Awaken To A World Of Wonders With HSN’s Maleficent Jewelry Collection
Come May 30th, Oscar winner Angelina Jolie — the woman who has played relic-hunting, adventure-loving, martial arts-trained archeologist Lara Croft; assassin for hire Mrs. Smith; and hardened Russian spy turned CIA agent Evelyn Salt — will appear on the big screen in her most sinister role to date: that of Sleeping Beauty‘s evil sorceress Maleficent. By now, you’ve likely seen Jolie in the movie posters, clad in her alter ego’s black cape, gothic raven wings outspread behind her, and an elaborate headpiece with ram horns propped atop her head, her pout a bloodthirsty rouge. If Charlize Theron managed to capture the Evil Queen’s crippling vanity, how her outer beauty masked the hair-raising hideousness within her soul,there’s no question that Jolie will manage to convey the envy and rage that turned Maleficent’s heart ice cold and transformed her into the most dangerous and callous Disney villain. Let’s face it: compared to Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Cruella De Vil, Captain Hook, the Queen of Hearts, and Ursula all seem like chumps.
In honor of the Disney film’s release, HSN invited some of its most popular designers — among them jewelry designers Margaret Rowe, Heidi Daus, Matthew Campbell Laurenza, Ranjana Khan, and R.J. Graziano — to create fantasy-themed baubles inspired by the characters and motifs of the fairy tale and its latest cinematic retelling. The collection was unveiled on May 7th on HSN.com.
The jewelry collection captures the good-versus-evil tug-of-war by juxtaposing nature-themed designs involving lush roses, garden landscapes, and climbing vines against ominous motifs involving ravens, fire-breathing dragons, slithering reptiles, and lethal-looking horns. The colors selected for each piece also speak to its particular inspiration, with gray pearls, cloudy quartz and shadowy labradorite stones, black rhodium, and iridescent black and forest green feathers appearing in the designs informed by Maleficent and her reign of evil and luminous fuchsia and light pink Swarovski crystals, pink rhodolite beads, simulated white pearls, and aquamarine stones surfacing in the baubles inspired by Princess Aurora, her fairy godmothers, and her lush kingdom.
Pictured above are some of my favorite Maleficent for HSN jewelry pieces. Pictured at top is the Heidi Daus “Fiddle Dee Fiddle Daus” Beaded Crystal-Accented Drop Necklace ($259.95 at HSN.com), featuring a necklace crafted out of individually knotted, cushion-cut puffy rondelle glass beads in a luminous purple hue and a Y-shaped drop with a scrolling forest garden design consisting of exotic flowers and undulating leaves adorned with fuchsia, olivine, tanzanite, air blue opal, palace green opal, and purple velvet crystals. Shown immediately below this statement necklace is the Margaret Rowe L.A. “Forest’s Eye” Crystal Hinged Bangle Bracelet ($149.99 at HSN.com), an openwork cuff featuring vine and leaf motifs and adorned with an elaborate floral embellishment featuring a prong-set, round black crystal framed by bezel-set, marquise-shaped black crystals and surrounded by filigree metalwork spheres.
To take a walk on the wilder side of the collection, try the Heidi Daus “Alluring Interlude” 3-Row Simulated Pearl Crystal Dragon-Designed Drop Necklace ($329.99 at HSN.com), shown third above, which features three rows of individually knotted, gray glass simulated pearls that culminate in a Y-shaped flying dragon drop covered in smoked topaz-, cyclamen opal- and Montana-colored crystals. The dragon’s tail extends upward, its outspread wings forming a “V” shape below the slithering tail.
Moving back to the enchanted garden realm, where Aurora is the queen and all is bright and beautiful, we have the Heidi Daus “Climbing Rose” Pavé Crystal Ring ($49.95 at HSN.com), shown fourth above, featuring a single rose with pavé-set fuchsia crystals, and the Heidi Daus “Aurora’s” Beaded Crystal Drop Necklace ($239.95 at HSN.com), pictured last above, which incorporates a single strand of individually knotted, faceted simulated rose quartz puffy rondelle beads with a large, open metalwork drop involving swirling scrolls with bezel-set round crystals in shades of light amethyst and antique pink surrounding an oval crystal center.
Another blossoming beauty in the collection: the Millie by Matthew Campbell Laurenza Elongated Floral Rose Vermeil Ring ($289.90 at HSN.com), which extends from below the knuckle to above the middle of the finger, its elongated surface featuring an openwork design with scrolls resembling twirling vines and four flower shapes peppering the backdrop — three in a pyramid formation on one end and one at the opposite end — each featuring a blue topaz at its center.
Those of you who want to channel Daisy Buchanan can select the Art Deco-informed Margaret Rowe L.A. Floral Wreath Crystal Ribbon Headpiece ($199.95 at HSN.com), shown fifth above. This romantic headpiece features S-shaped stations encrusted with bezel-set crystals and forming a wreath design, with a floral center station drawing the eye and a soft white ribbon tie closure adding a girlish innocence.
Though some pieces interpret Sleeping Beauty in a rather literal manner, most of the jewelry offerings in the collection draw inspiration from the tale without feeling prosaic. The Millie floral ring pictured above, for instance, taps into the lush garden element of the fairytale, but it also exists separately from this fictional universe.
Pictured below are some other pieces from the collection, including the Heidi Daus “Heidi’s Angels” necklace, which I find positively stunning.
Make sure to check out the full collection on HSN.com!
Millie Multigem Floral Rose Drop Vermeil 20″ Necklace, $399.90. Available at HSN.com
Heidi Daus “Ravishing Raven” Earrings, $89.95. Available at HSN.com
Heidi Daus “It’s Good To Be Queen” 3-Row Bib Necklace, $329.95. Available at HSN.com
R.J. Graziano Starburst-Design Crystal Drop Earrings, $59.95. Available at HSN.com
Heidi Daus “Jeweled Awakening” Cross Drop Earrings, $149.95. Available at HSN.com
Heidi Daus “Heidi Angel’s” 3-Row Beaded Crystal Bib Necklace, $299.95. Available at HSN.com
Heidi Daus “Fiddle Dee Fiddle Daus” Crystal Earrings, $79.95. Available at HSN.com
