I met Olivia Cummings, the founder and designer of Cleopatra’s Bling, nearly by chance a few weeks ago. I had been following her blog Oh La La Livia for sometime and it was a pleasure to connect with the Australian expat whose insight on life in Paris is so enlightening. Over cappuccinos at La Caféothèque, I was captivated by the tales of her travels to India and Turkey where she befriended local artisans who inspire her bohemian designs.
Intrigued by her work, we got in touch over the weekend to chat about our dreams and expat lives. She introduced me to spiced coffee freshly brewed with dried orange peels, cardamon and grated ginger which was the perfect interlude to our brightly colored macarons from Ladurée. And then her beautiful jewelry came out from hiding and I was quickly swept away by more tales of Istanbul and Pondicherry.
Incorporating silver, gold and stones (hand-picked by Olivia), Cleopatra’s Bling captures the bohemian spirit of the gypsy. I especially love that Olivia’s custom designs are intricately connected with the countries that inspire her: Her pieces are hand-crafted by Indian and Turkish artisans, her designs inspired by the architecture, customs and culture of the faraway places she visits. Admiring her array of necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings, I eventually narrowed my favorites down to two (the ring and earrings pictured above). Although I may be back for more with the release of her Summer 2013 “Take me to the river” collection. To satisfy the gypsy in you, much of her work is available on Etsy.
You can also follow Olivia and Cleopatra’s Bling on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.
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