Whenever we put together one of our indie ring roundups, the process goes something like this: 1) Browse for hours trying to find a handful of really awesome pieces. 2) Wish they all existed in one place. 3) Quietly curse the size of the Internet. 4) Publish. Except, the joke is on me, because it turns out that our newest sponsors, New Stone Age, have been doing that for ages in their brick-and-mortar store in Los Angeles. Their inventory reads like a who’s who of my favorite indie designers. And after three decades in business, they’ve opened up a brand new online retail space, and guys, I think they are going to put my roundups right out of business.
Here’s what web manager Holly had to say about New Stone Age LA and APW (because it’s no accident they ended up here):
I discovered APW while planning my own wedding, and it was a breath of fresh air amid a seemingly endless sea of wedding blogs that lacked any real content, filled with “inspiration shoots” and $10,000 dresses. I immediately fell in love with the site’s refreshingly feminist, creative and forward-thinking ethos. APW’s commitment to providing an oasis of sanity in the crazy desert that is the Wedding Industrial Complex has birthed a community of just the kind of self-assured, down to earth, and unique individuals that New Stone Age loves to work with. As I have gotten to know the APW community, I know that it is made up of couples who aren’t afraid to buck tradition, to stay true to themselves, to take the “rules” issued by the WIC with a grain of salt.
At New Stone Age, a shop that has forged its own distinctive style over three decades, we value and embrace authenticity. When I got engaged, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by New Stone Age’s beautiful, one-of-a-kind jewelry; all three rings my husband and I chose are unusual, locally made and, most importantly, our style. It occurred to me that other APW readers might not have such ready access to alternative jewelry options, so I saw an opportunity to forge a connection between them and our store.
While physically based in LA, both the online shop and brick and mortar stores feature indie designers from around the world, including NYC based Sehti Na and Lori McLean, Northern California designers Lauren Wolf and Kothari, and of course, London indie-jewelry darling Polly Wales (my fave). And their inventory makes it pretty clear that New Stone Age LA doesn’t believe in rules when it comes to wedding jewelry. Want dainty? Edgy? Black diamonds? Matte gold? White Sapphires? Moonstone? Quartz? They can make it happen without breaking the bank (or your spirit). In fact, if you see something you like and they don’t have your size, or you want something customized, just get in touch and they will personally coordinate with you and the designer to get you exactly what you want.
While they’ve moved into online retail, New Stone Age LA plans on keeping the same personal attention, range of prices, and all-in-the family vibe that has kept them in business since 1982:
While our online incarnation is comparatively recent (we launched it a little under two years ago), we hope to create a similar familial feeling that transcends the anonymity of the Internet. As the face behind the website, I try to give customers all over the US the same personal attention that we give to our brick and mortar customers.
One of the secrets to New Stone Age’s longevity is our vast price range. We’ve never aspired to be the type of store that feels exclusionary because of its high prices, and we love to source items that are both affordable and special. That being said, we also have a taste for the finer, sparklier things. As far as our jewelry is concerned, our collection runs the gamut—from sterling silver, gold filled, and semi-precious pieces that start at $20, to completely one-of-a-kind $7,000 rings in diamond-adorned 18 karat gold, to everything in between.
New Stone Age hopes to offer APW readers a resource for engagement and wedding rings that are anything but your typical, WIC-approved bling. We know that true love cannot be measured in diamond carats or gold purity. We know that not everyone wants to wear a huge white diamond on her (or his) finger. And we certainly won’t tell you that an engagement ring has to cost three months’ salary (think of the luxurious honeymoon you could have instead with those hard-earned paychecks!).
Self-described as “a cabinet of curiosities in shop form,” New Stone Age LA is not just here for the engaged folks in the crowd. Their home decor and everyday jewelry is as awesome and unique as their wedding jewelry (fun fact: APW’s new Content Manager, Najva, swears by these blue ceramic bowls as her go-to kitchen bowls). Though personally I’m partial to the brass utensils and melty love rings (and file these under: things I need). If you’re based in LA yourself, you can find their store nestled along vibrant West Third Street six days a week from 11 AM to 6 PM, or Sunday from noon to 5 PM. But if you’re with the rest of us and just admiring from afar, keep an eye out as new styles get added to the online store on the regular.
So if you’ve been on the lookout for wedding jewelry that bucks convention, but have been striking out, then New Stone Age LA is the store you’ve been looking for. Or at the very least, they’re the store I’ve been looking for. So go, browse (because there’s way more in store than I could fit in this post, and it’s all just as good), and then sign up for the mailing list for first dibs on promotions.
Click here to browse New Stone Age LA’s collection of unique wedding jewelry. And don’t forget to sign up for the mailing list to be the first to know about new inventory, store news, and promotions.
