As an Erstwilder fan and self-confessed Christmas enthusiast, I look forward to Erstwilder's Christmas jewellery collections every year.
This year's range launched a few weeks ago, and I was so excited to discover that Erstwilder had gone with a mid-century-modern theme for Christmas 2022. I love the style of the era so much, and it's inspired some beautiful pieces that put last year's collection to shame (sorry, Pete Cromer). It's a big collection, too; made up of brooches, necklaces, earrings, scarves, enamel pins, and even tree ornaments, with festive designs like Christmas trees, Nutcrackers, angels, snowglobes, and even menorah and dreidel brooches for Hanukkah. It's all so festive, and I think the only way I could love the Modern Holiday collection more is if it were pastel-coloured instead of made of bold blues and jewel tones- but that's just me. I wish everything could be pastel-coloured.
I bought a few of the brooches, along with a matching pair of earrings, and something a little bit different from an older collection, so let's get a closer look at what I got.
Shall we start with one of the most unique brooches in the collection, and a classic Christmas carol?
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... a partridge in a pear... brooch. Except, I bought it in November, and gave it to myself because I'm bereft one true love. Oh well, at least a single girl can gift brooches to herself whether or not she finds love. It's a good thing, too, as I instantly fell in love with it the moment I saw it in the live reveal, and just had to have it.
The True Love's Gift brooch is so eye-catching and unique, and it makes a refreshing change to all the usual snowmen, reindeer, and gingerbread men designs that Christmas jewellery collections are usually saturated with. I've never seen another piece of jewellery quite like it. It features a colourful little partridge layered over a pear, and it's fabulous. The pear is made from a pretty yellow-green ripple resin, and topped with teal and seaglass coloured leaves, and the bird is made from a mixture of glitter, ripple, and plain resins in different shades of blue, silver, amber, and the most amazing glittery magenta. It's so sparkly- perfect for party season! I particularly love its scalloped feathers, and the way the layering of the resin gives it depth. It's a little masterpiece. It seems to be sold out everywhere in the UK now, but it's still available direct from Erstwilder in Australia.
The next piece I chose is something a little more traditional- the Bright Spirits brooch. It wouldn't be Christmas without lighting some candles on dark December nights to make the house feel cosy, but if you don't like playing with fire, this beautiful candle brooch is definitely a safer alternative. Bright Spirits is a set of three church candles of different heights grouped together behind a wreath of holly. The larger two candles are made from crimson and raspberry pink ripple resins, and the smaller is a glittery royal blue. Each one is topped with silvery-white ripple resin dripping wax, and have flames of pale yellow and sparkling blood orange. Beneath the candles, are holly leaves of azure and pale seaglass, with beautiful crimson berries, all made from the most mesmerising ripple resins. It's a stunning brooch, and the depth created by the way the holly has been layered is amazing.
My favourite of the three brooches I purchased has got to be the snowman brooch, Stay Frosty, Snowman. Just look how cute this little guy is! I tried to stop myself from buying him as I already have an Erstwilder snowman brooch in my collection, but I couldn't resist him in all his sweet, glittery glory. Stay Frosty is a silvery-white, two-tier, ripple resin snowman edged with a trim of mint and hot pink circles, and capped with the coolest glittery pink bobble hat. Like all the best snowmen, he's mismatched his accessories with a sparkly royal blue scarf patterned with pink, blue and white shapes, and his sparkly carrot nose and rosy cheeks complete his festive ensemble perfectly. I love him, and I have a feeling I'll be wearing him a lot this December.
After buying the brooches, I realised I didn't really have any earrings that would pair nicely with them, so I treated myself to a pair of the pink-glitter Christmas tree stud earrings from the inexpensive Essentials collection. They're a simple pair of triangular Christmas tree studs made from the most incredible glittery magenta resin, and they go perfectly with the snowman and partridge brooches, as well as many other pieces in the Modern Holiday collection. They're so fun and sparkly, and a bargain at around £5.50-6.00, depending on the stockist. If you prefer something a little more traditional, these earrings also come in green, and there are drop earrings in both colours, and other designs to choose from, too.
The final festive thing I have to show you is something a little bit different. It's not for us humans, but for the four-legged fur-babies in our lives- The Bite Before Christmas Pet Charm! I'd had my eye on Erstwilder's pet tags for my dog, Rosie, since they were released last Christmas, but couldn't justify the price at the time. I recently saw that some of them had gone on sale through the stockist Lottie & Lu, from £16.95 to just £8, so I knew I had to get her one, and snapped one up while I was buying the earrings. I'm so glad I did because it's gorgeous, and Rosie looks so cute wearing it on her collar. The gingerbread design is based on an old Erstwilder Christmas brooch, and it's beautifully coloured in festive red and green which stands out perfectly against her black and white fur. It's made from thick, good-quality, golden enamel with a spiral keyring for attaching to your pet's collar- or your keys, if you don't have a pet- and it's feels strong and well-made, so it shouldn't break from every day wear and tear. There's plenty of room on the back for engraving, too, although, I've yet to get Rosie's done. There are lots of other festive and non-festive pet tags still available from Erstwilder and Lottie & Lu, and they'd make lovely little Christmas presents for your cat or dog, and for friends who love their fur-babies.
There are still lots of designs from the Modern Holiday collection available to buy from Erstwilder and their stockists, so it's not too late to treat yourself to a little something. It's only fair to match each present you buy with one for yourself, right?
Have you bought anything from the Modern Holiday collection? Which piece is your favourite?
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