3 French Artists Art Show @ Gitane Los Altos

I hope you can join us on Friday, September 7th from 4 to 9 pm for the "3 French Artists Art Show" 

hosted by Gitane in their Los Altos store at 344 State Street. 

Come with your friends for an evening of art and shopping in a relaxed atmosphere and enjoy a glass of 

bubbly and nibbles.

Joe Boissy, Paintings & Calligraphy

Isabelle Delaure, Paintings

Elisabeth Michel-Meyrueix, Jewelry

Part of the proceeds will benefit a local non-profit "Partners for New Generations".

LURE- Gallo-Roman Artifact & Turquoise Necklace

I found this late Gallo-Roman, early Medieval period artifact in Provence this summer.
It is made of bronze and still keeps some of the earth it was buried in for centuries on its surface.
I used it as a pendant with big chunks of turquoise, that have a mix of green and turquoise color, and ornate vermeil beads. It is finished with smaller Chinese turquoise rondelles and a beautiful vermeil square toggle clasp. Truly a one of a kind necklace!

I just finished it and I will have it with me at my next show on September 7th: "3 French Artists @ Gitane"
344 State Street Los Altos, Ca   4 to 9 pm 

The Colors of Summer: Moss on Snow at Circle & Square

"Moss on Snow" necklace: vintage jade pendant with a delicately carved dragon, antique sterling silver Chinese dragon beads and deep green maw sit sit (variety of jade) beads.
You can find this necklace and more from my collection at Circle & Square in San Francisco

LUBERON - Vintage French Rhinestone Clip Necklace

An other find at an antique market in Provence, this 1950's rhinestone and silver tone clip with 2 strands of faceted shiny anthracite grey pyrite beads.

Circle & Square Blog Post: Elisabeth Michel-Meyrueix Jewelry

Peep This Indie Designer’s Studio

Elisabeth Michel, the creative mind behind EM-Meyrueix is an independent designer with a spark of inspiration in her soul. We caught up with Elisabeth to find out more about her unique studio.

CS: What is currently keeping you inspired?

EM: I work with a lot of antique and vintage pieces. It’s basically this: I go to France every year and find plenty of European pieces for my work. It’s just looking at what I have bought – that is going to inspire me to design, because I create around the centerpiece.

CS: Describe your style.

EM: ”Vintage, revisited.” For me, it’s jewelry. I tend to wear some of the ethnic pieces I work with, especially tuareg jewelry.

CS: Why do you love being an independent designer?

EM: Because it gives me the freedom to create!

CS: Tell us about your project style. How do you go from start to finish with a piece after antique shopping in Europe?

EM: I never know what I am going to work on. I get to my work bench and it just comes to me. I choose a piece, and everything flows together. It just comes to me, when it’s ready in my head.

CS: What is your favorite thing about Circle & Square?

EM: The fact that you leave a chance for independent designers to really be seen.

Inside her studio: Take a look at Elisabeth’s work bench. Creativity abounds! This is where the magic happens.

Shop her unique collection here. The beautifully selected antique centerpieces add history and charm to these fun pieces. Here are some of our current favorites:

Clockwise from top left: French Glass and Pearl Necklace // Nolan Miller Brooch Necklace // Faceted Glass Earrings // Antique French Limoges Brooch Necklace // Vintage Dome Brooch Necklace

Challenge yourself this March to take a fashionable step forward, combining vintage flair, fun baubles and your personal style. Take a deep breath, open your closet door and see what comes to you. Just like Elisabeth, the idea may strike you in that moment.

Swoboda Brooch Necklace

The centerpiece of this necklace is a vintage citrine and tourmaline starburst brooch signed Swoboda, the necklace has simple cut and puffed oval citrine beads, Swarovski crystal and vermeil. The brooch and the necklace can be worn each separately or together.
Swoboda jewelry was founded in 1956 by Edward Swoboda, who worked out of Los Angeles. He retired from the company in 1979 and his partner Nate Waxman ran it until it closed in 1985. Swoboda is known for its costume jewelry made with real semi-precious stones.
Before 1966 they used only hand tags, so this particular piece is post 1966, with a signature in the cast.
It is currently on sale at Circle & Square boutique in San Francisco.

Happy New Year

This necklace is so fun! I was very lucky to find on an antique market in France this gorgeous collectible Lea Stein pink pearlized parrot brooch from the 60's and I had for a very long time a necklace with graduated translucent pink beads from Marvella also vintage 60's. 

Stein, a French trained artist who was born in Paris in 1931, began making her whimsical pieces of jewelry in 1969, when her husband, Fernand Steinberger, came up with a process of laminating layers of rhodoid (cellulose acetate sheets) with interesting textures and colors. The layers were baked overnight with a secret component of his creation and then cut into shapes for various designs of pins, bracelets, earrings and shaped decorative objects.

These vintage pieces of jewelry were made from 1969 until 1981 and are identified by a v-shaped pin-back which is heat mounted to the back of each piece.




Marvella is the trademark initially used by Weinrich Bros. Co. founded about 1911 in Philadelphia. The Post WWII Marvella jewelry consists primarily of simulated pearls, and plain and faceted bead jewelry. In the mid 1950s, the earrings sold for $10.00, single strand necklaces for about $15.00 and multi-strand necklaces for $20 to $30. Marvella also offered simulated pearl jewelry set with quality goldtone findings and settings.
Marvella was purchased by Trifari in 1982.