The whole mythical slash fantasy slash nature trend is hot this season and the next, so expect to see lots of unusual mixes of materials (yes good ol' mixed media) and suggestions of fairies, nymphs, and the like.

Obviously in-tuned with jewelry trends, Juniper Designs, known for the cool key hole jewelry from the Pandora's Box Collection, has announced two new jewelry collections which build on the theme of mythology:

The Orion's Lover Collection uses fabulous vintage belt buckles and pairs them with natural gemstones such as Peruvian Opals as well as freshwater pearls. Each piece in the collection is one-of-a-kind. "I love creating one-of-a-kind pieces," said Juniper designer Jenifer Altman, "My customers love the fact that no one else will be wearing what they are - they are very discriminating." Each piece in the collection is named for a place, event or character in the tale of Orion and how he was destined to forever appear in the heavens.




The Calliope Collection, named for the Greek muse of epic poetry, is handcrafted of vintage pen and calligrapher pens. "I have always been such an avid reader and I love to write - this seemed like such a natural collection to create," Jenifer said. Each piece in the collection is named for the designer's favorite authors. The collection is particularly appealing to boutiques and retailers because though each piece is one-of-a-kind due to the nib itself, it can be reproduced in great numbers. "I really dedicated this collection to not only my favorite writers, but also all of the women who dare put pen to paper."