Four jewellery influencers to follow

Besides getting your jewellery fix from Something About Rocks, naturally, these are the jewellery influencers we are following. Here we get to know them a little better: the brands they’re watching, what a typical day is like in their life and more. Meet them here.

@Katerina_Perez

What is your first jewellery memory? 

I think it will have to be a jewellery box of my grandmother’s that was a treasure chest I would regularly raid while no one was looking. Although my grandmother didn’t have expensive designs in her collection, she had jewels with aventurine quartz, malachite, carved coral…there were lots of beaded necklaces (which I believe were costume jewellery). In the eyes of a three-four-year-old me they were all special and precious.

How long have you been working in the jewellery industry and what appealed to you about it originally? 

I have now been a part of the jewellery industry for almost 15 years. Before becoming a jewellery writer, I spent seven years in retail management and sales. This helped me immensely to understand different tastes and preferences when it came to jewellery and learn the most common questions and misconceptions that I would later write about on katerinaperez.com. I have loved jewellery for as long as I remember!

What is a typical day like for you? 

When you are a blogger there is nothing typical about your work, you are a Jack of all trades! If I am not running around a jewellery exhibition and am in my office, I would typically create and edit content (articles, photos, videos), answer a few dozens of emails, plan my Instagram feed in advance, have a call with various team members as well as Zooms with clients. And these are just a few examples!! There is a lot going on behind the scenes and it never ends.

What have been some of your best jewellery finds – be it something you bought for yourself or a new designer? 

This is a really hard question because all of my best finds are in my virtual jewellery box – my Instagram 🙂 But I think one of the designs I particularly love is the titanium solo earring with a Zircon shaped as a butterfly. I call it my mascot.

What is exciting you the most in the jewellery world right now? 

Creativity and desire of many jewellers to stand out and bring something new to the table. Take Boucheron’s last collection for example with some pieces being made with rattan! How original is this? It keeps our industry alive and so exciting to follow!

@ChampagneGem, by Bebe Bakhshi

What is your first jewellery memory?

My mom’s jewellery collection and how I found/still find it fascinating, some antique pieces that were passed down to her and the rest her own. Her jewellery was the start of my love for diamonds and jewels.

How long have you worked in jewellery and what made you get into it?

I am not coming from a family involved in jewellery industry, I started a GIA course out of curiosity and my love for jewels, purely as a hobby and later on I found blogging a great platform to connect with like minded individuals which lead to start of Champagne Gem in 2011. For a period of three years, I worked at a family-owned jewellery boutique in Melbourne but I was a back office manager and in charge of appraisals, stocktake and office work, not directly working with jewellery. 

What is your own approach to wearing jewellery?

My approach has evolved, I remember that at the beginning my jewellery was mainly white gold and over the years it changed into yellow/rose gold. I think yellow complements my skin tone better. It’s been few years that I have been layering various pendants and have a stack of bracelets on that I never take off (and keep adding to them). As for rings, on my left hand it is usually my engagement ring and two delicate wedding bands and on my right hand, it is usually more of stack of rings. So in general I think I love to have more on. 

Are there any brands that you are particularly excited about at the moment? Which and why?

I can’t say a specific brand but I am always excited to see new designs and big rocks! Everyone thinks that diamonds or jewellery won’t excite me anymore because I have seen the best of the best but to be honest I still feel butterflies when I see a diamond or a piece of jewellery. No matter how many pieces I have seen, I don’t ever think I’ve seen enough. But I usually find big rocks fascinating, either a diamond or a gemstone, preferably loose or in their original form, uncut and rough. 

What is a typical day like for you?

Well it starts usually around 6:30am in the morning to prepare my first post of the day, by 9am depending on the day of the week, my first post is live and the rest of the day involves in working on emails, replying to comments, business discussions, reading articles and working on my second post of the day. 

A visit to a few of my favourite jewellery stores in Melbourne, if new pieces/collection are launched.

Besides all of the above, cooking, taking care of the house and spending time with my husband.

But when I am travelling, the schedule is nowhere this laidback. It is hectic! From the moment I land to take off it is back to back visits, appointments and running around the shows to create content and post live from wherever I am. But the rush that I feel during shows is totally worth it. 

@ChristiesJewels, by the team at Christie’s auction house

When was the account started?

July 7 2014. The account is almost eight years old exactly.

Are there any particular jewellery milestones that stand out on the account?

Big milestones include The Oppenheimer Blue diamond, our Maharajas and Mughal Magnificent sale, and we hope to reach 500,000 followers this month, the most of any jewellery auction house accounts.

Are there any brands that go down especially well at auction – which and why?

There is always demand for jewels from top houses such as Boucheron, Bulgari, Cartier, Tiffany & Co, Van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston… to name a few! We also have a great following for contemporary artists, most notably JAR. Recently, we sold Ann Getty’s JAR collection at Christie’s New York and the jewels performed sensationally!

Signed jewels always fare well at auction. In particular those from the Art Deco period which had some of the most creative workmanship and design. Period jewels are getting rarer to find which is another reason these perform very well when they are offered for sale at auction.

@DiamondsInTheLibrary, by Becky Stone

What is your first jewellery memory?

Like many jewellery lovers, my earliest jewellery memories involve my mom and her jewellery collection. I used to lie on her bed and play with her earrings like they were dolls: I’d move them around on the blankets, make them talk to each other, invent little stories for them. My favourite earrings to play with were a pair of earrings with long fringes that I would pretend were elegant ladies wearing ballgowns with long skirts. 

How long have you worked in jewellery and what made you get into it?

That’s a great question. My background is in writing, not jewellery – my jewellery career was a happy accident. I was in my early 20s and working my first job out of college when I felt like there was something missing in my life. My office job paid my bills, but it wasn’t feeding my soul. I decided I would start a blog to give myself a creative outlet and to have a fun hobby to think about while stuck in my cubicle. 

I’ve always loved jewellery and I decided that blogging about my journey to learn more about jewellery was a great jumping off point for my new blog. At the beginning, I had four readers – and one was my mom. I didn’t start Diamonds in the Library with the goal of making it my career; it was just something I was doing for myself. But as things began to grow, I realised how much I loved the jewellery industry and eventually I took the leap to leave my day job. Now, 10 years later, I’m a full time jewellery blogger, freelance writer, and social media consultant who has worked with jewellery brands all over the world. I’m so lucky and grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to make this dream a reality. 

What is your own approach to wearing jewellery?

I wear jewellery because it makes me happy. When I get dressed in the morning, I look at my jewellery collection and think about how I’d like to feel that day. Am I nervous about something and seeking comfort? Do I need luck? Am I feeling myself and want to wear something bold and sparkly to channel that confidence into my look? Jewellery to me is a sacred form of self-expression. It’s the magic at the intersection of science and art; a glorious visual symphony of nature’s treasures and humanity’s ingenuity. 

Personally, I enjoy wearing both new and vintage jewellery, as well as both fine and costume. I wear what I love, and my taste is eclectic and spans many categories. If you love something, it’s good and you should wear it, whether it’s made of gold, brass, or string. 

What is a typical day like for you?

One of my favourite things about working for myself is that I don’t have to have a typical day. I almost always start by having an unhurried breakfast at home with a good book. I make a big cup of tea or iced coffee and sip it slowly.  After that, if I’m having a work day, I’ll head downstairs to my office to sit down and plan what I’m going to focus on that day. 

When I’m writing or working on a big project, I put my phone on silent and ignore all of my emails so that I can stay in the right headspace. If I’m on deadline or working on a magazine article that requires me to coordinate with sources, I’ll change my monitor to a split screen so that I can see my emails at all times. If I’m not in the right mood to write, I’ll go for a walk or run errands or sit on my back porch to watch the wind rustle through the trees in my backyard. Sometimes I work on weekends or at night, sometimes I don’t work on weekdays or during business hours. I thrive best when I’m able to choose what to focus on by what mood I’m in, and I’m grateful every day that I’ve been able to arrange my life so that I can work in a way that works for me. 

Like this? Discover our pick of the best vintage jewellery adverts