Currently Loving: Apostrophal Handmade Necklaces - Black Onyx, Moonstone & Azurite Malachite review

Pretty gemstone jewellery is a weakness of mine and I'm utterly smitten with these shiny new purchases from an indie online shop called Apostrophal.

I first came across Apostrophal on Instagram and they are a fairly new company, having started in 2020. They specialise in selling a quirky range of eco essentials and sustainable artisan handicrafts such as jewellery, plant pots, toiletries, bowls, candles, and kitchenalia. Through their online shop, they have created a community that helps to support independent makers and businesses, whilst offering ethical consumers a beautiful edit of handpicked products.

When I saw that they recently had a sale on, I couldn't help but have a good scroll through their site when I was shopping for a friend's birthday gift. As always though, a couple of additional items may have somehow made their way into my shopping basket (I honestly don't know how that happened...oops..),  and I'm now the proud owner of some new handmade necklaces.

Black Onyx Juliet Necklace

Onyx has been a favourite of mine for a very long time and I have a small collection of black Onyx pieces that I cherish in my jewellery box. Symbolising strength and perseverance, Onyx comes from the Greek word of the same name meaning 'claw', 'nail' and veined gem so you can see why it has an established history with the concept of strength in more ways than one. 

Handmade by one of Apostrophal's handpicked artisans Adeline, this necklace features a high-quality black Onyx gemstone in a square open bezel setting. With a multi-faceted surface, it captures the light beautifully. Looks stunning worn on its own or layered with other gold chained necklaces.

Moonstone Lunar Necklace

The moon has held great significance for many cultures and generations as human beings have looked up into the sky to question the meaning of life and what our place is in the universe. In turn, the Moonstone gem represents a connection to the divine feminine, linking the moon with cyclical changes, fertility, hope, and new beginnings. 

Composed of a lunar-shaped smooth white moonstone, if you look carefully, you'll see a protective Eye engraved into the stone itself. Also made by the artisan Adeline, this unique necklace is a sublime statement piece.

Azurite Malachite Necklace

My last pick is this captivating Azure Malachite. I'll have to admit that whilst I was already familiar with the meanings of the gemstones above, it was simply the beguiling colour of Azure Malachite that made me choose this piece of jewellery. 

I was pleased to discover that Azure Malachite is not just a pretty gem. It's linked to restoring Chakra balance, invoking calm feelings, and a reduction in anxiety, as well as being seen to drawing out negative energies from the body. For those interested in the concept of an 'ego death', it's believed that Malachite can help to dissolve egocentric personality traits such as arrogance. Interesting!

Shop at apostrophal.com

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Currently Loving: oNecklace Evil Eye Necklace review #PersonalisedJewellery

Jewellery is something that I love to gift to friends and family, whether it's for their Birthdays or a big celebration like Christmas, and I often jump at the chance if there's an option to personalise it. It turns an already lovely gift into something extra special and thoughtful!

Judging by the number of people that I know who cherish their personalised jewellery, I'm not alone in appreciating this concept, so I was over the moon when oNecklace got in touch with me to ask if I'd like to review one of their pieces of jewellery.

oNecklace is an online retailer who specialise in high-quality, personalised jewellery and they have a huge range of products to choose from in a variety of materials such as Sterling Silver, 24K Gold Plated, Rose Gold and Cubic Zirconia. There are rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and jewellery sets, all of which can be personalised from a selection of options, and they're a popular go-to site for Carrie style name necklaces.

After a good browse through their website, I decided to choose the Evil Eye Necklace because I've been wanting one of these for a while now. The 'Evil Eye' is an ancient concept that crops up in many different cultures around the world, especially in West Asia and usually has the same meaning. It's often described as a "curse or legend believed to be cast by a malevolent glare, usually given to a person when they're unaware to cause them misfortune or injury".

To ward off this unsuspecting 'Evil Eye', people wear talismans that are decorated with some kind of eye insignia to protect them. Wearing an eye is almost like saying 'I'm watching you back, so don't glare at me!", and I've always liked the idea of this, despite not being much of a superstitious person myself. 

The necklace arrived carefully packaged in a gift box and it looks even better in real life than it did online on the website. I love it!

I chose to have the Evil Eye Necklace personalised in a number of ways and I'm thrilled with the final result. First, I chose the material as Sterling Silver (you can also choose to have this design in 24K Gold Plated or Rose Gold), the chain length as 18", the chain itself to be a 'box' chain, and finally, I added my Birthstone Alexandrite to be the centre of the eye which I feel goes really well with the Silver.

It's an eye-catching (see what I did there?!) piece of jewellery and I've had plenty of compliments and questions about it since I started wearing it. Will it protect me from the glare of the 'evil eye'? Only time will tell ;)

oNecklace Evil Eye Necklace* retails for £30.76 from onecklace.co.uk

Do you like personalised jewellery?

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Currently Loving: Sacet Lujia Perched Butterfly Necklace review #EthicalJewellery

Taking pride in your jewellery purchases and investing in some beautiful, ethically made pieces that you'll cherish for years to come, needn't be as expensive as you may think. The latest addition to my collection is this stunning, yet simple piece from Sacet. 

If you think ethical jewellery looks too 'hippy' for your liking, Sacet will definitely help to change your mind! Sacet brings together a wealth of designers and talented craftspeople who are committed to transforming the designer jewellery industry by focusing on bringing a more sustainable approach to people, profits and the planet. This means that everything you purchase from Sacet is ethically and consciously crafted; the people making your jewellery are paid fairly for their work, their communities and livelihoods are supported, and all the materials used are ethically sourced. 

To help spread the word about what they're doing, Sacet very kindly asked me to review one of their pieces and I had the pleasure of choosing the Lujia Perched Butterfly Necklace, which immediately caught my eye when I was browsing their website.

Packaged in an elegant, eco-friendly (made from recycled materials) white gift box, this necklace has been designed by Meng Zhang, a London based designer who holds a MA in Jewellery Design from the prestigious Central Saint Martins. She's won numerous awards and has been featured in Harper's Bazaar, as well as being shortlisted in a design competition for the luxury Parisian brand, Chaumet.

The Lujia Perched Butterfly Necklace is a beautifully simple and timeless design which features an abstract perched butterfly on a delicate chain, or it can be turned around and presented as a classic heart. This interchanging design is something that definitely drew me to the piece because it's almost like having two necklaces in one! I've lost count of how many compliments I've received from friends and family since it arrived, and I love how it pairs so well with so many of my outfits, especially this vintage wine-red lace dress.

Made from recycled sterling silver, this necklace is available in three different chain lengths (16, 18 or 20 inch) and comes in three colours; Silver (as shown), Gold (18k Gold Vermeil on Sterling Silver) and Rose Gold (18k Rose Gold on Sterling Silver). 

 Sacet Lujia Perched Butterfly Necklace in Silver* retails for £59 and is available from sacet.com

Have you purchased anything from Sacet?

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Sunday Style: Moonstone Magic Jewellery - Dropping Wisdom Pendant review

When I was about seven or eight years old, my grandmother bought me a beautiful moonstone necklace for my birthday. It had a large oval shaped pendant and I remember being utterly mesmerised by this magical looking gemstone that would look different when it caught the light at various times of the day. 

Sadly, I lost the necklace when I was a teenager during a family house move, and despite being upset by it at the time, I haven't really thought about it in recent years, until an email popped up in my inbox from a company that specialises in moonstone jewellery. 

When I visited their website, I couldn't help but think about the necklace that I had lost, so when they asked me if I wanted to review one of their pieces I jumped at the chance. 

Moonstone Magic Jewellery are a jewellery company based in Florida, USA and they create beautiful pieces of jewellery using genuine Rainbow Moonstone Gemstones and 925 Sterling Silver, all of which are handmade. Their pieces are heavily inspired by a youthful, fun and creative bohemian lifestyle, and as I like to think of myself as a hippy at heart, they immediately appealed to me.

Their online shop is a cornucopia of rings, pendants, bracelets and earrings, and I was thrilled when Moonstone Magic let me choose a piece to review. I was spoilt for choice, but naturally, I checked out their pendants first and after some serious umming and ahhing, I decided to opt for their Dropping Wisdom Pendant.

When the pendant arrived, I was smitten. The Rainbow Moonstone is simply stunning - it almost looks like a piece of trapped ice and when it catches the light, it changes colour gradually, moving into grey, blue and even some pink tones depending on the direction that the light is coming from. 

This classic teardrop shape is wonderfully elegant and it really adds that finishing touch to any outfit. I'm so happy to have finally found a replacement for the moonstone necklace that I lost all of those years ago - thank you Moonstone Magic!

Moonstone Magic Jewellery Dropping Wisdom Pendant* ($65) is available from MoonstoneShop.com and is supplied without a chain.

Are you a fan of moonstone jewellery?

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