Pink Yves Saint Laurent Ring

For Valentine's Day, even though I sort of already bought myself a ring for it I would love to be able to wear a pink Yves Saint Laurent ring. I don't expect my beau to get me it and I really don't want to receive anything other than his time and attention but this pink ring has been on my mind lately as I've been tossing up between getting one in either black or pink and still haven't properly reached a deicision on which colour I prefer. The choice would be made so much more easily if I could compare them, wear one ring on each hand and have a good long think about it.

I could have bought a black one from Germany on eBay this morning but was outbid in the last 10 seconds and the strangest thing was that I was glad I didn't win it- I could buy a pink one for cheaper in a larger size as well. The nerve-wracking thing about eBay is that sometimes the photographs don't do the item justice and you're not getting what you payed for. 

I've currently got two in my sights that I would like to buy, but one if from a place that may or may not ship it to me safely and the other has a weird lined and segmented effect about the pink stone. The problem with both the pink YSL arty ovale rings I can find is that they don't look anything like the rings shown pictured in this post and I wonder what the stone will look like without the harsh and bright professional photographer lights and whether there are two mateials for the same shade of pink. In the end I'm sure I'll end up gambling over which one I want as well as how it will get over here but let's all hope things turn out in the end and I eventually get my hands on at least one of these fantastically designed rings!

Yves Saint Laurent Arty Dots Ring

A slick alternative to the Yves Saint Laurent Ovale Arty ring is what I assume to be their second most popular ring, the dots ring which features more glorious thick ring bands covered in precious metals and adorned in semi-precious stones. The notable difference in design for the two styles of ring by YSL is the size of the stones, where the Ovale arty ring indulges in a large cut oval sized piece of gem/ glass, the dots ring features several curling spirals which end with a small gem on the end. Both rings seem to have a slightly cosmic appeal to them, I think the Ovale arty ring is more like a thick comet with a streaking golden tail and the Dots ring is like a shower of meteors falling out of the sky and clustered together. 

There's less hype, colour variations and consumer demand for the Dots ring but I still quite like the thick golden band of the ring and the rich contrast of dark blue and the precious metal combined together. If you missed my earlier post about YSL rings you may not know my affinity for the combination of gold and Lapis Lazuli but it's sort of a geographical implication and match made in heaven for me. I can't describe it too well, other than it's a fantastic marriage of gold panning and striking gold.

I usually lean more towards gold rings when I can, particularly when it doesn't affect the price of a piece but I like the pink stones of this particular arty ring as well as the dull grunge silver of the band. In the crevices of each stone you can see the darkening effect, due to a little chemical process called oxidisation. Unlike a lot of the other arty rings these coloured stones are my favourite shade of pink/ purple/ lilac and would look very good with a few stacked rings in rose gold which I'm interested in buying. My mother once aptly noted that I need more fingers for all the rings I buy and for once she speaks the truth.

A symbol of bohemian, Rive Gauche-chic and outspoken sophistication, this Iconic Arty Dots ring pays homage to the renowned Yves Saint Laurent couture jewelry collection. A textured gold-finish metal setting encases eight individual, brilliant glass beads - a true statement piece that moves effortlessly from day to evening.

With the silver and pink glass stone dots ring unavailable direct from the Yves Saint Laurent website, my favourite ring of this style is the white and gold variation, again proving my point that I'm boring and playing it safe with neutral colours and failing to take a chance on something that actually says something about my personality and the way I dress myself. The inner conflict in my mind is that for paying so much money on a ring I should make it as versatile as possible and wear it as often as possible to get my money's worth and a sense of happiness from my ring but something wild and colourful too may help me fill that empty hole deep inside the cockles of my heart.

What's particularly charming me to me about this piece is the imperfect set of the stones, the bumps and knocks purposely incorporated into the design of the ring. This effect if appealing for two reasons, it adds charm and character to each ring and makes it seem individual and special to you as well as covers up any bumps and knocks that may occur in the time you wear it. Nothing is more nerve-wracking or depressing then seeing a scratch or imperfection on a new ring and feeling guilty about the whole ordeal. When this happens to me I usually leave the ring in a drawer for a few weeks until I get over it and get the courage to get some balls about it. Still though, with a ring of this rugged design you need not worry about going through such a cycle and can instead enjoy your ring with piece of mind.

Yves Saint Laurent Arty Ovale Ring

The Yves Saint Laurent Arty Ovale ring has been around for years now and has been produced in a whole spectrum of colours. At first there was just coral, turquoise and Lapis lazuli but now the only colours available directly from the website are the newer range of colours using glass speckled with pieces of gold foil as well as imitation wood and single colour blocked stones- just to name a few. There's also two other styles of the arty ring but the strong oval ring as well as the textured gold and thick band was such a revelation in the fashion world and there are literally thousands of knock-offs on the market. An art teacher once told me that imitation is the highest compliment but would it really kill to be original and come up with your own ideas?

Sometimes a more tribal and South American vibe is favoured, using turquoise and silver together but I do like the rich yellow gold of the ring which is plated and the rich turquoise stone at the heart of the design. The ripples through the stone and 'faults' also add individual character to each piece which is why I prefer the arty rings that use semi-precious stones rather than say, glass. At the moment I'm spoiled for choice for a ring to buy online but I really do have to be careful about my choice since it will be a while till I get some proper money flowing, I'd say a basketball tournament earning maybe $250+ as well as uang bao for Chinese New Year. 

I never before considered the pink stone YSL Arty Ovale ring as a choice to consider buying but seeing the filtered effect of space over the top of this image, the use of black nail polish and a floral skirt I am rethinking the whole thing over. Sadly I can only find a size 5 available to buy and I have been warned that the ring sizes runs a little small so maybe it could be a feminine and statement pinky ring for me? This is quite the dilemma, while I was originally going to stick with traditional black and gold for versatility I love the use of colour in this photograph and frequently wear black and red nail polish throughout the year which would look good with this ring...

My favourite colour currently available direct from the Yves Saint Laurent website is white and gold, but seeing as that variation has sold out I'll show you the next best colour which is a jade coloured stone with lovely dark hues around the edge of this oval stone. I usually don't go for green, but then again there is nothing really usual or ordinary about these rings and I should go for something bold and exciting that takes on a life of its own when worn. That's what I liked about the photograph of the pink stone, it didn't have to purposely match the outfit so maybe I'm over thinking things by going for what's safe and should go for something that I like as a piece in itself. These babies aren't called the arty rings for nothing.

It must be the harsh lights as well as the macro setting of the camera to bring out such exquisite and fine detail of the ring as well as causing the red stone to glow with such energy and heart. With wear, the edges of the ring will be sure to show the plating but that's really a problem for another day since I wouldn't really consider it to be a problem; I barely wear rings without occasion unless I have something to do in which people will actually look at my hands and wearing them everyday I go to university may be asking for trouble... It would be nice to be able to excuse myself for having a glamorous ring on my finger; no matter what the colour of the stone the band of the ring remains the same and looks more like a sculpted and raw gold nuggets fresh from the Earth rather than something someone designed. It's a nice touch to the symmetrical oval stone.

The Lapis Lazuli stone shown surrounded by gold has been an on-again-off-again favourite of mine. At this point I would like to point out that these are not the only variations of the Arty Ovale ring by Yves Saint Laurent and as well as a gold band, there is silver but these are my personal favourites for showing off colour as well as old school Hollywood glamor. The deep blue of the stone above reminds me of the meeting between the sea and the sun on the horizon at sunset or perhaps the golden sand meeting with a dark blue ocean. Whatever the case, it still reminds me of long and boring geography lessons as well as deep and hypnotic style.

Jeffrey Campbell Elegant Jewel

 

As a late Christmas present to myself I indulged in some suede black slippers as flats which are a little stiff at the moment but when I wear into them properly I am sure they will be wonderful. I could even make myself a fake pair of Jeffrey Campbell Elegant Jewel slippers by making a trip to the craft store and getting a reliable hot glue gun. Knowing me though I'd only muck it up and they are really lovely as they are... of course I only say that since I payed half price for them using a store discount but hey I have been looking for another pair of reliable black flats in suede. Hopefully I won't trash this pair by walking in the rain too much.

 

I love the use of colours as well as the sort of symmetrical pattern emerging from this birds' eye view- there's the symmetry of the colours used which of course means that you won't have two of the same coloured plastic gem in a row. That's very clever and I think important when doing something like this because it does make it seem a little more tidy and organised rather than just adding what gems where you feel like at the time. I'm even a little startled by the length of detail and the precise placing of each jewel, it is very eye-catching and colourful but in no way does it seem excessive or over the top. You've got to hand it to Mr Campbell, he really does know how to make a good pair of shoes.

 

What's attractive to me about the slipper style of flats is the way it exposes the top of the foot and leaves it showing any lovely hidden tattoos you may have collected during your life or in my case will let a little sunshine onto that patch of skin and leave it to tan. It seems like such a classic structure, looking a bit like someone else's slippers out of a war-time English special but the revival of such a structure is much welcomed by me and since I was able to buy my slippers of a similar structure for $15, well, it only makes me feel even more pleased.