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Photographs by Kevin A. Roberts
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On her fashion blog, Heather Korn writes, “Everyone has a story.” Hers is one that stretches from St. Louis to Europe to Hollywood and back. In 2003, after a trip to Italy, Korn launched BelleStyle, a jewelry line using only sustainable materials. She soon moved to the West Coast, where her wares were embraced by celebs like Paris Hilton, Shannon Elizabeth, and Britney Spears. Today, Korn designs each piece using antique materials. (Sold locally at Klutch, Charm Boutique, and Byrd, the brand donates 35 percent of each sale to nonprofit Nest.) The real story, though, is in the details.
Inspired by the style of the ’50s, the Beat Generation bracelet ($79) comprises vintage metal beads, black onyx, pearls, and bone. In case you’re wondering (as we did), wearing bone is a sign of strength, something the beat generation never lacked.
The Tudors—you know, that conniving royal family that inspired the popular Showtime series—also inspired the Tudor necklace ($99), made from vintage silk rope, lace, and braided chains. It’s designed to be mixed and matched with other gold, silver, and gunmental jewelry.
The coolest part about the Skeleton Key necklace ($160): It’s made with actual heirloom keys that are more than 200 years old. This one is a tulip-style key from 1836.
Years before filing to divorce the one-time Governator, Maria Shriver purchased a dozen Angelwing necklaces ($89). The white agate symbolizes clarity, the black onyx represents strength, and the amazonite stands for purity and focus. And it includes a quote from another former first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt: “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
Though Brio earrings ($400) are made with champagne “poor man’s diamonds” (hand-cut, irregular diamonds), there’s nothing meager about them. The diamonds come on a charm, so they can be removed from the 14-karat gold hoops and replaced with another kind of crystal.
