Romance is in the air with the arrival of our NEW sterling silver envelope locket. This is a charming design perfect for Valentine’s Gifts from sweethearts. What’s even better is that the envelope actually opens along a hinge and securely closes with a neat button latch. The tiny dot detailing is the icing on the cake.
Be sure to pick up the matching silver tablet so you can stamp personalized messages, little sweet nothings, or words to uplift, like “courage” and “strength.” This silver tablet fits perfectly inside the envelope! As an alternative, you can also hand write a note on paper, and slip into the envelope.
Wear your envelope on a charm bracelet, on a beaded necklace, or simply thread it onto a romantic silk ribbon!
Say it in silver!
Sterling silver snowflake charms celebrate the most wonderful time of of year. Growing up in the Bay Area, I’ve always wanted to wake up, look out my window, and see a winter wonderland. I’d crawl out of bed, bundle up, and get into a frosty snowball fight with friends. Then after my troops win, I’d build a snowman, or ice skate on a frozen lake. I’ve never done any of these things in my whole life. I’ve never even seen snow. The most beautiful snowflake I have ever seen are the silver snowflake charms here at Nina Designs!
While I won’t be celebrating a white Christmas this year, one holiday to-do I am crossing off my bucket list is cooking The Beloved Holiday Dinner for my family. My late grandmother made so many memorable meals, but since her passing this honor has been passed to various older couples in my family. This year my cousin and I are excited to refresh the menu and share our twist on the traditional Christmas feast. We hope to make it a night to remember.
We’ll start by sprucing up mashed potatoes with our favorite ingredient – truffle butter. Oui! Oui! We’re also replacing plain old baked yams with crispy sweet potatoes fries tossed with whole roasted cloves of garlic that melt in your mouth. We’re most excited about losing the traditional roasted turkey for a tasty moist chicken instead. Whew, we’ve got some work to do! Although my family is very supportive, we’re starting to feel the pressure. We want this holiday dinner to be perfect with a renewed and delicious menu. Keep your fingers crossed. I’ll let you know how it goes in the New Year.
The entire staff of Nina Designs wish you and your loved ones the happiest of holidays. May you all enjoy a memorable feast with friends and family!
Winter Wonderland of sterling silver charms!
Celebrate Thanksgiving adorned in a leather cord necklace complimented by our large hole pearls and a cluster of festive silver charms swaying happily on our Family charm holder. Enjoy this special time of gratitude and appreciation with significant individuals through fellowship, cooking, and devouring a delicious meal.
I personally love this time of year and can always find a chuckle in the challenge of cooking a delicious turkey and seeing how many creative ways my family can transform it after the holiday has passed. Sure, there are turkey sandwiches, soups, and salads, but we like to challenge ourselves by thinking of bazaar turkey recipes. Like turkey birthday cake, its a spoof on your traditional pot pie. I’ll spare your stomach the details! But if you have any bizarre recipes to share, please do!
Ok, but really . . . when the laughter starts to settle, the bellies are full and coffee is being poured, I hope you soak in this precious time with family and friends to really build a memory on what it’s all about – real genuine, face to face, relationship building with people who give your life meaning. Once the holiday passes, it’s easy to turn the electronics back on that consume our lives, but I challenge you to continue this practice of mindfulness throughout the year.
Have a warm and tasty Thanksgiving!
We are all big fans of Halloween at Nina Designs and our spooky jewelry charms will have everyone spellbound! Discover spirited silver charms in the Happy Halloween Collection. We have otherworldly owls, beguiling bats, scowling skulls, and sparkling stars. Find yourself spirited away to a world of nostalgia with these fun and frightening silver charms. Here they have all congregated against the full moon to strike fright and fancy into our hearts. Use them alone or combined to captivate viewers and customers alike. Get spirited this season and experiment with fun themed collections! Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween!
As jewelry designers it’s important to stay current regarding trends in sterling silver and bronze charms jewelry. I like to peruse the web and see what’s being offered at places like Barney’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Net-a-Porter, and Ylang23. It’s interesting to notice changes and new trends. One thing I’ve been noticing lately is how many well-known jewelry designers are working in bronze as an alternative to sterling silver. While there will always be a market for sterling silver, there is definitely a new market opening up for bronze as well. I also noticed a lot of silver and gold plated bronze options.
Stay ahead of the trends with Nina Designs’ new line of bronze jewelry charms – in solid bronze, silver plated bronze and gold plated bronze.
Center of Truth Earrings with Nina Designs Bronze Charm
Some of my favorite high end bronze jewelry I just found:
Ashley Pittman at Bergdorf Goodman
Imogen Belfield’s Gold Plated Bronze Nugget Ring at Not Just a Label.com
Barse ‘Mayan’ Bronze Stretch Bracelet at Nordstrom’s
Mania Mania Immortals Ring at Zimmermann
Pamela Love at Barney’s
Love Heals at Neiman Marcus
Maria Nilsdotter’s Giant bronze spider ring at Brown’s of London
Catherine Michiels at Ylang23
Ashley Pittman at Bergdorf Goodman
Honeycomb Earrings with Nina Designs Bronze Charm
Catherine Michiels at Ylang23
Hoop da Loop Earrings
Sterling silver hoop earrings lend the perfect flirty vibe to any summer outfit or activity. I love wearing large hoops with bright colored gemstones and silver charms. A wonderful activity to pair with these vibrant earrings is Hoop Yoga. This Summer I’ve been including more and more yoga into my daily routine. I recently stumbled upon a great article in Yoga Journal about hoop yoga: a mix of dance, hula hooping, and yoga. The practice is fun, creative, and requires tons of balance! This is the perfect summer fun activity for a lazy day at the park. Grab a hoop, or make your own, and get creative with your practice. Start by moving your hips, flowing into a groove and then move into triangle pose, with the hoop spinning around your outstretched arm. Have fun, be creative, and don’t be afraid to laugh!
Ursula Earrings
Summer in Berkeley, CA, has finally arrived, and our warm-weather sterling silver charms are flying off the shelves. I have been pulling orders filled with
ocean charms,
mermaid charms, and
flip-flop charms, and it has been making me itch for some summery jewelry of my own.
In anticipation of evening outdoor parties, I wanted to design fun, flirty earrings, but keep them edgy. I chose our gold vermeil starfish bead for the focal point, then picked a couple dainty pearls and paired them with our funky 3 circle link from our black silver collection. I love the contrasting elements in these earrings. They make me feel both girly and tough.
As a new jewelry designer, I am interested in how “seasoned” designers decide what direction to take a new jewelry line, and how far ahead the planning and purchasing happens. Do you plan an entire summer line while you’re shut in over the winter, or do you wait to see what styles are hot as spring trees begin to bud? What new pieces are you excited to use in your next collection?
Silver charms and findings always find purpose. Although the world seems to be in a constant state of change, jewelry historically has found a place in the hearts of men and women alike. No matter the state of the economy, the desire for jewelry never ceases to exist. The beautiful ornamental jewelry that hang around our necks and dangle from our ears exist as a reminder of hope. Even when the world looks gray, it is most important to continue to focus on what is beautiful and what makes us happy.
For us involved in the silver industry, it may seem like we’ve been handed a double-edged sword in the past few months. Not only are we trying to climb out of economic depression, but the price of silver has been all over the place. What a combo! Staying optimistic about the fate of our businesses tends to be a challenge. I urge you to remind yourself that jewelry is a stronghold. Women will always want jewelry. Even if we have to budget, jewelry is important to us. Happy little silver charms and shimmering gems have an incredible ability to lift our spirits. Keep making jewelry and keep lifting those spirits!
Remember, we just decreased our prices on all sterling silver and gold vermeil jewelry findings by 9%. Shop our new styles today.
American women in uniform, 1942
Miriam Haskell, renowned jewelry designer and friends with Coco Chanel, opened her first boutique in 1926 and made her mark during the height of the Depression!
Our unique sterling silver Yoga charms always leave me feeling inspired to be more compassionate and patient with myself and others, and to make time for my yoga practice. Today I started my day earlier than normal to join DeAnna at Flying Yoga for an early morning session. We both have worked with Sara Getz and wanted to continue our practice with her. Even though I was reluctant, once I was there and on my mat, I was extremely thankful for the opportunity to continue my yoga practice.
What my body and mind allows for each practice is different. Sometimes I’m able to flow right into the poses, other times I find myself resisting each movement; clenching my jaw with frustration. Today there was a mix of both. Often in Yoga classes, we will set an intention for the practice and the day. When my frustration boils to the surface I take a moment to breathe and repeat my intention.
Yoga, for a lot of people is calming and relaxing. For me it is a often a struggle and a practice in acceptance. Acceptance of where I am, where my body is, of just that moment. In this practice of moving, breathing and focus, occasionally there will be a moment of calm, of just being there. That one moment is worth the struggle every time. Today amidst the newness of the studio and the foreign faces surrounding me I was able to find more than a few of those moments. I’m looking forward to the next session and trying to remain open to whatever it may bring.
Word charms help set your intention at the start of your next Yoga class
The microscopic details of our silver charms and jewelry design have altered my creative focus in a big way. Previously, my creative energy was focused on projects like refinishing furniture or choosing the perfect color palette for an entire house . . . projects about the big picture. Small and detailed was not necessarily my area of expertise. But alas, all of the fantastic silver charms and findings at Nina Designs have been successful in opening (or shall I say narrowing) my eyes to a new set of parameters.
All of us share a common interest in jewelry and are well aware that in the world of silver charms and chain, details are key. What gauge silver wire is appropriate with my favorite silver charms? Should I use 4 mm or 5 mm jump rings? How many inches of that beautiful gold-plated chain is enough? How much is too much? Making jewelry requires a set of very critical eyes. And a strong magnifying glass too! You’ve got to be aware down to the millimeter. When it comes to jewelry, it really is the small things that matter most.
What details do you pay most attention to in your designs? Any handy tips you’d like to share?
