Brecken Branstrator

A few days after the AGTA revealed the winners of its annual Spectrum Awards design contest, Associate Editor Brecken Branstrator highlights a few of her own favorites from the contest.

After an afternoon spent perusing jewels at Jewelers of America’s annual press preview, Associate Editor Brecken Branstrator presents her (non-exhaustive) list of favorites.

October is the first of three months in a row with two dedicated birthstones. They are opal, the stone of hope, and tourmaline, the stone of strength.

When it comes to jewelry, art, home décor and the like, I can really appreciate a skull motif. When it’s done right, and especially with interesting materials or play with colors and accents, it can be edgy without being too moody.

Associate Editor Brecken Branstrator highlights eight pieces set with this blue gemstone in the corundum family, a gemstone that’s believed to protect from envy and harm.

Upcycling used objects isn’t exactly new or groundbreaking, but when one company finds a way to do it that not only makes cool jewelry but brings together a few things that I think almost everyone loves--music, fashion, sustainability and giving back--I’m all about it.

One of my first jobs out of college was for a content marketing company where I was helping to monitor the flow and publishing schedules of text for multiple websites.

Associate Editor Brecken Branstrator highlights six pieces of jewelry set with peridot, the green gemstone that has long been associated with light, healing and happiness and is the birthstone for this month.

I think that the line-up in this year’s New Designer Gallery at the JA New York Summer show was fantastic.

Associate Editor Brecken Branstrator rounds up six pieces of jewelry set with this month’s birthstone, the ruby, which is thought to bring health, wealth and wisdom.

To say that I’m excited that summer is finally in full swing is an understatement. This was a long, hard winter, followed by a very busy spring, and I’m glad that it’s finally time to sit back, relax and soak up the sun.

I think I am slowly but surely making one of my blog specialties interesting jewelry that borders on strange or even weird, and I have to say, I’m pretty OK with it.

I’d say this year was a pretty great Las Vegas market week, wouldn’t you? The mood seemed cheerful wherever I went, and the designs I saw were on point. I love that we can see that fine jewelry is taking more risks and embracing the truly unique and innovative.

Not to mention getting to spend a few days in Sin City with the amazing people in this industry; it’s just the cherry on top of it all.

Here are just a few of the appointments and meetings I liked best from our time there.

With a recent donation to the hands-on science education exhibit at the Smithsonian, one gem hound is helping inspire a love for the subject in the younger generations, Associate Editor Brecken Branstrator writes.