Lady's Lessons: Diamonds

There is an endless supply of romantic motifs that seem to skip seasonally and predictably through the lolita fashion world, so familiar and fond to us that we can tick them off on our fingers. Remember the year everything was about deer? Or the spring that flooded with strawberries on every hem and tiny strawhat? We use them and favorite them and even, as the nature of fashion, live our lives in them. And we take their powers to an extent – butterflies for whimsical outfits, pearls for a sea-fantasy or refined feel; apples in the fall and chocolates at Valentine’s. But can these symbols in our clothes be put to another use? And is there more to your favorite motif than meets the eye?

So with this in mind I’m starting a bi-weekly series called Lady’s Lessons, with the purpose to enlighten on the myth, folklore and subtle suggestion of various popular themes in lolita fashion. Some may be different varieties of flowers, other fruits or animals or ever Victorian references like the teddy bear. To start this series off with a bang, I thought I'd start with a girl's best friend - diamonds and the more popular lolita motif, diamond rings. Jewels and gemstones are all valued for their unique properties, but diamonds also fit into the idea of a ladylike and fashionable image. They come in every color scale from colorless to rose and canary yellow.

Diamonds make their appearance in folklore since the days of early mythology, where there were said to be lightening bolts that had struck earth. Due to its hardness and invincibility, it was called the Queen of Gems and came to symbolize everlasting love. This is what started the tradition of setting them in wedding and engagements rings. The first diamond engagement ring was given in 1477 by the Archduke Maximillia of Austria, to represent the fiery, pure beauty of Mary of Burgundy. Other sources claim that diamonds imbibe the wearer with luck and success – Plato even believed they housed celestial beings. Today’s metaphysical crowd consider them a crystal battery that you can fill up with positive energy. They always bring to my mind the majesty of India evoked by Francis Hodgson Burnett with Sara Crewe and the promise of diamond mine riches in A Little Princess. The idea that there are such glittering and amazing treasures buried deep in the ground – so mystical that the ancients believed they housed spirits.

Diamonds have been featured in several lolita prints (like Dressing Up Bunny) and jewelry items. If you’re looking to add a diamond-inspired energy and feel to your look, consider a cocktail or fashion ring. I’m especially liking some of the fashion rings from abazias.com – like this beautiful periwinkle blue topaz and diamond ring, or this smooth-lined and minimalist solitaire. They add the necessary elegance to accent black velvet gloves and are perfect for the coming winter ensembles. I love to idea of dressing not only for a creative coordinate, but also to fulfill a goal - whether that's to simply give your outfit a mood to fit your occasion (diamonds give an old-world glamour to going to the opera or theatre for the evening, for instance) or to know that the imagery of diamonds will add a magical 'power-up' to your day.

Next Lady’s Lesson Additions: Apples!

Labels: lady's lessons, lifestyle

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 5:38 AM