By Melissa Magsaysay
Los Angeles Times
April 24, 2011
It seems as if almost every celebrity and Real Housewife is launching her own jewelry line as of late — and that means the pool for beautiful, well-crafted accessories has become a little murky. If you think it's difficult to see the shiny gems amid the muck, you're not mistaken. Those of us who live in Southern California, however, benefit from a climate that fosters intelligent design. We typically don't have to deal with seasonal wardrobes; instead we switch things up with accessories. So it's no wonder a handful of up-and-coming L.A.-based designers are making a splash in the world of jewelry. They are varied in their aesthetic and understand how some pieces can be layered with everyday wear to subtle effect and how others can completely transform a look. These artists often work with diamonds and other precious stones, but no matter how high-end the material, the pieces aren't fussy or intimidating, but versatile and pretty.
Here are four jewelry lines worth a second look:
Michelle Laine
Clothing and jewelry designer Michelle Laine has crafted a look best described as hard rock-meets-prehistoric chic. A self-taught silversmith, her pieces are large enough to recall the enormous medallion pendants worn by some rappers but the materials — fossils, pyrite and big stones — make for a natural feel.
Laine started her career with clothing, which she still creates for an eponymous line, a leather-, lace- and velvet-heavy collection of garments carried at rocker-tinged boutiques such as Curve. Four years ago, inspired by a childhood rock collection, she added jewelry to her line. "I've actually had a rock collection since I was a kid," she says. "And one day I looked at a piece of pyrite completely differently and wanted to wear it on my neck, but do it in a way that I'd never seen it done before." Laine bases her designs on what might best showcase the rock — where it might hang on the body in a secure and fashionable manner. For her facets and chains, she finds inspiration in industrial machinery, architecture and, sometimes, scrap metal she sees on the side of the road. "I have combined nuts and bolts or even handles off of an old casserole dish into my jewelry," Laine says. "I try and turn things that don't look like they're supposed to be there into something beautiful and interesting." Michelle Laine jewelry is sold at Curve, Beau+Aero and Decadestwo. Prices range from $310 for a small stone pendant to $895 for a large precious rock pendant.
http://www.latimes.com/features/image/la-ig-lajewelry-20110424,0,7088260.story?track=rss
944 Magazine April 2011 - Photographed by Andreea Radutoiu
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