Tag Archives: rings

The GEM EXPO July 26-28 IN TORONTO, PLUS META EXPO FOR WELLNESS & ALT. HEALERS

I had a fabulous outing today to The Gem Expo, along with its sister show, The Meta Expo (featuring healers, psychics and alternative wellness practitioners). OMG, each time I attend one of the 3x a year shows, I find new bling to admire (and buy!) and learn new things so today was no exception. To get things started, here’s the creator of these hugely successful shows, Salim Moorani, to tell you about Gem & Meta Expos….

Thanks, Salim. So let’s head into the main hall…

I spoke first with the lovely lady from Choden La Himalayan Silvercrafts who attends every show with her stunning silver and gemstone jewellery…

You can see more on their Instagram: @chodenla_silvercrafts

Then I dropped by www.thearguscollection.com booth and spoke with Alison whose daughter runs this unique business. Look at these lovely gems imported from Vietnam….

I really connected with the lady who runs www.bellajewelsdesign.ca  I found a number of cute gold rings (esp. the little square ring pictured 2nd row, 2nd from left) and necklaces but I managed to resist the temptation! You can check out more of her gems on IG: @bellajewels.design

And now for something completely different: www.oldsoulproject.com offers unique therapy “beads” to help those afflicted with arthritis or neuropathy in their hands (and that includes me). Owner Alex D’Oliveira will explain…..


Alex was gracious enough to create one just for me so I’ll enjoy the wee exercise “balls” for my fingers.

There was lots of my favourite Lapis Lazuli today, including these cutlery handles which definitely would NOT go in the dishwasher! I then found the Dea Terrae booth (below) that included raw gems and fossils…apparently the Newmarket-based store is expecting a shipment of dinosaur fossils soon. Keep watch for those via their Instagram: @deaterra So much to see – if you love precious and semi-precious stones you can buy them raw, tumbled & polished or ready made into beautiful jewellery, like these pendants below….

If you’d like to check out Gem Expo and Meta Expo this weekend, you can find the shows at the Hyatt Regency, 370 King West in downtown Toronto and the times are: Friday 11:30 – 8pm, Saturday 10 – 6pm and Sunday 10 – 5pm
Tickets for both shows combined are: Adults: Daily only $10.00, Weekend pass $20, Students & Seniors $5, Kids 12 and under are always free! All the details & directions can be found here: https://thegemexpo.com/

 

TORONTO JEWELLER JENNY GRECO CREATES STUNNING BLING FOR ALL OCCASIONS

At least year’s One of a Kind Show, I discovered this talented jewellery designer and immediately understood her unique vision and use of precious metals and organic materials. JENNY GRECO creates very wearable rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings that compliment any outfit from jeans to evening gowns, all at affordable prices and that guarantee lots of ooo’s and aah’s. Born and raised in Italy before coming to Canada in her mid-teens, Jenny’s sense of style and luxe shines clearly through her designs. She originally attended University of Toronto in the Science program but soon realized microscopes and Petri dishes were not for her so a switch to a more creative life via OCAD brought her to a life surrounded by bling and glitz! Upon graduating, she started her own line of jewellery and her imagination ran wild, incorporating all sorts of metals, precious and semi-precious gemstones, wood and leather.

I asked Jenny to share her story, her inspirations and her craft in a number of videos….

Being a pearl lover myself, I can’t wait to see how this large necklace works out.  Jenny showed me where all the magic happens – her workbench and the little room where all the fire and casting goes on.

With Mother’s Day is coming up soon, why not drop in and pick up something pretty for your favourite lady? Does she like earrings? A gorgeous necklace or a fabulous ring?

She also creates fab jewellery for men, too, so if you’re looking for something special for that hunky dude in your life, check these out…

So many lovely, sparkly, sexy wearable works of art – you gotta go visit Jenny’s studio located at 374 Danforth (2nd floor) which is the n.w. corner of Danforth and Chester just around the corner from the subway station. Follow her on social media IG: @jennygrecojewellery or Facebook/jennygrecojewellery.  And you can see more of her work on her website: www.jennygreco.com

Jenny invites custom orders – she’ll work with you to design your one-of-a-kind piece, and can also recommend beautiful gems for bridal gifts, presents for the bridal party or custom anniversary and birthday gifting, too.

In June, Jenny moves her studio/store to the Distillery District (15 Casegoods Lane) so watch for social media posts announcing her new location. Until then, see you on the Danforth!

www.jennygreco.com

 

 

 

 

 

My Arizona Adventure (Pt. V) – visiting Cave Creek & fab gemstone store

A little closer to Camp Joy Ranch, AJ took me to Cave Creek, another beautiful town with a distinct wild west atmosphere and lots of touristy stores and restaurants. The drive into the town was thru vast “forests” of saguaro cactus..I was half-expecting to see cattle rustlers or stage coaches along the way.20190409_122213Knowing that I wanted to purchase some genuine, quality turquoise and native American silver, AJ knew exactly where to take me: Rare Earth Gallery, a very special (and very large) store with just about every gemstone and earthly treasure from around the world.Mar400920190409_130847 20190409_132058 20190409_132226Out front of the store were several carved marble pieces, like this magnificent rearing horse….20190409_130252 20190409_130313…and AJ took an instant liking to this HUGE chunk of crystal (above).  They also had a wide selection of Tibetan salt lamps (below)20190409_132330And behind the cash registers were two beautiful back-lit artworks  (below) made with marble and precious and semi-precious gems mined in the surrounding Phoenix hills. You should see the outstanding amethysts and tourmalines that come from this region. 20190409_132353 20190409_132400I made a bee-line for the jewellery counters and found two stunning rings behind locked display case doors – please sir, may I try them on? Done…they fit perfectly…the rings are mine. One is a green-hued chunk of turquoise for my right hand and the larger one is made of blue turquoise and spiny oyster inlays, both silver. 20190420_162506 Mar4008Obviously a favourite shop of his, AJ purchased a couple more stones to add to his and Tom’s basket of stones in their front lobby (below) – very tactile home decor and each stone carries mystical powers to heal or energize.20190409_091157Once we stored our purchases into the car, we wandered across to where the “frontier town” was – today there were only a few tourists and it seemed a bit sad. We dropped in to the candlemaker (fragrances were a bit too strong for me to remain there), then a couple of the souvenir stores but I just couldn’t “get it up” to enjoy the silly crap on sale there. They had a great loo, tho. I wish I’d taken a few pics – lots of old photos of 30’s and 40’s Hollywood movie cowgirls as well as old rodeo ladies lined the walls so I was able to enjoy a tinkle under the gaze of those vintage wild west gals. 20190409_134936Next blog will cover my final full day in Arizona: we visit the incredible butterfly conservatory and reptile museum, and AJ and I enjoy our deelish “last supper” – more steak for me…LOL!IMG_7739

DIAMONDS AND EMERALDS AND PEARLS, OH MY! GLORIA BASS BRINGS HER AWARD-WINNING DESIGNS TO YORKVILLE TRUNK SHOW – TODAY IS LAST DAY!

On Sunday Nov. 27th, Montreal-based award-winning Canadian jewellery designer GLORIA BASS launched her 2-day Christmas trunk show at 24 Bellair St in Yorkville, Toronto, and oh my, what wonderful bright sparkly treasures she showcased! Like the stunning Labradorite necklace above, each piece is unique and hand-crafted by Gloria and her goldsmiths so if you’re looking for a little luxury for this year’s festive season (or any season!), please drop in todayMonday Nov. 28th, between 10am and 5pm to experience the ultimate in bling!  Here’s just a little taste of what you’ll see……20161127_10451620161127_10493320161127_10583120161127_10493820161127_104649Gloria only uses the finest quality gemstones sourced from around the world and works in 18kt gold; she also works with exquisite pearls from the south seas, Tahiti and freshwater or cultured pearls from Japan.  You can see more of her innovative designs on her website:  www.gloriabassdesign.com  She also works on commission, as well as custom bridal pieces.20161127_11010520161127_11012120161127_11043020161127_104535As you can probably tell, I’m a huge fan of pearls and Gloria has created a special “ombre”style design (below) with perfectly matched Tahitian and South Seas pearls….what do you think of these beauties?20161127_110227There are many different pieces featuring South Seas, cultured or fresh water pearls set with precious stones in 18kt gold from which to choose…20161127_11571320161127_105029

20161127_105023You simply MUST come in to see these treasures in person.  You will not find Gloria Bass Design jewellery in any department stores so today is your last chance to view work from one of Canada’s leading designers. Again, 24 Bellair St, Yorkville (close to Bay & Bloor) from 10am until 5pm. Cash, credit card or debit.

Gloria (left) & her assistant Marie-Josee

Gloria (left) & her assistant Marie-Josee

20161127_11040120161127_10580620161127_11001620161127_11014520161127_110254