Vampire Blood Moons! Sylvan Moons! Moons For All!
SITREP
I am decidedly NOT a jewelry person, as in I have RARELY bought any jewelry - for MYSELF to wear - if at all, in the last 30 years of my adult-buying life. [However, buying jewelry for special female friends & relations is another matter entirely and I love splurging there.]
But what grabs my attention from the get-go is if the jewelry piece is:
* Unique
* Cutting-Edge
* Makes a powerful statement by it's mere appearance
* Is something I'd ACTUALLY WEAR; and,
* NOT TOO DAM EXPENSIVE
Otherwise, why bother buying a piece of jewelry that's just going to gather dust on top of my dresser?
THE SETUP
My personal history with jewelry is pretty erratic, and I have recently been forced to audit my experiences and search out why that is so....
I THINK in large part that is originally due to having grown up in a conservative Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Christian home where even when my former spouse Shelly and I were married years ago in this denomination, we were frowned upon by that church community that we would even wear wedding bands.
Well, yada yada yada, and flash forward a few decades, and all I have to say is "F*ck the Hypocrisy of Christianity" and ANY OTHER organized religion - they can all rot in their delusional hells they conjure up in their own fanatical belief-systems, and I'm happy I've moved on to....
(PERSONAL) EVOLUTION
So I have in fact been that guy, dressed all in black, having fun on the dance floor or conversing at the bar - but wearing no jewelry: no cuff links, no pendants, no rings, no tie bars, and no hats or canes for that matter. However, that is changing....
I do notice my tastes are developing an appreciation for some very interesting pieces. [Even though no longer bound by "fanatical" prohibitions against jewelry, I STILL have to be "interested" in what is being offered if I'm going to be spending my own MONEY.]
JEWELRY SELECTIONS & BUSINESS STABILITY
There is the occasional cool ring I have picked up when perusing the stalls of a Renaissance Faire or I am scanning the tables at a Comic Con.
The problem here is that as much as I like/love certain pieces, I tend to lose them, most likely having resulted them being STOLEN from me. Then I'm screwed because I have no way of tracking down that random vendor!
EYESCREAM
What I love about Ruby and her business EYESCREAM is that she has been around for a while AND I know where to find her at her "brick & mortar" business in Oakland.
Even though all the pieces I have purchased from her have been when she is vending at Bay Area dance clubs or festivals, I have also visited her at her store and enjoyed some conversations - and even a party - when there.
VAMPIRE BLOOD MOON
In fact, this brings me to one of my first purchases from her while out at the dance & music showcase event "ShadowDance". It was there that I fell in love with a Vampire Blood Moon pendant ($39.99) - and a caveat, it would be unfair to attribute such "cutesy" jewelry names as given by Ruby herself - she is above that - it's just what I call it so I can describe the item to myself in my head or to share with friends:
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eyescream-oakland?select=yZ0WNLdTTHJ3_rx47AK1Ww
Well, that piece (amongst many other items) was eventually stolen from me (and I suppose I am the only one who has felt the pain of having many personal & sentimental items stolen as the result of a relationship breakup, right?), but flash forward, and Ruby set me up with another similar piece! And this time opting for a more powerful statement with the black cord rather than a silver chain.
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eyescream-oakland?select=8V2x-z1FoyIRIY74iDX91g
SYLVAN MOON
I never know when I will see Ruby next time (even though I know where Eyescream is - since it can be a BIT of a 2 HR traffic trek from Sacramento to Oakland) and she had other very beautiful pieces out this past weekend (while vending at another subsequent "ShadowDance" no less).
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eyescream-oakland?select=GBt2HfJMtKqQHZ0Du5QZIQ
I even saw skulls and kitties!
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eyescream-oakland?select=kdn_huMLaGpsQ0ReHSmrtQ
But I had to ALSO pull the trigger when I saw the Sylvan Moon pendant (also $39.99): stunning in it's elegance, but remarkable in it's simplicity - a wonderful trade-off for wearing with the Vampire Blood Moon pendant. And, "yes", I say "Sylvan Moon" - it doesn't actually have a name - but it is what I imagine the Sylvan Elves of Middle Earth might have worn under the light of the waxing moon and the Star of Eärendil.
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eyescream-oakland?select=FR_F8y-PCFZTUKtTkKZyIw
So as far as pendants go for myself, I hit the jackpot this past weekend.
THE LOWDOWN
Exquisite jewelry selection for those with darker, more ethereal tastes. read more