five gold rings // a christmas giveaway series

Perhaps the best day of the whole Twelve Days of Christmas amiright? This one’s for the mamas because I mean, who wouldn’t want five gooooold rings from the lovely T. Bene?!

It has now officially been one year since our family moved from Los Angeles to the Phoenix area and I am still slowly settling in to the slew of life changes that that event brought on. One thing that has started to make me feel more at home is meeting and connecting with other creatives and building that tribe for myself. I am a person who needs to have a creative outlet in my life, and it is always inspiring to meet like-minded friends who can relate. I met Renee, creator of T.Bene fine jewelry at an evening of watercolor taught by talented Monica of Modern Moni and hosted by my friend and children’s wear designer Uyen of Crew & Lu [side note: she is also amazing]. I knew straight away I wanted to work with Renne in some way or another, so I was thrilled when she said yes to collaborating with me for this giveaway!

Renee is a metalsmith by trade, but has always been a designer in some capacity. She got into metal work when she went back to school in 2012 and took some classes in metalsmithing and metal forming, which really resonated with her.  Last December she received her design studies degree from Arizona State University. She chooses to work with the materials that she does because she wants to create truly fine and quality pieces. Most of the T.Bene line is 14K solid gold or sterling silver [no fillers, plaiting, or hollow pieces here!].

Her process includes sketching when she is inspired, piercing, forming, soldering, stone-setting, and finishing work. She draws her inspiration from nature, fashion, and her background in design. Renee aims to create beautiful, quality pieces that are true to her minimalist design aesthetic while keeping wearability and function in mind.

Since we are all about rings for this post, let’s talk about how I am obsessed with all the rings in the classic collection. From the simple smooth gold band, to the toggle ring, and I adore the thin gauge on the infinity ring. But she has some other classic beauties I am lusting after like this double plate necklace [which someone might want to get me a triple version with my kiddos names on it for Christmas, hint, hint], the toggle earrings, and the toggle necklace.

Renne has generously offered one winner a $250 shop credit! To enter, head on over to my Instagram now! Make sure you are following both myself and @tbenejewelry,  like the photo, and tag as many friends as you like in the comments there.  Each comment counts as one entry, so don’t be shy! You must follow all three steps to qualify. Contest runs for 48 hours from 12/5/15 6:00 am – 12/7/15 5:59 am and one winner will be chosen within 24 of contest end and announced on the original Instagram post. This giveaway is in no way endorsed or sponsored by Instagram. By entering, you certify that you are at least 13 years of age and that you agree to these terms. Please no giveaway accounts and only tag real people/ actual friends (no ghost accounts or celebrities, etc.). **PLEASE NOTE: $250 credit applies withe a minimum purchase of $350. Promotional value of shop credit expires within six months of winner announcement [5/7/2015]**