anjolee: sponsored post

I've never really been one to invest in fine jewelry, for the same reasons I've never invested in an expensive camera (although I did just buy K's fancy Nikon from him, but for a steal!), a designer dress, or a pair of shoes exceeding $200--I am a klutz who lives in the woods, and I tend to lose things.  That said, if I were to drop serious money on diamonds, they'd better be exactly what I want!  At Anjolee, they specialize in customized fine jewelry--so you can pick every detail, from metal to color to cut.  I love the idea of design-it-yourself diamonds!  When Anjolee contacted me to do a review of their site, I thought, why not?  While I am personally no where near in the market for diamond jewelry (I think the last piece of jewelry I bought was a $10 wire ring on etsy), a lot of my friends are getting married or passing through other milestones that are splurge-worthy. So here's what Anjolee has to say!

What advice would you give to a client who wants to buy a diamond for someone else?  How do you advise your customers about how to shop for someone else's taste?

If looking to buy a diamond for someone else, you can examine their other jewelry to see what metal type, style, and size they generally wear. For example, if they wear white gold jewelry most of the time, I would recommend sticking with that same metal type. Look for clues on style, i.e., do they wear vintage-inspired pieces, classics like a tennis diamond bracelet , diamond tennis necklace, or solitaire earrings, or something more elaborate like a red carpet necklace or ring? Having these details will help you when you begin jewelry shopping.

Where do your diamonds come from?  As someone who is concerned with human rights and the social and environmental impact of diamond mining, I am pleased to see that you make a special note on your site about your compliance with the Kimberley Act.  What can you tell my readers about your involvement and experience with the practice of ethical diamond mining?

Anjolee obtains diamonds from a few trusted diamond dealers. These diamonds originate in many of the major diamond mines based in Australia, Africa, Russia, and Canada. Our vendors also abide by the Kimberley Process. Passed in 2003, this important law states that all US companies must purchase diamond merchandise from ethically sourced and documented legitimate dealers.

How did you get started and what is your design and assembly process? What are the most popular pieces on your site?

We started in 1977 under our parent company name 'Sunrise Jewelry Manufacturing Corporation'. We broke ground with our quality tennis bracelet designs and manufacturing process. In 2008, we began selling to the public under our website name Anjolee. Our goal has always been to exceed the expecations of an online jewelry shopping experience. We allow customers to change the metal type, diamond quality, carat size, and length of all of our jewelry designs. We craft each piece at the time it is ordered, which is why we offer so many choices for customization. It usually takes three business days for us to produce any item and then it is shipped to the customer in our custom gift packaging.

(I love Anjolee's vintage tennis bracelets! I've always been partial to antique jewelry and these are so lovely.)

I know nothing about diamonds except that they are a girl's best friend--could you explain your "Anjolee standards" (of cut, polish, symmetry, and fluorescence) and why they are important?

Anjolee has narrowed the diamond qualities offered on our website to six combination choices of both color and clarity that we feel provide the most options for customers at a wide variety of price points. We provide natural, unenhanced diamonds that have excellent ratings in cut, polish, and symmetry. Coupled with the color and clarity options, the diamonds offered are a great value for our consumers.

Where can a regular girl wear diamonds when there is no red carpet in sight?

A classic tennis bracelet or pair of stud earrings can easily translate from the office to a night out.

I'd be interested to know the history of how some of these cuts got their names (Princess, Emerald, Brilliant, etc.). Do you know any fun stories about how these diamonds got their names?

I actually do not know any interesting stories of how they got their names.. .the diamond cut is a process by which a rough stone is meticulously cut into the shape and properties that are valuable. A well-cut diamond has great value and allows light to enter, creating a sparkling effect.

The prices on your site seem very reasonable for the service and standards you provide.  How do your prices compare to other fine jewelry sites and stores, and how do you determine pricing?

Anjolee is a manufacturer, which allows us to offer our high-quality jewelry products at a lower price point than a typical retailer. We work on lower margins but are still providing top quality merchandise. Our customer feedback section is full of great reviews discussing the quality of our service and products.

Is there anything else you would like to tell potential buyers of your fine jewelry?

We would like to tell potential customers that the act of buying jewelry should be fun – so give our customization features a try! Also, make sure you do your research and shop around online because the best deals can really be found on the internet and you get the added bonus of shopping without being hassled by sales people. We are truly passionate about the jewelry we produce and look forward to making the jewelry of your dreams!

So there you have it!  If anyone out there is in the market for some sensational sparkling diamond or gemstone jewelry, head on over to Anjolee and start customizing!

in which i babble about my baubles

Whenever I wear this necklace I feel the need to ramp up the "cute" factor in my outfit. Probably because it's so incredibly charming. I always did have an affinity for rainbow-inspired accessories... I remember picking up a bunch of sparkly butterfly clips (remember those?) on the 8th grade trip to Montreal in every color of the rainbow, and I wore a set of glittery rainbow jelly bracelets from Hot Topic (remember that store?) in my latter high school years (when I also wore blue eyeshadow and was quite fond of duckling memorabilia). What can I say? The glitter matched my gleaming braces...

(shirt/skirt: thrifted; socks: uo; shoes: payless; necklace: jewelmint)

Since joining Jewelmint I have yet to find another piece that screams its worthiness of the $30 price tag, but I would have joined the site for this necklace alone. We're having a love affair. I really wish that I were more of a jewelry person, but I still have to actively make an effort to remember to accessorize in the mornings. I'm always envious of those girls who can throw on a thousand baubles and manage to look effortless (I have similar envy for those who can toss their hair up in an "effortless" bun, while the perfect upknot continues to elude me).

Last night I finally cooked up the beets & greens from the farmer's market, but it would seem that I did not wash the greens thoroughly enough because they were a bit... crunchy. Oh well, at least we had asparagus mac&cheese to subsist on :) You live, you learn, yes?

in which i ruffle it

It would seem the time has come to change my photo location. The sun is too bright and too high now, and the trees cast their stripey shadows all over the road I usually stand on. Curses.

(skirt/blouse: thrifted; socks: uo; shoes: seychelles; necklace: jewelmint; earrings: gift)

Today's outfit is all about ruffles (ruffles on my socks, ruffles on my blouse)! While it's pretty simple, I do like it. And I like that the white blouse nicely showcases my statement necklace. Jewelry and shoes are the only two (material) things that I feel are worthwhile to splurge on. These shoes have been amazing, and while the salty roads rather ruined them, they're still the best shoes in my closet (and fully worth the price tag). And this necklace is a true gem. At $30, it's the most expensive piece of jewelry I own (clearly I am a cheapskate, but that's neither here nor there). I'm too much of a klutz (and too lazy) to spend lots and lots of money on my actual garments. I'm always spilling something or ripping something or refusing to dry clean. But quality shoes and baubles can surprisingly survive my abuse, so I am a convert. Sometimes it does make sense to make an investment :)

So yesterday was pretty miserable and I was pretty grumpy, and after work we had to do laundry. But K was nice and didn't talk to me while I read my back issue of Vanity Fair at the laundromat, and then he went into the grocery store to buy coffee and came out with a surprise box of chocolate covered cherries for me! It's the little things :) My mood was instantly lifted, and I went home and wrote a couple of scenes for my screenplay, drank a glass of wine, and watched Uncorked (which seems to have about five million different titles on IMDB) on Netflix. All's well that ends well, I say.

in which i burst into technicolor

I've been daydreaming about this outfit for days now (is that weird?), ever since I thrifted this pretty J Crew polka dot blouse and immediately knew I wanted to wear it with my red skirt. Something about this outfit feels very Kate Spade--a simple, girly getup in bold, bright colors, with a twist of sixties prep. After I overdosed on pastels last week, it's not surprise that I'm boomeranging back into brights this week! Also, this Jewelmint necklace is still my favorite thing ever :)

(blouse/skirt: goodwill; socks: uo; shoes: seychelles; necklace: jewelmint)

Last night we had a major storm that took out our power with a crack of lightning and a thunderclap. Luckily we had finished making dinner at that point, so we ate our hot dogs (tofu for her, bratwurst-and-sauerkraut for him) and macaroni-and-cheese (we're both totally broke) while watching lightning bolts streak across the purplish sky. I love thunderstorms, but I'm so grateful that we never get anything worse around here. I don't think that I could live comfortably with the threat of tornadoes and/or hurricanes hanging overhead like a dark cloud.

I haven't been making progress on any of my writing projects (I now officially have a TV pilot, screenplay and novel in the works) for the past week because I've been too busy! Hopefully this weekend I will be able to settle back into my writing routine.

Welcome to all of my new followers (and thanks again to Meg for yesterday's feature)!

designer spotlight: jewelmint

My dear friend S (who has just started her own blog chronicling her culinary pursuits--go visit!) has always been a very bad influence on my shopping habits. She is the Queen of Good Deals, and she often passes that information along, which often leads to me pulling out my credit card because I am weak. This time, however, I feel compelled to pass that influence on to you guys, because I think she's really on to something!

Last week she invited me to join JewelMint, an online bauble-of-the-month club that offers personalized jewelry from the Kate Bosworth/Cher Coulter design team for $29.99/item. When you visit the site, you will be asked to take a "Style Quiz," which will ultimately determine which pieces of jewelry Kate and Cher deem appropriate for your particular aesthetic. Based on your answers, your "Showroom" will be populated with pretty rings, necklaces and bracelets, highlighting your "Top Match" (voted most likely to tug at your pursestrings).

You can also view any other pieces from the collection by clicking "Show Me More," and add or remove items from your Showroom, at which time you will be asked why a particular item doesn't appeal to you (further narrowing your preferences). I loved my Top Match immediately (the lovely Mosaic Dream Necklace shown above), but hemmed and hawed about joining the site and committing to a $30/month membership. Finally I decided to buy it for myself as a Valentine's Day gift (I mean, come on, there is even a heart on it...) and quit the site immediately afterward, but I have yet to quit--I'm curious about what will come along next month, and there are already so many other pretty pieces that I'm considering! The best part of the membership is that you can choose to skip a month at any time, choose to buy a piece during a month you previously decided to skip, or to simply cancel after a single purchase with no fees or penalties. If you forget to skip a month, you will receive a credit (one item) to use at any time, so it's not like you're paying even if you're not using the site.

If you're at all interested in joining the site, you can give me your email address and I will send you an invite. This way, if you do decide to make a purchase, I get some free jewelry! Or you can just poke around on the site without my help :)