Jamie Amann busy at her bench, creating hand fabricated silver chain for the Lily Necklace ~
Chains in the making…
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Author Archives: Julia
New Pearls…
Found some great freshwater pearls, in many shapes and sizes while I was visiting the pearl farms outside of Shanghai. Some square shaped and circled freshwater pearls… Some large and baroque freshwater pearls…
Buying Pearls
After the farms, I then went to one of my pearl ladies, Jennifer. I sorted through what pearls I wanted, and then we began the negotiations! Sorting through some pearls and price points! Making sure the quality is TOP notch. Something I am VERY serious about!
Pearl Farms!
Take me to the pearl farms! I went to the pearl farms near Suzhou (about 2 hours drive from Shanghai) to find new pearls and inspiration for my Bridal and Fall lines! The mollusks were deep under water, but I was able to get a couple picture shots.
Shanghai FOOD!
One of my favorite things to do when I am visiting China, especially Shanghai, is to eat! Stumbled upon this outdoor food market while I was walking around.. It is tucked in this little section near the old part of Shanghai. One of my favorite dishes is 小笼馒头, or soup … Continue reading
Old Markets & Clasps in Shanghai
Walking around and discovering the old antique markets are so inspiring and FUN! Found this outdoor market in Shanghai city center a while back, and love discovering new, and interesting pieces to incorporate into my pearl jewelry! These are a couple of the items I found – hand made … Continue reading
China: Old Lanes
Strolling through the old lanes in Shanghai… One of my favorite things to do when I’m here!
Raining in Shanghai
A rainy street shot on the streets of Shanghai. I remember the days when I was at school here, riding my Flying Pigeon bike to school with my rain coat! Oh the memories never die… How I miss it!
China: Favorite Places & Spaces
The outdoor street markets in Shanghai are one of my favorite places here. The energy on the streets is both unimaginable and unexplainable! Although these outdoor “wet markets” are found less in the city center these days, there are a few left that I frequent whenever I am here…
Style Icon: Diane Keaton
By Ashley I am a big Diane Keaton fan. It started the first time I watched “Father of the Bride.” She seemed like a great mom and for 1991, she was very fashionable. And they lived in that great house in San Marino, CA (although, the house is really in Pasedena, CA). As a style icon, … Continue reading
Chic Offices
By Ashley Having a great creative space to work is almost as important as the work that that is created in that space. As two young women who spend a lot of time in our respective office spaces, Julia and I have been admiring some chic offices on Pinterest. These are a few of our favorites … Continue reading
photo-shoot time for Spring 2012!
I had my 2012 Spring Collection photo-shoot on Friday… It was SO fun and exciting to finally see my designs come to life on Lara, with the help of Photographer – Chelsea, and Stylist – Heather! This collection turned out to be more modern, with a lot of hand fabricated shapes and chain. For those … Continue reading
the holiday collection
The Holiday Collection is here! Jewelry is every woman’s fashion signature – a way for her to express herself and her individuality. Pearls with chains. A variety of pearl shapes with an assortment of chain options: copper, silver, or gold. Great paired with jeans and boots, and with other pearl and chain jewelry. … Continue reading
style icon: Cameron Diaz
I have always been a fan of Cameron Diaz – something about her personality and energy. But I also am a fan of her style. She is always coming up with young, fresh, modern looks. Like this multi-layered gold chain to the left. Fantastic. She can usually be found wearing … Continue reading
designer spotlight: Julia Popovich, owner & designer Zhulia Pearls
Tell me a little bit about yourself – where you’re from, where you live now, education, job history, etc. I was born in a small town called Elmira, NY. As a young adult, I naturally tended to gravitate toward math/science, not art. I ended up studying Mandarin, and then moved to Hong Kong to continue … Continue reading
bold jewelry shapes: circles, squares, and triangles
I am and always have been drawn to shapes. I love the clean lines, and defined structure. Whenever I design jewelry, shapes are definitely incorporated in my pieces. I think bold shaped jewelry adds a certain modern and sophisticated style to any piece. A lot of designers now are making these bold pieces with defined … Continue reading
how do you know if your pearls are real?
Determining if pearls are real or not, can sometimes get tricky. Did you know? You can use the ‘Tooth Test’ to determine if your pearls are real! Gently rub the pearl across the edges of our front teeth. When doing this with a real pearl, it should feel gritty against your … Continue reading
FAVE jewelry trends: chains and lovely pearls
For those of you who know me, you know that I am super obsessed with chain and pearl (real, not faux or plastic!) jewelry right now. I am lovin’ mixing my beautiful pearl jewelry with cool copper or gunmetal chains. I am also enjoying playing around with and designing long chains, with a pop … Continue reading
jewelry trends: mixing metals
I remember the days when mixing metals in jewelry was a big no-no. If you were wearing yellow gold earrings, then it was proper and considered good looking if you had other yellow gold on. However, those days have changed. I find myself gravitating towards jewelry with a mixture of white and yellow gold (or … Continue reading
pearl spotlight: south sea cultured pearls
South Sea pearls are truly stunning. Typically larger in size compared to the Akoya pearl, these pearls are usually about 10-15mm in diameter. They are white, cream, or silver in color. These are saltwater pearls, created by the Pinctada Maxima Oyster, and they are the largest cultured pearls on the market. … Continue reading
pearls: timeless, elegant, classy
Pearls have always been a constant in any woman’s jewelry box. One thing is for sure: pearls are here to stay. But not quite the way you might imagine…! Coco Chanel, Grace Kelly, and Jackie O have proved the sophistication stemming from a beautiful, single strand of pearls. But today, celebrities … Continue reading
TOMS shoes: sustainable fashion and design
TOMS creator, American traveler Blake Mycoskie, befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a new pair of shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to … Continue reading
pearls 101
The word ‘Pearl’ can mean many things. There are faux pearls and glass pearls; freshwater pearls and saltwater pearls. Additionally, there are various types of mollusks (the sea animals – either a mussel or oyster), which are the creatures that create pearls. Freshwater Pearls are grown in mussels, which are commonly found in … Continue reading
happy chinese new year: welcome the year of the tiger!
According to the Chinese calendar, which begins on February 14, it is the year of the Tiger. For those born in this year, one can expect much luck and prosperity! While many people commonly use astrology and their birth month to determine their “sign” (whether it be Aries, Virgo, Gemini ect.), the Chinese … Continue reading
investing in small business contest
I am always interested and looking for ways to help out the community and give back. This year I am especially focused on “giving back”. A couple things thus far: This month I am participating in Investing in Women’s Invest in Entrepreneurs Contest. I am donating a long pearl and stone necklace. You can check … Continue reading