A few years ago, I picked up a book from a sale rack at Barnes & Noble. It was called In the Dressing Room with Brenda: A Fun and Practical Guide to Buying Smart and Looking Great. The concept intrigued me, and at 50% off, I just couldn’t resist.

I didn’t know that buying this book would change my closet forever.

Brenda Kinsel is a fashion & image consultant, and she wrote the book based on her observations of women and their closets over the years.

At the time I read her book, I’d practically given up hope of ever being stylish, despite the fact that my closet was brimming over with clothing — in stark contrast to my jewelry box, which was empty because I was afraid to buy anything for fear of looking gaudy.

Well, after finishing Brenda’s book (I couldn’t put it down), I promptly marched to my closet and pulled out all of the items that I hardly ever wore or only wore because I’d paid good money for them, and donated them to Goodwill.

I then went shopping and replenished my closet with clothes that looked good on me — the body I had, not the body I wanted. And, to my surprise, there were clothes out there that looked good on me! My self-confidence went through the roof!

And the jewelry — oh, the jewelry!

Never before had I accessorized with such abandon! I bought cocktail rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets — my old fear was gone! I knew that I had the confidence to rock some major bling!

It was at this point in my life that I really fell in love with jewelry. And I have Brenda to thank for it.

Brenda, if you’re out there: your book changed my closet. And my confidence. And my life. You’re a gem!

And if you want to check out more of what Brenda has to say, I highly recommend that you check out her website at BrendaKinsel.com.

I promise you’ll thank us both for this tip.

Gratefully,
Olivia

When I first heard of bakelite, my initial reaction was: “Mmm, low-calorie cookies.”

Hey, how was I to know that it was a kind of resin?

Bakelite letter opener, circa 1920.

Bakelite was developed at the turn of the century by Dr. Leo Baekeland in Belgium. Created by applying heat and pressure to phenol and formaldehyde, it was the first synthetic plastic ever developed!

Fun fact: the scientific name of the resin bakelite is created from is polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride. Aren’t you glad that they went with “bakelite” instead?

Originally prized for its nonconductive and heat-resistant properties, bakelite was often used in radio and telephone casings. But its popularity spread, and it was soon used in everything from children’s toys to kitchenware to — you guessed it: jewelry!

Bakelite simply screams “retro,” and it’s become super-hot in the collectibles market. And bakelite jewelry is even more collectible, thanks to the vintage feel that it gives to everything.

If you want some hot bakelite pieces, I’d recommend taking a look at Mark Davis’ collection of vintage bakelite jewelry.

Mark Davis Danielle Bangle, $2,750 at barneys.com.

Mark Davis Lucrezia Ring, $4,600 at barneys.com.

Mark Davis Chester Prison Ring, $3,300 at barneys.com.

He’s got some beautiful pieces that range from cool to campy. I love that his collection lets you dial the retro up or down, according to your taste.

So let’s apply what we learned yesteday and retro up, post haste!

Regressing,
Olivia

They say that trends are cyclical, and that’s especially true when it comes to jewelry.

Sometimes, the hottest new trend is also the hottest old trend. What I’m talking about here is vintage jewelry.

Jewels are like women: age gives them character. I love a piece with history, and, since my mother doesn’t really wear jewelry, in the tradition set by her mother before her, my only shot at getting the meaningful pieces I crave is by shopping vintage.

For those of you Woobies out there in the same fix as Olivia, here are three sites to help you get started.

Relics Jewelry by Tami Hichman

Relics Jewelry can be purchased at these retailers of fine jewelry.

Tami Hichman was worn to a frazzle caring for her twin sons when she had a moment of epiphany: in order to properly care for her boys, she needed to properly care for herself! For Tami, this included finding a creative outlet — and so Relics Jewelry was born.

Tami likes to combine the old with the new: she scours the globe for rare vintage jewelry and combines it with elements of her own design in order to create a one-of-a-kind piece. Her finely-tuned eye for style will help to ease you into the world of fine vintage jewelry.

Yoox.com’s Past & Present Collection

Yoox.com is committed to bringing the finest in fashion to the World Wide Web. So of course they have to have the most amazing collection of vintage jewelry on the internet! Each piece’s page includes a description and the era in which it was designed and worn.

I like to look at the pieces and imagine that I am a lady of leisure during the eras in which they were made. Let me tell you, I came this close to writing a romance novel set in the 1920s last night. That’s the power of a vintage piece.

Siegelson

Turquoise and Diamond Suite by Bulgari.

Siegelson is the vintage retailer of this lot. Founded in 1920, Louis Siegelson originally specialized in watches and watch repair, but his son Herman later steered the direction of the company towards diamonds.

Today, Siegelson is a well-known purveyor of fine diamonds, gemstones, objet d’art, and, of course, antique and estate jewelry. Their vintage collection includes pieces dating back to 1850 from French, Italian and American jewelry houses such as Boucheron, Boivin, Cartier, Lacloche, Tiffany & Co., and Bulgari.

They also produce their own line of jewelry — their looks to the past have inspired them for the present!

As for me, I’ve decided to begin a new family tradition — a new tradition of handing down old jewelry that I purchased for myself. But I’d better stock up. Who knows how many great-great-granddaughters I need to collect heirlooms for?

Looking Forward by Looking Back,
Olivia

It’s Music Video Monday!

Confession: I love “So You Think You Can Dance.”

I just started watching it last season, and it really captured my imagination!

I particularly enjoyed this dance performed by contestants Courtney and Mark, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh. The song (”The Garden” by Mirah) has such a hypnotic beat — after listening to it, I was like, “Must. Vote. For Courtney. And Mark.”

If there were flowers growing in this dark, creepy garden, I would imagine that they’d look something like the creations in Dior Joaillerie’s Milly Carnivora line.

Clockwise from top left: Egratigna Angélique Ring, Egratigna Chipie Ring, Epinosa Verte Ring, Epinosa Vertes Earrings. Prices available upon request from dior.com.

Crafted from white gold and lacquer, they come in bright colors — a little too bright. They remind me of predatory plants that lure victims to their demise with irresistible colors. These are just the kinds of twisted blooms that would kiss… and kill.

And it totally works. I now cannot resist the urge to get one of these rings. Your wish is my command.

Out of Control,
Olivia

To watch a super-sweet video of the crafting of a Dior Joaillerie Ring, click here and then click “Collections” and “Milly Carnivora.”

So, Easter’s just around the corner.

I know that, for a lot of you, this conjures up images of bunnies and Easter eggs and chocolates, but for me, it conjures up memories of getting dressed in my very best clothes to go to church.

Well, Olivia still attends church regularly, and still enjoys dolling herself up to look better than her Sunday best on Easter Sunday.

Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. Infinity Cross Pendant, $225 at tiffany.com.

So how beautiful and appropriate a piece is this Infinity Cross by Elsa Peretti? Crafted from a single piece of metal, it’s a great way to show the world what I believe, and to show the world that I’ll believe it forever.

But I love that the shape is subtle; it’s not shoving my beliefs in your face. It would be just as appropriate at a cocktail party as it would be in the front row at church on Sunday.

So when Easter comes, I know I’ll be ready for church. And for Easter brunch. And for dinner with the family. And for hanging out with friends…

Faithfully,
Olivia

Sundown yesterday marked the start of this year’s Passover festivities.

Passover is a Jewish holiday; a holy remembrance of how Jehovah God liberated the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt.

In the Torah, God commands the nation of Israel to keep this festival as a memorial of what He had done for them forever.

Well, these days, you can show your faith by keeping the traditions of this holiday and by wearing your faith — not on your sleeve, but around your neck.

David Yurman Star of David Necklace, $295 at neimanmarcus.com.

David Yurman gives new meaning to the Star of “David” with his design featuring this universally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and faith.

Made from sterling silver with an 18K yellow gold finding, this beautiful piece would make a wonderful heirloom to pass down from generation to generation.

Shalom to all of you on this Passover day!

Peacefully,
Olivia

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

Do you ever look in your overflowing closet and feel like you have nothing to wear?

Most women have closets full of clothes and jewelry boxes full of… well, jewelry (what did you think I was going to say? Easter eggs? Pocket link? Very small rocks?), but often find it difficult to put individual pieces together in order to create a look. Some of us can’t even keep track of the clothing and jewelry we own!

Enter Weardrobe.

Weardrobe is a website where you can create a virtual closet and even share your style with the world! You start by uploading a picture of yourself wearing one of your favorite outfits. Once you upload that photo, you can tag the pic with descriptions of the clothes you’re wearing. The website even links to certain retailers so that others who covet your style can buy the same pieces!

Once the photo is tagged, the item tagged becomes part of your “closet,” which is separated into different categories, such as pants, tops, skirts, dresses — and, of course, jewelry! You can look at your closet and click an item in order to any photo in which that item has been tagged.

And you can also look at other people who have the same item to see how they’re wearing it! It’s a great way to get inspired! It’ll breathe new life into your old clothes!

Olivia recommends that you take immediate advantage of this wonderful tool and begin taking inventory of what you’ve got. And if you’ve got it, flaunt it.

A closet is a terrible thing to waste.

Rejuvenated,
Olivia

It’s Music Video Monday!

When I was but a wee lass, my parents bought me a violin. This was back when every Korean parent wanted his or her kid to be the next Sarah Chang. They promised me that, if I practiced every day, I would become a famous violinist and travel the world and make lots of money and, more importantly, make them proud.

Well, I didn’t practice every day, and I didn’t get famous. The only thing left from that era of my life is an abiding love for classical music.

One of my favorite symphonic suites is Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherezade. Inspired by the tale of Scheherezade in the Arabian Nights, it features a beautiful violin solo that never fails to make me wish that I’d stuck with it and practiced every day.

Well, I can’t change the past, but I still love Scheherezade. And so does Boucheron.

Boucheron Sheherazade Pendant, $27,000 at boucheron.com.

The prestigious French jewelry house has designed a beautiful pendant inspired by the story of Scheherezade.

Scheherezade was the daughter of a Persian Grand Vizier, who served a cruel sultan named Shahryar. Every day, Shahryar would marry a different woman and have her executed the following morning. The kingdom soon started to run out of girls for him to marry, and Shahryar told the Grand Vizier that, once that happened, the Vizier’s head would be next on the chopping block.

In order to save her father, Scheherezade agreed to marry Shahryar herself and, on their wedding night, told him a marvelous story with a cliffhanger ending.

Wanting to hear the ending, he decided to keep her alive for one more day. Scheherezade told a new tale every night for 1,001 nights. After her story was done, Shahryar realized that he had actually fallen in love with Scheherazade, and so they lived happily ever after.

This mysterious pendant of white gold set with sapphires, diamonds, pink tourmalines, and amethysts conjures up images of flying carpets, bazaars, and sultans living in sumptuous palaces.

And, like its namesake, it keeps me coming back for more.

Addicted,
Olivia

We talked a little yesterday about synthetic diamonds — what they are, how they’re made, and where you can get them.

We learned that they’re cultivated from “seed” diamonds — microscopic specks of diamond — but did you know that they can be made from any purified carbon source?

Get this people: that means that you can make a diamond out of human hair — or even human remains!

These diamonds are called “memorial diamonds,” and they’re quickly rising in popularity!

How do you do it? Well, you can expose human hair to heat treatment in order to extract the carbon. You can then turn that carbon into a diamond using the HPHT process (which we discussed in yesterday’s blog).

You can also filter and purify cremated human remains and then turn that into a diamond, once again thanks to HPHT.

The implications are astounding. You could wear a necklace made from your late grandmother. You could have earrings made from your first pet cat. You could even sport an engagement ring made from your fiancé’s hair!

I think a diamond is a classier keepsake than most cremation jewelry, but what do you think?

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Remembering,
Olivia

Memorial diamonds can be commissioned in the United States by LifeGem.