30 Days of Indie Travel | What European City do I Most Want to Visit, Day 16

Drikke vin means drink wine in Danish, and this is exactly what I was doing last night which lead me to an affirmative post for Day 16. Last night's terroir-driven Mediterranean wine/olive oil/sea salt tasting event here in Charlottenlund, provided my hands down answer of Sicily! (Technically not a city, but a region/province of Italy.)

I want to meet the people and see what they are really like. While they make know how to make a meal with passion, I also want to make them a meal with equal fervor. Share some Mt Etna wines. Kick a football. Listen to their stories. Or just sit and be quiet offering friendship as best I can, hoping they know how much I appreciate giving and sharing life's many great passions. I know it will just be beautiful even if I have to wait until after 10pm to get Pasta alla Norma, then so be it.

Here is a link to an enticing travel webpage: Sicily Vacations. Love, Sharon

What is artisan jewelry, you might ask?

Well, I can answer that! It is classed as jewelry that has been made by the hands of a creative jewelry artist, comprised mainly of high-quality stones and metal findings. If the artistry is resonant enough by using components with meaningful words and special, rare gemstones, it can exist as a highly personalized piece of jewelry for the wearer.

Artisan jewelry is often made completely from scratch, where the artisan uses lost wax casting or prepares the metals through heating, bending and shaping, sets stones, fires enamels, as well as creates the jewelry. Some artisan jewelry is crafted with ready-made components, whereby the artisan artistically connects all the pieces together. Regardless of the techniques used, usually hours of time and concentration are given to creating a piece of handcrafted artisan jewelry to assure that it is beautiful, unique, and far from ordinary.

One of my greatest passions is creating, selling and giving artisan jewelry as gifts or wearing it myself. I especially enjoy giving it to women that appreciate having it as "their own." My favorite elements are organic sterling silver findings that are lovingly made by hand in small quantities rather than mass produced (see examples at my website at Sharonunlimited.com). Having a rare and exquisite piece of jewelry that has been made or chosen specifically for me (or my customer) is a touching and memorable gift to receive and treasure for many years to come. Love, Sharon

The Top 10 Jewelry Collectors

In lieu of my excitement for the upcoming gemshow in Tucson, gemstones can be dramatic enough to steal my eyes and heart and steal any scene for that matter. I look forward to seeing lots of them. I've been passionate for a long time about the tactile satisfaction of working with gemstones and enjoy, on occassion, peeking into the somewhat-secret world of those who own the the world's most coveted collections of jewelry. According to W magazine from 2006, the top 10 are/were: 1) Queen Elizabeth, 2) Farah Pahlavi - the former Empress of Iran, 3) Elizabeth Taylor, 4) Lily Safra - a Brazilian-Monegasque social figure, 5) Dodie Rosekrans - an international society hostess, 6) Prince Jefri of Brunei, 7) Queen Sirikit of Thailand, 8) Danielle Steel, 9) Princess Firyal of Jordan, and 10) Barbra Streisand. I find this list very interesting because of Streisand and Steel, which hit closest to home for most of us here in the U.S. Barbra once owned a René Lalique sautoir, which she auctioned at Sotheby's for $352,000. A sautoir necklace is a very long necklace of beads, pearls or chains, which often ends in tassels. The necklace can be worn loose with the tassels hanging on both sides or wrapped as many times as you would like for a different look. Danielle is known to have eviable pieces from Fabergé and Seaman Schepps, and a yellow diamond collection. Do either of these ladies sing or write about jewelry: that's a good question. And of course there's no other American woman more famous than Elizabeth Taylor for loving jewels. I hope this mosaic I have created represents this esteemed group of 10 in a fun, creative way. Hope you all find a jewel in your new year ~Sharon Marzonie

Photo credits from the mosaic are as follows: 1. The Lady, 2. (Item No. NL15E) Purple/Pink/White Pearl Shell 13mm Neckace (with magnetic clasp), 3. Dodie Rosekrans Estate Sale, 4. Hua Hin, Petchkasem Road, 5. Turtle Brooch, 6. farah-new (5), 7. Queen Elena of Italy, 8. Go Your Own Way Necklace, 9. Garden Entrance P1000085a, 10. jewels book safe, 11. BARBRA STREISAND, 12. 0.33ct Oval Natural Fancy Pink Diamond GIA Certificated P1 Purplish Pink