Artfully Elegant — Handmade Jewelry & Handcrafted Gifts

One of my favorite parts of my job is when I’m able to meet clients in person when I’ve only ever dealt with them over the phone or via email. We work very closely with all of our clients, regardless of whether it’s the phone or email, but nothing compares to a true in-person meeting. On Monday, I was able to do just that. A wonderful family I’d dealt with (via phone initially) came in to see the new store and see Anne Sportun’s rings in person. They were in the market for a gemstone ring and ended up ordering the r395 (pictured) after seeing some similar examples in the store. We do our best to convey the beauty of all of our jewelry and artwork over the phone and internet, but nothing can hold a candle to seeing it all live and in person.

While it might have come down to the 11th hour, we opened for business at 451 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018 on Saturday morning. Our new place is beautiful – striking hardwood floors, handmade jewelry cases courtesy of Rori’s uncle and father, a new state of the art hanging system for all of our wall art, custom floor stands by artist Tim Marks, and more. All of our wonderful jewelry and artwork is spread out over 3500 sq. feet of space throughout the 2 floors of exhibition space. To say our new space is wonderful would be an understatement. The new Artfully Elegant flagship store has been a great deal of work for all of us, but it’s definitely worth it. We (Ranjeet, Rori, and Erin) are very grateful for all of the support we’ve received from our family, friends, and loyal customers. Without all of you, this wouldn’t be possible, so thank you. We look forward to what the future holds for Artfully Elegant!

As many of you may know, Artfully Elegant is expanding into our first dedicated brick and mortar store. Located at 451 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018, we will be nestled in the heart of Bethlehem’s Historic Main Street shopping district. Artfully Elegant is an offshoot of Monsoon Gallery, located on Bethlehem’s Southside shopping district. With the success of www.artfullyelegant.com, we decided to expand to the north side and create an Artfully Elegant flagship store. With a heavy focus on our beautiful handcrafted jewelry, as well as fine craft and original artwork, we hope that the new store will become a shopping destination for those visiting Bethlehem and everyone searching for that one of a kind piece of jewelry or work of art. We’re hoping to be open within the next two weeks, so stay tuned to this space or our Facebook page for more announcements and updates. We can’t wait to see all of you there!

The staff at Artfully Elegant would like to offer our congratulations to another newly married couple, Eric and Arielle. Eric came to us looking for the perfect engagement ring for Arielle from Todd Reed. He definitely found it. Arielle’s ring is r480, a stunning 2 plus carat brilliant cut orange diamond, set in palladium. Ring 480 can be done in a variety of metals and different stone choices. We currently have it in palladium set with a 1.25 carat gray diamond. For their bands, Arielle chose matching ring 400 bands set in palladium with autumn brilliant colored diamonds (ours is shown in raw and white diamonds). Her bands perfectly compliment the rich orange of her center stone, both in fit and brilliance. Eric chose the classic ring 125 for his band. Featuring sterling silver and raw diamonds set in 18k yellow gold, this ring combines all of Todd’s signature stones and metals into one awesome ring. Congratulations to Eric and Arielle – we wish you many years of happiness together.

If you’re looking for a striking, wide band with some sparkle, look no further than the Manzanita Cigar Style band from Sarah Graham. Based in California, Sarah crafts beautiful jewelry in a variety of textures and metals. Whether it’s 18 karat yellow or white gold or her signature blackened steel, Sarah’s jewelry has a delicate, vintage quality to it. The Manzanita ring is one of my personal favorites. The band is tapered, so it’s narrower on the bottom of the ring shank, allowing it to fit more comfortably and true to size. The variety of cognac and white diamonds enhance the beautiful gold sheen and texture of the ring. If rings aren’t your style, check out some of Sarah’s unisex spear pendants. With their edgy, industrial look and blackened steel, these are great for men. Try the Spear S pendant or the Shield pendant next time you’re in the market for something a little bold and different.

Everyday Artifact is one of the newest additions to Artfully Elegant. Comprised of artist Jeff Ryan and business partner Barbara Edelman, they create simple, beautiful necklaces with hand printed lithographs on sterling silver discs. An acclaimed art printer, Jeff creates each necklace himself, crafting each necklace with the utmost care. These wonderful necklaces are delicate, but perfect for everyday wear. Whether you’re looking for one of their simple messages in typeface or their beautiful images of flowers, leaves, and landscapes, one of the designs is sure to speak to you. The designs can remind you of your past or give you strength in your future. I personally have the Willow necklace – it reminds me of the willow tree in the backyard of my childhood home. Other popular designs are the words, like Let It Be, or Balance, pictured. We’ve gotten some newer designs in and I love the Railroad Tracks and Queen Anne’s Lace, also pictured.

We love Laurel Denise here at Artfully Elegant. I am the proud owner of the Live necklace in sterling silver and with our next order, I plan on adding the heart tag to my collection as well. The necklaces are so simple – they’re easily dressed up or dressed down. They also make great layering pieces, whether it’s with another Laurel Denise design or a necklace by another artist. I’ve worn my Live neckace with my Lucky necklace from Kathy Bransfield and gotten tons of compliments on  both of them. Laurel’s collection has recently branched out to include these wonderful skinny leather bracelets. At only a quarter inch wide, these small bracelets are a big statement. They’re fully adjustable and still feature her delicate signature handwriting with phrases like “love” and “simple joy” laser etched on them. Since they’re leather, these bracelets really soften up after a few wears and take on a nice, worn in look. They look great with your favorite pair of jeans and sandals, plus they add a little something special to your normal outfits. Plus they’re a steal at $28 each! You can’t beat that!!

If you’re looking for a simple engagement ring (or even a right hand ring), but you still want it to have that something extra, Anne Sportun is a great choice. Anne’s designs are simple and clean, yet still have a subtle uniqueness to them. Plus they’re still all handmade. One of our favorites here at Artfully Elegant is the Rose Diamond ring. With it’s simple rosecut center stone, plus the 13 .01ct brilliant cut diamonds surrounding it, this ring is a lot of bang for your buck. It’s very elegant, yet still understated. As with all of Anne’s rings, it pairs beautifully with a band of your choice, perhaps something like this. If you’re not in the market for a diamond ring, try one of Anne’s signature necklaces, like a beautiful black pearl necklace or this labradorite and gold necklace.

If you’re looking for a unique wedding band, look no further than Chris Ploof. Based out of Rhode Island, Chris crafts beautiful engagement rings and wedding bands in gold, palladium, and platinum. Most of his bands feature different patterns of mokume gane or his signature meteorite rings. Handcrafted from pieces of the Gibeon meteorite that crashed in Namibia approximately 30,000 years ago, these rings are the ultimate in unique bridal jewelry. The meteorite rings have a wonderful texture that Chris enhances as he finishes the ring. These rings are perfect for men or women. They are available in a variety of lining metals and widths. Right now we have a 6mm semi-round style with palladium (pictured), which is perfect for men. We also have a smaller 4mm flat top style ring with a yellow gold lining currently in stock for women. Chris’ rings can always be customized, so if you’d like a larger width or a different, please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information. If you’re looking for a very unique band for your wedding, Chris Ploof is a great option.

All of us here at Artfully Elegant would like to congratulate Marty and DeAnn on their recent engagement. Marty and DeAnn have long been friends of us here at AE and our gallery, Monsoon. In fact, Marty is the one to thank for the beautiful design of this very blog! It’s only natural that he chose to propose with a ring from our collection, this ring from Anne Sportun to be precise. With a beautiful canary yellow diamond and ice blue pave set diamonds around the band, DeAnn’s ring is stunning and suits her perfectly. Her ring is one of a kind, so you won’t be able to get the exact same thing, but Anne should be able to whip something up in a similar design. DeAnn hasn’t decided on a band yet, but Marty has already chosen a Chris Ploof meteorite ring, similar to this one. You have to appreciate a man who knows what he wants. Congratulations again to Marty and DeAnn. We’re all very happy for you!