Artfully Elegant — Handmade Jewelry & Handcrafted Gifts

Just look at these Black Diamonds fit for a Queen. They’re 3.73 carats each! They’re enormous. And to top it off, they’re as black as the night over the Indian Ocean. Honestly, these rings are simply fantastic. Todd Reed has truly raised the bar when it comes to designing jewelry with natural colored diamonds. A pioneer in the handmade jewelry marketplace, his engagement rings and wedding bands are always on point and exuding luxuriousness. Having had the opportunity to design this pair of incredible rings, I can tell you that nothing prepares you for actually seeing them on your finger for the first time. Imagine being the person who gets to wear one of these gorgeous rings as a symbol of their love for their partner. What an amazing story they tell! These two rings are truly captivating, and we’re humbled to have them in our collection.

Black Diamonds fit for a Queen

#ToddReed #NaturalColoredDiamonds

Tags: Black Diamonds, Palladium Rings, todd reed

Our Todd Pownell ring sales have been on fire lately! And why wouldn’t they be? Each piece looks like it’s been forged in a lava pit high atop a Hawaiian mountain. They have a unique ability of appealing to both the hardened mountaineer and the refined executive all at the same time.

Perhaps nothing draws Todd Pownell‘s clients more than his signature technique of setting the rings’ diamonds upside down. The beauty of the normally unseen side of a cut diamond is stunning. The closeness of the diamond’s angles couldn’t be more evident. Light seems to dance off the diamond with each and every subtle movement of the hand. Making his rings the center of attention no matter when and where they are worn. #ToddPownell

Tags: handmade wedding bands, inverted diamonds, men's wedding rings, todd pownell

We are extremely excited to announce the addition of Jennifer Dawes to our collection of engagement rings. Her work is soft, delicate, bold and artistic. And no one can make that combination work better than her. Jennifer’s rings have diamonds with playful hues and gold bands with subtly warm finishes. As a result, Jennifer Dawe’s delicate and bold rings mange to be both fun and approachable.

If you’re looking to experience the beauty of boldly designed and delicately finished engagement rings, then visit our collection of Jennifer Dawes rings today. #JenniferDawes

Tags: delicate rings, engagement rings, Jennifer Dawes

Every once in a while there is a piece that simply becomes impossible to keep in stock. More often than not, it’s a necklace by Kathy Bransfield. Of course it makes perfect sense that her work connects with so many people from around the country; but that doesn’t make it any less surprising when I find myself fighting to get so many orders out in such a short period of time.

Towards the end of November I received an order for two of the Buddhist Wheel necklaces. Like most orders I receive, I didn’t think too much about it. However soon after that initial order, I encountered a flurry of orders for the same piece within a matter of days. And when all was said and done…we had sold 12 Buddhist Wheel necklaces within 10 days. To the average jewelry store this may seem like a typical weekend. But when you are a website focused on selling handmade jewelry, it is essentially unheard of.

As with many of these random sales bumps, it is almost impossible to say what lead to this necklaces meteoric rise to the Best Selling Necklaces category. But one thing is for certain, Buddha generally knew what he was talking about. It’s about time people take notice. LOL!

Tags: Buddhist Wheel, Inspirational necklaces, kathy bransfield

There’s just nothing better than spending evenings with friends, laughing and joking about the stories of the day. This time of the year always reminds me of those times…especially ones spent while enjoying a few drinks. It seems that the winter brings out the best in the craft beer marketplace. All those pumpkin infused bottles with their halloween and turkey themed labels are worth every penny. Of course with the need to try the latest craft brew, there’s also the need to have something to open them with.

These bottle openers are like none other. Between the Zootility wallet cards and the Say It Don’t Spray It bottle openers Artfully Elegant has your craft beers and holiday cheers covered.

Tags: Beer, Bottle Opener, happy hour

It reads simply:

“If it hurts too much to look back, but you’re too scared to look ahead, just look beside you and I’ll Be There”

At times I find myself intrigued with how one particular piece seems to grab a hold over people’s hearts more than any other. Over the past summer, we sold more Kathy Bransfield’s I’ll Be There necklaces than any other piece we have in our collection. Yes it is a beautiful necklace with both color and shape designed to catch the eye, but I am sure that the reason for its popularity is much deeper than that.

The necklace’s sentiment is meticulous in its simplicity. I’ll Be There. No matter what you are going through, I’ll Be There. If you need a friend and feel that you are all alone, then I’ll Be There. And what an wonderful way to get that expression across? In today’s world of selfishness, as we all experience a shift away from a community of friends, family, neighbors and colleagues, art like this is essential to letting people know that we still care. No matter what life is throwing their way…we will always be there to help see them through.

I’ll Be There!

Tags: I'll be there, Inspirational necklaces, kathy bransfield

We all have a story to tell, don’t we? Of course since none of us actually have the time to tell everyone our story one by one, we opt instead to express ourselves in the simplest way possible…our style. To me, there is nothing more expressive than the style of jewelry we wear and how we wear it. Jewelry is personal. Very personal. The color, the texture, the material, the craftsmanship…each and every facet of a piece of jewelry helps us to add to that story about ourselves. Who are we? What inspires us? What do we carry with us with through our every day?

At our one year anniversary, I wanted to give my wife a handmade gift that expressed a continued promise of the day we were first married. I wanted something that exuded exquisiteness. Something that was both delicate and bold. A piece of jewelry that would last lifetimes. When I finally gave her that gift…she felt nothing could’ve expressed that continued promise better than the Todd Reed ring I gave her that day.

It’s richness, it’s boldness, it’s colors, it’s brand…they all tell a story while sitting on my wife’s hand. That ring speaks volumes about her strength, her colorful nature and her unique style. It tells everyone who sees it that she’s one of a kind and unapologetically a purveyor of finer things. So what’s your story? And how do you plan on telling it?

Tags: todd reed

A day in the life of ArtfullyElegant.com includes inventorying and photographing jewelry. Of course when you run your business from home, that simple task can end up being a lot more complicated than it sounds. This morning I spent an hour frantically looking for jewelry that I had placed on the table yesterday to photograph in the midday sun. Even my wife Neha joined the search but to no avail. And that’s when it hit us…apparently the 2 year old likes jewelry too.

Last night my little lovely Miss Kira was “helping” both of us with getting the house together. By “helping” I of course mean that she placed her toys in the refrigerator while we put groceries away, she threw important documents in the recycling container, and sat on the dishwasher door to take the load off her feet. Could the little monkey have grabbed the bag of newly purchased Dogeared necklaces and put it somewhere never to be found again? I’m pretty sure that the answer to that question is yes.

Over the past couple of months, Kira has gone from a baby trying to find her stride to a well oiled short distance runner. Honestly her speed and agility seem only to be likened to Steph Curry on the basketball court. So when my wife and I came up short looking for that jewelry it became very clear who the culprit was going to be.

That being said the suspect is not talking. When I asked her if she took the jewelry and where she put it she said “yeah”, followed by very confident point to the socks that were on her feet. I’m pretty sure that I’m not gonna get much more information out of her either. Maybe the jewelry will turn up…and maybe it won’t. Either way, I decided to let the theft of the Dogeared necklaces slide. Besides, her cuteness makes it hard to be angry with her anyhow.

The last few months have been full of some amazing transitions. We closed our brick and mortar gallery in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and shifted our focus towards ecommerce. Having operated a fine art gallery since 2003, this transition has been a bittersweet one. While it was time for Artfully Elegant to grow beyond the confines of a retail space, it is strange to have left behind the day to day operations that go into owning a gallery. But to be honest, it is something that we are getting used to. After all, now that the website’s new home is in Boulder, Colorado, we have a hard time imagining ourselves anywhere other than here. It seems that the never ending sun and larger than life mountains have a way of softening the substantial changes that come from a transition such as this.

Now that www.ArtfullyElegant.com is the new home of our gallery, we have plan to focus more on our most dedicated followers than ever before. Be sure to look for us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for updates to our collection and special sales events. And thank you for being a part of Artfully Elegant’s past, present and future. Talk with you soon.

Bija Malas is more than just beautiful beaded jewelry. If you are looking for something to connect you to a more centered purpose, to have a deeper meaning, or to just provide you with a tangible piece of positivity, then these beads may be just what you are looking for.

Bija Malas started in 2011 in a little corner of jewelry designer Iris Sutalo’s living room. What started as a small circle of sales to close friends has budded into a flourishing business with beads selling in a variety of locations including jewelry stores, boutiques, and yoga studios.

But what is it about these beads that make them so special? That question has many answers. For one, each piece is made with 108 beads. The significance of the number has multiple meaning including ‘one, none and all.’ It is also said that each person has 108 emotions, and that there are 108 marma points in our body.

A mala is specifically a tool used to help with prayer or meditation while looking beautiful to keep you reminded of that. So by having a gorgeous piece of beadwork close to you, you’ll always remember the deeper meaning that it represents. It is also said by many that meditation is one of the best ways to help in a variety of ways, and these beads are an addition to a ritual that many have found positive results with.

So if you would like to add an addition to your spiritual routine, need a piece of positive vibe, or just want a gorgeous new addition to your jewelry box, check out Bija Mala. Who knows, you might just find the perfect piece that speaks just to you.

Find them here at Artfully Elegant.

Tags: Bija Malas