Maryann LoRusso

Meet the Jewelers •

Star Power: Aries

Grab life (and some new bling) by the horns Symbolized by a ram, Aries is ruled by Mars, the dynamic red planet named after the Roman god of war. Fittingly, Aries will fight to be number one. They’re bold and ambitious, and dive headfirst into challenging situations (no surprise, since the body part associated with Aries is the head). Aries are also passionate, positive, and playful creatures who live life to the fullest. Highly motivated, courageous, and charismatic, they make excellent leade
Meet the Jewelers •

What's in Your Jewelry Box?

What jewelry is a part of you? These are the pieces that are so special you rarely wear them. Or you wear them every day. Take a peek inside other jewelry boxes and see their forever pieces sparkle, hear their stories, hold them close. I became a jewelry person later in life. Growing up, we didn’t have much money and the women in my family weren’t exactly dripping in diamonds. But the few pieces my mother and grandmother possessed were simple, elegant and told a story. Every now and then, my mo
Meet the Jewelers •

MTJ Style Icon: Elizabeth Taylor

Taylor catapulted to stardom after her appearance in National Velvet (1944) at age thirteen. She went on to star in dozens of films including A Place in the Sun (1951), BUtterfield 8 (1960) and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), nabbing Oscars for the latter two. During the filming of the scandal-ridden Cleopatra (1961) she began her passionate affair with Burton, who later bestowed her with the 33-carat Krupp diamond. At events, decked in Valentino, Halston, or Dior, her porcelain skin wa
Meet the Jewelers •

La Luna Bella

It was the 1987 rom-com Moonstruck that did me in. Watching a dreamy eyed Nick Cage beseech Cher to give in to her desires (“Get in my bed!”) as they lingered beneath a Harvest Moon made my teenage self swoon. Since then, I’ve been starry eyed for the celestial body that symbolizes feminine energy, spirituality, and wisdom. Jewelry makers have been taken with the moon since the Victorian and Art Nouveau eras, when they were influenced by mythology—particularly the Roman goddess Diana who was of
Meet the Jewelers •

Chemical Attraction

As an olive-skinned girl, I spent years wondering why neither gold nor silver jewelry looked exactly right on me. Until a friend gifted me a circle pendant dangling off a blackened silver chain. I put it on and—voila!—it was instant chemistry. I had finally met my metal soulmate. Oxidized jewelry is made by treating sterling silver with sulfides to speed up its natural tarnishing process. The resulting hue can range from light gray to gunmetal or even matte black. Like other patinas, oxidized s
Meet the Jewelers •

Tropical Punch

We’ve been fantasizing about an island getaway, and can you blame us? Warm ocean breeze, frothy drinks with tiny umbrellas, palm trees swaying under a sultry blue sky…sigh. But if exotic travel isn’t in the cards for you now, fret not. Jewelry houses are bringing the tropics to us, with palm, monstera, and other tropical foliage making appearances on statement pieces. From leaf-shaped earrings to palm-tree brooches, there’s something to satisfy every type of wanderlust. And plenty to daydream ab
Meet the Jewelers •

Identification, Please

Bracelets that (usually) tell the world who you are The ID bracelet is making a name for itself again, as designers roll out fresh versions of a classic that’s been dangling from wrists since World War II. The look began with American servicemen, who donned bent-metal or chain bracelets stamped with their name, rank, and serial number. Many continued wearing these honorable bangles after they returned home, often giving them to a love interest as an invitation to “go steady.” From the 1950s onw
Nob Hill Gazette •

Is SF Losing Its Fashion Identity?

Two or three decades ago, when a member of San Francisco's elite headed to a red-carpet gala, she'd turn to a local designer for her evening wear. It was a luxurious, almost intimate experience to purchase an elaborate gown from one of the city's few high-end department stores or, better yet, to be fitted at one of the even fewer couture studios. If the client chose the latter, she might have been on a first-name basis with the dressmaker, who probably also clothed...
Meet the Jewelers •

Fringe Benefits

Tassel and fringe have held sway for centuries. Back in ancient Egypt, the adornments crossed over from the textile industry into the realm of personal accoutrement. Made of silk, they were considered opulent statements to be worn by the highest-ranking individuals—including King Tutankhamun, who was buried with an assortment of tasseled jewelry. The look came and went for hundreds of years, enjoying a golden period during Art Deco days when flappers’ dropped waistlines, plunging necklines, and
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