Ladies, Wear Your Rocks with Meaning!
I remember the first time I bought myself a stunning piece of jewellery.
I was 25, travelling in India with my friend from school. We hit Jaipur, the Pink City in Rajasthan, a couple of backpacker girls wandering the streets and soaking up the intense and exciting culture of north India.
The Pink City, Jaipur. This is the very road I bought my first ever 'bling' ring, before I became a jeweller.
I have always had a magpie eye for gemstones and I do love a bit of glitter - or should I say sparkle now? No surprise that I found myself in a very swish shop ogling diamond rings. One particular ring caught my eye in the window. A 22-carat yellow gold, 18 diamond and seven pink tourmaline gemstone banger. As soon as I clapped my eyes on it, I felt like I had met ‘the one’. My heart jumped and I walked into the shop and tried it on.
There I was, a scruffy backpacker considering spending her travel money on a 'bling ring' when there were another three months of travelling to get through. What was I thinking? I wasn’t sure at the time but all I had in my mind when I had it on my finger was “Oh my gosh, I love this" and "I am not waiting for a man to buy it for me!”
I had connected with 'bling' - and I loved it! I travelled home on my 20 pence rickety old rickshaw non-stop chatting to my mate about it and she said: “buy it”. Good old Jen. She has always been a good friend to encourage you treat yourself.
Little did I know I would be a regular visitor to the Pink City, sourcing my gemstones as a jeweller ten years later.
Here I am holding a giant piece of Bi-Colour Pink Tourmaline, fresh in from the Congo. Holding it out of the factory window before it gets cut! 2015.
So, onto why jewellery makes a woman feel amazing, well, in my opinion (and having blown half my travel funds on a 'bling-a-ring ring' at 25) it is not rocket science. It quite simply feels AMAZING.
As soon as I put my first ring on my finger, I felt empowered, beautiful and most importantly - worth it!
I also felt exhilarated to make that leap to invest in me and do something that I would never normally do - conquering that voice in your head that says -"this isn’t you, you can’t spend this amount of money, this is irresponsible", and the list goes on.
Wow. The self-talk that holds us back from following our dreams, purchasing items that make us feel happy 'just because’ and taking risks for a happier life!
Well. I took that risk. I spent that 'silly' amount of money on it and if I look back, that trip, that ring, that purchase - opened up my dream career and amazing lifestyle a decade later.
Myself and the gem factory boys, three Brothers! Geeking out on my rocks and getting bespoke pieces cut for limited edition rings. Gem-hunting is my happiest place! And surfing with my rings on.
If I hadn’t purchased the ring, I wouldn’t be here now typing away at this blog and encouraging you to invest in something (anything) that quite simply makes your heart sing. From there, gradually the rest of the dots will connect into the kind of life you want to be living. But you have to say 'Yes' to yourself. That is pretty much it. That's the big secret of how to live your dream life. Give yourself permission!
And having just said that, if we are not taking action towards a life that makes our heart skip a beat, then actually - what the hell are we doing here?!
Having a crazy passion for gemstones for many years, on my next trip to India I bought my first loose gemstone. A 16-carat yellow topaz. She was the first design I ever created. I called her The Canary Queen cocktail ring. She was made in 2010. It is now 2021. Little did I know she would become a firm favourite from my Regal Collection and worn by many!
Below is my first ever Canary Queen cocktail ring. I am copying my design in rose gold with an Ametrine, sat at my bench in Goa, India, 2014
And to this day, she lives on my finger - a loyal friend and a strong statement piece of jewellery that makes me feel bold, powerful and beautiful. I feel complete - she is my staple 'go to' ring that has been with me all of this time! Now if that isn't a good investment, then I don't know what is. Buy things that make you feel good and you want to wear them forever - that's what I call bang for your buck.
And the magic of this ring manifesting in my life (and changing its course) was me on a little holibobs questioning if I should blow all of my holiday money on a yellow topaz gold ring.
I went with what made my heart beat faster - bought the gem, designed the ring, had it made and she is probably one of my most commissioned designed pieces to date.
Every day she gets a compliment, in perfect keeping and my ‘go to’ piece of jewellery for feeling incredible.
I have just started surfing and guess what? Yes - I wear my rings! I had a client say to me, "You wear your Odette ruby and emerald ring and your yellow one when you are surfing?' I said, "Yes. They help me catch my waves!!"
Here she is below. This time a commission piece for Cat in 2020. The Canary Queen cocktail ring lives on!
This, my darlings, is exactly what your jewellery is for - how it makes you feel! And to encourage you, make you feel empowered and really good about owning a stunning piece of jewellery that not only you admire and swoon over, but many others too.
The timeless and glamorous Odette Ruby & Emerald cocktail ring, helping me catch my waves in Mexico. She never comes off my finger.
I don’t understand what the big deal is about when people remark that women spend a certain amount on a ring for themselves?! I mean why on earth wouldn’t you?! Knights wore star rubies on battlefields to protect them from their foe. And Cleopatra was so enraptured by emeralds that she adorned herself and her palace with the gem. Go, Cleo! I say be a Queen. This is why I named my first collection the Regal Collection. I wanted to make rings that spoke to your female power, your dignity, your worth.
You get my drift. Anyhoo. Can you imagine if I hadn’t invested in my loose gemstone? If I hadn't taken the leap to get a ring made by a random man in a small village, I wouldn't have one of my most iconic designs to date...
My second ever gem hunt in India. You can see two Ametrines in this packet of magic. One of these lives on my finger to this day. 
People write on blogs about how jewellery is mainly purchased as a gift. I say let’s go back to the good old times, reignite wearing our rocks with meaning, and gift yourself!
Just like the old days, let’s model those knights and adorn ourselves with stunning rocks with powerful meaning and wonderful healing properties and get a solid vibration going so we can align with our natural power, self-belief.
It was during my third trip to India I created the Regal Collection. I just followed my nose, wandering around the shops, letting myself feel attracted and drawn to the rocks that I felt I needed in my life. I didn’t think about it, I just felt it, connected with the rock I wanted - always the one I felt most drawn to - and then went about designing a ring worthy of the beauty of the rock.
The King Of Crowns design about to be set in rose gold with a Grey Star Sapphire. Goa, 2014.
Every design I made with the intention that the mount was to be designed as if it was a throne celebrating this incredible strength and beauty that mother nature had created for me to wear on my finger. I then named the piece to honour it.
I created my first five rings and first arm cuff: The Healing Queen, The Ametrine Queen, The King of Crowns, Cleopatra Snake Ring, Egyptian Princess Snake Ring, and my Greek Goddess Arm Cuff from Warrior Collection.
Photographing the King of Crowns on myself - just after I finished making it! Proud moment.
After I had finished my first designs, I looked up the healing properties of each gemstone. What surprised me most was that each gemstone that I was drawn to was exactly what I needed and spoke of exactly where I was at in my life.
I loved this. I had always had a keen interest in stones and originally, I wanted to be a dealer as I was so mesmerised by the meaning and historical use of gemstones. From that point on I decided to use jewellery as a vehicle to make me feel good about myself and that I would wear my rocks with powerful meaning.
At the time, I was going through adversity. This collection of rings connected me to my power and where I was heading - out of the storm. Looking back I was struggling with my self-love, self-esteem and self-worth and investing in a collection of rings and arm cuff - just for me - made me feel powerful like a warrior and a queen.
I used the gemstones as a metaphor and a reminder, that even though I may feel flawed and a little broken, the truth was that I am strong and unbreakable and I will come out of this with a beautiful, shining victory. Just like the knights on those battlefields attaching star rubies to their armour, I attached myself to my rings and my rocks. My power rings.
Emerald & Diamond Cleopatra Snake Ring. Made as an engagement ring years later
From then on, I wore my gemstones with powerful and deep meaning. And to this day, I still do. Those are the originals that helped me carve my path, overcome internal adversity and a strong reminder and statement of who I was and where I was going in life. And that is how Rosie Odette Jewellery was born.
I made my jewellery as part of me. Individual pieces that gave me the feeling of hope, courage and conviction.
Ladies, wear your rocks with meaning and feel the power of them when you do.
Kissing my medal post Athen's Marathon, 2019. I ran with all of my favourite rocks on.
You can read more about my journey in the About section.
https://rosieodette.com/pages/about
Much love to you all,
Rosie X