melissa joy manning

quick jewelry detour...i received a GORGEOUS pair of melissa joy manning earrings (see above) for my birthday from my wonderful ac (wearing them right now) so i thought i'd do a bit on her work....

[ed. note: her pieces are a bit pricey, but the designs are so unique and stunning that they may be worth the splurge/save-up for those looking for really one-of-a-kind jewelry.] in 1997, melissa joy manning was wondering whether she should dive wholeheartedly into her fledgling jewelry design business. though she'd had some early success, she wanted a more definitive sign that jewelry was her calling. while flipping through tv channels she stopped at, "just shoot me", and saw one of the show's many guest supermodels sauntering across the screen wearing one of her necklaces. "it was the ultimate sign; it showed me that the business was meant to be," melissa says. "i believe everything happens for a reason, and if you pay attention, there are signs everywhere. i've been thankful ever since that i had the courage to pursue it, because i love what i do."

melissa's designs combine beautiful materials with unique shapes and designs. i really love her square hoop look she's doing now, it's a nice twist on the traditional hoop earring thing. you can find more of her work online or purchase it online at neiman marcus right here. for additional styles and retailers, click here. enjoy!