Green Gifts

We are so honored to be included in the green gifts for everyone guide on the beautiful blog, designseahandmade! 

If you haven't yet checked them out, I'd suggest doing so. An eco-friendly company, they believe "that function and style should go hand in hand with environmental friendliness." Their blog features fantastic tips on how to be green and save green, too!

LOVE, KARMA, OMG, HAPPY

Graphic jewelry conveys everything from the sweet to the inspirational. Below is a solid range of fantastic suggestions we've put together for your custom bracelet or necklace. Of course, you could go as simple as the more traditional route of your own name. It's up to you! Prices range according to whether the metal is recycled gold or sterling silver. Contact me directly to get pricing. 

Happy
boss
OMG
YOLO
major
POW
c'est la vie
karma  
love you
 

My new Delicate Collection debut

I'm so excited to introduce my new prong bezel Delicate Collection! Shown here, the new design is in 14K gold, with rose cut white diamonds and pave diamonds in the gold band - sophisticated and gorgeous while being totally unlike a traditional wedding band, engagement ring, or addition to your collection. My white gold ring on the left is classically beautiful and elegant. More pieces to be added to this collection soon, so stay tuned!

with love
~ Marisa

Signature Diamond

Our diamond slice ring has become, in the last couple of years, a signature Tula Design, beloved by brides and regular arbiters of great taste all over the world! This particular beauty shown here is a .44 carat yellow diamond slice surrounded by .23 carat white micropave diamonds. All stones are conflict-free and the 14K gold is recycled, of course, as we believe strongly in impacting the environment (and its humans) as little as possible in the making of our jewelry. 

You can find this ring right here on our site! 

~ Marisa

May's Birthstone

Believe it or not, this craggy hunk of rock is actually the legendary Bahia Emerald, one of the largest emeralds in the world! Weighing 840 lbs (1,900,000 carats), it was found in Brazil and is valued at approximately $400 million. How's that for a May birthstone story?

The price of diamonds

Not only are we moved by sustainability and ethics in our jewelry production, but we are mindful of cost, as well. I found it interesting to see in this weekend's New York Times a comparison of diamond costs based solely upon where you purchase. 

At Tula, our diamonds are 100% conflict-free and are sourced from small, family-run, local Los Angeles businesses!

From NYTimes:
"Color and clarity impact the price of a 1/2-carat diamond solitaire ring, but so does location, as evidenced by the price difference between Van Cleef & Arpels, on Fifth Avenue, and Solitaire Creations, a diamond-district standby."

 

with love, 

Marisa

It's a Mother's Day SALE!

Starting tomorrow night at the stroke of midnight (PST), our one-weekend-only sale begins! It ends on Sunday, May 4 at midnight (PST). Go to our site and get your Momma (and, let's face it, one or two things for yourself) a piece of Tula beauty - sustainably made with love here in Los Angeles.

~ Marisa

Happy Earth Day!

Love our Mother Earth and she'll love you back! We're crazy about sustainability and mindfulness about our environment, which is one reason why we're huge supporters of recycling your metals! It has a massive impact on the environment, in terms of emissions, waste, water pollution, and energy use.

Read this article right here for some serious details. In the meantime, let's take care of our earth as best we can! 

Give me a shout via email when you're ready to recycle some gold and silver of your own and make something new and beautiful. 

Happy Easter, bunnies!

Happy Easter, lovelies! I'm sharing these incredible bunny drawings by California artist Rachel Danielle McPherson in honor of today. 

Many thanks to The Jealous Curator for posting them this morning! More here: http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog/

Happy day to all of you! 

Custom work in the studio

Hey! 
Did you know we adore making custom pieces for our clients ? We'll work closely with you to create the most gorgeous, beloved one-of-a-kind ring, necklace, cuff, what-have-you that reflects the gorgeous, one-of-a-kind qualities of you, its wearer. And, obviously, we're not afraid to get our hands dirty. 

From start to finish -- a Tula Design ring in the making!

All our pieces are made in Los Angeles, using sustainable practices, as well as recycled metals and conflict-free gems. 


Give me a shout via email if you'd like to make something gorgeous for yourself. Or check out my etsy shop! 


xx ~ Marisa

Why It's Important to Recycle Gold

We strive to be mindful about our impact on the planet - making all of our jewelry locally, exclusively purchasing our stones from trustworthy, family-run sources (not to mention that all of our diamonds are conflict-free), and recycling our gold and silver whenever possible.

Why? Because of the horrific and life-threatening ways in which new gold is mined. Please take a minute and a half and watch the trailer to this film "The Money Stone." It's an educational glimpse into the gold-mining trade of Ghana, as it struggles to keep up with an oppressive international demand for new gold. 

http://www.moneystonefilm.com/

Here's a still from The Money Stone:

Black Diamonds + Leather Clutches

Spring has sprung! The days are longer, the sun is beaming, and we just couldn't wait to share this exciting news with you - we're adding leather bags and clutches to our Tula Collection! All designed by us and made here in Los Angeles.

Here's a sneak peek from our recent photo shoot. Black diamonds, tassles, and animal prints. Are you as excited as we are? Stay tuned! 

Downtown L.A. photo shoot sneak peek! Coming soon to our new site...

Rainy weekend inspiration

It's raining in California and there's currently a tornado watch, which is crazy! But a little rainstorm isn't going to stop me from feeling inspired by denim and turquoise, two of my absolute favorite creations in the entire world. Happy weekend, everyone!
~ Marisa

Happy clients

We LOVE hearing from our happy clients. Enormous thanks to Channa Nin Ja for these kind words about her custom Tula Jewelry ring (shown below)!

"it's GORGEOUS!!!! You are so great at what you do, and I can't wait to own more of your pieces. Thank you so much for working with me. saving up for your turquoise ring, and that geode necklace. top priority!"

 *I love making custom pieces, so if there's something you'd like to create that's all your own, possibly using old gold you already have, recycling it into something new and beautiful, I'm thrilled to make this creative journey with you. Email me! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

In honor of Valentine's Day, some words from Jeanette Winterson: "This is the day to recognise love in every shape and size and disguise. Known love, new love, love’s ghosts, love’s hopes. Loss is here too, and the spaces in between love. Reclaiming love is the best thing we can do. . . Love your loved ones. Love yourself. Love the stranger." 

Happy Valentine's Day from us! 

xo - Marisa

Shopping for gems in Arizona

For the past few days, we've been in Tucson, Arizona for the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, which happens to be one of the largest gem shows in the entire United States. You can only imagine the inspiration we're finding here! Diamonds, sapphires, minerals, metals, druzies, chains, and countless jewelry accoutrements from hundreds of dealers hailing from all over the globe. We're completely overwhelmed with the diverse and beautiful collections and can't wait to start creating new pieces back in my Los Angeles and Santa Barbara studios.

Yes, carats are good for your eyes.

Gems and gems and more gems and yours truly.

Why jewelry is the best Valentine's gift to give

Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sidewalk, Diderot, Paris.

So it’s nearly Valentine’s Day and your beloved is, quite possibly and most likely, stressing over your gift. 

Chocolates? Done that. 

Lingerie? Who’s that gift for, really? 

Dinner? Uninspired.

Jewelry? Always and forever a genius idea. Why's that?

When women wear jewelry we adore, especially pieces that have been given to us as gifts, we love when friends notice and ask us about our glittering gold ring or delicate pendant or stunning cuff. We're then given license to subtly boast, “My husband/lover/girlfriend/wife bought this for me.” Our friends thusly and appropriately “Aw” and we’re reminded of how much we’re loved.

Jewelry is for collecting memories, just as much as it’s for adorning. We hold onto these precious things of beauty with the recollection of where they came from, the love that came along with that gift, and the joy we felt upon receiving it. This memory endures along with the piece itself. And when we wear a piece of jewelry, we’re revisiting that moment in time.

Need another reason? If you shop with an independent jewelry designer (such as Tula Design!), you can customize every element of a hand-made ring, necklace, bracelet, or earrings – from the gems to the gold color to the very smallest details. Tula Jewelry, in particular, encourages the use of older pieces in creating new jewelry. By transforming older pieces (heirloom or otherwise) into new creations, Tula Jewelry is championing sustainability and environmental mindfulness. Win/win.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Go get your lady something gorgeous and show your love!

(from guest blogger, Rebecca Cox) 

Bright and bold colors!

I'm loving bright colors this winter, even while I'm dreaming of spring and summer days to come. Canary yellow is so wonderfully cheery and captivating - in your home, on your body, or on your finger, alongside fuchsia and indigo. I'm a huge fan of well-placed, tasteful pops of deliciously bright hues! Don't be afraid of bringing color into a clean, modern palette. It always works!

Trending Studs

Happy Monday!

Here are a couple trends I think we can safely and unquestionably take away from the red carpet of the recent Golden Globes:

1: Do not fear vibrant color in a dramatic, floor-length evening gown.
2: The eternally elegant, always classic, forever sophisticated stud earring is back with a beautiful vengeance!

Lupita Nyong'o in Ralph Lauren; Fred Leighton diamond studs

Anna Gunn in Donna Karan Atelier

Emma Watson in Dior

My Geode and pave diamond earrings

Naomi Watts in Tom Ford

Orlando Bloom in his Tula Jewelry Signet ring

At this past weekend's Golden Globes, Orlando Bloom was sporting my gold Signet ring on his right pinky! (The "M" ring depicted here is a photo I borrowed from my site.)