Here at urbanite headquarters, we're pretty fond of travel (as you can probably imagine) and the stories and experiences travelers pick up as they traverse the globe. One of the things we love the most about naming our pieces after world cities is that people often purchase jewelry because of the city it's named after. They love that they can carry a memory of their favorite destination around their neck, or wear a pair of earrings that reminds them of their hometown.
Something we've always wanted to do is enlist our lovely fans to name one of our designs after their favorite city. And well, we finally found a chance to do so with a design that we're sure you're going to love!
We've been selling this necklace (and matching earrings) locally for a few months and it's been a huge hit. It reminds us of a very modern take on a crysanthemum (mum) flower. We love it and we'd love for you to name it!
How do you get in on the action? Simply comment below and tell us which world city you would name this necklace after & why.
- Does the piece remind you of your grandmother's garden? Maybe you'd name it after her home town.
- Does this necklace remind you of a designer's or aritst's work? Maybe you'd name it after his/her home city! Get creative!
The person with the best entry will have the necklace named after their city! The winner will also receive matching necklace & earring set of the pieces they named! The Fine Print:
- You can submit multiple entries with different cities, but each entry must include a different city and explanation.
- Submit your entry by commenting on this blog post with the city you would name the necklace after & why.
- Be sure to include an email address in your entry so we can contact you.
- The contest closes at 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, April 12, 2011. Winner will be announced by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, April 13, 2011.
And while we're at it, a sneak peek at the matching earrings in gold (they'll be available in silver & black, too!):
Name them after a city in Kansas! Reminds me of the fields and fields of flowers!
ReplyDeleteThis piece reminds me of a natural sea sponge or coral - which brings back memories of my time in Cairns in Australia! Going scuba diving and snorkelling with green sea turtles and giant fish!
ReplyDeleteThere's my vote =)
xx
Kate
I would name it Avonlea. Because everytime I hear the word crysanthemum, I think of this scene from Anne of Green Gables.
ReplyDeleteSCENE: The schoolhouse.
MR. PHILLIPS: Alright, let's begin the spelling bee. Miss Andrews, can you give us the spelling of the word chrysanthemum?
PRISSY ANDREWS: Chrysanthemum. C-h-i, no r-i -s -a -n-s-m -u-m.
MR. PHILLIPS: Perhaps we'll turn our attention to your spelling now that you mathematics is well in hand. Gilbert, chrysanthemum.
GILBERT: Chrysanthemum. C-h-r-y-s-a-n-t-h-a-m-u-m.
MR. PHILLIPS: Hmm. Anne?
ANNE: Chrysanthemum. C-h-r-y-s-a-n-t-h-e-m-u-m.
MR. PHILLIPS: Correct.
I'm saying Saigon. To me the design looks alot like lotus seed pods - which were everywhere in the neighbourhood we lived in. Whatever you name them Krista, they're gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea for a contest, and what a stunning prize. Here's my shot:
ReplyDeleteI'd call the necklace Byzantium because it reminds me of the intricate circular mosaics I saw in the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, and Istanbul was once called Byzantium. Istanbul has, in fact, had many names, but according to Wikipedia, Byzantium recalls the city's pagan roots. (email: lovelylauralandy at gmail dot com)
My 2nd entry (email included in first one):
ReplyDeleteThe necklace reminds me of the flesh of an orange, and so I would name it Seville, after the Spanish city. Seville's streets are lined with orange trees and in the Spring the entire city smells like orange blossoms. I've never experienced anything else quite like it.
Solitude, Utah
ReplyDeleteThere is a Hiking honeycomb canyon in Solitude, Utah. My first reaction to this piece was that it resembled a honeycomb (especially the gold!).
This reminds me of a Camellia Japonica so I would name it after a city in Japan, maybe Kariya because it sounds pretty.
ReplyDeleteKrista, what a great idea! I definitely see the chrysanthemum relation, but my first reaction was that it looked like the amazing corals we saw while we were in Hawai'i. Upon further thought, though, my name suggestion will be Limahuli, which was an amazing botanical garden on Hawai'i. Your necklace looks just like the gorgeous lichens that were covering the lava rock walls at the gardens.
ReplyDeletePhotos of the gardens : http://www.flickr.com/photos/brittanynoel/sets/72157624193949790/
The intricate detailing, repetition of pattern and the soothing/calm feeling this design evokes reminds me of the beautiful beach-washed treasures you can find on the shores of PEI. One of my favorite places for hunting natural beach treasures is Dalvay, PEI. It’s not exactly a city but it’s a lovely costal area with blue skies, the ocean wind and some of the most charming people around.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea for a contest!
ReplyDeleteThis necklace reminds me of Assisi, Italy. To me the the modern depiction of petals remind me of the cobblestones (the oval stone kind) that lines the streets and walls of this old city.
While studying abroad, I wore wear heels when going out and was forced to walk with my head down, strategically planning my next step. I now have the patterns of cobblestones imprinted in my memory.
What a beautiful set! I would name it Capri.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of my time in the Amalfi Coast (Italy) - specifically Capri. I was meant to stay for 2 days and ended up there for a week, unable to leave this gorgeous area. I went on an unforgettable boat tour off the island of Capri where we swam in the blue grotto. The necklace and earrings remind me of the coral, the small entrance to the blue grotto, as well as the gorgeous flowers all around. (joannaz@rogers.com)
Hello Krista :-) Did my ginormous essay on the chrysanthemum get lost in a black hole, or did you by some stroke of luck receive it?
ReplyDeleteCheers,
../mosaica
Oh no! I think the internet ate it, Mosaica! Please definitely repost it! :)
ReplyDeleteOkey doke, I'll try to remember it all :-)
ReplyDeleteI look at the pendant, and I immediately see a beautiful stylized chrysanthemum, one of my favorite motifs. I've particularly loved the Chinese versions which have been painted and embroidered for centuries; your piece reminds me very much of these.
It is believed that chrysanthemums originated as an edible herb, and they have been written about in poems and painted from at least as far back as the 8th century. I grow an edible version here in my Vermont vegetable garden, the leaves and shoots of which are delicious stir-fried in a bit of peanut oil with a pinch of good salt. If I let them go a bit too long in the garden, they make pretty little flowers, which are edible as well.
In China the Chrysanthemum has been beloved by poets, scholars, and artists for over a thousand years, and are known as one of the Four Friends, along with the orchid, plum blossoms, and bamboo. The Chrysanthemum represents the autumn, and a restrained and elegant beauty, rather than, say, the showy prettiness of the orchid.
A tea seller writes: "jade bone, icy body, pearl petal and red heart" to describe the flower. On cold autumn days, when all other flowers were fading away, only the chrysanthemum was able to flourish in the cold winds. The combination of beauty with strong character made an ideal personality in the eyes of romantic Chinese scholars.
There was an ancient city just west of the Pearl River delta, in Guandong (Canton) called Ju-Xian, which means The Chrysanthemum City, and it was renowned in all of China for growing the most beautiful examples of this revered flower. Even today, the modern city which exists where Ju-Xian once flourished, Xiaolan Town, celebrates the chrysanthemum by growing thousands of varieties and holding week-long festivals with food, garden tours, and poetry recitations.
I propose that Ju-Xian would be a very good name for your lovely pendant, linking the work of your hands and your creative imagination with the complex and rather glorious history of this flower, and with the spirit of a city which is long gone, but will never be forgotten.
:-)
Istanbul (Constantinople), because the intricate pattern reminds me of the amazing gold filigree work seen in its ancient art. Dreamy!
ReplyDelete