Pretty palm trees, the perfect island backdrop

Vacationing is a necessary luxury for everyone, yet unplugging for an extended period of time for a small growing brand, can be a luxury one cannot afford.  Unplugging for over a week?  No images to post or ways to communicate, to look as though you are still there?  Um, No.  I am a person, authentically behind every communication, and on vacation. A real, true vacation.  Remember those? Well, I don't either, so I wanted to give my all to this thing called relaxation, and see if I'm any good at it.  Turns out, I need improvement in that area, but hey, no one is perfect.

I don't have images to share of my vacation.  I locked my iPhone (ahem, camera) in the safe until we were back in the US.  You already know, I do love to take a picture, (and if you didn't, start digging through my archives!) so I am regretful I do not have many sharable moments, but the twist was that I was LIVING those moments, enjoying myself.  More important.  

Go ahead and google the many benefits of taking vacations, you will find endless scientific research, articles, and opinions from successful, iconic brands and entrepreneurs that support the fact that you need to take one, now.  I'll leave that research up to you, and get to my vacation jewelry shopping experiences, but know that even if you cannot travel from home, a stay cation can work wonders for your inspiration, and recharging those batteries of yours.  

View from my  room aboard the Royal Caribbean, Oasis of the Sea, our first cruise!

I am going to confess something that will blow your mind, and I hope you don't think less of me : I didn't bring jewelry with me.  There, I said it.  (Audible gasps heard around the world) It's true, I wear minimal jewelry when traveling.  The last thing I want to do is loose a precious piece, damage it, or get sunblock in-between all of the gemstones until the end of time. Grease sticks to metals and gemstones like nothing else, plus, the beach is just no place for jewelry.  I saw a lot of women wearing jewelry at the beach...

We did pop into jewelry stores, because watches are the big purchase in the land of duty free; we purchased none.  While browsing, the woman, consumer and maker in me realized just how out of touch some resort boutiques are to the evolving tastes of the modern jewelry collector.  

I do understand I am in the minority of women who don't like to travel with jewelry, but what about the men and women who purchase jewelry together, while on vacation?  Again, not us. Like, ever.  Who are you with your strange trademarked gemstone I do not like, and why are you trying to sell me something I do not want?  We are doing this thing called relaxing.  But, just when I'm ready to go, my husband pulls out his wifi enabled phone and BOOM, cover blown.  

I guess that whats happens when you speak out about how "undereducated US jewelry stores are about gemstones past the big three" and the "exclusive, rare, no one has this, you will never see it again" pitch.  

Now, I can appreciate an angle, and a savvy salesman, but I can only assume his laser focus on getting his jewelry on me was because I was not wearing any jewelry myself.  He may have thought we were the uninformed he was speaking of.  But, we know.  Now he does, too.  

The new breed of collectors are educated, they want to not know the person behind the brand, that you care about the jewelry, and them.  I almost never purchase jewelry in an actual store, but through relationships.  People I like, who like me.  I don't care how exclusive this is what you have, I need to like you, and trust you, or no deal.  I know this doesn't translate to a vacation purchase, standing there with your husband, ready to buy you something, but it can.  I ship, and do business all over the world, through relationships.

Heck, I'd love to partner with a resort, (resorts are you listening) and provide something honest, and just different than what is currently being offered, because women can feel the difference.  It is such a compliment to be chosen to commemorate a milestone, to adorn a legacy.  I design for that woman, the one who makes her her self-purchases where and when she is comfortable, in her own timetable, whether she wears it on vacation is up to her! 

So, as a tastemaker, seeing how women wear their jewelry while on vacation was very interesting to me.  I am always paying attention to style, in all of its forms.  This vacation brought forth new ideas, colors, shapes, and textures I am eager to try.  I was literally burning to adorn this newfound inspiration from head to toe, in my lounge chair.   

As much as I missed wearing my jewelry, I may love creating it just a bit more.  I have no plans to wear mine at the beach, or the pool, but I love however you choose to wear yours, especially if I made it for you.