#put a symbol in the center of the diamond (what symbol?? most are already linked to various genders)

[thereareeyesinsidethetrees]

just a note- ae really love the variety you get in birds. like yeah obviously there's a huge difference between ostriches and mourning doves. and yeah you've got birds that are rainbow or bright blue or green or even purple. but you've also got birds with vibrant bright blue beaks and birds with neon red legs. you've also got birds with blue eyes and purple eyes and pink eyes and red eyes and multicolor eyes and silver eyes and every color under the sun basically. in other words, it's really cool how different every species of bird is, even from other species in the same genus. ae like them

[miraculous-ninjabird]

This is my half of a collaboration I did with @ezlikessharks as a gift for our mutual friend @enbyjaywalker

You can find their half here

the fic is also on Ao3 here

I hope you like it!

Title: An Acceptable Proposal

Words: 2209

Warnings: None. Just self-indulgent fluff

Samuraishipping + background Oppositeshipping

“Zane! I need your assistance!” Pixel bursts into the room. He lets out an undignified squawking sound, dropping the dish he had been holding. Feeling just the tiniest bit guilty about that, she picks it up and hands it back to him.

“Pixal! You startled me! What can I do for you?” He pauses putting away the dishes to look at her.

“I am planning to propose to Nya when we go out tonight, remember? I need you to help me make sure all the preparations are in place.”

“Is tonight the night? Pixal that’s wonderful! It completely slipped my mind. How can I help?”

“I have a number of things that need to be confirmed and some things that need to be collected while Kai and I go to pick up the ring, along with a few other things,” Pixal hands him a list. “It would be very beneficial if you could meet us at the park when you are finished to help set things up.”

Zane takes the list, scanning the contents.

“This seems reasonable. I will get started on it just as soon as I am finished here. When should I plan to meet you?”

“Thank you so much! We will be there around 5pm or so. Jay should be meeting us there also. I have to leave around 5:30 to get ready to meet her, so the three of you will have to finish setting up without me. Can you make sure it’s all ready by the time we come through at 7:30?”

Zane salutes her “Your wish is my command.”

Pixal thanks him profusely once again before rushing off. Not a single moment to waste! Tonight had to be perfect.

“So tell me again why you need me here?” Kai asks as he pulls open the door to the jewelry store. Pixal steps inside, clutching the pick up slip for the ring tight to her chest.

“You’re the only other person who knows Nya as well as I do. I want you to do the final check on the ring to make sure it is something she will like. And I haven’t forgotten you telling me you wanted to do something similar for Zane in the near future. We can’t have that double wedding you and Nya are so heartset on if you don’t get a ring yourself.” She gives him a pointed look, and his face flushes a deep red.

“Touche,”

Kai wanders off to browse the cases, and Pixal makes her way up to the counter.

“Good afternoon! How can I help you today?” The clerk greets cheerfully.

“I have a pick up for Pixal Borg, please,” She hands the slip over. The clerk takes it, reading it carefully.

“Your timing is perfect Miss Borg! This shipment just came in yesterday. Give me a moment to get it ready.” He takes the receipt and hurries away, leaving Pixal to join Kai in his browsing. She finds him staring hard at one of the cases.

“Find something you like?” She inquires.

“Actually, I think so,” He points to a specific ring. “Do you think Zane would like something like that?”

The ring in question has a twisted silver band set with two sapphires, one pink and one blue. It’s beautiful, and simplistic in a way Zane would like.

“That would be a good choice. Though I think Zane would be happy with just about anything you chose for him.” She offers. It was true. Zane loved him so much it wouldn’t take any real effort on Kai’s part to impress him. Kai could propose with a ring of paperclips and the nindroid would be overjoyed.

Pixal doesn’t get to hear Kai’s thoughts on things though, as the clerk calls her back over.

“Here you are! One custom engagement ring, ready to go!” He hands the box over to her. Hesitantly, Pixal opens it. This will be her first time seeing the final product in real life. Inside sits one of the most stunning pieces of jewelry she has ever seen. Nya’s phoenix symbol is carved into it, set with a sapphire eye. The carving is flanked on either side by two small diamonds. Without a word, she shows the contents to Kai. He lets out a low whistle.

“She’s gonna love that, Pix.”

The approval helps to relieve a little of the worried knot that was forming in her stomach. That was a relief. She turns back to the clerk, and Kai wanders back over to the ring from earlier.

“Can I set up a payment plan for the remainder that I still owe on it?”

“Sure thing! I’ll just need some information from you first…”

Once that is sorted out, she collects Kai and they head out. She doesn’t miss the fact that he is now clutching a little pick-up slip of his own. Seems Nya was going to get her double wedding afterall...

The jewelry store had taken longer than she was anticipating, so by the time she and Kai finished up with the rest of the things on their list they were running a little behind. When they finally reach the park, Pixal only has a few minutes before she has to leave. Zane is already there, and so is Jay.

“Pixal! Kai! Over here!” Zane calls out. Once they are a little closer, he continues. “I was able to complete everything on your list. The photographer is confirmed, I got the approval from the city to change the lights in the fountain and hang the lights in the trees, and I dropped your dress for tonight off at home for you. Did you get the ring?”

“Yes, and Kai has the rest of the lights. I appreciate your help in all of this. I wish I could stay, but I really have to be going if I want to be on time.”

“Yes. Go, go. I can handle directing these two here,” Zane makes a shooing motion with his hand. “You go have fun and I promise things will be ready for you when you return.”

Pixal shouts more thank-yous at them as she walks away. She would be eternally grateful, as this was not something she would have been able to do on her own. The only things left to do now were get herself ready, meet Nya, and then...ask her the big question. Simple enough. She could do this.

Maybe asking Nya to meet her at the restaurant was a bad idea. Originally Pixal was thinking it would give her extra time to compose herself, but honestly? It was just making things worse. It didn’t help that she had gotten there early, and that Nya was now running late. What if something had happened to her on the way here? What if there had been an emergency team summons and Pixal had somehow missed it? How long should she sit here by herself? Maybe she should call Nya? Just to make sure she was okay?

Just as that thought occurs to her, the door chimes. It wasn’t the first time it had happened since she’d gotten here, but she whips around to see who it is regardless. A visible weight lifts off her shoulders when she sees that this time, it is Nya. The host leads her over to the table, and Pixal is able to get a good look at her.

It’s a good thing Pixal doesn’t need to breathe.

“I’m so sorry I’m late! Cole took me to a painting workshop today and it ran over. I didn’t want to show up in paint clothes so I ran home first.” She gasps. She must have walked because she doesn’t have that windblown look that comes from riding her motorcycle. She has on a midnight blue tunic dress, paired with dark leggings and a sparkly belt. Instead of her usual ponytail, her hair is pulled into a low braid across her shoulders.

“Nya, you look positively radiant.”

“Thank you. You look pretty good yourself. The butterfly clip is a nice touch,” She winks as she sits down. “This place is pretty fancy. What’s the special occasion?”

Pixal’s brain momentarily stutters, trying to come up with a reasonable answer. She reaches a hand into her dress pocket, clutching the ring box.

“Do I need a special occasion to be able to treat my partner to a night out?” She questions. Nya laughs.

“No, I guess not. I just wanted to make sure I hadn’t forgotten something.”

“Well in that case, don’t worry. There is no special significance to tonight you should be aware of,” Pixal smiles softly. At least not any that Nya was aware of. “So tell me about your day. You mentioned Cole took you to an art class?”

“Yeah! I wasn’t expecting that at all but it was actually really fun…” Nya starts rambling about her day. Pixal listens intently, focusing all attention on Nya. The way her eyes light up when she gets excited was always enchanting. First Master, she was so in love.

The rest of their evening at the restaurant passes without incident. They talk about how busy they’ve been lately, about all the upgrades Pixal is planning to do to her samurai X mech, and about how nice it was to be able to finally have a night to themselves. Nothing out of the ordinary for them, other than the massive ball of nerves that was weighing heavily in her stomach.

It only got worse as they settled the bill and left.

“So do you have anything else fun planned for tonight?”

“I was hoping you would accompany me on a walk through the park?” Pixal offers an arm out to her. Nya takes it, linking them together.

“Of course! I would love too. Lead the way.” She gives Pixal a peck on the cheek for good measure.

Making their way to the park, she hopes against all hope that the three she had left behind had been successful in getting things ready. The park soon comes into view, and she breathes a miniscule sigh of relief when she can make out the lights glittering in the distance against the setting sun.

“Hey, what’s that over there?” Nya asks, pointing.

“Would you like to go and take a look?” Nya nods, and Pixal leads her in that direction. Even though she had planned this whole thing out, she is taken by surprise at just how good things had turned out. Delicate lights are strung through the trees, warm and inviting. The fountain in the center of the plaza she’d picked was lit up with soft blues and purples. She can’t identify where it was coming from, but someone was playing soft music. That was a nice touch. She was forever going to be in Zane’s debt for making sure things went off without a hitch.

“This is beautiful!” Nya whispers, releasing Pixal’s arm. She steps forward, taking it all in. The way Nya looks around in wonder makes her think that all the work that went into planning was worth it. “But what’s it for?”

Taking a deep breath, Pixal fishes the ring out of her pocket. This was it.

“Well, my dear...this is all for you.”

“All for me? What do you mean by that-” she turns around in confusion. Pixal takes that moment to drop to one knee, and Nya’s eyes go wide.

“Nya, you are my everything. You’ve done so much for me. You helped build me a body, gave me freedom. You gave up your mantle as Samurai X to me when you didn’t even know who I was. You taught me what it really means to love, and I love you with every fiber of my being. Every moment I spend with you feels like an eternity. There isn’t a single other person I could imagine spending my life with. So, would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”

She opens the box, heart thundering in her chest. Nya’s mouth is open in a gasp. With one shaky hand, she reaches out and takes the ring. The sapphire eye of the phoenix symbol engraved on it glints in the light as she studies it.

“Oh Pixal…” Her eyes fill tears, and she launches herself at Pixal.

The heavy weight that had been following her all was lifted as she welcomed Nya with open arms. She had no words to describe the pure elation that was filling her. In one swift move, she bends down and catches Nya’s lips in a fierce kiss. Nya kisses back just as fiercely. When they part, they both collapse into a fit of giggles.

“I take it that you find my proposal acceptable then?” She whispers.

“Yes. Yes I do.” Nya whispers back, pressing their foreheads together. She is grinning wildly, and her eyes shone. Pixal imagines she looks much the same.

“I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you so much.”

“However much you love me, I love you more.”

Pixal pulls her into another kiss, this one softer. As long as she had Nya by her side, the two of them would be unstoppable.

[tacosandtomcos]

This is in Refrence to your blood moon theory. PT. 1 Ok. I respect your opinion and this theory but let me give a Counter argument. Marco as the sun is implied through his original name, sol, his position in the prophecy room by the sun, and the green part of his wand is an actual symbol for the sun. Cause remember. Star has heart cheeks and a star wand, her position in the room is a star and Marco has moon cheeks and a sun wand, his position in the room.

Part 2 of the blood moon theory counter. As well as yes tom did interrupt the dance so it’s completion may not be full and to add on he wasn’t under the moon with either of the two. He stood under by himself for about 4 seconds until the thing closed. Another rule for prophecy’s lol. “ your part of the prophecy can’t be thing thing that put you into the prophecy in the first place” so yeah there are some valid points here but there’s really not much putting tom into a position in the fire power.

Part 3 of blood moon theory This is just a request for you. If it’s not too much trouble can you please post all the parts of the counter argument and give your response. Thanks

Part 4- blood moon theory sorry in advance. Your putting a bit too much faith in including tom in the prophecy when in all honesty he has almost noting to really do with it. he could be counted as under it with Marco for ½ a second he definitely can’t be under it with star. Plus from a writing standpoint it would seem A bit dumb to take a prophecy that everything’s hinted for being for 2,being Marcos dream, where tom was not but moon was, and making it into 3 . If I was being nit picky sorry.

Ok, i need to go to sleep very soon, but let me brief you on your counter arguments real quick.

For one, i already did talk about the sol thing, and you have to remember that name was WAY back in the show’s production. Things change, ideas change, whether that was Marco’s original name or not it isn’t anymore. 

Star was originally gonna be six, and non-magic,  and Marco was gonna be her enemy and not friend. The show has gone through ALOT of changes in time, still is. Tom’s folks? Were clearly changed at some point in either season 2 or 3′s production, were clearly intended to be something different when the show started. Tom? Was gonna be a villain, but was also changed later in production. Sol might have been marco’s name at some point but that really doesn’t mean a lot when that’s not what they went with in the end. The show has changed a lot from those older ideas and considering all the ideas they threw out Marco’s old name really doesn’t mean as much as it used to since it was from an older draft.

Next, let me get this out of the way:

This is not a sun. This looks absolutely nothing like a sun, at all. And if it’s supposed to be a sun well then it’s WAY off mark.

If you knew nothing about the star, moon, and sun imagery, and you saw this wand. Would a sun ever come to mind?

Star’s wand, looks like a star, in shape and in color. while Marco instead has a prickly green style that is much more reminiscent of monsters or plants then a sun. Star’s gemstone on her wand, is a star. Marco instead gets a purple diamond in the center which just adds on to how little this looks like a sun. Shouldn’t he have like….a sun gem in here? Or maybe his wand is colored more warmly to seem more like a sun?

Like, the only real link Marco has to that sun symbol ((Which looks nothing like the wand btw)) was him just walking towards it. And really, that’s not much to go on, and could feel like you were being thrown off since the Moon was also in that direction.

maybe if it changed or was reborn like Star’s wand? But even then Star’s wands all are very much the same except for slight feature and color changes. The basic shape and features are still the same and only have  minor changes for the most part to them. Lobster Claw’s too, both his wands, while one being more evil the the other, were still the same in form, just different in smaller details. If Marco’s wand becomes orange or yellow and maybe gets more spikes along the outside maybe i might see it more? But as far as this goes, he has a wand that looks nothing like a sun or even close to the sun symbol he walked towards.

Star’s wand at least LOOKED like her symbol.

Yeah, but you’re forgetting what the demon who announced the ball said. You don’t have to dance under it, you just have to be UNDER it. Dancing is not a requirement to be bonded. And it’s hard to say it’s not a little bit fishy when the moon chooses to stop following Star and Marco both, to focus on Tom for some reason.

Tom busts his way in, and instead of just disbanding or following Star or Marco, the Moon chooses to just….Sit on Tom for a few seconds before leaving. Why? If this darn thing has a mind of it’s own then really it should’ve stopped before Tom ever showed up, but when it shows up it solely focuses on him?! 

And if it has magic powers, then Tom bursting in should’ve done something. Tom walks under a magical ray and nothing just happens?!

We know so little about this stupid moon that at this point i wouldn’t be surprised if whoever just ends up under the light ends up bonded regardless. It’s not exactly like we have much to say otherwise, cause it’s equally possible the moon and how it works has been misinterpreted a lot considering how old it is.

You seem to be under the impression i believe it’s canon, which isn’t true. I tend not to ever call something canon unless…it’s actually proven canon, i’d be setting myself up for disappointment in that case. This is just a passionate theory i would LIKE to see canon since it actually could really work as a plot twist.

No, Tom has much to do with this. The blood moon is apart of HIS culture, HE was the reason Star and Marco went to this party, this moon is on his ballroom, it’s on top of his castle, it’s HIS dance, and there’s also the fact that demons are in the prophecy room.

like there’s no denying it, these are demons, with the spaded tails and everything. There’s some weird demonic link to this moon and i wonder what it is.

Yeah but the prophecy has not really been hinted for two. Heck, it’s never talked about on the actual show, you just get an idea of it in this one scene and …that’s about it. and with my idea, the moon is actually a THIRD symbol, which pretty much is straightforward from there. It’s not exactly like there’s this huge focus or buildup on it, we don’t even know what it is? Is anyone really gonna be disappointed that a prophecy we know nothing about was for three people and not two?

It might mean nothing, but Tom does seem to have some kinda of odd connection to Star and Marco other characters don’t. Might be the way he’s written with them, but it is unique how he’s used in comparison to characters like ponyhead or janna.

Yeah, but once again, that was a dream. And that only brings up my point of marco’s connection to the moon. Star is bonded, we know that for sure, but she don’t get no moon dreams, or moons showing up to stalk her, or nearly as many odd experiences with it as Marco has.

You can believe what you want in the end, but i find this prophecy too fishy to be so clear cut and dry. So many little details just do not add up and i’m curious if the show is subverting another cliche and trying to fool the audience in the meantime. 

[thespellweavingspirit]

Spellweaving: Glyphs

glyph

/glif/

noun

plural noun:

glyphs

1. A hieroglyphic character or symbol; a pictograph. “Flanges painted with esoteric glyphs”

In magic, Glyphs are a language. They are your sigils, runes, and other symbolic languages you might use (such as the Theban Alphabet or Alchemical Symbols). They are your spell grids and your magic circles. How many times have you used a sigil in your spell? How many times has your sigil been the spell? Depending on your answers to those questions, this may or may not be useful information for you. I’m going to go over a few of the types of Glyphs, providing extensive information for each.

Sigils

You’ve probably used and created sigils before. I see sigils as rather personal things. Of course you could use a sigil created by someone else–I know some people actually sell personalized sigils to someone who wants to use them but may not be all that artsy–but I’ve always believed sigils hold more power if you create them yourself, because they are not only attuned to you, specifically but also hold lots of emotional energy. This can be quite desirable in a spell for multiple reasons. For one, the easiest energy to put into your spell is emotional energy. As some people focus anger by painting or something else, others focus anger by cursing. Or hexing. Humans already automatically focus emotional energy into something (usually). I’m assuming most people that are reading this already know how to create a sigil (if you don’t–there are plenty of methods. Just google “How to make a sigil”) so I won’t lengthen this post by including that.

There are also things called Galdrastafir, which are Icelandic magical staves that have roots dating back to the 17th century. I don’t personally know a whole lot about them but they are supposed to be powerful sigils or bindrunes, depending on which one you’re talking about. I have never experimented with this, though after I have researched it a bit more I suppose I would. Here are a few staves I found that are useful:

I understand you are able to make your own as well. If this is true, I would imagine that bindrunes would also fall under the category of Galdrastafir (and, again, I’m not an expert so don’t quote me on this). Also, because there are bindrunes in the image above. :p

Runes and Bindrunes

There are so many types of runes. A lot of the runic systems of the world are similar, so it’s difficult to differentiate which one is being used, let alone memorize them. Don’t get me wrong; it can certainly be done. Just not by me. I know a made a huge post a while back on the different correspondences of germanic runes. If you missed it, the post can be found here. 

What I didn’t teach you was what bindrunes were. Bindrunes are super effective when you want to write a quick, powerful spell but don’t have the creative energy to make a sigil. Basically, you take two or more runes and lay them on top of each other. Say I wanted a spell for victory and strength in overcoming mental difficulties. I could create a bindrune with Tyr and Ingwaz that would look like this:

See the two runes in it? Ingwaz is the diamond and Tyr is the two top slanted lines of Ingwaz with the line down the middle. If you were to use these same two runes, but in a different spell, you could completely rearrange the way you overlapped the runes. You could even include more than one of the same rune; there are really no limitations to this.

Another thing you could do, instead of drawing the bindrune in ink on a piece of paper, is draw it in the air using your energy. Encompass the bindrune in a ball of your own energy and compact it to about the size of a pill. Then, simply “ingest” it. I created these bindrune energy balls as a magic experiment to see if I could create an on-the-go spell that would be effective anywhere, anytime; so long as I had the energy to do it. It was highly effective. Obviously, though, this method is only for when you want the spell to affect only you.

Spell Grids

If you have ever heard of crystal grids, these follow the same principle: Spell Grids are used to direct energy. Very few people use this term so I wouldn’t imagine you could find much researching yourself but if you know another term, feel free to use that. Alternatively, you could try just using the term “grids”, where you encompass not only spell grids but other types of grids as well. I use Spell Grids most often when I’m enchanting or cleansing objects. This is definitely one of the more material-magic based glyphs, in my opinion. They contain certain shapes and patterns that help to direct, contain, and link spell components together. The simplest grid is just a circle, with whatever inside it, representing the containment of that object/symbol’s energy. A Magic Circle is a type of simple grid.

These are Spell Grids, created by me. F is for Focus, P is the purpose, and S is the source. You can find out what those mean here.  Grids are fairly easy to create and it doesn’t really matter what you put in them. Anything goes. Here is a short list of a few geometrical shapes and what they do: Circles: Containment. Use a circle to contain some sort of object, sigil, or energy and to identify it as a separate, uniform entity. Squares: The four elements; each corner represents an element and/or cardinal or magnetic direction.  Lines: Used to link different components together. Triangles: Used to implement strength and structure; to direct energy in a certain direction.  Spirals: Also used to direct energy. Clockwise imbues energy into whatever is in the center; Counter-clockwise takes energy from the center outwards and directs it towards whatever lies at the end.

Magic Circles

Magic Circles can incorporate all of the above. They are, essentially, a spell waiting to be activated. The outer circle contains all of the content inside until the spell is activated in some way. This keeps the spell untainted by outside energies and can be activated quickly if such a need arises. I draw my magic circles on small scraps of paper and (if it is unsafe to burn the thing) I tear it in half to activate it. A little more embarrassingly, I have one that I am constructing specifically for stopping nosebleeds and will be activated by smearing a bit of the blood on the circle. I still have to work out how to dispose of such a thing safely, along with a few other kinks.

This is a Magic Circle I created to add some oomph to magical workings. It increases the power behind a spell. Alternatively, I could use it to increase my own energy. It has Gebo, the rune of balance, to help balance the added power. The sigil in the middle is my personal symbol of power, Shakarah; Eihwaz, to help strengthen the body/spell for the stronger energy; Ansuz, to strengthen magical workings; And Thurisaz, to symbolize that the circle will actively change the power of a spell.

Magic Circles don’t have to be created with runes and can be as complex or as simple as you need them to be. Usually, I would include a third inner circle that would spell out what activates the Circle. However, due to the nature of the Circle, it is immediately activated whenever I draw it on something.

That’s it for this post. Have fun with this information! If you want somewhere to start, here’s a prompt for you: Create a Glyph(s) that will help in some way with creativity. You can share it around or keep it to yourself but I’d love to see what you come up with!

[ladystylestores]

Dior Debuts Exhibition and New High-Jewelry Collection in Shanghai – WWD

https://pmcwwd.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/dior-shanghai-21.jpg?w=640&h=415&crop=1

SHANGHAI — It was a rare night at the unveiling of Dior’s “Designer of Dreams” exhibition to see more than 700 guests gathered in one place.

As China has slowly recovered from COVID-19 over the past few months, fashion brands have put on cocktails, intimate dinners and even a concert here or there. But the Dior opening at the Long Museum was the first truly large-scale fashion event of the year here, a full seven months into 2020, and the crowd turned out with gusto.

The exhibition was originally planned for May, but finally made its debut on Friday. Shanghai is the third destination for the retrospective after Paris and London — officially open to the public on July 28 and running until Oct. 4 — allowed by the fact that the city has managed to dodge the second and even third COVID-19 outbreaks that have cropped up in cities like Beijing and Hong Kong.

All in all, it has been a very busy week for the French house. The day before the exhibition opened, the brand showed digitally its cruise collection inspired by Puglia and right after the opening, it had planned its largest showing of high jewelry for its VIP clients, also in Shanghai.

Exhibition curator Oriole Cullen, speaking by phone due to ongoing travel bans, laid out just how much of a logistical feat it was to set up while the team was spread across China, Paris, London and Montreal.

“The team at Dior created nearly 80 individual films for colleagues in China to explain how the archives needed to be dressed,” she said. “It was 10-hour Zoom calls every day with China in terms of the install.”

Because the Chinese audience is most familiar with the modern-day Dior, Cullen said it was a purposeful choice to place a piece from Maria Grazia Chiuri at the front to greet visitors along with the facade of 30 Avenue Montaigne. Inside, 275 haute couture dresses are on show, arranged in 14 themes ranging from the New Look, Christian Dior’s life, highlights from the six subsequent designers that have led the house, and conceptual favorites like Versailles, the atelier, gardens and the label’s many moments created with Hollywood stars and royalty.

Dior’s “Designer of Dreams” exhibition in Shanghai.  Matjaz Tancic/WWD

To adapt the exhibition to the market, Cullen said the brand consulted with Hung Huang and tapped into its collaborations with Chinese artists such as Xu Bing, Lin Tianmiao, Gao Weigang, Wang Guangle and Yan Peiming, and editorial photography over the years featuring Dior by Feng Hai, Leslie Zhang and Gangao Lang.

While some artworks like Lin’s “Procedure” installation had been commissioned by Dior for earlier shows, Gao, for instance, had created an installation art piece inspired by the J’adore perfume that involved creating a tiered, gold pyramid-like structure atop which sat a spherical moon, representing the feminine.

Christian Dior’s personal exploration of China was also showcased, manifesting in looks named Pékin, Chinoiseries, Nuit de Chine, Hong Kong and Bleu de Chine. The founder also paid homage to Chinese calligraphy through ideogram-printed dress and his use of jacquard.

On Saturday though, the house changed tack to pamper its high-jewelry VIPs at the Amanyangyun. Over the next three days, ensconced in the neoclassical Chinese resort located on the far outskirts of Shanghai, the brand planned to entertain more than 100 guests with cognac and tea tastings, yoga, Ebru workshops, and origami making.

Come evening, the jewelry would be presented beside the resort’s river in a cocktail presentation format on models in 16 flowy Grecian couture looks designed by Chiuri and followed by a dinner in a long gazebo re-created to resemble a French garden.

Dior presented 16 new couture looks at the presentation.  Matjaz Tancic/WWD

But some VIPs were not waiting for the full effect. By afternoon, pieces from the colorful tie-dye-inspired jewelry collection were already being snapped up and taken out.

“The inspiration was tie-dye fabric, a pattern that has been used quite a bit at Dior by various designers of the house. I thought it was interesting to replicate the effect with jewelry,” explained the house’s longtime jewelry designer Victoire de Castellane, also by phone interview.

“I love working with color, I love imagining movement with color,” continued the designer, who has explored new combinations of stones over two decades in the position — building a vast fan base along the way. Many pieces in this collection focused on one color, offering it in various gradations, including a deep blue ring in white gold that carries a cluster of diamonds, tanzanites and sapphires or a similar one anchored with a prominent emerald with various hues of tsavorite garnets gathered around one side, adding asymmetry — and lightened with a row of diamonds. 

Dior’s high-jewelry collection presentation in Shanghai.  Matjaz Tancic/WWD

“I played with the idea of dye, as if the stones were dye that introduced streaks of color and gradations of color,” she explained. 

“With tie-dye, there is white space — I did this with diamonds, the white part is symbolized with diamonds,” noted de Castellane. 

“I found it quite amusing to do this with jewelry,” she concluded.

The designer agreed that the new jewelry recalled a previous examination of color, the “Gem Dior” collection, which worked bright stones into stark pieces meant to represent pixels. But here, the exploration of color is more gentle.

“It’s a bit softer, with different movement, as if the colors mix and move, whereas the previous one was more mineral and more static,” she noted. 

Conveying this softness were pearls — a key element of the collection.  

“It was the first time I used pearls,” laughed de Castellane. 

“I am fascinated with pearls, in antiquity, they were called the tears of Venus — the symbolism of the idea that Aphrodite, or Venus cried in the sea and the tears became pearls. I find it such a lovely story,” she said. 

Dior’s high-jewelry collection presentation in Shanghai.  Matjaz Tancic/WWD

A pair of earrings had a large white pearl — perched on the top of one side, and set on the bottom of the other earring — offsetting a cluster of small diamonds and a large ruby.

“I’m also fascinated by the roundness of pearls, they’re like small, silky spheres, next to the gemstones that are bursting with color,” explained de Castellane.

“I find it very beautiful to set them against one another — the softness and tenderness of the pearls with the forcefulness of stones,” she said.

She also used colored pearls—including pink, golden and pistachio pearls — to bring new forms of color. The golden pearls served as the focal point for a pair of long earrings, with rows of various cuts of diamonds snaking around them, fixed with yellow gold. 

“When it comes to the size of the stones, I always like to maintain a lot of freedom, I enjoy mixing different forms and volumes — this is what makes things more lively, and less static,” said de Castellane. 

“I like the idea of mixing cushion cuts, oval shaped stones, round cuts — there were a lot of small, round stones — bringing them together in a way that creates movement and turns,” she explained.

While pearls normally sit at the center of traditional jewelry, the designer rearranged them, nudging them to one side of a ring, or plopping them on top of a cluster of stones, including a pink sapphire the same size, like the proverbial cherry on a cake — but on an earring.

“In traditional jewelry, the pearl is often at the center of a piece — here, I put it to the side, to show that it is something more than just a classic centerpiece,” noted de Castellane.

As for colored stones, she said she drew on the whole range customarily used by the house, rattling off a few — emeralds, rubies, various-colored sapphires, tanzanites, tsavorite garnets and paraiba tourmalines.

There were no opals, however.

“It’s funny, I didn’t use them this time — I didn’t need them,” she said.

Dior’s high-jewelry collection presentation in Shanghai.  Matjaz Tancic/WWD

Commenting on the abstract nature of the collection, which contrasts with some more figurative ones in the past, inspired by the architecture of Versailles or daisies drawn by Christian Dior, to give just two examples, de Castellane noted she enjoys exploring different styles.

“Some clients like figurative pieces while others like abstract ones,” she noted. “I like a mix. In life you can have different personalities, different desires depending on the moment — I find it’s important,” she said.

“There are some things I might love at a given time, but then I will look for change, and maybe come back again to the things I liked before,” she said.

Making jewelry helps to serve as an antidote to anxious times, suggested the designer.

“It allows people to dream a little,” she said. 

Source link

قالب وردپرس

from World Wide News https://ift.tt/2El35Zq

[martadwatson]

Tacori Engagement Ring Review – Are You Paying More than You Should?

 With no clue about diamonds, you could be eyeing a complete engagement ring. But having learned of the 4Cs, all the focus diverts to the diamond and how you can get the best bang for the buck!

And after discovering more, you probably know by now that a superb ring setting can tremendously amplify an already-excellent diamond.

A superb diamond paired with a Tacori Designer Ring is like putting a star on a pedestal with the same outstanding caliber. We know both are revered just by the ring of their titles – the diamond as the ultimate symbol of love and commitment, and Tacori as an icon in the designer jewelry world.

But like any other brands, we’re here to make sure its popularity and exclusivity are justified! We’ll take a look at the Tacori Ring – why it’s the most sought-after name in the industry. And if it really is your super excellent diamond’s one true match!

The Origin Story – A True American Dream

In 1969, Haig Tacorian immigrated from dictator-ruled Armenia with his wife, Gilda. They found a new home in Glendale, California where Haig would start a groundbreaking company that would forever change the world of fine jewelry design.

After four decades of success, he still serves as Tacori’s CEO while his son Paul and daughter Nadine together with other family members uphold the tradition by going beyond modern shopper’s needs.

All Tacori jewelry is made in America – handcrafted in California by some of the finest jewelers in the world. The care and attention to detail evident in every Tacori ring is inspired by Haig’s original vision. An uncompromising passion for intricately crafted artisan jewelry truly reflects the family legacy.

Tacori’s signature style is defined by a distinctive design element in the form of a crescent silhouette: interlocking half-moon arcs which provide windows of light to reflect the brilliance of the diamonds placed within each crescent silhouette semi-circle. The ornate look and feel of Tacori design is as unique and unmistakable as it is beautiful. – Whiteflash

To achieve utmost quality, the best jewelry designers partner with trusted retailers. So, they can focus on what they do best which is creation. By allowing Whiteflash to handle retail, Tacori is able to keep making one-of-a-kind heirlooms and reflect the Tacorian or Californian essence of anything is possible.

Design, Quality, and Environmental Footprint

Fusing the Edwardian and Art Deco eras, these engagement rings evoke a combination of grace and symmetry. They use elegant filigree and geometric shapes making every piece a masterful blend of the old and the new.

This exquisite artistry with precise science is known as the Tacori Touch. And since each piece is handcrafted by an artisan, you wouldn’t see two rings that look the same. They take pride in producing engagement rings that are individually shaped by a number of experts for innumerable hours!

The representation of old and new isn’t just seen in the design, but on the process as well, as the latest technology and human craftsmanship are equally incorporated to achieve their signature look.

As for the packaging, you can say that the same level of expertise is brought to life with their stunning patented ring box:

To further cement their aim for highest quality, they also participate in the Kimberley Process like most top brands that take the ethical road. This means that the diamonds they use in their rings are certified conflict-free and are legitimately mined, sourced, and polished.

Uniquely Handcrafted Collections

What I like about Tacori is that they have a number of collections with different designs and styles to choose from. So, you’ll see simple wedding rings to intricately-styled engagement rings. And even though the young brides are the inspiration, the Old-European feel also appeals to older shoppers.

Below are their 13 collections including the wedding rings and bands selection at Whiteflash. Click each one to know more!

Blooming Beauties

The Tacori Blooming Beauties Collection features accent diamonds surrounding and embellishing the center stone, the like a flower unfolding.

Classic Crescent

Distinctively Tacori, the Classic Crescent Collection consists of designs that are timeless. The vintage style crescent design that Tacori is so famous for is on full display.

Clean Crescent

Straightforward and bold, designs in the Clean Crescent Collection feature the Tacori crescent from profile view in clean high polished form.

Dantela

Sleek profiles and flowing lines characterize the Tacori engagement rings Dantela Collection. Embracing a wide variety of feature diamond shapes this collection contains some of the most popular new Tacori models.

Full Bloom

Like a flower in the prime of fulfillment, the Tacori Full Bloom Collection features styles that will make you “stop and smell the roses”!

Petite Crescent

Slim lines and minimalist design elements of the Tacori Petite Crescent Collection elegantly focus attention to the center diamond.

Pretty In Pink

The Pretty in Pink Collection features fabulous engagement rings made in rose gold (also referred to as pink gold). The unique composition of this gold alloy results in a warm “blush” color that harkens back to a vintage period.

Reverse Crescent

The Tacori Reverse Crescent design features a playful twist on the crescent motif.

  Ribbon

The Tacori Ribbon Collection, as the name implies, features design elements that flow and merge in curving fluid forms creating a sumptuous and feminine look.

Royal T

The Royal T Collection from Tacori contains some of the most elaborate and decorative designs in the entire line. Models in this collection are neither understated nor subtle. Each one makes a statement that says “Fab-u-lous”!

Sculpted Crescent

The Tacori Sculpted Crescent collection features models that have a bold profile view of the trademark crescent in solid, high polish form.

Simply Tacori

Unmistakable Tacori engagement rings design elements characterize the Simply Tacori Collection. Micro beading and micro pave crescents adorn each ring from profile view.

Tacori 3995 – 4995 (Tacori Complete)

The Tacori 3995 – 4995 Collection is the ultimate answer to the shopper who wants to keep it simple! This collection features five great styles pre-set with a high-quality center diamond. With half carat center diamonds, they come complete for $3995, or step up to a three quarter carat diamond for $4995.

Wedding Rings And Wedding Bands

Tacori Wedding Rings and Bands are all hand-crafted in California by skilled artisans with incredible attention to detail. Engraving and micro-pavé are on all three sides of these rings which allow the beautiful styling to be seen from all directions.

The Takeaway

With so many variations to choose from, the main thing I noticed was how the makers have animated each design to best exhibit a diamond’s brilliance – no matter what size, shape, or color.

Tacori may not be for you if you’re on a tight budget and prefer a plain band to set your diamond. But let’s be honest, you can’t really put a price on the love for the craft!

If you live for custom masterpieces and all that jazz, then their intricate stylings and grandness are very well justified, in my opinion. This one is polarly far from a mass-produced ring! Tacori is a premium designer brand and is still a force to be reckoned with throughout the years.

Should you have any question, feel free to email me or comment down below.

It’s always a pleasure to help! 🙂

 Tacori Engagement Ring Review

5 (100%) 1 vote

About Sebastian Your Diamond Teacher

Sebastian Naturski loves to write about diamonds and share his knowledge with his readers. When he is not working on his website he is studying law at Humboldt University of Berlin. He has taken part in several international law competitions and likes to broaden his horizons. His other big passion are languages. He is fluent in German, English, Polish and Japanese and got basic skills in French and Spanish as well.

Source link

from Diamonds & Jewelry Consignment Shop https://sellringsonconsignment.com/top-posts/tacori-engagement-ring-review-are-you-paying-more-than-you-should/ from Sell Rings On Consignment https://sellringsonconsignment.tumblr.com/post/179425561583