LARA of LA: with an eye for the dramatic, Lara Merzbach blends 21st century styles and cultures with nuances of the past to create jewelry designs that are sophisticated yet edgy.(Rising Star)

JQ, March, 2006 by Unninayar, Cynthia

"To inject my pieces with mystery and drama, I merge classical and modern, old and new, sleekness and opulence, the beautiful and the awkward," explains Lara Merzbach, who has recently launched her LARA of LA collection. "These contrasts help set my pieces apart from other jewelry made from similar stones, shapes, or colors."

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Although all her pieces are unique, Lara's most unusual creations are her revisited historical chatelaines, decorative ornaments attached to a sort of belt. Their origins date back to medieval times when the mistress of the castle, or chatelaine in French, wore keys or a...