Yearly Archives: 2019

……………………Many aren’t fortunate enough to travel the world and experience and see people and places that can only be dreamed about or seen in magazines….I feel blessed to have been able to travel to many places with Jac and we have seen many wonderful things. There were many countries and places we had hoped to visit, but time ran out for us…….North Africa is a mysterious region, and a glorious place we were able to see. There are many places where time has stood still, and people live like they have lived for ages………The Maasai are such people. Many never leave their villages, and only know of heat, drought and the blaring sun. These conditions do not deter them. In fact, I believe it is because of these conditions they dress the way they do. They are exuberant in the colors and patterns they wear and the jewelry they make by hand. The women have lived like this for centuries. It is quite amazing that they all have taken on the same mantel, with the high spirit they have, considering their daily conditions. They need to wear BRIGHT COLOR and EXOTIC COLORFUL jewelry to compete with the STRONG LIGHT of the SUN!……..Almost every piece of clothing and jewelry they wear they make themselves. Their vivacious personalities and their sense of style is INSPIRING………….Remember, the men dress exactly as the women do……..This necklace is an extraordinary and exceptional piece to add to your Linea Jewelry Collection……………The MAASAI NECKLACE, J477427, is a piece I am very proud to bring to you…..It is unlike anything I have EVER done before, and is a standout. I would hope a Maasai woman would love it too……………..These pieces…….the Necklace…….the Bracelet………and the Earring ……are all HAND MADE!…………There are five rows of MULTI COLOR DISCS, GOLD BEADS, MULTI COLOR PATTERNED FABRIC CORDS, GOLD RINGS, and THIN GOLD TUBES from which COLOR BEADS are attached……….It takes many hours and a lot of patience to make just one. These are VERY LIMITED!…….I am sure there are those of you who will say, “this is very pretty but it’s not me”……..I ask why?…….This is for a women who has an adventurous soul….some one who is free spirited with a touch of the exotic, even if you’re the only one who knows it. It’s for a woman who is willing to JUMP out of the box she has lived in for so long, and try something NEW. I hope this applies to all of you.  If you still don’t think this is for you maybe it’s time to consider these words…..Believe me when I say…I am not pushing you to buy, there probably aren’t enough for those of you who want it. I’m pushing you to THINK DIFFERENTLY…..to have more freedom…….I will display this necklace next to my antique Berber pieces and my African beaded artifacts so I can see it every time I go into the gathering room in our home, and look at my collections on the shelves. It is that authentic looking……….I also know that this is just what many of you are looking for but can never find, and will enjoy it the moment it arrives…………..To ALL of you I say……be a MAASAI!……Live the JUBILANT life you were meant to live……………………………………………..much Love…………………………..Louis

…………………………I hear you thinking……………..”OK, it’s pretty, but what am I going to wear it with????” Be Maasai…………where it with everything!!!! It doesn’t have to MATCH anything to look right. It’s a wonderful accent piece….an instant conversation……….The most obvious is to wear it with……WHITE……a simple Tee and a White bottom….a pant, a Capri, crop pants, shorts, or a beautiful long white skirt…..like your BOHO…..Next……COLOR……be a Maasai!…..Don’t be afraid…..Above, are just a few ideas of what you can wear it with…….The Maasai jewelry will make any outfit you wear that much more exciting!………Next……wear it with PRINTS….the Maasai do! Three examples above are the Hot Pink Stripe Gondolier shirt….the Poppy red Floral Boho and the new Red Short Ruffle Skirt………It’s time to play……..You will be amazed at how great it looks with so many things you already own……….I will go as far as to say….this becomes one of your go to summer necklaces when you want to make a BIG IMPRESSION!………………enjoy……………..much Love………………….Louis

……………………….OK…..so maybe your not a BRIGHTS person…………….really? it’s summer, but OK….no argument…..LOL…………Wear your Maasai necklace with EARTH and VEGETABLE dye colors………COPPER, AZURE, DARK KHAKI, PERSIMMON, and ALMOND to name a few…….For my Fashion nuns….as the fashion editors are called………………BLACK always works……………………….There really isn’t a category of color this necklace won’t work with………….and that goes for the BRACELET and EARRING TOO!………………….enjoy……………………..much Love…………………………Louis

………………………….I think we truly captured the look and feeling of the jewelry the Maasai women and men wear………….There are approx. ELEVEN different beads, discs and tubes that make up the COIL WRAP BRACELET, J477423…..It’s the type of bracelet that you just can’t stop looking at. If you really want to be Maasai and have some fun….wear a gold roller bracelet on either side of the coil bracelet for a dramatic stacked look!….I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how many things this bracelet and earring will work with. The pierced earring is J477425. The placement of the beads, tubes and discs gives the earring a very hand made look, which it is!…It is  very different from anything I have offered before, and it is super light in weight too. The top of the earring is attached to a ring. If you can’t wear pierced earrings you can easily change the pierced top to a clip by attaching the clip to the ring. There are many CLIP on tops avail, for you to EASILY replace the pierced top. Just google gold clip on earring tops, or something like that and you will have many choices at all different prices. They even offer Brass if gold is too bright for you!…..Both the bracelet and earring have the same squarish gold beads that make up the Mayan necklace, J393302, so these pieces will work beautifully with that necklace for a very different look. The Blue beads coordinate with all of your SAPPHIRE pieces. For example….something easy…..a white tee, the sapphire slim pant and your Maasai jewelry. Very simple but a strong statement. I know you will find many ways to mix these pieces with what you already own…………..enjoy………………..much Love…………..Louis

……………………It is now quite a few years ago that a wonderful store in SOHO closed. The name of the store was the name of the owner………JACQUES CARCANAGUES……………He had impeccable taste, and everything in the store was to lust over. Everything was antique, and imported from his favorite countries, Bali, North Africa…… Morocco in particular and India. He had everything from Balinese carved wooden doors that people bought as wall hangings, beautiful wooden painted tables from India. African masks on wrought iron stands, rugs and textiles, and objects of all kinds. It was a fantasy…true eye candy…I think you get the idea. Jacques was a strange man. Basically he ignored the customers……..but…..if he saw you looking at, and buying things he really liked he was more personable. I was a pretty frequent customer so when I came in or Jac and I visited the store he would always stop to say hello and we would chat about the new things in the store and his travels……Jac and I loved his things and own many pieces. He had no idea who I was, and probably didn’t care. He was the center of his universe……It was a great loss when he decided to retire and close the store. There has never, and probably never will be another store like this…..There will never be another Jacques Carcanagues……Many of my New York Ladies know the store and know what a treasure it was……Jacques had a large collection of jewelry in the store. Most of it was old, but many of the necklaces were made on site in the basement of the store. He had a huge collection of beads, and plain or enameled metal pieces….some old and some new. Many from Africa, India and Bali. He had a man who would make one of a kind necklaces with these beads, and they were all fabulous. He also had new things that were made mostly in Bali and India….all very unique and special….I would buy things to show on the models to accessorize the clothes before I had a jewelry line……………My MOROCCAN NECKLACE & EARRING SET, J477433, is a reproduction of one of the necklaces I bought at Jacques’ store. I designed the earring to go with it…..an easy task……The color above is BRASS OX with black shiny beads which is exactly as the original. The fluted metal beads are blackened in the grooves to give an antique and artisan look. They are HOLLOW so they WEIGH NOTHING……The BLACK ROUND BEADS are in two sizes. At the back of the neck from the Lobster claw to the first bead is a series of small brass ox beads which I added  so it would lay better around the neck. This was the only change to the original. I must emphasize how light the earring is. It has presence due to the size of the bead, but it is very comfortable to wear……..To coordinate with the necklace I am introducing the roller bracelet in BRASS OX. All colors have been reordered and will be avail soon. Needless to say the Brass Ox roller mixed with the Black Roller looks fabulous with the Moroccan set…………This is a set that you will wear all year…….Artisan Ethnic jewelry is timeless and forever……………………………………………………….enjoy……………………much Love…………………….Louis