earrings just for you.

May 4 is Audrey Hepburn Day

04 Monday May 2015

Posted by annecarsondesign in Audrey Hepburn Day, Pearls, Screen Inspirations

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Audrey Hepburn, Elegant necklaces, pearls, Screen Inspirations, Two Bossy Dames

It’s Audrey Hepburn Day. No, that’s not official. But today, May 4, is Hepburn’s birthday and in 2014, on what would have been her 85th, she got her very own Google Doodle. Now a Vancouver film critic named John Lekich is proposing we declare it her day permanently. And no less an authority than the Two Bossy Dames are calling today #MayTheAudrey in Twitter.

I’m in!

Not least because no one wore pearls quite like Audrey.

I saw Breakfast at Tiffany’s for the first time when I was about 15 and I remember thinking, “Why does no one make necklaces like that any more?”

Of course, I completely overlooked what she did to pay for those pearls. But the idea of bold, beautiful statement necklaces stayed with me, and years later I began designing them myself.

My sons might disagree, but I think Audrey film lovers have at least as much claim on the day as the Star Wars fanatics. Although they do have the best pun – May the 4^th Be With You.

And I particularly like Mr. Lekich’s proposal for how we should celebrate Audrey Hepburn Day. By going window shopping at lunch, buying flowers, and being extra kind to everyone.

That’s a fine idea.

I would add that today we should wear pearls. But then, I always think that.

~ Anne

Symbols of Love on Mothers Day

03 Sunday May 2015

Posted by annecarsondesign in gifts, MOTHERS DAY

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GIFTS, LOVE, MOTHERS DAY, TALISMAN

Jewellery has always been used to celebrate love. From a baby’s first silver locket, to a good engraved watch, to wedding rings, these pieces aren’t just pretty decorations, they’re a reminder of those we love.

Gifts of jewellery often become a sort of talisman that helps keep us connected to our loved ones.

May 10 is Mothers Day — the perfect time to give an enduring symbol of love. A pearl necklace or some amethyst earrings last forever, and will become a regular reminder of what your mom means to you and a family heirloom for generations to come.

Shop AnneCarsonDesign.com to see a full range of pieces. Much of my work is limited edition and many pieces are one-of-a-kind, so I can’t guarantee you’ll find the pieces you see here. But you may well find something you like even better.

I hope you have a lovely Mothers Day.

~ Anne

Wedding keepsakes

24 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by annecarsondesign in Trunk show, Weddings

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pearls, shop anne carson

One of the joys of my job is seeing how my pieces become keepsakes.

Brides looking for long-lasting mementoes of the big day often find their way to my workshop, so every year I do a wide range of pearl statement necklaces ideal for finishing a strapless gown on the day or elevating a boring business suit later.

Jewellery really is the one part of your wedding day outfit that you can wear again and again. And freshwater pearls, semi-precious stones, and sterling silver never lose their beauty, so these necklaces will give joy to the next generation of brides too.

Here are a few pieces from my portfolio that graced the necks of bridal parties.

Freshwater pearl-and-chain necklace with a baroque pearl and vintage coin accents

Pale pink freshwater pearls mixed with sterling silver beads, a rose quartz accent stone and a marcasite clasp.

Blush pink pearls and white meringue pearls mixed with silver and rose quartz.

Faceted white quartz tear drops with a frill of freshwater pearls.

White meringue pearls mixed with silver and moonstone accent.

Grey pearls mixed with lilac amethysts, silver beads, and a marcasite toggle.

Ivory pearls mixed with silver beads, moonstones, and a marcasite toggle.

Pale blush pink pears with a silver bead.

Pink meringue pearls and rose quartz accented with sterling silver.

Blink and it’s gone

16 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by annecarsondesign in New creations, Trunk show

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Granville Island Hotel, sterling silver, trunk show, Vancouver Designers

New customers tell me my jewellery newsletter should come with a warning: “blink and it’s gone.”

So I’m happy to report that I have a few of these heavyweight sterling silver bracelets accented with an antique Roman coin and a phantom quartz, at $325.

But it’s true that many of my pieces are one-of-kind. Like these two necklaces, layered: Baroque pearls with lilac amethyst accent stone and a marcasite toggle clasp, $545. Sterling silver chain with baroque pearl accents and an antique silver coin, $435.

I feel awful having to say something is sold out. While I can sometimes create a variation on the piece in the photograph, the truth is that I can only lay my hands on so many matched amethysts or aquamarines. Often that means making just one fabulous piece.

That’s why only a handful of my designs find their way to the online store. I need to have enough stones to make more than one, which is why this gorgeous collar of sea green chalcedony, $310, is available in the shop. I can still fill these orders.

Even with earrings, I often do only three or four pairs of one design, because I need to have identically matched stones. Since I deal in natural gems and pearls it means that within every strand of turquoise or garnets I buy I can find only a few twins.

For example, there are so few of these delicate, green-hued prehnite and matrix earrings with a silver bead accent, $110, that they will probably be gone before my May 1 trunk show at the Granville Island Hotel. But I can never resist the subtle green stones.

I know it’s frustrating for new customers to hesitate over making a purchase and then decide, only to find the piece they had their hearts set on is gone. But that is exactly why clients come to Anne Carson Design instead of a mass-producer like Tiffany’s. They want to wear something no one else has.

You might find these pieces in the May 1 trunk show. But if you want to snag them before they go for sale at the show or the shop, drop me a note at info@annecarsondesign.com

And please come by my trunk show for a glass of wine and to peruse my latest one-of-kind pieces. You never know what you’ll find.

Trunk Show – Friday May 1, 2015

2 PM – 7 PM

Granville Island Hotel

Trunk Show on May 1, 2015

02 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by annecarsondesign in gifts, Trunk show

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Announcing my spring trunk show

Friday, May 1, 2015

2 p.m – 7 p.m.

Granville Island Hotel

You know you won’t feel like working on a Friday afternoon… So come by for wine and nibbles and to have a look at what I’ve been up to for the last four months.

Lots of aquamarine and turquoise pieces, and other stones in spring’s fashionable blue and green shades, as well as lots of pearls in a range of colours.

And I have plenty of silver chains in different sizes and weights. Those big, bold links are the ideal statement necklaces in summer – eye-catching, without adding a lot of weight. They give a dressed look to even the lightest linen shift or a bare summer frock.

A few of my new creations have found their way to the online shop. But most of the one-of-a-kind pieces will at the show.

Hope to see you there.

Get that turquoise while you can

16 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by annecarsondesign in Fashion for Grown-ups, turquoise

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handcrafted jewellery

If you’re a turquoise fan, you may want to snap up as many of the pieces as possible before they out-price diamonds.

The Smithsonian magazine says turquoise is about to become more rare and costly than the stones known as a girl’s best friend. That’s partly because China, which sells about 75 per cent of the jewellery-quality gems, has called a moratorium on turquoise mining for a minimum of three years. Possibly five.

The gem is found in arid climates, and other sources of turquoise include Iran, Egypt, and the American Southwest – where the mines are almost tapped out. The beautiful turquoise in these earrings came from Arizona’s soon-to-be exhausted Sleeping Beauty mine and you’ll find them in the online shop.

Turquoise is also having a moment in fashion, courtesy of Cate Blanchett’s Oscar outfit. She wore a fabulous collar of turquoise mixed with aquamarines, diamonds, and platinum that popped against a basic black dress no one remembers. This necklace is so costly that the Tiffany’s, which created it, lists the price as “on request.”

Throw in the fact that turquoise is the star stone for spring 2015 — it picks up on the range of blue-green fashion colours anointed by Pantone – and I’m advising everyone who loves turquoise to invest in it now. The stone is timeless, so if you choose unique pieces that defy trends it will serve your wardrobe well for decades to come.

Here are some pieces from my portfolio. I often mix the turquoise with other blue-green stones to bring out the rich colours.

This single strand is mixed with a Peruvian opal accent stone

And I often mix turquoise with aquamarines for a more sophisticated look.

There’s only one turquoise necklace in the shop at the moment, a long rope mixed with aquamarine accent stones that can be wound into two strands. But I found some of those rare Sleeping Beauty turquoise stones at the Tucson Gem Show, so I will be creating a few more pieces.

If you want a first look at those new pieces, please sign up for my newsletter.

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Handcrafted Jewellery Anne Carson Design

~ blog from Vancouver

Come by for a private showing

Theodora in charge

Statement necklaces for every day

Better than a commemorative tattoo

May 4 is Audrey Hepburn Day

Symbols of Love on Mothers Day

Wedding keepsakes

Blink and it’s gone

Trunk Show on May 1, 2015

Get that turquoise while you can

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