Today, I had to opportunity to visit the Los Angeles County Musuem of Art, or LACMA.

It’s a great museum, filled with art from all kinds of different countries and times. And, while visiting the Ancient Art wing, I discovered that “jewelry as art” isn’t a recent discovery.

LACMA has an excellent collection of ancient jewelry from around the world — I didn’t even get to check out all of the collections that contain pieces of jewelry. But I did get to check out the exhibits featuring Islamic jewelry and ancient Greek jewelry, and those were amazing!

Check out this bracelet. It’s from the 11th century, and it was made in either Egypt or Syria; they’re not sure. But wouldn’t it go just beautifully with your favorite LBD?

And this ring and these earrings from 11th century Iran. Wouldn’t they be elegant at a garden party?

These bracelets and this ring were found in Egypt, but the style is Roman. This would be so cute with jeans and a cute top!

And here’s what an ancient Greek woman might have had in her jewelry box. Some of these necklaces are just to die for!

I think this proves why vintage jewelry never goes out of style. When it comes to jewelry, you’ve got your regular pieces, your timepieces, and these: your timeless pieces.

Nostalgically,
Olivia

Hi, I’m Olivia, and I’m a blingaholic.

I saw Confessions of a Shopaholic this weekend, and I assure you: the fashion was fabulous to behold! I drooled over Isla Fisher’s outfits as the ultimate Shopaholic — Rebecca Bloomwood — as much as I laughed over her antics. The Prada, the Gucci, the Louis — how they crammed so many amazing designers into such a short time span is beyond me!

There were some fantastic pieces of jewelry displayed in the movie. I love that stylist Patricia Field isn’t afraid to go big when it comes to bling. The necklaces in particular were so bold (and double droolworthy)!

Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) had some incredible jewelry!

I especially enjoyed the anchor pendant necklace that Rebecca sported in the Miami scenes. It was so nautical; so “statement”; so apropos!

There was a definite moral to the story: spending beyond your means can get you in major trouble! But thank goodness that we can live vicariously through characters like Rebecca Bloom!

Addicted,
Olivia

Yesterday, we did a little piece on Bond Girl Vesper Lynd’s Algerian love knot necklace, featured in both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Well, the quality of Bond Girl jewelry doesn’t stop there.

Olga Kurylenko as Camille, wearing designer Jasper Conran's gold chain necklace with fish pendant.

Olga Kurylenko plays Camille, who has inherited the new mantle of tough-as-nails Bond Girls. The new era of the Bond Girl has ushered in an age of strong, fearless, capable women – but still as sexy as ever.

Designer Jasper Conran's Fish Necklace (the entire outfit, actually) in his Spring 2009 runway show.

This is absolutely reflected in the jewelry. In the film, Camille has an amazing wardrobe by Jasper Conran – amazing in its simplicity, that is. British designer Jasper Conran is amazingly versatile (you can check out some more of his jewelry designs here). The designer dresses Camille in a simple orange camisole with a brown skirt, but accessorizes it with a Jasper Conran chunky gold chain necklace and fish pendant. Her outfit says “low maintenance,” but the jewelry chimes in “but not that low.”

Hey, and as long as Daniel Craig is willing to do the maintenance, then why not?

Opportunistically,
Olivia

Bond Girl Vesper Lynd is the very last word in Bond Girls.

Eva Green as Bond Girl Vesper Lynd.

Sophie Harley Original Love Knot necklace, £1,939 at sophieharley.com.

Played to seductive perfection by Eva Green, Vesper is sexy and mysterious. Even her jewelry is sexy and mysterious – Vesper always wears an Algerian love knot necklace given to her by her former boyfriend.

Unfortunately, Vesper doesn’t make it into the new Bond film, Quantum of Solace. But her Algerian love knot necklace does. He keeps it as a memento of the only woman (to date in the entire Bond franchise) that he’s ever really loved.

Sophie Harley Loveknot Earrings, £94 at sophieharley.com

And now you can own a little piece of Vesper Lynd yourself.

Meet Sophie Harley, the jewelry designer that designed the Algerian love knot necklace seen in both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Ever since her jewelry design was seen in Casino Royale, the public has been clamoring for more of her jewelry.

She’s got even more Algerian love knot jewelry – including more necklaces – on her website, sophieharley.com. She has an entire line dedicated to Algerian love knots – including some Algerian love knot cufflinks for men that I think James Bond could totally sport.

Sophie Harley Flora Necklace, £733 at sophieharley.com.

And she’s got plenty of other designs, too – I’m particularly fond of the nature-inspired jewelry in her Flora line.

So now any woman can have the allure and beauty of Vesper Lynd. Now, if only we could each find ourselves a Daniel Craig lookalike to love us…

Dangerously,
Olivia