It’s Time For Another True X The August Diaries Drop (Win!)

When jewelry designer extraordinaire Tori Dundas pairs up with one of our personal fave fashionistas (she’s contributed to/been featured in InStyle, Vanity Fair, Elle and more), Jillian Lansky of The August Diaries, you know the release is going to be special. The Alchemy collection by True Curated Designs embodies all the best of the 1970s: the glamour, the androgyny, the effortless aura of iconic female rock stars like Stevie Nicks. True teamed up with Jillian to create that perfect “alchemy” of everyday quality, with black spinel and bottle green tourmaline gemstones for a contemporary edge. We chatted with Jillian to find out more (psst: she’s got a fave from the range, and she spills about it below). —Noa Nichol

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Hi Jillian! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.

Hi! Thanks for having me here 🙂 I am a style and beauty blogger at The August Diaries. My aim is to connect with and empower my readers to become the best versions of themselves; I hope that they learn to use clothing and beauty products as a means to gain confidence. I also produce easy style and beauty video tutorials that real women can use and learn from. I also recently became a new mom to my son Lachlan!

Congrats on Alchemy! How did you first hook up with Tori of True, and what made the partnership a perfect fit?

Thank you so much! I feel super lucky that I can collaborate with a fellow female entrepreneur and basically just design a collection that I personally want to wear everyday. Tori and I met a few years ago when she reached out and we bonded over our mutual love of fine jewelry that can actually be worn all the time. We both believe that if you’re going to invest in jewelry, you should be able to wear it as much as you want.

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What does the collection symbolize? What pieces does the range include, and where did the design inspo come from?

The Alchemy collection was inspired by my deep love of the 1970s and the iconic women from that era: Stevie Nicks, Bianca Jagger and Jane Birkin. I wanted to create something glamorous and edgy but also something people can wear everyday, all day. The range is made of solid 10k yellow gold and includes the Arc ring in green tourmaline and white topaz, an updated signet ring (which has now become somewhat of a signature of ours) in black spinel and green tourmaline, the Rumour pendant with a skull motif, the Everyday chain necklace and matching bracelet, a baguette earring charm in white topaz, green tourmaline and black spinel, and a unique pair of hoop stud earrings.

Did your recently new role as mom play any part in the “birth” of this collection? (Also, real talk, how is mom life going?!)

We started designing this collection in the spring when I was still pregnant, so I think it was more about jewelry that I could wear everyday, 24/7, which is actually what I want as a new mom anyway. In all honesty, apart from having a lot less time, I don’t think my style philosophy has changed all that much. I was never into fussy or over the top pieces (clothing or accessories) and I think that still rings true in my life as a new parent. Life as a mom is something I could never anticipate no matter how much I prepared myself (which wasn’t much, to be honest). The responsibility and pressure to keep another person alive and feeling safe and loved is staggering sometimes. As wonderful as it is, I’ve tried to be as honest as I can on my social media because I think there’s this unfair and unrealistic expectation on parents (particularly women) to just fall back into normality after having a baby.

The quality of True’s jewelry is said to be super high; the pieces remain gleaming and beautiful even after a sweaty yoga sesh or extra-long soak in the shower (which us moms need!). How do you find it holds up in your day-to-day with a new babe?

If I have to take my jewelry off to shower, sleep, or wash my hands, I will just not wear it; it’s as simple as that. I’ve always been like that and have always struggled to find beautiful pieces that could weather anything. Most demi fine jewelry is gold plated, which is why it fades and discolours. As I said before, this is a huge reason why I chose to work with Tori—she understands that most people who invest in beautiful jewelry want to be able to wear it all the time. When I say I wear my jewelry 24/7 I mean it: it wears through constant handwashing, showering, poopy diapers, baths, cleaning the house, you name it.

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What’s your fave piece from the range, and why?

This is a tough question for me to answer! I think the Arc ring is my favourite, especially with the green tourmaline stone. I love the chunky shape juxtaposed with the elegance of such a classic emerald stone cut. However, my second favourite would be the Rumours pendant necklace with the skull motif. I was a bit of an angsty teenager and I loved skulls, black nails and dark eyeliner and so I love that this necklace reminds me of that, but in a much more sophisticated way.

truecurateddesigns.com

Win! A $529 Arc Ring From True Curated Designs!

Congrats Kate S. of York, ON, who will receive a $529 Arc Ring from True Curated Designs (Jillian Lansky’s personal fave)! Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadaily.ca. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.