What’s your plan for the weekend?

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Adrianne

What are you doing this weekend?

Last weekend, our dear mascot Turtle took a break from his hard work in the jewelry studio. Here are some pictures of his trip to Damariscotta Lake for some time in the Maine wilderness.

Turtle took his first canoe ride! (He was excited, so it was a tad harrowing for his human companions.)

He loved playing in the woods!

He had lots of fun playing in the water, fetching sticks and generally romping around.

Here he is, on his second canoe ride, a little calmer this time. (I still spent more time hanging on to the edges of the canoe than paddling, though.)

On the way home, we walked over an old bridge that spans the Androscoggin River in Brunswick.

This weekend, we’ll probably take Turtle to the ocean for a romp. How ’bout you?

Does your engagement ring have to have a diamond?

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Alicia

There is no denying that diamonds are the standard for engagement and wedding rings, but does your engagement ring have to have a diamond?

The answer is no, as you may have guessed. Here at Turtle Love Co., we pride ourselves on offering a wide range of diamond engagement rings that can fit any budget - but we also offer an array of rings with diamond alternative stones to fit any style. We offer sterling silver as well as gold rings, and we have a plethora alternative gemstones.

It’s raining rings - sapphires, pearls, and white topaz (oh my!) among others!

Some people like a little color in their engagement ring - we offer lots of colorful options, such as sapphires (both blue and pink), amethyst, iolite, blue topaz, garnet, kyanite and tourmaline. We also offer some beautiful pearl engagement rings.

Some people like the look of a diamond, but worry about the price or the ethics of such a precious stone. While many of our artists only work with conflict free diamonds and other stones, white topaz is a beautiful diamond alternative.

If you have questions about our diamond alternative options, conflict-free diamonds, or if you are looking for a ring with a particular gemstone, feel free to email [email protected] - we’re here to help!

From plain to fancy - a wedding band post

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Alicia

My wedding ring is a 3mm, half-round white gold band with “Joseph” engraved on the inside. My husband’s is 4mm and his engraving says “Alicia.” The bands are very simple and traditional, but they didn’t have to be. It’s just what we decided to choose.

The convention for wedding bands used to be the plain gold band, and many people still adhere to those conventions. However, brides and grooms alike have been using different styles of wedding bands that are more reflective of their personalities and tastes. That’s the great thing about wedding bands - just like your significant other, you can choose whichever one feels the most special and the most right for you.

I’ve compiled a list of some great wedding bands we have available at Turtle Love Co - from plain to fancy to everything in between.

Plain

These wedding bands are plain, simple, and sweet. They would match nearly any style of engagement ring. They let the symbol of the wedding ring do all the talking. Left to right: Classic 3mm Half Round Wedding Band, Classic 5mm Square Edge Wedding Band, Sterling Silver Wedding Band

Delicate

These bands are small, simple and elegant. Beautiful pieces to match with a small and delicate engagement ring, or just to wear on their own. Left to right: Delicate Silver Band, Unity Gold and Diamond Wedding Band, Classic 2mm Arched Wedding Band

Organic

These pieces appeal to those who are true nature lovers at heart. They are sweet, spirited and earthy. Left to right: Laurel Leaf Ring, Gold Branches Ring, Rose Gold Vine Ring with Diamonds

Sparkling

These pieces are bold, shiny and pack a punch. They are for the person who loves sparkle, shine, and flare. Left to right: Dainty Crown Diamond Ring, Classic Prong-Set Diamond Wedding Band, Gold Diamond Wedding Band

Bold

These pieces are strong and pack a punch. For the person who likes to stand out! Left to right: Renaissance Silver Ring - Wide, Satellite Wedding Band - White Gold with Black Diamonds, Equilibrium Silver Ring - Wide

What is YOUR favorite wedding ring style?

Fancy Dress Friday: dogs and ring designs edition

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Aubin

We’re being visited in the office today by Xander’s fabulous and well behaved dog, Bea (seen here in our Fancy Dress Friday TLC family portrait). Bea’s visit is just the icing on the cake of a productive week here at Turtle Love Co., which included everything from social media conferences to officially announcing the winners of our first annual jewelry design contest!

On Monday we shared a photo from our vintage ring shoot at The Green Hand, a magnificent used book store in Portland, Maine. Michelle, the owner of The Green Hand, helped us choose a selection of beautiful antique hardcover books to photograph some of our vintage engagement rings on. Here is our Josephine Vintage Diamond Engagement Ring resting on the gorgeous green, blue, and gold cover of one of the books. Thanks again to Michelle for letting us explore her shop- it was the perfect backdrop for our antique engagement rings and we came away with some interesting books too!

Turtle Love Co Josephine Vintage Diamond Engagement Ring

Our Josephine vintage Diamond Engagement Ring

Our most popular blog post this week is Alicia’s ode to The Big Lebowski entitled “How finding my inner Dude helped me love my wedding day: 5 easy steps.” In it, she offers tips for de-stressing by taking cues from the movie’s hero like, among other things, enjoying a game of bowling.

Our Currently Loving guest posts for the week came from Carly from Miss Teacups and Laura of Fore Front Fashion, who chose our Sterling Silver Wide Vine Ring and Vintage Art Deco Style Diamond Necklace as their respective favorites. Carly’s Country-chic themed post can be found here and Laura’s 1920s flapper inspired post is here.

Now, as a bonus, enjoy this photo of Bea elegantly modeling our Classic Floating Pearl Necklace with Red Silk!

Bea modeling our Classic Floating Pearl Necklace with Red Silk

Fancy Dress Friday: guest posts and vintage ring cases

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Aubin

Happy Friday the 13th, everyone!

Today’s date may have some people scared, but we’re not afraid to admit that we’ve had a great week here at Turtle Love Co.

The week began with a guest post from our Vintage Style Council Member of the Month Katherine from Of Corgis and Cocktails. She showed us one way to style her current favorite piece of our artisan jewelry, the Laurel Leaf Keepsake Necklace by Laura Serrafero. If you’re not familiar with this necklace, it’s handcrafted from 50% recycled sterling silver and has a lustrous 8mm aquamarine briolette and an engaging 8mm freshwater biwa pearl accompanying its silver laurel leaf.

Turtle Love Co Laurel Leaf Keepsake Necklace

Laureal Leaf Keepsake Necklace by Laura Serraferro

We also recently acquired a new batch of vintage rings and what better way to photograph old engagement rings than by placing them in and around antique engagement ring boxes? We were lucky enough to get a gorgeous collection of vintage velvet and leather ring boxes on loan for the purpose, including this adorable case that looks rather like a pocketbook or bowling bag! We’ll let you know when the new rings are up on our website, but in the meantime, have a wonderful weekend!

Vintage ring case containing a newly arrived vintage engagement ring

By way of introduction- Alicia

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Alicia

Hello, Turtle Love Co. friends! My name is Alicia. Pleased to meet you.

About a month ago I happened upon a job listing that spoke of an opportunity to do customer service, social media marketing, and a touch of design for a socially- and ecologically-conscious online jewelry retailer. As an unemployed graphic designer and front desk coordinator with three tumblr accounts, two twitter accounts, a livejournal, a facebook page and about 12 boards on pinterest, it sounded like a match made in heaven. Did I also mention I’ve been collecting silver and gemstone jewelry since I got my very first paycheck from my very first high school job? Yeah, I knew this was the place I was meant to work.

In addition to an internet and jewelry obsession, I have another passion: feminism. Feminists are very misunderstood creatures, so I’ll be clear: Feminism is about being an active supporter of equality and rights for all people. Civil rights, gender equality and marriage equality mean a great deal to me and are things I think about and am vocal about each and every day. Turtle Love Co. shares those same values, and that’s a major reason I feel so privileged to be a part of this family.

So that’s a little bit about me. From now on I’ll be creating posts on the TLC blog every Wednesday about customer service and engagement/wedding culture with a focus on jewelry. I hope you enjoy reading my posts as much as I enjoy writing them.

Alicia

By way of introduction- Aubin

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Aubin

Saluton, Guten Morgen, and hello to you all! My name is Aubin and I just joined the team at Turtle Love Co. this past month. By way of introduction, here is a post to tell you a little bit about me.

I come from a background that, on the surface, seems to have little to do with selling jewelry. For the past two years I worked as a tour guide and social media maven for a local historic house museum, a job that has left me with a love of history and of having engaging conversations with people I have just had the pleasure of meeting. To balance out being immersed in the 19th century, I started a blog called In the Usual Way that focuses on allergy-friendly recipes, antiquated etiquette, and style using second hand clothing and accessories. My main goal in living my life is to make sure that I live in such a way as to support local business, be equally nice to everyone, and to keep the past in harmony with the present. These are also the things that drew me to Turtle Love Co.

Turtle Love Co.’s philosophy is seen in the products they sell, which can be divided into three categories:

-Artisan jewelry: TLC does more than order rings from local artists. They know each of the artists and have a relationship with them that goes beyond a company and producer. In other words, they support the artists in every sense of the word.

-Eco friendly jewelry: They are conscious of the impact they make on the environment. You can read more about TLC’s commitment to being green here.

-Vintage jewelry: If I allow myself to have a favorite (and sometimes I do) it would be our vintage jewelry. There’s a delicious mystery to vintage that allows you to create your own story and, best of all, it’s going to be one of a kind, just like the person wearing it.

As the weeks progress, I will be, in addition to updating our Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts, writing posts with a decidedly historical flavor on this blog. If you have a suggestion of something you would like to learn more about that’s related to jewelry and history, just let me know!

Meet Jen Burrall!

Posted on May 7, 2010 by Xander

Jen Burrall is one of our fabulous artisans. She’s from our very own hometown of Portland, Maine, with a boutique and studio in the vibrant and culturally-diverse East End/Munjoy Hill neighborhood. I’m particularly partial to the East End of our pretty peninsula—I live there, for one, but it’s also got breath-taking views of the ocean and surrounding islands, and it has the East End Observatory, a really cool structure built back in the 1800’s. Plus, the East End has tons of cool shops and restaurants and LOTS of local flavor… But more on that later!

Jen’s designs are really appealing because of their organic feel - she uses a matte finish and slight oxidation in her Hammered Silver Ring, and I love that it wears the marks of the jeweler’s hammer proudly on its sleeve, so to speak. The Nested White Pearl Ring is another gorgeous piece by Jen. It’s a popular choice for a unique engagement ring, and can be paired with the Hammered Silver Ring for an eye-catching set!

Jen grew up on the coast of Maine, and comes from a family of women artists. She’s always been inspired by the natural world, and has been making jewelry since she was a kid. She studied art and metalsmithing in college in Montana, and we’re so glad she came back to Maine to share her art with us!

April is Green Weddings Awareness Month

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Turtle Love Co.

Get back to nature while planning your wedding! The average ceremony generates 400-600 pounds of trash and an awful lot of planet-warming CO2. The folks at Dream Green Weddings along with the Green Bride Guide are launching an environmental awareness campaign to educate engaged couples about the impact a wedding has on the planet. We think this is a great idea and is right in line with our TLC philosophy. What do you think about the impact a wedding can have on the environment?

Enjoyable Proposals - Holly’s Story

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Turtle Love Co.

Here’s Holly’s engagement story - what fun!

If you’d like to share yours, email us!

Here is Holly’s story . . .

“Joseph and I had been dating a year or so when he finished grad school and moved eight hours away for a job. We had casually discussed marriage and Joseph would always playfully say ‘I’m waiting for you to ask me!’ So I would jokingly pop the question. One weekend when he was back for a visit, after I had fallen asleep, Joseph slipped the engagement ring on my finger and waited anxiously for me to wake up. When I finally did wake up the next morning (I’m a late riser!) I felt something odd pinching my finger and gazed sleepily over at my hand. An excited shriek alerted Joseph (and the neighbors, I think!) that I was finally awake.

Best morning ever.

And he never even had to ask!”

TLC

the blog

Category Archives: All About TLC