Judith Jack Flamenco Triple Drop Necklace

You probably won’t see me feature jewelry here very often, for a couple of reasons. First, I don’t really wear much. I’m a minimalist when it comes to jewelry. I have a couple of standard pieces that I wear just about every day—a pair of diamond stud earrings, and one ring. I may change the diamonds out for pearls if I’m feeling retro classic that day. Although I have a nice one, I don’t wear a watch anymore because my BlackBerry tells me what time it is, and it just gets caught on my sweaters which annoys the crap out of me. Have you ever tried to unsnag a sweater? Yeah, not fun. So the watch has been banished to the jewelry box. I have several other pieces I’ve accumulated over the years, that either caught my eye at the store and were bought on a whim, or that were given to me as gifts. The gift stuff is seldom worn. I’m very picky about what I wear, especially jewelry, and I’d much rather pick it out myself. That whole thing with the guy hiding the engagement ring in the soufflé and the girl finding it and being overjoyed? Yeah, that would so not be me. I’d be the girl saying, “So. You went and picked it out yourself, did you? Well, I hope you kept the receipt.” And finally, I very rarely wear necklaces, and when I do, it’s in the fall and winter. It’s just too hot in the summer to have something clinging to my neck. Still, every so often I run across something I really like that suits my taste in one way or another, which is what happened with the Judith Jack Flamenco Triple Drop necklace.

First, I have a confession to make. The thing that initially drew me to this necklace? The name. Flamenco. Olé! Makes me want to throw on a frilly dress and start stomping around on the wood floors while a guitar plays feverishly in the background. Hmm…maybe I was a Spaniard in a previous life. That would also explain my love for churros, one of the acceptable alternatives to cupcakes. But once I got past the name and actually had a look, I liked this necklace even more. Frankly, it’s a little more ornate than what I would usually wear. This is something that would spend most of its life in my jewelry box, only to be taken out for special occasions, or days when I was feeling a little feisty. To really appreciate this necklace, you need to see it up close. Look at that detail! I don’t normally go for sterling silver—I prefer white gold—but I’d make an exception for this. I’m not really sure why it was named Flamenco. The piece at the top of the necklace looks almost like a fleur de lis to me. But I really like the marcasite stones. They add a little sparkle without it being overwhelming on a piece this size. The pendant is two inches long. The 16-inch chain is also sterling silver, and has a lobster clasp, which makes putting on and taking off very easy. Yeah, I could see wearing this once in a while. You could too, for just $169 at Zappos.com.

Budget Saving Alternative 1

Now this one is much more my style. I could see myself wearing this one on a nearly daily basis, even though it’s yellow gold. Twelve karat gold plated, to be exact. But Kate Spade’s Delano Dangle necklace is the perfect combination of simplicity and style. I’ve seen a lot of necklaces with ball charms similar to this, but they’re covered in crystals, rhinestones, or diamonds. In fact, Kate Spade has one as well, and it’s referred to as a “disco ball.” Seriously? Well, it finally happened. Kate, my go-to girl for fashion, has disappointed me. Not only does her disco ball necklace come in a clear glass stone variety, it’s also available with gold-colored crystals. Oh, but she didn’t stop there. No. It also comes with…wait for it…multi-colored glass stones. Red, green, purple, and fuchsia, all mixed in together in one hideous little package. Ugh. Yeah, Kate let me down with that one. But at least this Delano makes up for it. Again, it’s better appreciated up close so you can see the logo detailing. The chain includes a length extender, and also has a lobster clasp with a signature tag attached. It’s a steal at $65 at Piperlime.com.

Budget Saving Alternative 2

Just as Kate, my stand-by for fashion, is disappointing me, Juicy Couture, which had to work to win me over after launching those hideous towel bags, has finally succeeded. How can I not love Juicy when they make this Cupcake Wish necklace?! It’s a cupcake! It’s pink! And, it’s a locket! It’s a trifecta of cupcakey and jewelriffic goodness! I can’t even be snarky about this one because I’m just so excited about it! Just looking at it makes me happy. Ok, let’s be honest, it does look a little bit like costume jewelry for an eight-year-old, I can’t lie. But I don’t even care. By putting Juicy Couture on the top of the cupcake, it goes from little girl dress-up jewelry to grown-up cupcake aficionado accessory. It’s all about branding. The cupcake top also has one clear crystal embedded in the center for a little sparkle, and is made from 14karat gold- and silver-plated brass. The chain is 16 inches long, with a 2.5-inch extender and lobster clasp. It comes in a cute little Juicy Couture gift box so, you know, if any of you wanted to, oh, I don’t know, put a little something in my stocking to show how much you love my blog, well, this just might be the way to go! Ok, I’m kidding. Sort of. Come on, it’s only $48 at Piperlime.com! I’ll totally act surprised and everything! Really!