Sara Golden Jewelry

De-Stressing Holiday Travel

TravelSara Golden2 Comments
TravelTips.jpg

Holidays are a great reason to spend quality time with family, especially the ones you don’t see very often. Or maybe you prefer disappearing for a while, visiting remote locales where you can disconnect and recharge. Here are my favorite tips for minimizing the stress of getting there so you can spend more time actually enjoying your time away:

1
Try limiting yourself to one carry-on so you can skip baggage claim and get out of the airport fast. If you do need to check a bag, Tracy of Brunette Wine Bar recommends putting emergency supplies in your carry-on: a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a bathing suit; even if your luggage gets lost, your vacation’s not ruined.

2
If you’re like me and you can’t go anywhere without jewelry, bring a jewelry roll or travel case to protect your valuables. They’ve got dedicated spaces and pockets designed especially for jewelry, and they let you bring options (very, very important 😉).

3
My friend Amy recommends bringing small bags of candy for the airline counter, gate, and cabin crew on your next flight. You might be having a rough day, but they have to deal with everyone’s rough day. It’s a small gesture of thanks that can go a long way, and might results in occasional perks from grateful staff. 

4
Suysel of Tilton Fenwick recommends having a photo of your passport and license on your phone just in case something should happen to the real ones.

5
My friend Peter recommends looking into gym hours or workout classes at your hotel or near where you’re staying. The holidays are all about overeating and lazing about (mine are, at least), and a trip to the gym can help keep you feeling balanced.


Hope these tips help make your trips more enjoyable, and have a wonderful holiday!

Birthstone Star Necklace Inspiration

Inspiration, Behind the ScenesSara GoldenComment
Image credits, clockwise from top left: sketch from from Galileo's Sidereus Nuncius; found image of an antique plate via Pinterest; detail of Gucci gown from Spring 2017; "Stars of the Ocean," photo by Marit Hettinga via Flickr; personal photo …

Image credits, clockwise from top left: sketch from from Galileo's Sidereus Nuncius; found image of an antique plate via Pinterest; detail of Gucci gown from Spring 2017; "Stars of the Ocean," photo by Marit Hettinga via Flickr; personal photo taken in upstate New York; detail of ceiling fresco by Giotto.


I’m so happy to share that I just added upgrades to the Birthstone Star Necklaces — in addition to solid sterling silver, you can now also choose from brass with gold-fill chain, or solid 14k gold.

In honor of these new materials, I wanted to revisit the inspiration behind the Star Signet Rings and Birthstone Star Necklace: a single, slightly off-kilter star that might have been found in Galileo’s notebooks, or hidden in the sparkle of warm sunlight hitting the water.

Want to see how this inspiration became the final pieces? Check out the newly upgraded Birthstone Star Necklaces, and the Star Signet Rings in aquamarine or pearl.

I Have This Thing with Earrings

Sara GoldenComment

I’m gonna go ahead and say it — earrings might be my favorite pieces of jewelry to wear and to design. You can easily swap them out to match your mood, they can add a splash of color and drama to any outfit, and they’re like little pieces of art framing your face. 


I am picky, though, about how much they weigh. I like wearing earrings for the day without having to give my ears a rest, so when I’m designing them for each collection I’m always testing and adjusting them to meet that criteria. I carved multiple versions of the Halo Hoops until they were light enough, I use hollow snake chain in the Undercurrent Earrings so they feel weightless, and the Galaxy Earrings are convertible so you can wear only the stud but still have the option to go more dramatic for dinner parties and date nights. 


I’d love for you to see the end results of all that fine tuning — check out all the earrings I make and come try some on at my next market!

Caring for Your Opals

Jewelry CareSara GoldenComment

Opal, October’s birthstone, has been mesmerizing people for thousands of years with its bright flashes of rainbow colors. It’s said to be a stone of prophecy, and symbolizes hope and truth. While beautiful, they are a little sensitive and require some extra care:

Starscape Inspiration

Inspiration, Behind the ScenesSara GoldenComment

Image credits, clockwise starting top left: Hubble Space Telescope photo of part of Sagittarius, ESA/Hubble & NASA; Fashion editorial from 2017, source unknown; Comet illustration by Lyn Ward; “Winter Full Moon” engraving, Johannes Hevelius; Cast cairn in brass, Cast Cairn in brass, Joseph Magliaro; “Moon Dust (Apollo 17)” installation, Spencer Finch.


Two years ago I saw a photo (the top left one, actually) taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and became immediately obsessed. It shows stars in a rainbow of colors, sparkling against the deep black of space. That image immediately made me want to recreate it, using colorful semi-precious stones against a dark metal background. 

And then I fell down a rabbit hole of space photography, space-inspired fashion spreads, and Galileo's original drawings of constellations (I'm not sure I'm fully out of it yet). Sketches came together fast, and before I knew it I was carving (and re-carving, and re-carving again) shapes out of wax, testing out different stone colors, and setting mini constellations into all new pieces. 

If you haven’t seen the new Starscape Collection yet, check it out here — I’d love to know if you can see how the inspiration became the finished jewelry!