The label Henson first came to my attention after the tragic earthquake hit Auckland during a period of recuperation and rebuilding in which several of my favourite brands were collected and donated in the name of charity. At first I was only interested in the Diana Mini Valentine's Day special from Lomography but there were also concert tickets as well as dates with celebrities at stake. One such item among the auction with all proceeds going to help those in Auckland most affected by the disaster was a thick and chunk signet ring simply named moon by the name of Henson. The ring itself was made of solid silver with an oxidised brushed effect over the top- only a few nights ago I found the same ring online for more than 50% off RRP on a New Zealand fashion site (I'm going through a large New Zealand online store phase right now).
The features are so seemingly delicate, even for such an unyielding metal. I love the pursed lips, little button nose, gentle curve of the eyebrow and the sheer symmetry of the piece. For earrings you have a choice of polished silver discusses threaded onto posts and backed bu butterfly clips or the same basic design which is then naturally blackened in the chemical process known as oxidation. In the days of old when Chanel made large chunky gold earrings they favoured clips more so to support the large designs and I suppose I'd feel a little more secure knowing there was more than a single post supporting this solid moon face. My little lobes wouldn't be able to support this much weight but if I could manage to pull off the look, I'd probably opt for the darker earrings myself. There's always charm and intrigue in the dark and mysterious.
I can see why the outer rim was incorporated into the design of the rings as I have two large silver signet rings myself and it lends itself well to it but why there's a ring orbiting this lovely moon necklace is a mystery to me. From the first photograph it looks as if there's a split seem halfway through the pendant which would make it a locket rather than a pendant but there's no mention of it being a locket on the online store.
All jewellery are made from sterling silver and hand sanded to give each one a unique finish.
Some have been blackened by a process called oxidisation.
The black does fade away over time.
It takes 2-4 hours to finish each one.
All jewellery comes in a display box, the necklace box doubles as a stand.
I already have two large and chunky silver signet rings which can only really be worn on the one hand; one online from Najo and the other is Woodford and Co. but would it really be so bad if I were to add another ring to my collection and acquire a piece of jewellery of silver and brass as well? I really must curb my enthusiasm for signet rings and stop this growing collection and addiction. This was the ring design for auction all those years ago while I do like the brushed effect I am all too familiar with the effects and its tendency to fade. Luckily for me it's the brass ring that's 50% off from $310 to $155! It would be nice if I could get the necklace for cheap though, I'd love to wear that with a long and slouchy over sized shirt in black, or maybe a shirt dress.
I'm curious as to why the moon ring has also been manufactured in brass as well as the classic brushed silver, the bright reflective yellow toned metal looks almost like gold in the first profile photograph. Traditionally silver has been associated with the gods Phoebe/ Diana, Selene and Artemis and thought to have come through the moon whereas gold is associated by the sun and represents lofty Apollo. The dreamy and peaceful expression of the moon face reminds me a lot of the motifs from Thai jewellery but with more minimalist design and a broader face suggesting Western influence. With the simple design of the ring, even in brass maybe the moon ring would become a sun ring. Seeing this combination of silver and brass reminds me of a gorgeous cow skull necklace from Nick Von K, I really love seeing the two metals together! 
Believe it or not, but my Woodford and Co. signet ring is probably wider than this heavy costume ring. Maybe not as tall judging from the slight side profile on the shoulder of the ring but still quite the statement piece. I'm not at all deterred by the fact these pieces are carried by sites specifically aimed at the male hipster audience, after all, I feel safe having large silver rings on my fingers. It just means there will be extra weight and impact to any punch I pack.
The New York native Pamela Love has blown away any critiques of her jewellery range once again, with a noticeably different appeal about her collection. Presented on models with smudged eyeshadow across their face and tough, thick brown overalls the lovely ladies were presented as metal smiths themselves which helped to create a really strong and rooted background story about the collection. It's missing all the skulls and gore, as well as crystals that I've come to know and love about jewellery from Pamela Love, but I still admire it for its strong ethnic appeal and folk art interpretation. 
The stand out pieces that are new and exciting in terms of the Pamela Love jewellery family are the large statement collar necklaces featuring large geometric shapes and inlaid turquoise pieces. What's wonderful about this large statement collar necklace shown above is that as the design narrows, two chains are used to secure the piece making it more of a bib necklace than a true metal collar. I've always been drawn to the suggestive and sexual nature of a collar necklace but had my doubts about the comfort of wearing one as well as putting it on for the evening bu with the simple use of chains and a necklace clasp, it appears Pamela Love has come to my salvation.
Although industrialism was at the heart of the runway show with an ominous boiler room pipe centre piece at the back of the stage, I can't help but notice that hammered pieces of copper jewellery with semi-precious stones is missing a grittiness in their own design. Instead I am reminded of the Mayan and Aztec influence and pyramids as well as the sound of pan flutes playing in the air- the gorgeous and intricate design of this necklace in its tiered design of multiple panels would certainly be something to be proud of it were a part of your wardrobe. I'm sure it would earn quite a lot of attention when worn in attendance at a fashion runway event with fashion bloggers abound and maybe a vintage shirt just to mix things up a bit.
I must admit that the minimalist and strong sense of creation about the collection really does create a lot of open space to present the earrings, necklaces and bracelets of the collection of the model. I can imagine the large collar necklaces being draped over a black shirt during the daytime with cut off denim shorts and at night worn with a dress featuring a sexy dart down the side to show off the legs. As much as I admire the new direction Pamela Love has taken and the understanding of her collector like habits for trinkets and pieces of silver I do wish there was a more religious and dark grunge aesthetic style about the pieces. Give me skulls and bird talons brushed in oxidised silver anyday.
Another Mayan/ Aztec/ tribal favourite when it comes to an approach with jewellery is the combination of turquoise and red stones in warrior like designs and shapes such as the daring and dangling conical earrings. I love the dedication and small puzzle like pieces of all of the necklaces, especially the dual tiered effect of these two necklaces to match the earrings. I would never be daring enough to try these pieces on for myself, I haven't been inspired by a lot of these necklaces in an artifact-like fashion but more vintage clothing and second hand recycling. I'm sure they could feature well in an editorial piece for models travelling around on sure footed donkeys and lead by Sherpas for Fall/ Winter collections in Peru.
Small hints of the Pamela Love I came to know, love and adore are apparent in the use of darkening around the turquoise stones of the collar necklace as well as the stunning ear cuffs shown right featuring dangling chains. I've been toying with the idea of getting an ear cuff myself since I don't want any more piercings but I don't think the Pamela Love range is quite what I'm after, you have to really love the tribal and Aztec pattern to commit to it so thoroughly. The silver and oxidised patterns on the long dangling panel earrings is really something though and for someone who has small lobes I could easily swing for a pair of those and a good pair of thick vintage glasses. 
As if it wasn't enough to include impressive pieces of turquoise in the design of their statement necklaces for the Pamela Love Fall 2012 collection, there's even geometric designs of triangular and angular lines in the turquoise pieces themselves. These types of necklaces are the toast of the collection for me, but it would require someone with a long neck as well as beautiful stature to really wear the piece and have a fierce and determined look about them. The focus of the models to deliver a look and stare of cold and steely determination is really something that has evolved the Pamela Love collection and 
I was surprised to see a runway show from the brand. I suppose when you work in a studio in New York there are big things expected of you and you need to deliver things in big and bold, exciting and ingenuitive ways. While this collection may not have been my favourite of all her collections so far, I have great faith in Pamela Love and her ability to deliver stunning jewellery in a creative manner as well as improving her designs to impress the masses of fashion hungry girls, such as myself.
