Be my Valentine

Valentine's Day is coming up on February 14th and we thought we'd give you a little introduction on how that day came about.

Did you know that the day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer (known as the Father of English literature) in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished? In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid and red roses.

There are many different traditions associated with Valentine's Day. In Slovenia, for example, St Valentine was originally one of the saints of spring, the saint of good health and the patron of beekeepers and pilgrims. A proverb says that "St Valentine brings the keys of roots". Plants and flowers start to grow on this day. It is also said that birds propose to each other or marry on that day.

A rose that never wilts: Marina's Roses Earring

Believed to be the earliest surviving valentine is a 15th-century rondeau written by Charles, Duke of Orléans to his wife from the Tower of London, after he was captured at the Battle of Agincourt:

"Je suis desja d'amour tanné

Ma tres doulce Valentinée..."

The Whisper Ring

(whispers little love poems in your ear if you listen closely...;)

Much later, in 1797, a British publisher issued The Young Man's Valentine Writer, which contained scores of suggested sentimental verses for the young lover unable to compose his own (aww how sad and funny at the same time!). Printers had already begun producing a limited number of cards with verses and sketches, called "mechanical valentines", and a reduction in postal rates in the next century ushered in the less personal but easier practice of mailing Valentines. That, in turn, made it possible for the first time to exchange cards anonymously, which is taken as the reason for the sudden appearance of racy verse (aha!) in an era otherwise prudishly Victorian.

Sin Pin earring in rose gold vermeil

We hope you liked our little special post lovebirds! Have a happy Valentine's!

xx kisses from S/G xx

THE PEARLGATORY IS COMING SOON!

Our new collection, THE PEARLGATORY, will be launching on our website on Monday 3rd of February! We are very excited about this collection as it has already been well received by stylists and journalists alike.

See below a selection of the styles that will be available to buy very soon!

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The collection can already be seen in the February issue of Danish COSTUME magazine, see below:

Check back to see more soon! x

OUR JANUARY SALE IS NOW ON!

Here is how it works:

This is the PayPal Express Checkout's workflow: when checking out, you go to paypal.com right away, where PayPal collects shipping and billing addresses. After that, you return to our website where you can pick a shipping rate and type in the discount code JANUARY20. The price is updated accordingly and, on that same page, you get to finalise your transaction.

Use it while it lasts! x

BRITISH VOGUE LOVES SMITH/GREY

We are proud to let you know that we have been selected as part of British Vogue's 'The Jewellery Edit: Autumn/Winter 2013' recently.
See below what they have to say about Smith/Grey! x

BLOGGER CAMILLE LOVES SMITH/GREY

"When I first saw their collections, I died and went to jewellery heaven."

- fashion blogger Camille about Smith/Grey.

Blogger Camille recently wore a great selection of our Bulls&Roses collection for one of her beautiful blog shoots. She chose our golden MARINA'S ROSES EARRINGS (see below) as well as all three of our TINY ROSE RINGS to complement her outfit.

Here is what Camille had to say about Smith/Grey:

"To add to my feminine look, I also incorporated a few roses here and there. Squint and you’ll find them. I’ll give you a hint, they’re on my ears and hands. Do you see them now? I’m talking about my rose earrings and triple rose rings. They’re by SMITH/GREY, a young award-winning jewellery design studio based in London, England. When I first saw their collections, I died and went to jewellery heaven. Their design aesthetic is so me!!! Just look at my rose earrings from their Bulls & Roses collection. If you look closely, one is actually a rose bud and the other is a long stemmed rose. You can wear them with just the rose buds as well by taking out the stem. How unique! I really love little quirks like these. And the fact that they match my rose rings in rose gold, silver and gold too."

Below: Camille with her golden MARINA'S ROSES EARRINGS.

Below: Camille with our TINY ROSE RINGS in silver, gold and rose gold.

Thank you Camille for your kind words! X