Apr 10 2015

Ordering fingerprint jewellery from Sophie Alexander

Posted on April 10, 2015 by admin

I’m lucky enough to have been selected to review £150 worth of jewellery from one of the most respected heirloom jewellers in the UK and beyond, Sophia Alexander. They have an unrivaled selection of exquisite pieces available in sterling silver, 9ct and 18ct gold, all of which create the perfect setting in which to showcase nature’s most exclusive design, the fingerprint, handprint or footprint of your loved one.

This post is merely an introduction to the ordering process and a sneak peek of the truly beautiful designs of fingerprint jewellery from Sophie Alexander. I’ll follow up with a review of my own keepsake to show you just how detailed and special this jewellery is.

To say I’m excited about this review is a massive understatement. Since having Dexter back in 2012, I’ve wanted fingerprint jewellery. For reasons unknown, this just never happened. I think it’s been on every Mother’s Day, Christmas and Birthday list I’ve created, but Craig just hasn’t had the conviction to choose a design on my behalf.

I don’t blame him for this. Heirloom jewellery, is so utterly personal that the wearer really should pick the design that best reflects their taste. You want it to be something you’ll never tire of wearing, and something that can look both discreet and magnificent against your clothes.

You also want to pick a jeweller who is committed to producing a faithful replication of your loved one’s fingerprint..The clarity of the print is, after all, paramount - it’s unique, it’s miraculous and it’s beautiful. You therefore need a jeweller that treats your order with respect. They should advise when and how to take the print and use the best impression kits available to ensure that every arch, loop and whorl is captured

(NOTE: babies typically develop their fingerprints at 22 weeks after conception. These grow and mature and have the level of detail they’ll have forever at around 12 months).

Sophia Alexander have 3 types of impression kits, and each arrive impeccably packaged with detailed instructions and an order form. As I have a specific design in mind (which will be revealed in my next post) I chose a imprint kit that will capture every little detail of Heidi’s dainty little fingerprints. Here is a video of how we got on to show you just how simple this was to do:

And voila! This is sent back to Sophia Alexander (in the self-addressed (Royal Mail tracked) envelope provided) who will assess the clarity of the print. If it’s clear enough, they’ll then create the master copy of your item and cast it in the precious metal of your choice. It will be hallmarked, engraved and set with gemstones if requested. At each stage of the process, you’ll be notified by email.

Mine has now been sent and is being transformed into something I’ll keep forever. I’ll post again in a few week’s time with a detailed review.

To order an impression kit and get started on your own commission, head to Sophia-Alexander.com, or follow on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest to find out more.

Until next time… Gems & Heidi

Feb 5 2015

When is teething jewellery not just teething jewellery? A Mama Jewels Review

Posted on February 5, 2015 by admin

Teething jewellery is big business. One swoop around a baby & toddler exhibition and you see dozens of brands competing for floor space. Ask any mother with a baby and it’s easy to see why they’re so popular. I can’t count the number of pendants and bracelets my two children have broken trying to gnaw their way through the silver. Jewellery dangles, it catches the light, and it’s perfectly positioned for a quick chomp when you’re cradling them to your chest.

Teething jewellery is typically made from silicone or wood, designed to be non-toxic and able to withstand plenty of tugging and gnawing. Design-wise many brands offer the same stale pendants and colourways and there isn’t much for mum to get excited about. This, of course, is until they stumble upon Mama Jewels…

I looked around the baby group and realised that most of the mums, like me had stopped wearing jewellery, when I asked why they said ‘Our children keep breaking our jewellery so we just had to stop wearing it’ That was the moment I decided to use my jewellery design skills to create a necklace that a baby can’t break, can be washed, and is completely non-toxic for when babies chomp on it, but still looks gorgeous. Mama Jewels was born! Amanda Waring, Founder Mama Jewels

Mama Jewels Teething

From left to right: Earth Mama Light wood teething necklace £14.95 / Manuhiki Nursing Teething necklace UK dark wood £22.95 / Eskina Wooden Teething necklace – Candy £15.95 / Francene olivine silicone teething necklace £15.95 / Jenny wood and crochet teething necklace – Berries £21.95 / Tea rose pink silicone teething necklace £15.95 / Anthropologist Mint green wood teething nursing necklace £19.95 / Anthropologist Red wood teething nursing necklace £19.95 / Breton Blue Wooden baby proof necklace £22.95

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If it hadn’t been Mama Jewels I wouldn’t have consented to a teething jewellery review. I find the 70s circular pendants really quite boring and uninspiring and can’t imagine Heidi being that impressed either. But Mama Jewels really is different, with dozens of beautiful designs that the untrained eye wouldn’t even realise were built with babies in mind.

Add to this Papa Jewels and Mini Jewels (with baby-safe chains and no-break guarantee) and baby is literally spoilt for choice for a spot of relief from the agony of teething pain.

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To be honest, I can’t imagine an adult equivalent to teething. Even if we were to experience a similar pain, the fact your baby doesn’t understand why their senses are in overdrive makes for a particularly distressing time. Not only will babies often writhe around, refuse food and scream, teething also manifests itself in psychical symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting. Aside from administering teething gels, cold toys and Calpol, mum and dad are left twiddling their thumbs watching their baby suffer.

Teething jewellery might seem like just another teether device, but they’re so much more. Due to the proximity of the jewellery to mum (or indeed dad) they allow baby to self-soothe whilst being held. This means during periods of extreme distress, it’s far easier to settle your little one.

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I have the Anthropologist necklace in purple and brown hues and absolutely LOVE it. It goes with the majority of my outfits and Heidi is in heaven as she selects a bead to chew. There are wooden hive-like beads that are ribbed for extra texture, smooth pebble beads, and octagonal shaped beads too. This means plenty of interest for both mum and baby. Better yet, it has a leather thong chain for practicing finer bites.

Heidi chews on it at every opportunity and it’s certainly taken a battering. She now has all four front teeth (top and bottom) and she’s downright dangerous with them. Trust me, if you put your finger in her mouth, you might ever get it back out again! Yet my necklace still looks as good as new. This is quite some feat when you consider the state of her teething toys downstairs - let’s just say it’s very easy to spot her favorites!

My necklace is a very reasonable £19.95 and worth every penny, I plan on buying a few more colourways purely to complement other outfits but can honestly say I choose well when asked to pick one for review. It’s beautiful.

I’m not alone in my praise for Mama Jewels with them also grabbing headlines in Baby & Me, Gurgle Magazine, Baby London, The Daily Mail, The Telegraph and appearing on a This Morning feature. Not limited to nursing and teething jewellery, they also make some silver keepsakes items, baby-proof jewellery and sweet breastfeeding reminder bracelets so mum knows which breast is next.

Baby Proof Jewellery

Clockwise: Liberty Misti grey baby proof nursing necklace gift set – Gold £30 / Turquoise heart Breastfeeding bracelet £14.95 / Miranda Bluebell heart nursing necklace gift set £21.00 / Eva jet and silver baby proof bracelet £11.00 / Russian Doll babyproof bracelet £10.00 / Lillyanna jet crystal nursing necklace £21.95

To find out more about the brand head to mamajewels.co.uk or say hello on Twitter, Facebook & Pinterest for the latest inspiration, deals and giveaways.

Oct 24 2014

Razzle dazzle them with The Real Effect

Posted on October 24, 2014 by admin

This Christmas will be the first in three years that I haven’t been pregnant. So no more frumpy dresses and propping up the buffet table - I’ll be the first at the Champagne tray and the first to slur my way through a rendition of God Saves the Queen when Her Majesty wraps up her speech.

In fact, Christmas styling should be even more special this year given I’m furiously dieting in a bid to look like Catherine Zeta Jones for the festive season. Bring on the plunge neckline that will make the father-in-law blush, and the red lipstick that will stain the posh wineglasses currently gathering dust in the cupboard.

So when the very lovely Mel from Diary of a Jewellery Lover gave me a gentle nudge to enter her latest blogger comp to win some shiny stuff, it seemed like perfect timing. Given it’s Craigy’s turn to drive over Christmas he’s unlikely be in a generous mood this year; I suspect I’ll have to feign excitement over a perfume and some underwear that I can only dream of squeezing into.

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Mel has partnered up with The Real Effect who sell stunning hand-crafted jewellery cut from silver and sparkly gemstones. For 20 years their silversmiths have shaped rings, pendants and bangles from blissfully smooth silver, using micro-finish precision to create some truly glittering pieces. They promise their pieces will feel every bit as luxurious as real diamonds and make the wearer feel every bit as spoiled & glamourous - perfect for this neglected and exhausted mama then!

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Joking aside, I love the uniqueness of a hand-crafted product. Every ring that is loving bundled into the bed of a giftbox will have spent hours being cut, shaped and buffed by a human hand. It’ll also be just that tiny bit different from all others - making your piece truly one-of-a-kind.

All I have to do is pick out two pieces from the collection that would make my heart flutter, and trust me, this is hard. My jewellery box has been at the mercy of a curious toddler for the last year and I now have nothing worthy of a special occasion to wear.

But if pushed, I love this delicate linking Sterling Silver Bracelet - I’d wear it slightly loose so it shimmies over my wrist and catches the light. I can imagine wearing this and chucking canapes in my mouth at a candlelit gathering. It’s every inch what I hoped to wear at Christmas and impossibly inexpensive at just £97.70 > believe it or not, this is one of the pricier finds at The Real Effect.

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To continue this glittering theme, I’d have this little beauty on my ring finger (or to give it its proper name, Fully Stone Set Cushion Cut Ring). Given Craigy is yet to ‘put a ring on it’, seeing me smile when I slip this baby on might give him the push he needs. This is exactly the style of engagement ring I want so it might even imprint itself on his memory when he takes that scary trip into Pravins to buy me the real thing. You wouldn’t believe this costs just £52.80 would you?!

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The good news is that there’s plenty of time to enter yourself and there are three prizes up for grabs (£100, £60 and £40 to spend at The Real Effect!) so head on over and check it out - Best of luck with your entry (I promise not to boycott your blog if you beat me to a prize!). Finally, thanks Mel for such a lovely competition!