Pink & Red & Harry Kotlar

I recently had the pleasure of discovering (and completely smitten by) the craftsmanship of Harry Kotlar at local family jewelry boutique Tiny Jewel Box. With a history of 70 years long, this is one of the very few jewelry companies that hand makes all of their pieces. And you can definitely feel the difference – in contrast to other jewelry which are casted in a mold with more porous metals, Harry Kotlar’s pieces are much denser and heaver in weight. Their technique is almost a lost art nowadays – which makes these investment pieces that much more special.

There’s something about luxurious diamond jewelry that lasts for a lifetime, and in turn gives you that much more pleasure to own and wear. While I can only afford one of these beauties at a time, knowing that they can be passed down for generations make these worthwhile. The older I get, the more I appreciate quality over quantity. Trends move in an out so quickly, right now I’d rather invest in something I can enjoy for years to come than fast fashion that contributes to landfill after one season.

Speaking of reducing waste, I bought this Chanel top at Leprix boutique partner Designer Revival during the recent New York Fashion Week. Unfortunately, fashion is one industry that contributes greatly to negative environmental impact due to all the waste during production and post consumerism, and by recycling fashions I’d like to think that it makes a difference, however small, towards improvement.

This statement earring is from of my own design, made in collaboration with local artisan Mindy Lam. Stay tuned for the collection launch this December!