We here at WooMeOver first met Rita Chung at the Pasadena Bead and Design Show back in August. We loved her sophisticated designs and her vivacious personality so much that we did a profile of her. And then we had so much fun with that that we jumped at the opportunity to sit down and interview her!

The designer, right, at the home of her friend Nancy (left).

I met Rita at the home of a friend of hers in Southern California. Nancy had just thrown a huge Halloween/birthday party, and a houseful of decorations remained to testify to the party’s success.

Nancy insisted on feeding me (she does grill up a mean panini) and the ladies regaled me with tales of the previous evening’s party. The jewel of the evening was when Nancy’s neighbors called the police to complain about the noise, and the person who got the door thought that the policeman was there for the party. “Great costume!” she enthused. Then, after the officer explained his purpose for coming, Nancy reassured him that they’d turn down the music (well, as much as you can turn down a live band) — “And if we don’t,” she promised the officer, “you can come right back and take my husband to jail. He’s already dressed for it.” Her husband Peter was dressed as a jailbird.

“What did you dress up as?” asked our innocent Olivia.

Rita gave me a wicked grin. “A Shanghai whore,” she airily replied. Oh, Rita, behave!

After my unexpected (but heartily welcomed and enjoyed) brunch, I sat down with Rita to get the skinny on her.

The designer in her own freshwater pearl and jade choker.

In order to tell the story of Rita’s brand, Asian2Woman, we have to tell the story of Rita Chung. And in order to tell the story of Rita Chung, we have to go back to the beginning.

Rita was born in Macau, China. She finished grade school in Taipei, Taiwan, but returned to Macau to finish high school. She then studied Hotel Management in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she then lived for 20 years.

She has an impressive background in the service industry, which opened the door for her in other areas, such as public relations and marketing. She’s worked for hotels, companies, magazines — she even co-hosted a talk show in Macau and wrote a book (called Girls on Top — how apropos for Rita!).

The cover of Girls on Top by Rita Chung (sorry, no longer available for purchase).

So how did this corporate go-getter become a designer?

Rita has loved designing since childhood — she was always designing clothing, jewelry, and everything else in between. She told me that she would tell her tailor exactly what she wanted him to do, and, pretty soon, she’d see people copying what she had done. She was ten years old.

Her mother was a connoisseur of fine jewelry, and “it’s easy in Macau to find a goldsmith to make what you design,” Rita informed me.

After living the corporate life in Hawaii and China, Rita settled down permanently (well, as settled as a whirlwind like our girl can get) in San Francisco and began considering what sort of career to pursue in her new home.

Like a bolt from the blue, she thought it might be possible to turn her passion for design into a career. She did the research and decided that her dream was achievable. She launched Asian2Woman in 2005 and hasn’t looked back since.

Tune in tomorrow for more of Rita’s journey as a designer and businesswoman!

Intrigued,
Olivia

Here at the Bling Blog, we have seen our share of “rock on a wire” rings. Nevertheless, I was rocked by La Pisette’s simple, yet wonderful, gemstone rings.

Concocted by designer Stacy Saunders, whose fascination with geodes began with her first rock collection at age 10, each ring is made to order, and no two stones are exactly alike.

Purchase online at La Pisette.

x o x o
~ jewels

I’ve often had to correct friends who’ve mistaken the idiom “passing muster” for “passing mustard.” But looking at the latest trends for fall makes me ask those same friends: “Please pass the mustard!”

Mustard yellow is the hot new color for fall, and it’s surprisingly versatile! We’ve thought of three ways to wear this delicious trend. Let’s look at this chunky knit sweater from Forever 21 as an example.

Forever 21 Shandi Knitted Cardigan, $27.80 at forever21.com.

1. Contemporary Art

Spanish Dancer Red Filigree Hoop Earrings, $13 at shopplasticland.com.

These red earrings really pop against the yellow of this cardigan. It’s a great modern look!

Some people might think it’s a little too “ketchup” for mustard, but I think we’ve seen how hot it can look when the wearer is confident enough to wear it boldly.

Reese Witherspoon at the 2007 Golden Globes. Dress, Nina Ricci. Shoes, Brian Atwood.

2. The Good Earth

SURevolution Wood Bangle with Croc Inlay, $170 at vivre.com.

The wood of this bangle gives this ensemble depth. The crocodile inlay gives it life. And the square shape gives it edge. This earthy look is a great way to dress down the cardigan’s modern shape without going granola.

3. A Touch of Elegance

CC Skye Enamel Deco Ring, $123.95 at zappos.com.

If you want to dress up this chunky knit, add a touch of elegance with a sleek cocktail ring. Throw in a statement bag, some simple flats, and a pair of big sunglasses and this cardigan goes from “snuggled up with a good book” to “shopping in the city.”

We hope we’ve gotten your creative juices flowing. We know that you have what it takes to make this hot new trend your own!

You know, I’ve always preferred mustard to ketchup. And it’s finally paying off.

Passing Mustard,
Olivia

P.S. How would you pass mustard? If you have a piece that you think would complete this outfit, shoot me an e-mail!

They say that bigger is better, and, in this case, I have to agree.

They also say, “Fake it ’til you make it,” and Banana Republic has done an excellent job of doing that.

Banana Republic Oversized Chunky Faux-Pearl Necklace, $39 at bananarepublic.com.

These oversized faux pearls are the chunkiest accessories I’ve ever seen! Talk about your bold statements! The girl who wears this necklace tells the world: “Size DOES matter… and I’ve got it!”

And for those who want to put a more contemporary spin on this look (although it doesn’t get much more contemporary than beads this chunky), the pearls also come in gray.

More of the same, but with a more modern edge.

So whether your style is classic or modern, you can be livin’ large. Faux real.

Putting the “Chunk” in “Chunky,”
Olivia

Attention J. Lo and Mrs. Kobe Bryant: A huge behemoth of a gem stone, possibly the largest polished round diamond in history has been discovered, sadly not by me.

The massive stone is the 20th largest rough diamond ever found, weighs 478 carats and is said to be of outstanding clarity.

It was recovered earlier this week at the Letseng Mine, in Lesotho, a small kingdom in  South Africa. The mine, owned by De Beers for many years and now owned by Gem Diamonds, had already delivered three of the world’s largest diamonds: the 603-carat Lesotho Promise, the 493-carat Leteng Legacy and the 601-carat Lesotho Brown.

It is hoped that the uncut diamond will be capable of producing a 150-carat polished gem stone, dwarfing the current largest Koh-i-Noor diamond (round cut; 105 carats) on the Crown Jewels.

The biggest mother of them all was the Cullinan Diamond, discovered in 1905. At 3,106 carats, it was the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, producing the teardrop shaped Great Star of Africa at 530 carats.

Youtube video (REUTERS report) about the newly excavated stone

Tidbit: Carat represents the most important factor impacting the price of diamonds: weight. This is why some diamonds have a poor cut just to retain a bigger carat and thus a higher selling price. To learn all about diamonds, consult WooU. Class dismissed!

x o x o
~ jewels

I think it was philosopher Rene Descartes who said: “iPhone, therefore iBling.”

No, wait; that was me.

I can hardly remember life before I started putting a lower-case “i” in front of everything iSaid. And I can hardly remember life before I started blogging here on WooMeOver.

My two loves collide in a beautiful, blinding explosion of iBling. These blinged out iPhones are the epitome of luxury — the cutting edge of fashion meets the cutting edge of technology!

1. Strike Gold

Goldstriker 24K Gold iPhone, £495 at goldstriker.co.uk.

Goldstriker strikes gold with this 24K iPhone! Every time you get a call, everyone will know that it’s probably from your stockbroker or your agent.

2. Coming Up Roses

Continental Mobiles iPhone in Rose Gold, £1,349 at continentalmobiles.com.

Continental Mobiles makes bespoke iPhones with all kinds of different bling options! I particularly like the edition pictured above because it’s rose gold, my new favorite precious medal!

3. Diamonds are Forever

Amosu Diamond iPhone, £5,000 at amosu.co.uk.

So before you pass out from looking at the price, keep in mind that, while it’s only the Apple logo that’s done in diamonds, there are 61 of them at 0.67 carats. That’s some quality bling right there!

2. Frugal Fashion Forward

FashionCellShop Apple iPhone Bling Faceplate Cover Set, $39.95 at fashioncellshop.com.

Well, the Brits may have the market cornered on luxury iPhone bling, but our own fine country has affordable iPhone bling in spades!

If you’re like me and you shouldn’t even have spent what you did on the iPhone, an affordable faceplate like the ones offered at FashionCellShop.com will be easy on your fashion sense, as well as your dollars-and-cents.

1. Livin’ the Posh.Life

Posh.Life iPhone 3D Diamond Design, $180 at poshlife.net.

And that brings us to my favorite iBling option.

Posh.Life, which boasts celebrity fans like Jessica Alba and Paris Hilton, offers custom-made designs for iPhones (and other phones, too) in Swarovski crystals. You can either order a faceplate or send the company your phone to get the bling directly attached to your iPhone!

So even if you can’t afford a solid-gold cell phone, you can still be cool, calm, and… connected.

iFabulously,
Olivia

Fort Knox. King Midas. Leprechauns.

What do they all have in common? Gold.

Not all that glitters is gold, but all gold glitters.

Every month, you Woobies get the vital stats on a gemstone, but we’ve rather neglected precious metals in comparison. And everyone knows that nothing frames a gemstone quite as nicely as a setting of precious metals.

Well, it’s time to remedy this, and we’re going to get started with the most recognizable precious metal: good, old AU — gold, that is.

The vital stats for gold.

Gold is #79 on the periodic table of the elements, and is valued for its malleability, ductility, and rareness. It’s been used in everything from currency to sculptures to gourmet cuisine to dental fillings to, of course, jewelry.

It’s soft enough to shape, and can be alloyed with other metals to give it strength or even to change the color.

Gold alloyed with copper takes on a pinkish tint — what we know as “rose gold.”

Gold alloyed with a white metal (such as nickel or palladium — the new darling of the precious metal world) looks like silver — we call it “white gold.”

Gold is versatile. It’s worn by everyone from babies to grandmas to rappers. So, to celebrate this precious, precious metal, let’s count down the top five ways to wear gold!

5. Let Me See Ya Grillz

Rapper Nelly: Smile for me, daddy!

There’s no more ostentatious way to flaunt one’s wealth than to put it in one’s smile. Gold and diamond grillz have been all the rage on the rap scene.

Still, Olivia thinks that there’s no better dental look than pearls — pearly whites, that is.

4. I’ve Got the Power

My preciousssss!

One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

This ring also has the power of invisibility, which makes it very convenient to duck out of boring meetings, avoid ex-boyfriends, and sneak backstage at a Nelly concert. It can even extend your life by hundreds of years.

Unfortunately, you will be an evil shell of your former self by the end of that life, and just might meet a grisly end in a giant pit of lava. But you’ll look cool doing it.

3. Watch This!

D&G Dolce & Gabbana Milano Watch in Rose Gold, $195 at saks.com.

And, now, getting to the serious part: the pink tones of rose gold give a sleek watch some feminine appeal. And rose gold is so unique!

2. Make a Wish

Jennifer Meyer White Gold Wishbone Necklace, $700 at barneys.com.

If I had a real wishbone, I’d wish for this adorable necklace by Jennifer Meyer. The darling designer of many celebs (as well as some regular folk like me), Meyer is a master at glorified simplicity. Who would have thought that the aftermath of Thanksgiving dinner could be made into an elegant piece of jewelry?

1. With This Ring, I Thee Wed

Tiffany Lucida Wedding Band Ring, $825 at tiffany.com.

What better way to use gold than to celebrate a new life together, to symbolize and unbreakable bond? Metal has no nobler purpose than to represent undying love.

Well, I hope that all you Woobies out there have a newfound appreciation for gold and all it can do. There’s been some talk out in financial sectors about bringing back a gold standard — and I say, “Bring it on.”

Goldenly,
Olivia

Yo, yo, yo!
One-two, one-two!
One-two to the 9th Symphony!

We all know that Beethoven was the Tupac Shakur of his day. In the city — city of Vienna — he kept it rockin’ with high-octane hits such as the #5, the #8 and the #9.

These colorful Beethoven rings by Ambush, a Japanese jewelry brand by M-Flo of the Japanese group Teriyaki Boyz (don’t ask), will help you maintain your street cred.

Ya heard? (I don’t think he did, because he’s deaf — get it?)

$200 each. Buy them from Fruition LV (#148)

[ via: Shop Fruition ]

Artist showcase of Christine J. Brandt’s sculptural jewelry and Sebastian Artz’s photography.

Thursday, November 6, 6PM - 9PM

Fred Segal (500 Broadway, Santa Monica)

RSVP at FredSegalGreen.com