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When I was a poor college student, my mom would always slip me a little extra cash because "every girl needs a new lipstick now and again." And she was right -- on my rice-and-beans budget, a new tube of lipstick or inexpensive pair of earrings was a welcome bit of indulgence.
Jewelry designer Andrea Bijou has taken that concept of small luxuries and run with it with her year-old laser-cut leather jewelry line, Bijoudally (meaning "jewelry play"). "I saw many of my friends lose their jobs and struggle with the economy, but they still wanted to have something nice every once in a while," she explains.
"It was important for me to make accessories that were affordable," Bijou continues. "I found that it's way easier to make an expensive product than it is cheap one, so that was a challenge. Through conquering that challenge came the ability to make everything in the Northwest for lower costs, which gives all my suppliers and vendors business."
Add that her jewelry is a unique and dazzling blend of Bohemian chic and vintage Art Nouveau, and everyone's a winner.
The Bijoudally collection contains 15 pieces of red, black, maroon, gold and silver laser-cut leather earrings, bracelets and necklaces ranging in price from $24.95 to $60. The small price tag does not reflect the big statement that this jewelry makes. The Spoke earrings ($30), for example, are more than two inches across and three inches long. Slip a pair of silver ones on and let them speak for themselves.
Bijou's bestseller is the Bouquet necklace, which at $60 is her most expensive (and most elaborate) piece. A mélange of seven different flowers, starbursts and swirls, this piece epitomizes "statement necklace," spanning three-and-a-half inches across and five inches from top to bottom.
Bracelets ($40) come with magnetic clasps and can be stacked for added effect. My favorite, the Dizzy bracelet, features concentric circles tied together with gold- or silver-plated wire and is a stunner that stands on its own.
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