It Happened At The Hester Street Fair

($78, Cynthia Rybakoff)

The Hester Street Fair is an unmissable outdoor flea that's been happening down in the Lower Lower East Side every Saturday and Sunday since spring. It's a perfectly curated collection of delicious local food (admittedly today I had my third lobster roll from the Luke's Lobster stand), handmade goods, vintage clothing and accessories (SOOOOO much vintage jewelry), and new, handmade jewelry. Like Cynthia Rybakoff's great handmade jewelry. I admired her simple yet absolutely beguiling rock crystal necklace on a silver chain (but not long enough to buy it -- I was trying to resist giving into my impulse-spending tendencies, but I really should've picked this up, as it's on my mind hours later). She managed to take something as rough and unpredictable as a crystal and make it look elegant yet edgy. Even better -- it's called the Fortress of Solitude necklace. Also, thank you for reclaiming crystals from Spencer Pratt.

Non-New Yorkers, you're in luck. It's available online. Everybody wins!

Gold-Dipped Crystal? Um, Why Yes. I Think I Will

WHY has this not crossed my mind before: gold-dipped quartz?

($150, LauraLombardiJewelry.etsy.com)

My style pendulum keeps swinging back and forth between loving gold and not caring about gold. Right now it's very much entrenched in the "YAY GOLD" side of my fickle desires. Same with crystal. So this necklace, by the HIGHLY talented Laura Lombardi, PERFECTLY satisfies my love of mixed materials and chunky shapes and textures. I'd probably swap out the vintage brass chain for a silver one to add a little more intrigue.

BTW, speaking of "cross my mind," can we get in the wayback machine and listen to this TIMELESS Brian McKnight song? So sad, but SO good.

Brian McKnight - New Music - More Music Videos