• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Californians at Home
  • Home & Decor
    • Our California Remodel
    • Shop My Home
    • Lake Tahoe Cabin Style
    • Books I Adore
  • My California Closet

Northern California Style

Northern California Style

  • Home
  • About
  • Californians at Home
  • Home & Decor
    • Our California Remodel
    • Shop My Home
    • Lake Tahoe Cabin Style
    • Books I Adore
  • My California Closet
  • Shop My Home
    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Meeting Jewelry Designer Ippolita at Neimans!

April 12, 2016 By kimwheeler 3 Comments



Today my dear friend Jeanne Chan is guest writing a post for me. Some of you may recognize Jeanne from the blog and she recently had the opportunity to lunch with Ippolita Rostagno at the Stanford Neiman Marcus. Ippolita creates gorgeous jewelry that has a cult following, especially in the Bay Area. Jeanne has been a longtime customer and was personally invited to meet her and see her latest collection. She graciously agreed to write about this cool event for us…Photos and text by Jeanne..

“Neiman Marcus invites you to meet jewelry designer IPPOLITA for a private luncheon…” Wow sign me up!  I did not need to think twice when I received this invitation in the mail.
In an intimate setting at the Stanford Neiman Marcus, two tables were beautifully set with champagne, filet mignon salad and beautiful chocolate desserts.  We enjoyed hearing Ippolita talk about her background and her dedication to learning everything about how to create her beautiful jewelry.  She is hands-on with her craft.  Building on her education in sculpture, she went on to study metals, melted and poured into body sculpted wax molds that became bangles and links for her necklaces.  Ippolita traveled to Thailand to study with master stone-cutters so she could incorporate gemstones in her designs. I so admire her commitment to learning her craft and creating her unique, timeless and beautiful designs.
Jeanne second from left with Ippolita.
Jewelry designer Ippolita Rostagno was born and raised in the hills above Florence, Italy.  She is the daughter of an American artist mother and an Italian father who spent her childhood surrounded by Renaissance art and architecture, seeing first hand the meaning of true craftsmanship. Earning her Baccalaureate in sculpture from the Istituto D’Arte in Florence, Ippolita’s commitment to the craftsmanship of design pieces is reflected in her stunning jewelry pieces.

Each of Ippolita’s designs is unique, with an organic quality. They’re smooth and flowing, each necklace, bangle and ring feeling as if it were made just for you. The sculptural quality of her jewelry comes from the fact that each piece is made by hand, hand cast from original wax sculptures; formed and soldered by hand. Each gemstone is hand-cut, with facets that are pleasing to the eye and touch rather than in cookie cutter uniformity.  
 
When I wear my Ippolita jewelry, I know I’m wearing a piece of quality, crafted art. I love Ippolita’s design philosophy: “Cool enough to be coveted, classic enough to be kept.” And it shows!  Every piece Ippolita crafts has to be in harmony with her design philosophy or she says she will not create it.  The long gold necklace Ippolita wore to the luncheon is a piece she has worn for over 20 years. The jewelry itself is very much a reflection of Ippolita the artist.   Ahh, perhaps that’s the reason I love her jewelry so much… let me wear my bangles, necklaces and rings, and I’m instantly cool and classic!
Thanks Jeanne for letting us peak into the world of Ippolita! The more I know about the materials and how they are shaped by human hands they are even more lovely to me. They seem like pieces you’d have forever and I like that. Just shopping the NM site there is so many beautiful items from the collection to fall in love with.
A few of my favorites:


 



 



Ippolita’s collection is primarily 18k gold with some sterling and rose gold sterling, like the ring above. Impolite jewels can be found at Neiman’s at Stanford and also online at their Ippolita page.
There is also a fun little clip of Ippolita at home on the Neimans’ site. 
Do any of you own Ippolita jewelry? I know many are fans of her special brand of style.
Kim


Filed Under: Ippolita at Neimans, Ippolita Jewelry

ON MY RADAR...

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. La Contessa says

    April 13, 2016 at 2:34 pm

    WHICH TOWN……..do we know?OFF and running to her site!

    Reply
  2. kim at northerncalstyle. says

    April 13, 2016 at 9:34 pm

    From Florence I think! You'll see how beautiful all her designs are. xx

    Reply
  3. Heather Lindstrom says

    April 14, 2016 at 12:01 am

    What a wonderful opportunity to meet Ippolita in person, Jeannne. I am a big fan of Ippolita jewelry and I enjoyed reading more about the designer and her background. I'm not surprised that she has roots in Italy. That vibe shines through in her work. Love your picks Kim. Excellent post! Thanks for sharing Jeanne and Kim.
    xx, Heather

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Featured Posts

Fun Kitchen Styling Tips!

Asian Noodles & Other Main Dish Salads

Signature Style- Fall Edit & New Season Wishlist

Remodeling – The Social Front Patio

Loving Rattan and Serena & Lily

My Favorite Sheets, Duvets & More- Refreshing Your Bed

Get My Posts by Email!

Find Me on Facebook

Northern California Style

Archives

Categories

Footer

Don’t Forget to Follow!

Blogger, writer and explorer sharing about my native California, and parts farther afield. Join me here where I chat about things to love in the worlds of design, fashion, home, travel and culture.

Currently Pinning

  • Это прекрасный мир!
  • David Jimenez on Instagram: "France is officially on lockdown and and I’m grateful the government has moved quickly to curb the spread of the virus. Pharmacies, markets and the corner Tabac stores remain open (we depend on our Tabac stores the way that New Yorkers rely on corner bodegas). My corner Tabac offers expanded services that include being a Post Office annex and the easiest place to buy metro tickets in bulk while loading up on magazines and having a shot of espresso at the zinc bar. I'
  • White kitchen with copper island stainless hood.
  • A rare glimpse into how one of Boston's oldest and premier florists (and my favorite) gets ready for Valentine's Day.
The weekend post is up with chat about the trendin The weekend post is up with chat about the trending colors for 2023 in home decor and fashion.. Did you love the 80’s? If so this is perhaps a more sophisticated version with sherbet tones and bits of magenta, greens and navy.  Here I added a bit of these Easter tones to the coffee table with a grass cloth box, one of my books and a candle. I think the best way to update things is to add touches to the home and closet that appeal to you and mix them in with neutrals.. 
What do you think of these colors? I think they’re fun. Some clothing pieces bring me back to my Esprit loving days. It could be fun to add a shirt, shoe or bag in these tones and I selected a handful to consider..

Also on the blog, a few good white jeans, skin cleansers you may need and more! 

Stop on by our blogs- links as always, in our bios or stories:
@northerncalstyle 
@makemineaspritzer 
@pineconesandacorns
 Happy Sunday!

#color2023 #springcolors #trending #serenaandlily #coffeetablestyling
A January PSA- get in your closet and get those wh A January PSA- get in your closet and get those white jeans out! I found mine at the bottom of my closet today in a basket and thought -yes! I love the look of a classic white jean, paired with a chunky sweater or turtleneck in black, beige, tan, creams-  neutral colors always look fantastic. Today it was warm enough that I could go sockless and wear my Madewell loafers with them and a little jacket I have from Anthro. Get your white jeans out. it will give your winter wardrobe have a little kick. White jeans can be worn all year and they even look great with winter boots and coats. 

This is also a great time to look at your white Jean inventory. 🤍If you don’t have a pair that’s comfortable and straight leg, in a thicker material…this might be a good time to look. I’ll share some on the weekend blog as well.

if you missed our LIVE this morning, you can watch it on Juliet’s @makemineaspritzer Instagram and I’ll link to it on my stories ! Thank you everyone for tuning in in for the fun questions and comments. We love doing this with you all weekly! Let us know in comments if there are any other topics you want to hear about. Today we talked trending colors, exercise classes .. finding art and pillows and more..

#whitejeanseason #januaryclosetremix #winterwardrobehacks
I love the sunshine in the morning streaming throu I love the sunshine in the morning streaming through the kitchen.. My baby daffodils are blooming to make it even happier. This is one of my favorite things about the new year, the bulbs and daffodils and California poppies that hint spring it on the way.💛 If you don’t have a few blooms in the kitchen, maybe you can add a few?

Hope your having a beautiful week!

#kitchensun #californialife #januaryincalifornia
I love this of Liz Taylor at her first wedding to I love this of Liz Taylor at her first wedding to Richard Burton in 1965. She’s wearing a empire, knee length dress and orange blossoms in her hair, which must have smelled heavenly. I want yellow in my closet this spring!

This is the center of my spring vision board! 💛 Link to all Elizabeth’s wedding dresses on the weekend post -and a few yellow things I added to the house if you missed it! 

#yellow #yellowaesthetic #liztaylor #thebrideworeyellow #springfashion #spring2023 #vogue
Sunday beach trip… We made it to Santa Cruz to c Sunday beach trip… We made it to Santa Cruz to check out the coast after these rough last weeks. Aptos looks pretty good and poor Seacliff is terribly battered. So sad to see what people have lost. My heart goes out to them.

We had the beach to ourselves and the weather was winter perfect. ☀️Cold and sunny. We had a picnic of sandwiches from Zoccolis deli and took in the sun and sea air while watching surfers and birds.

This song just seemed to fit -and relatable as I could not sleep last night! No idea why. Isn’t it maddening? 

Hope you get a chance to take a winter beach walk.. They are the best. 

#santacruz #aptos #california #northerncalifornia #winterbeachwalks #seacliff #norcal #seascapebeach
Happy Sunday! The weekend post is up and I’m sha Happy Sunday! The weekend post is up and I’m sharing a few good ideas for a dining room refresh, pops of yellow, my favorite winter skin care essentials right now, a beautiful and unique San Francisco house in @archdigest, online yoga, and the story behind a historic San Francisco home I came upon last week.. Head to the blog for all the deets! 

I hope its a wonderful weekend.☀️

Don’t forget to visit Juliet and Elizabeth blogs ..links as always, in our bios or stories:
@northerncalstyle 
@makemineaspritzer 
@pineconesandacorns

#northerncalifornia #weekendpost #yellow #diningroomdecor #bernardmaybeck #sanfranciscohomes #architecturaldigest #potterybarn #serenaandlily #californiastyle
Our dear friend Contessa @contessa_and_her_pig has Our dear friend Contessa @contessa_and_her_pig has been seriously sick and fortunately is back home now, but still struggling with pneumonia. If anyone wants to send her a snail mail note please dm me and I will share her address. She loves unique cards and pretty postcards you’ve saved from travel, so she would be thrilled to get a little note!

It seems like just yesterday we were in her gorgeous yard taking photos for my Californians at Home series. It’s still one of my favorite photo shoots and if you want to read it again -or missed it I will link to it in my bio today. She’s one of a kind, so let’s get her well soon and bolster her spirits!!💛💛

#californiacontessa #californiansathome
I have to share a snippet of just some of the wisd I have to share a snippet of just some of the wisdom that was Martin Luther King. He will always be one of my biggest heroes and ten years ago I wrote a small post highlighting some of his very meaningful words and quotes that we could all use as a life guide. Link to the post in my bio and more on my stories. 

Do you know he is the only American to have a holiday for him that hasn’t been a president? He also had a low approval rating when he died. That has changed. Now people around the world use his teachings of living in peace and the fight for justice as a model we can strive for. I find his words so very needed in a world that is polarized more than ever. ❤️

#mlkday #mlkquotes #whatareyoudoingforothers
It’s still raining here! In an effort to use som It’s still raining here! In an effort to use some beautiful citrus and boost morale, I made these chocolate chips with a California twist. They have orange and walnuts -and for fun I added macadamias from my Hawaii trip and coconut flakes. I also switched out brown sugar for moscavado which is less refined and had more depth and flavor. So far response has been thumbs up from the home crew! 
The recipe and all the weekend fun- along with some cozy coats for this weather, and a recap of our SF meander are on the weekend blog. Juliet and Elizabeth also have great ideas this weekend.. links as always, in our bios or stories:
@northerncalstyle 
@makemineaspritzer 
@pineconesandacorns 
Have a great weekend !

#californiacookie #californialiving #californiachocolatechipcookie #weekendpost #chocolateandorange
Just a little peek at some of the homes in San Fra Just a little peek at some of the homes in San Francisco’s Laurel Heights and a little walk through the Presidio to the Lyon Street Steps. We had an unbelievably beautiful day after so much rain and darkness. I highly recommend walking through this neighborhood, through The Presidio and grabbing lunch and checking out the lovely shops like the new Emily Joubert! The views are amazing all the way to the Golden Gate, and I am in love with all the beautiful homes of San Francisco. ❤️

#sanfranciscolove #presidioheights #lyonstreetsteps #sanfranciscowalks #housesofsf #visitcalifornia #ourgoldenstate #sanfranciscomansions #citybythebay #prettycity
Unearthed my Hunter’s and dusted them up! Bring Unearthed my Hunter’s and dusted them up! Bring it on, I am ready. I’m getting used to the rain, but this California girl is struggling with the gloom. How do people do it in the Pacific Northwest? Getting out for rainy day walks seems to help. Anyone else feel the same? I feel guilty for even mentioning it, with all the flooding and struggles so many are dealing with. 
Today is good -as we have power, internet and for now, just drizzles. 

#northerncalgal #californiastorm #hunterbootslove
It’s time for our first Signature Style of 2023 It’s time for our first Signature Style of 2023 and Cindy and I are talking cozy clothes, workout outfits and athleisure! And actually what else are we wearing right now?  If you’re not trying to workout, you’re likely staying cozy so we have all kinds of good things for you. 
Hope you’re staying dry and safe if you’re in California. 💛We had the craziest night yet with wind and rain last evening. We began with no power and internet so I was a bit slow getting this out..Sending good thoughts to everyone.

Stop on by our blogs..
As always links are in our bios and stories..
@northerncalstyle 
@cindyhattersley

#athleisurestyle #workoutstyle #cozycore #pajamastyle #signaturestyle

Copyright © 2023 · Northern California Style· Blog Design by Little Blue Deer