November sets off the season of family gatherings, and life gets a bit more hectic.

Our friend and familial obligations bring us together -  in pairs, in trios and in large groups.

You should do the same with your jewelry.

A great pair of earrings that go perfectly with a statement ring makes getting dressed for events and gatherings much easier; having more than one piece that you are completely in love with doesn’t hurt either.

And, like in life, your jewelry suite doesn’t have to be matchy matchy to work. Sometimes the most unlikely pairings are also the best.

Below, some of my favorite combinations of current Doyle & Doyle antique and vintage jewels, and some things to think about when picking out your duo:

Tip #1 – Take the High (End) Road.

I picked this pairing because what goes better with diamonds then, well, other diamonds? The Opal and Diamond Ring may be fashioned in yellow gold, and the Deco Diamond Drop Earrings in platinum, but their glamour is their commonality.

Opal and Diamond Ring

Deco Diamond Drop Earrings

Tip #2 – Be Prepared for the Unexpected.

Like seeing a so-so dress on a rack that looks amazing on, you never know when two pieces will just go together and look great, despite evidence to the contrary.

Take the Georgian Foil Back Garnet Pendant that I’ve paired with these Diamond Cluster Drop Earrings – their physical shape is similar (round and oval), and they are both yellow gold, but the visual similarities stop there.

But there’s no denying it – something about them together just WORKS.

Georgian Foil Back Garnet Pendant

Diamond Cluster Drop Earrings

Tip #3 – It’s in the Details…

Rather than finding matching colors for your two pieces, why not concentrate on their smaller, style details?

This Victorian Turquoise Bangle has a rope pattern that surrounds a line of turquoise stones. As soon as I saw this beautiful bracelet, I was reminded of our Heirloom by Doyle & Doyle Diamond Knot Earrings.  Finding similarities such as this make make your jewelry pairing more subtle than bold.

Victorian Turquoise and Rose Cut Diamond Bangle

Diamond Knot Earrings - Heirloom by Doyle & Doyle

Tags: Earrings, garnet, georgian, opal, Rings, rose cut diamonds, turquoise, victorian.

I love gifts, and I just received a great new book full of photos of old jewelry.

Alison (who works here at Doyle & Doyle) was able to make it to the Toledo Museum of art to check out Radiant Ensemble: Jewelry from the Nancy & Gilbert Levine Collection. She said the exhibit was amazing and that anyone in Toledo should definitely make the trip.

Although I am not going to be there any time soon, Alison was nice enough to bring me back the catalogue, Fascination: British and Continental Jewelry 1785-1885.  The Levine Collection is very impressive in the breadth of the representation.  Although some of the photo quality is slightly disappointing, the descriptions of the individual pieces more than make up for it.  Not only are the materials fully described, but historical references are also provided.

The catalogue is full of useful and interesting information presented in an easy to digest form. It is a great resource to anyone interested in learning more about the styles and techniques of jewelry produced from 1785-1885, and I thoroughly recommend it.

Tags: cannetille, georgian, mourning, revival, victorian.