We get lots of questions about ring sizing.  This is a tricky one.  Ring size had a lot to do with personal preference.  I will do my best to walk you through my thoughts on rings and how I size my personal rings. 

My fingers measure on our in-house ring sizer as such:

My left hand ring finger measures a 5.5
Middle & pointer fingers a 7
right hand ring finger 6
right hand middle and pointer 7.25- 7.5

All of this can fluctuate with heat/cold, salt, and alcohol or less of either of the aforementioned.  

I am pretty easy breezy about my rings. I don't mind if they are a little loose or if one is a bit off in size than the other.  The only thing I cannot stand is rings that are too tight.

On my left hand ring finger, I wear a simple stack, and often throw in an extra band or two on any given day.  I always wear my antique platinum diamond eternity band similar here. I have worn the JP KNIFE EDGE band with it for a really long time now (like I almost feel like it is mine which I never do). My antique engagement ring (when I am not borrowing a GILD piece) tops this simple stack.  My wedding band is approximately 1.8mm wide - size 5.75, the knife edge 3.5mm - size 6, and the band of my engagement ring is 1.2mm. - size 6.  The engagement ring rotates around on a day when my hands feel small and is tighter at times.  Each of the rings is loose when worn alone on that finger.  

On my right hand I typically wear my kiddos NAME RINGS on middle and ring stacked with other rings middle finger here stacked with the JP 3mm SIX POINT.

Rings with larger stones tend to be a bit top heavy and can rotate around the finger.  Especially ones with a thinner band like the XL PRONG or Eight Prong rings are ones we suggest ordering at least a 1/4 size down.  You want to make sure you size down in larger stone rings in general, and those that sit higher.

When I try on the wider bands, I always want them bigger in size.  I like the cigar band at least in a size 6 for my left hand ring finger and the JP WOMENS PACIFIC and JP WOMENS SWELL bands on my right hand in a 6.5-6.75. The straight lines and side of these two bands makes me want plenty of room.  

If your hands don't ever swell and shrink... lucky you.  If you are like me and yours do, I would suggest thinking more about how you like your rings to fit than about the size.  if you like them to stay in place and fit snuggly, take your size for face value.  If you want to have more wiggle room with the sizes to fluctuate and some movement won't bug you, but instead makes you smile, then size accordingly.   

Things to remember:

The more rings you stack, the tighter they will fit no matter how thin they are.  Put the rings on one at a time, instead of jamming the whole stack on at once.
The wider the band is, the tighter it will fit. A larger, heavier will fit more loosely.
Comfort fit means the edges are rounded and thus will fit more loosely. Straight sided bands feel tighter.

As always, we have the at-home ring sizer that we can send you if you are in the continental US. Simply email info@janepopejewelry.com with your request and your shipping address.  

xx Jane

It has been such fun collaborating with Raven Roxanne on the JP x RAVEN ROXANNE FALLING TULIP Collection. Raven and I have been friends for years and studio mates at our last spot. She is such a light and and an all around lovely human. As creatives and entrepreneurs, we wanted to work together to create a collection of wearable pieces with her work with tulips in mind.  I am beyond excited to announce the launch these pieces today!  Read more about the collaboration below.

Conceived early in Raven’s motherhood, Falling Tulips breathed new life into the artists’ studios. Marrying Raven’s tulip motif—a theme that appears often in her paintings—with Jane’s unique wax molding and gold casting process, the collaboration felt organic from the start. With only three pairs of earrings and three necklaces, the collection captures tulips not at their most pristine, but at varying stages of growth and imperfection. Together, the pieces represent the beauty of evolution, and the value of growing together—not unlike the artists’ relationship itself.

 

xx Jane

I was recently contacted by the ever lovely Marigold Modern boutique to be a part of their Mama Minute series.  It is an incredibly beautiful store with an inclusive mission and I have always crushed on their eye.

I was lucky enough to meet owner Louisa Vann and Stylist, Dani Lynn at a luncheon hosted by Vincent James designer, Heather Sullivan, last week.  Although the lunch was intended to highlight sustainability, we also chatted a lot about motherhood and parenting.  Some at the lunch had many kiddos - always amazed by how effortlessly Heather mothers her 4 with ease - and others had not entered into this next step, but we had great conversation about parenting, being a child, and it was really inspiring and got me thinking.

Motherhood... you are the best and at times a beast, but I don't remember myself without you.  May is always an emotional month for me.  Another school year is ending and the kiddos are seeming older. I have fallen in love with their teachers and all that they do for my kiddos. I notice how different they are with new and different summer activities and sports and how much more freedom they require. It is absolutely heart warming and heart breaking simultaneously.  

I feel lucky to be their mom.  I feel so fortunate that we have open communication.  I hope it will last through the teenage years and that they will continue to grow into the smart, caring, loving souls that they are. 

Bottom line:  I have never been great with change, but I have found with every year, I am really doing my best to give into it.  

xx Jane

We love custom projects.  They have become a cornerstone of our business.  Reinventing your sentimental stones into more modern, wearable styles means so much to us and we love hearing your kind words and reactions to your JP pieces.

Lately, we have had a lot of requests to send us new stones to set in our settings.  The sheer number of these has left us feeling disconnected, so we have made the difficult decision to stop accepting new stones sourced with stone dealers, etc.  We have many beautiful stones in our inventory and are more than happy to source a stone with your project in mind, if we don't have anything that suits your fancy.

Proposals take a lot of attention and we have felt lately that we have been stretched thin with projects for new stones originating from elsewhere.  From now on, if you want one of our custom settings, we are more than happy to source a stone for your ring. 

Have a stone you want to update the setting?  We are still here for you!  We love reworking stones.  In fact, we are hoping this change allows us more time to focus on your projects.

xx Jane

Ahhhhh ring styling.  I love it.   
People always ask would I do this or do that, and the answer is yes!  I do it all.  I love experimenting with stacking rings.  

Some of my tried and true suggestions:

Mix shapes/lines - eg. Try one with straight sides, rounded, curved all worn together.  

Switch the order - Sometimes switching the order of the bands will make them look completely different.

Mix thick and thin - The thin flat bands and twig rings have an amazing ability to give depth to a stack.  It's amazing what a little texture will add to a stack.

Add a stack topper - Most people think that you should bookend rings so that there are two matching bands on either side of your main event ring.  This can be lovely, but I also love two different bands on one side (or three) with a zinger on top.  There is something incredibly balanced in the imbalance.

Don't be afraid to try things you wouldn't think are you.  You just may surprise yourself.

xx Jane

You may have noticed that I rarely post necklace shots on myself while rings are easy peasy. Necklaces are so tricky to get a candid studio shots. Based on instagram engagement, it doesn't seem like you love the model shots as much as the candid shots.  The truth is that they are necessary to show styling tips for necklaces.

I wouldn't advise styling too many necklaces on our smallest chain. While it is durable, delicate style chains tend to tangle and can be a mess when piled on.  I do love a mix of a couple of chains.  A longer heavier chain with a shorter delicate chain is a staple for me.  I love layering my kiddos fingerprint necklace with a shorter necklace.  

I also adore the new heavier chains with a diamond zinger or gold staple worn together. It's a nice way to give some extra volume to to your favorite simple necklace. 

Necklace styling for me is on the subtle side, but if you love to pile chains on, the more the merrier.

xx Jane 

I love being able to show how I would style the jewelry in natural light and every day clothes. Earrings are super difficult to snap in the studio. To be presentable enough to photograph means I have to have showered and done my hair and make up in some fashion, which is an added pressure.  So, I thought I would take to the blog to go in depth a little more about styling in my new series Jane Styles.

I love mixing and matching earrings. I have 5 piercings on my left ear and 3 on my right.  You would think I could wear all of my faves at once, but it's all a matter of balance.  I pierced a few of my own holes in my youth, so the spacing isn't perfect either.  Cest la vie.  Work with what you have and choose earrings accordingly.

I have found that a balance of bars, studs, drops, etc works best for me.

fave drops: bar with half moon diamond drops + drop earrings

bars:  triplicate + slate bar studs + tubes

diamond studs:  any diamond studs add dimension to the stack.  try to mix the shapes for balance and depth.

The art of stacking involves a mixture of the above styles.  Here are a few examples of my fave combinations:

I love a drop mixed in for some impact.

 Looking for a pop of color? These new citrine cocktail studs are a great neutral color while the spinel, sapphire, and tourmaline studs as well as these other new colored studs add more of a pop.

Have a single hole?  No worries.  We's got you covered too.

hoops + plate studs + NEW 5mm bezel set diamond studs + covey studs are all great everyday earrings.

antiparos studs offer more coverage, while still being sleek.

climbers give the illusion of more going on without committing to the multiple holes In your lobes.

Looking for a statement maker:

frond + triad + diamond disc + constellation studs

Hope this helps you with your next ear bedazzlement.  Do you like these styling tips? Do give feedback.

xx Jane 

We are super excited to announce that...  we are moving to a new location in the upcoming weeks.  Our small but mighty team has grown a bit and we need a little more space to stretch our legs.  We do not have an exact date just yet, but will definitely update you when we do.  We will be closed a few days for the move and to get settled into the new digs.  Please keep this in mind when you place orders and when you are thinking of making an exchange/return*. We will also pause appointments for a week or two around the move.  We are waiting on the build out of our new space, so the move date is dependent on that.  We are told it will be between June 1 and 15, but know that could change.

I have loved every minute of our stay in the Cigar Factory.  This beautiful old building and my studio mates have been inspiring in so many ways.  I will miss them dearly and hope to connect with them regularly to hear of what they are up to and continue to be inspired by their work. 

There will be more announcements regarding the new space, appointment days/times, and other fun things in the upcoming weeks.  Be sure you are on our email list to be sure you are up to speed.

Can't wait to see you in the new spot!

xx Jane

*We are not responsible for lost packages in transit, and this will extend to packages shipped to us around the move.  

I am so excited to continue making donations through my role at the Small Change Foundation.  This quarter's donation will be made to The Friends of the Lowcountry Lowline. - a project here in Charleston to transform 1.7 miles of urban space into usable community outdoor space while also helping with infrastructure issues like flooding.  We will be making a donation of a portion on our total sales + 20% of the profits of our BIG LOVE ring sales.

Can't wait to see how this project develops and take advantage of what this will bring to our community. 

Xx Jane

As I have said 1000 times over, the Black Friday/ Cyber Monday madness makes me insane.  I don't do well with over stimulation and I have never been great at fighting for a deal.  For this reason, I moved the JP ANNUAL SALE to October and extended it for 3 days this year and have never been happier.  People have time to shop the sale with patience and enjoy the experience.

I really want to support smaller, local businesses this year... and some special ones that I am loving that have an awesome mission.  Most of the businesses below are powered by incredible women.

Do you have any other small-ish businesses you love that I should know about? 

LOCAL LOVE

The Works - Sarah Frick engagement ring rework + gift card to the Works - Sarah’s heart and Soul are on the mat and in the studio for every class taught that the Works and now she and Carter Foxworth are launching the Works CYCLE.  Nothing gets me feeling better than sweating it out on a bike with awesome tunes in the dark room.

Library Littles Lauren’s collection of the most precious, timeless clothing for little girls - you might recognize the model wink wink - morganite ring is the feeling of her line… soft and subtle color palette.

Vincent James - This is a line of sustainably made elevated essentials by my newest studio mate, Heather Sullivan.  Heather is a personal inspiration.  Everything she does is with thought and care and she is my sustainability role model.  Her clothes are beautiful and well made staples that you can wear daily. Heathers is the epitome of cool girl.  Multiple piercings + earring stack is her style.

Shoes on King  - Catherine Boardman’s store here in Charleston has great lines and the customer service is the best. 

RED CLAY - This hot sauce is the yummiest.  I go back and forth between the red and green… and their HOT honey with the Ground up Nut butters is on point. 

POST HOUSE - Staycation City: population 1.  I have already stayed at the Post House Inn and cannot wait to get back for another stay at this local hot spot.  The restaurant is perfection with delicious cocktails and food. Experiences over items almost any day for me... a night away or a dinner with dear friends feeds my soul.

I have two favorite shops on Sullivans.   

Goldbug is Ashley Martin's tiny little shop with amazing jewelry that she makes + gift items as well as great easy dresses, tops and swimwear. 

Bennie + Coco is the new kid on the block.  Katie Poole brings a fun vibe to the island with colorful dresses, rocker t shirts and aviator nation super soft sweats.  So glad to have these two female owned business ladies on the island.  

A few companies with an incredible mission and product that I am also gifting this year.

Ground Up - Favorite healthy indulgence is Ground Up nut butters is a really cool company based in Portland that not only makes the most delicious nut butters - the Chunky Almond, Cashew, Coconut Nut Butter is my classic fave, but they recently sent me the Spicy Tahini and it was CRAZY delicious.  They have lots of fun holiday flavors that are worth checking out.  I also LOVE the Spicy Tahini Cashew Butter that was seasonal and sold out.  Don't miss.  It's SO YUMMY.

Ground Up is a not-just-for-profit business that provides job training to womxn overcoming adversity in the Portland area. Through the sale of healthy and delicious nut butters, we empower womxn with the confidence and skills they need to get back on their feet.

Brightland Olive Oil - This insanely delicious and clean olive oil is my new fave.  The branding it so lovely, and I honestly wondered if the oil was that delicious or if they just hand appealing branding.  BOTH!  The oil has an insanely smooth and bright flavor that speaks to the nature of it’s production in California.

Babaa - Sustainable Spanish knit brand that I have coveted.  It was kind of purchase that I thought I wanted to be sure about before pulling the trigger.  I looked at the website for weeks and was about the purchase one of the sweaters in a beautiful cool, grey color when it sold out!  I was disappointed but spent another week with the browser open, looking at different styles and finally fell in love with a totally different style.  I purchased my first sweater and I love it so much.  Their mission, values and partnerships make for aspiring melding of old traditions and new sensibilities.

Happy Shopping!

xx Jane