SpoiledinLA | New in LA

Remember when the boy you liked gave you a ring pop in second grade, and you refused to eat the ‘jewel’ for weeks because you so treasured the gift? Or when your grandmother passed along the necklace

to you that her grandmother had passed to her, but only after making you promise to pass it along to your own granddaughter someday? For JJ, designer of JJ Number 8 jewelry, it’s the memory of moments like these that she hopes to invoke with each meaningful piece in her 18kt white and yellow gold collection of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings. For this reason, every element of the collection, down to the name JJ Number 8 itself, is deliberately significant, giving each piece the priceless quality of an heirloom.

The number eight acquired meaning for JJ during her travels through Hong Kong, where she learned that eight is considered the luckiest of numbers. Balance, serenity, and happiness, characteristics ascribed by the Chinese to all things involving the number eight, are thus reflected in JJ’s delicate and fluid designs, which she says have also been inspired by her Grandmother’s quality taste in jewelry. Even the most outwardly simple pieces in the collection have, upon further inspection, intricate details that include decorative diamonds and other precious gems, inconspicuously incorporated ‘8’ shapes, and painstakingly constructed decorative overlay. Though such detailing adds value to the collection, it does so without sacrificing functionality for pieces that are wearable on an everyday basis.

JJ’s newest collection, which took months to design, includes: an expansion of the popular pyramid aesthetic from her last collection a Moroccan aesthetic a ‘Whisper’ aesthetic, which is the most costume-esque of the collection and a ‘Flow’ aesthetic, which involves graceful teardrop designs. Whether buying for yourself or hinting to a significant other as holiday gift season approaches, standout pieces include: the Whisper Overlay Diamond Ring the Spun Pendant in Diamonds, Black Onyx, and Pink Coral the Large Flow Diamond Ring in seasonable pink coral the Pure Pyramid Diamond Stud Pendant and, the classic Serenity 8 Diamond Pearl Necklace, among many others.

JJ’s mantra, ‘nurture yourself,’ perfectly describes the feeling of having a JJ Number 8 design placed on your finger, dangled from your earlobes, or clasped around your neck or wrist. If you’re feeling neglected, are in need of some luck, or are just looking for a replacement for that ring pop, JJ Number 8 can be purchased at Roseark, and online at www.jenniferkaufman.com.

by Erin Bunch

1/5/2009