The Summer Days Slip Away
These days we are bombarded with commercials and ads for back to school specials, which brings us to the somber realization that the summer days are slipping away. much. too. quickly. Although none of my girls are in school yet, I still sigh at the closing of the months of summer sun and fun – grilling, boating, concerts, swimming, and every evening being the perfect reason to get together with friends. There is something very responsible about the rest of the year, not like the summer months where we get a temporary pass to feel and act more like a kid – more laid back, more living in the moment, more irresponsible… But not anymore. Now it is back to the reality of life that we deal with for the other 3/4 of the year. There is the non-stop planning for holiday meals and visitors, endless hours of homework for yourself or your kids (or both!) along with trying (probably unsuccessfully) to get all your Christmas shopping done before the week of. Whatever your personal responsibilities are, the truth is that summer is over and we must now get back into “adult mode” again.
Perhaps that is what motivated me to get back to blogging which I have (sadly) neglected for far too long. I wanted to write sooner, but then something would come up that had a stronger pull…such as a perfectly sunny day just asking for me to soak in some rays. That being said, with the summer days almost completely a thing of the past, I hope to be back in the groove and blogging more.
For JoCoCo, there are some exciting things in the mix, too, which I will be sure to keep you informed of. This weekend – Friday-Sunday – we are going to be featured again on Jasmere.com (check them out) which is really exciting. They will be selling vouchers to our website for an incredible price (the more who purchase, the lower the price goes). This gives you the chance to purchase some of our handmade pieces at a fraction of the retail price! This is a weekend you do not want to miss – and remember that the holidays are soon approaching, jewelry makes a great gift for pretty much any woman you know – mother, daughter, sister, cousin, friend – who doesn’t love a new pair of earrings, a cluster cocktail ring or a layered necklace to add to their collection?! But don’t forget yourself. Drop your husband a hint by sending him our way…
If you have a moment, check out some of our new fall pieces – Edinburgh Necklace, Grottaferrata Necklace, Milano Earrings, Rio de Janeiro Earrings – they are so beautiful, and some of them are just a one time deal so once it sells, we can’t make another. If something catches your eye, don’t hesitate to treat yourself, we know you won’t be disappointed!
Until next time!
Adriana M Dehring
Gemstone Cluster Rings for Spring
I had posted a few weeks ago about our Spring rings that we had been planning on having up by now. Obviously that didn’t happen. It seems that creating a gorgeous cocktail ring is a much more tedious project than we initially thought it would be. Ring mountings are not all created equal, and there was disappointment on our end either because we were not thrilled with the overall quality or because the mounting and stone were not a perfect fit. So we are still in the middle of tackling this part of our ring project and hopefully we will have some beautiful single stone cocktail rings available in the next few months.
The other portion of the JoCoCo Jewelry ring collection are our fun and edgy beaded rings like the popular Paris Ring (including the White Island). The Rio de Janeiro is an absolutely stunning and elegant ring, made up of a cluster of pearls, citrine & mother of pearl surrounding a teardrop shaped lemon quartz gemstone. The wire work holds the stones firmly in place, creating a gorgeous silhouette atop your finger. The colors are so fresh and just perfect for Spring.
Another unique beaded ring is our Pearl City ring, a fun and urban square sterling silver ring with small pearls and faceted peridot gemstones wired onto it. This is much less dramatic than our other rings, and smaller in size overall, but no less beautiful. It looks amazing on, and gives just a hint of color with a completely different look and style than most rings you will find. Perfect for the woman who is perhaps a little bit more conservative with her accessories, this ring still holds it own among the rest.
Like always, I will give you a little peek prior to the upload which should happen tonight. These rings mark the last phase of our Spring 2010 collection, and wow, is it nice to have everything online now so we can focus on our Summer pieces. Oh, yes, we are already looking to the next season and planning our jewelry pieces that will be a continuation of the Spring colors, just a little more saturated and bold.
Pearl City Cluster Ring
Rio de Janeiro Cluster Ring
Adriana M Dehring
New Spring Earrings
Well, the JoCoCo Jewelry Spring 2010 collection is slowly making its way online, and I am almost more excited for you to see the new earrings than I was when we were preparing to go live with the necklaces. Okay, that’s not entirely true. I am overly excited about ALL our Spring pieces…they are all so fresh, bright, colorful and fun – the perfect little reminder that longer days and warmer weather are fast approaching! I thought it only fitting to give you a sneak peek of a few of the earrings, just like I did with the necklaces, however this time I will not show the entire piece so that it is truly a surprise when the website is uploaded later on tonight.
Some of the names will sound familiar to you: Aspen, Malé, Mumbai, Capri, Assisi…many pieces in our Spring collection are part of a larger group, allowing you to create an entire “look” with not only a fabulous necklace or bracelet but earrings as well. We even have a gorgeous pair of silver bead and pearl dangle earrings that are unique and just perfect for bridal jewelry. Kristin and I are very proud of these creations, and love how they bring so much energy and color with them. We know you will love each of them as we do! Now for a quick look at a few of the earrings that are to come…enjoy!
Malé Earrings
Aspen Earrings
Mumbai Earrings
Adriana M Dehring
New Rings for Spring 2010
This week, the focus for Kristin and I has been new cocktail rings for our Spring 2010 collection that we plan on having available online by next weekend. The excitement comes mostly because we both LOVE a good ring – there is no piece of jewelry (for me) that is as personal as a ring. When you say ring, most women immediately think of their engagement and wedding rings that they either have or the ones they dream about…both obviously have an incredible amount of significance and emotion attached to them. A ring is something that a woman admires just as much – or perhaps more – than onlookers. She tells a story and every movement of her hand is a reminder of the gorgeous accessory she is wearing…she sits at a candle-lit table and her eye catches the light dancing off the stones…rings are truly a piece of jewelry that a woman buys for her own pleasure. And for the woman who loves jewelry but now has a little bundle of joy or perhaps many bundles of joy in her life, a ring is still a safe, tug-free accessory that she can wear. Often earrings, necklaces and even bracelets have to be safely tucked away until a special night out without kids, but a ring holds its place confidently and unaffected on a woman’s finger. This is why, as moms who love and design jewelry, we are so excited to expand our collection of rings…
Florence Ring
Paris Cluster Ring
We already have the stunning Paris pearl cluster ring online as well as unique hand-stamped Italian silver rings, like the Florence, that are part of the Kalos line. To these magnificent rings, we are adding the White Island cluster ring (written about here), and the Kailua cluster ring, created from peridot gemstones on a modern square sterling silver ring. We are also going to be adding two single stone cocktail rings in sterling silver settings, the Glasgow and the St. Moritz. The Glasgow cocktail ring is an emerald cut smokey quartz gemstone and the St. Moritz is a faceted rectangle crystal quartz gemstone.
I will be sure to highlight more details on these rings in another blog post, so for now I will just keep this post a simple heads up for what is to come with our Spring collection of rings. I hope you are excited for the new rings…be sure to check out the Spring 2010 necklaces as well as our complete collection of jewelry on JoCoCo Jewelry.
Adriana M. Dehring
Sneak Peek at Spring Necklaces
After many hours spent writing, calculating, etc the necklace portion of our Spring collection is complete!!! I am taking a moment to breathe a sigh of relief, but it will be short-lived, since we now have to tackle rings, earrings and bracelets in the next weeks. At this point I just want to take a moment and celebrate one small step forward, one small accomplishment. The descriptions may be one long stream of gemstone names and descriptive words running through my head in a continuous loop and my house may need a massive cleaning overhaul, but what a great feeling of accomplishment! The Spring necklaces are just amazing…no…actually, they are gorgeous. The colors are fresh, bright and invigorating, the stones are large and many, bringing in completely different styles compared to our other pieces, expanding the look of JoCoCo. In all, Kristin and I are so happy to see our ideas from just a few months ago as amazing pieces of jewelry that look even better than we anticipated. If all goes well, the new Spring necklaces will be uploaded tonight and ready for viewing tomorrow morning…but for now, here is a little sneak peek at two of our new Spring creations…enjoy!!!
Aspen Necklace - Amazonite
Malé Necklace - Mother of Pearl
Adriana Dehring
The White Island Ring
The JoCoCo Jewelry White Island gemstone beaded ring is one of our newest creations. It is a cluster of faceted black agate stones that measures about an inch and a half in diameter. This ring is not for those who are cautious with their fashion; rather it is for anyone who wants to make a strong, bold statement with their jewelry. I have a special place in my heart for the White Island ring, because it is the first piece of jewelry I have made that uses a bit of metal wrapping – so I consider this a personal accomplishment as well! This ring is dramatic, strong, and large…for me, it has almost a vintage feel to it which I attribute to both the cut of the stones and the way the cluster forms a solid dome of stones.
Some of the things that I believe make this ring truly stand out are the name, weight, sound, and adjustable setting. To begin I will talk about the name. White Island for a black ring – yes, I know it seems a little strange. While looking at 
the gemstones, Kristin and I were discussing what they brought to mind. I looked at the solid black color and the movement created when the light reflected off the faceted sides of the stones and immediately thought of volcanic rock. There is something dramatic, intense, and amazing about volcanoes – they are an ever-changing work of art. Volcanoes are strong and dark and somewhat of a mystery. Searching for volcanoes, the images of White Island came up and we were both taken aback at its unique beauty – an island and a volcano – one large, dark mass of rock, standing alone. Just perfect. Plus the name White Island to describe a black ring…well, that just sealed the deal!
Next, the weight and sound…for me, these two factors go hand in hand. When you slip this ring on, you immediately feel like you are wearing something special and you want everyone to see. I found myself constantly looking at it on my finger, which means it is just as dramatic for the wearer as 
it is for those who see it being worn. Add to that visual intensity the soothing sound of the stones as they move slightly and you truly have sensory experience which is what any good piece of jewelry should give you.
Lastly, the adjustable setting…I was not sure how I felt about an adjustable setting at first, but then I put it on my ring finger and LOVED the way it looked. Next, I put it on my middle finger and LOVED the way it looked. Of course, I then put it on my pointer finger, and yes, you guessed it, I LOVED the way it looked! I immediately thought of outfits in my closet and how I could wear it on different fingers for a unique look and appeal. So, for me, the adjustable setting really just adds to the overall versatility of this great beaded ring.
Obviously I am in love with it – not only because it is a great-looking ring but more importantly because it is a great quality ring. I hope you enjoyed my sneak peek at the new JoCoCo beaded ring – look for it to be available for purchase in February when we upload our new Spring collection!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend and the beginning of a wonderful New Year!
Adriana M Dehring
Of What Does Woman’s Rapport With Jewelry Consist
Jewelry is a minor art but it is inspired by a canon of beauty like all art. Nature provides geometric forms, textures, the silver of the moon, the gold of the sun, colors of gemstones in the rough (in their potential: dull and then polished by the hand of man into brilliance). These elements inspire a creativity of fire and friction. The eye catches the message and the hand brings about a tiny miracle. What is the message? It can be an expression of cultural iconography: classical images aligning a person with a god or goddess. It can be an expression of status: interpreting a class of society with a certain type of jewel. The images of virtues and vices, the various professions, institutions, the months of the year, the star signs, the arts, the nations, the great rivers of the world, all had their symbolic representations which were understood by people of all classes in a certain period of history. These images made their point and told their stories in frescoes, sculptures, and ancient coins and jewelry. JoCoCo joins Kalos for you women who want to find what you’re looking for: a classical touch and a feminine tone. So, why do we women care for jewelry? Perhaps because it shows us how to express who we are. We can present ourselves in a certain way. It gives us an intimate expression: a sign and a symbol of ourselves. JoCoCo, over and over, has that simplicity and a characteristic sophistication that will be worn well over a lifetime. We’re trendy with a traditional twist.
Sally Fougerousse
Looking for Inspiration
We are all surrounded by beautiful things… scenery, architecture, people and the stories they tell. I try to take in every moment and let those beautiful things inspire a new piece of jewelry. A walk on the beach with my husband inspired the Montauk bracelet. The colored veils of a belly dancer gave me the creative impulse for the Mumbai bracelet. And just recently Adriana talking about her journey to Colorado revealed the new Pike’s Peak line.
Exquisite gemstones help me recreate these beautiful moments. The cool temperature of these beads and the clicking sound they deliver make you pause and take a deep breath… Everything down to the finishing touch of the clasp is inspired by life itself.
Have a beautiful life,
Kristin McCartney
Patience Is A Virtue
well, patience is a virtue that i definitely struggle with, especially when it comes to our website being done. i am the type of person who wants things to be done yesterday…but that just gets me frustrated. when kristin and i first started talking, i knew in my head that it would take time, i just didnt stop to actually think how much time. and, well, i am impatient!
what keeps me going is thinking about some of the great new pieces that kristin is making…they are just fabulous! a large, chunky blue stone necklace, and some great pieces with silver chain and a cluster of stones for both our Pink and Green lines. cant wait to have pics posted of them…you will love love love them! we are also going to making some great pieces with different sized pearls (mother of pearl specifically) which will be just stunning…and, we have another rhapsody completed that is different rose quartz, pink and white pearls and rhodonite.
now i just have to be patient and know that all good things take time! until next time…
adriana m dehring
Getting Started Is Hard
i suppose i should make this a little bit more detailed of a post since it is the first one! well, i am adriana dehring and i am one of the two minds behind JoCoCo Jewelry. the other is my friend kristin mccartney who is actually the reason we started this jewelry business in the first place – i saw pieces of jewelry that she made as gifts and was blown away at how awesome they were and decided we needed to go into business. we started organizing ourselves, and meeting a couple times a week to get our plan together, and thanks to her hubby (george mccartney) are close to having our website up and running.
we did have our first breakthrough today when we posted 9 items on artfire.com! yes, i know…9 items is not a lot, but it is a start until we are able to get our site live and showcase all of the pieces we have made. this is quite a feat considering we both have kids and work from home…
we also have a children’s line which is so darn cute with some simple earrings and bracelets made with Swarovski crystals and a line that comes to us straight from italy – but i will let you read all about that in the Kalos bio.
the adrenaline is wearing off from the excitement of our personal creations finally being “out there”, and i really cant think of anything else to say, so until next time…
adriana m dehring
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