The Unquantifiable, Undeniable Allure of VSA Designs
There are very few designers out there who can consistently produce jewelry that is impressive on multiple different levels. There are also few that can create a harmony of elements that elsewhere seem to be incongruous. So often a designer settles on a niche and becomes a trendsetter in the sphere without ever having to reach out into other areas of design. In that way, many designers arrest a look that is immediately recognizable as part of their brand. There are many designers that do so and rely on only a few unique elements.
Yet there are some that come to mind who have made names for themselves by uniting different elements that elsewhere would be incompatible. Think of VSA designs, whose creator, Cheryl Finnegan, seamlessly distills raw art from the pieces she puts together. Virgin Saints and Angels jewelry is well known for its multifactorial appeal and the artful taste with which its final products are crafted.
VSA designs manage to bring traditional symbols of protection and guidance like the Corazon Sagrado, the Virgin of Guadalupe, Medallions of San Benito and many more into its pieces. What makes them unique, however, is that while you might have a preconception that pieces crafted from these symbols of antiquity would seem superannuated or archaic, in VSA designs they are anything but that. It is as if VSA Jewelry, based in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, has cracked the code on how to produce jewelry from aged elements and breathe a new life into them. They are novel, mystifying and awe-inspiring at the same time. Looking at a piece of VSA Jewelry will conjure feelings of awe and appreciation, but it will not slack to raise feelings of novel beauty either.
Regardless of what symbols of faith or beauty move you, or what piece of jewelry you were hoping to find here at Love My Swag, we offer you a storied collection of VSA Jewelry that you can use to put the finishing accents on your getup. What comes free with VSA Jewelry is a matchless spirit of style that comes from the expert admixture of so many diverse elements of design. What we mean to say is, their pieces are one of a kind in design. Take a look at these favorites to see for yourself.
Necklaces
For a beautiful, perhaps even understated introduction to VSA designs, look no further than their Small Blessing Necklace in gold. This particular necklace is steeped in symbolic significance, showcasing a central milagrosa as its fixture. Framed delicately in gold and accented by crystals, it’s the ideal, intimately crafted piece of jewelry. To understand its full importance you need to develop a personal familiarity with it, which is something the piece neither commands nor invites. Neither is it aloof, however - it is self-evident. As it comes with a milagrosa in many colors and likenesses, it is remarkably easy to match to many different settings or outfits. It’s impressively adaptable, which is not something for which VSA is well known, but covering that base they leave little to be desired.
If you would like to see a piece that is unmistakably the work of Virgins Saints and Angels, take a look at their Sacred Heart Magdalena Necklace. Here at Love My Swag, we offer many different wonderful examples of Magdalena Necklaces from VSA, and this is only one of them.
All the same, it is an excellent representation of their style. Few necklaces make such a mark from their chain as this, and it is rather balanced in its presentation of its pendant. The chain is multilayered, offers the appeal of pearl-like accents and is ornamented with crystals.
Overall, it maintains some of the characteristics of a rosary in its design, although it suggests rather than insists. The silver-plated, Swarovski crystal-accented pendant features an impression of the Sacred Heart, one of the most universal and powerful symbols in the church. An emblem of the purity of undying divine love, it is a pointed symbol, though it presents itself somewhat demurely in darkened silver.
Even though much simpler and less overwhelming stated, their Madonna Cross Necklace is another excellent representation of the versatility of style and appeal that VSA designs can produce. This particular piece can be found either in gold or silver plated configurations and is amazingly adaptable to a setting. It has much the character of many cross-themed necklaces and crucifixes, though it is accented with crystals in the stead of an idol. It is simple, much less conspicuous than any of their Magdalena necklaces, but it is also immediately recognizable. One of these bears the mark of VSA designs as pointedly as another, full of class and tradition without sacrificing contemporary attractiveness. Only with VSA designs can you on the same page of a collection find a piece styled as one of their Magdalena Necklaces and then another piece like this.
Earrings
VSA Designs aren’t limited to necklaces, though. In fact, there’s nothing better than complementing your VSA Jewelry with other VSA designs. Take for example some of the stunning earrings that you can find right here at Love My Swag.
Consider their Les Celeste Chain Earrings. There are many examples of earring designs out there that make the most of bold accents and hanging chains, but few work in the sharp symbolism that is pervasive among VSA Jewelry. These earrings offer the perfect balance between high polish and antiquated, storied luster. We offer them in both gold and silver plate, depending on the touch you want to put on your ensemble. What these earrings also offer is a density of symbolism from their cross fixtures, milagrosas, and medallions of San Benito. If you’re looking for a colorful and powerful interplay between modern elements and historically charged symbols of protection, you might find your tastes quenched by these earrings.
With Virgins Saints and Angels it’s easy to switch gears without losing sight of some of the overarching elements in common between their pieces. As a prime example of this, consider their Miraculous San Benito Earrings, available in either silver or gold plate like the earrings above. While the Les Celeste Earrings rely on their dazzling freedom of movement and the toned-down scale of their emblems, these earrings make a hard and fast impression. Though they lake hard, sharp angles, they are bold and bright and very present. The central image of each is, of course, a San Benito medallion, a storied symbol of protection and guidance and one of the oldest symbols associated with the church. Couched in beautiful metal ropework, these earrings can put an entirely different edge on your dress.
Look at their Paloma Cross Earrings for an even better impression of the amount of immediate appeal that VSA designs can front. These earrings, much like the Paloma Necklace, announce rather than insinuate and make a very pronounced impression. These bright gold earrings are accented with crystals, but the description simply is too bare to stand on its own.
Take a look at them right here. Intricately detailed and boldly cut, these earrings possess exactly the right weight of detail to make a lasting impression on an audience. Some earrings make a mured statement, but these call out loudly. That’s not such a bad thing, either. Any earrings as precious as these could do the same without shame.
Still, with a collection as broad as Virgins Saints and Angels there’s more yet to love, and more directions you can take your fashion. For a really interesting twist on the direction their designs tend to take, consider their Blessings Double Milagro Earrings. The name says it all for these earrings, but it’s best to take a real look at them. Most of them feature classic milagros like the blessed virgin or the sacred heart, but there are real gems hidden in this line. One of them even features an icon of a four-leafed clover. It’s not quite traditional symbolism of faith, but it’s a piquant exercise in artistic creativity if we do say so - and we do.
Consider also their Flock of Aves Earrings, which is a prime example of a less traditionally designed piece on their end. While it might not be said that birds are an expressly religious symbol, birds, in general, are symbolic of guidance and freedom and doves, in general, are symbolic of peace. Symbolic or not, these earrings are objectively beautiful. They take the form of birds in flight, arranged somewhat in the form of a cross and accented wonderfully with crystals. From each earring is suspended a cross, leaving no confusion as to the symbolism of the piece. Whatever they lack in over symbolism, they make up for in droves with their unique appeal. It isn’t every day, or ever at all, that you see designs in earrings as originally refreshing as these. Their free movement gives them another element that some other earrings want as well. Find a place for them in your collection - they will suit you well.
Bracelets and Cuffs
If you’ve already accessorized your collection with some VSA necklaces and earrings, then you can’t go wrong with some of their bracelets and cuffs. In fact, some of their most interesting designs are in their cuffs, many of which are unlike anything else. If you want to put a really unique edge on your outfit, you can even get away without other pieces of VSA Jewelry and go straight for some of their cuffs.
For example, their Paloma Cross Cuff, which wears almost like a gauntlet. This particular cuff is an amazing work of art in jewelry, with several of the same elements as their other Paloma Cross Pieces. This one, however, is remarkable in its stylings. Most bracelets today are much slimmer or articulated. This brings a nearly Bohemian charm to the table, with its weighty gold personality and intricate design. Floridly embellished with cut-outs, gold scrollwork, and crystals, this bracelet cannot be worn demurely. It is the kind of jewelry around which you build an outfit rather than adding to an outfit later as an afterthought or accessory. Not only that, but there’s much more where it came from as far as VSA designs are concerned.
Much less overstated is their Piccolo San Benito Magdalena Cuff, which is simply traced in silver, left open and accented, much as is VSA’s custom, with two San Benito medallions. Thanks for the versatility and muted allure of silver, this piece is much less forward than the last cuff, and can be adapted, arguably, to a wider range of dress than the former entry. Anywhere you can find some use for the understated charm of antique silver this piece would be right at home. Beaded, intricately designed and bright, it’s a wonderful example of a cuff that you can put to great use in a number of settings.
More in line with their grand design is their aptly named Del Oro Cuff, which is perhaps an even grander representation of their character than their Paloma Cross Cuff. This one makes the most of a trio of authentic San Benito coins for a sense of style that can be imitated but not duplicated. Much like a real historical artifact, this particular piece of jewelry has a weight of character in the details that cannot be overstated. The detail and age of the coins make an immediate impression on the viewer and gives the charges the cuff with a great deal of poise.
In addition to these offerings, you can find many other cuffs, necklaces, earrings and even rings from Virgins Saints and Angels jewelry right here at Love My Swag. It can be tough to find the designs to complete your effect, and we understand that, which is exactly why we offer such a diverse portfolio of these exclusive designs. If you want to find some of the most coveted pieces of VSA Jewelry, look no further than love my swag. In fact, find the VSA Designs of your heart’s desire right here.