anjolee review

This week has just been slipping away from me! I’ve barely had enough time to take care of my priority list at work, let alone blog in the evening! So, it’s especially fitting that today’s post is all about the watch brand that I’m currently obsessed with: Welly Merck. Welly Merck was founded by a couple that met on a trip to Italy: Merck, an American man who was born into a steel artisan family, and Welly, a Swiss woman who came from a traditional watch-making family. After a transcontinental romance, Merck eventually moved to Switzerland to be with Welly and the two merged their artisan skills to launch a watch brand commemorating their love story.

The timepiece these two lovebirds created is absolutely stunning! If you saw my Instagram story last week, you know I was already over-the-moon with the company based on the packaging alone. I mean, a turquoise gift box with a magenta ribbon?! Be still my beating heart! Of course, the piece nestled inside that box was even more beautiful. I chose the “Classic Chicago” design with a gold-plated mesh band and a white face. The watch has a nice weight to it that feels luxurious rather than heavy, and the flexible mesh band and clasp allows you to size the watch without going to a jeweler. (I have tiny wrists and I always have to get links taken out of watch bands. I love that this one can be easily adjusted for my pint-sized wrists.) My favorite aspect of the watch is that the substantial mesh band looks like a luxe piece of jewelry that you can stack with your other beloved pieces. It also comes in rose gold and silver, allowing you to pick the piece that will coordinate with your collection. You know I’m all about my gold costume jewels, so I felt I’d get the most mileage out of the gold version. Although, that rose gold watch was awfully tempting! (There are also leather straps available if metal isn’t your thing.)

The watch is an investment for many budgets, coming in at $265. While I received a complimentary sample, I do feel like the quality is in line with that price point. It feels — and looks — more expensive than it is. Plus, after a week of wear, it seems like it’ll be scratch-resistant, keeping it picture-perfect for years to come.

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A big thanks to Welly Merck for partnering on this post!

You may have heard of Anjolee before, a leading website for diamond jewelry, and like me, you may have mistakenly thought that the company had its roots in e-commerce, making you a bit leery of buying fine jewelry online. Well, I’m going to squash that misconception. The company actually began in the early 1960s when its founder began designing his own jewelry, earning accolades for his tennis bracelet designs. The family-owned business moved to California in 1977 and eventually launched an e-commerce division in 2007 in order to work with the public directly rather than through wholesalers and retailers. That’s when the brand was given its monkier, Anjolee. The name was inspired by the mother of the founder’s two nephews, combining the word “angel” with her first name, Lee, altering the French word for beauty from “jolie” to “jolee.”

Personally, knowing that a jewelry company has this kind of longevity and has a earned a reputation of quality makes me more likely to trust the brand. It’s daunting to buy jewelry sight unseen! Rest assured, though, knowing that Anjolee stands behind its quality and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which even applies to custom orders.

While we’re on the subject of custom orders, that’s actually the best part of shopping with Anjolee. You can change the gemstones, switch the type of metal and karat, increase a diamond’s carat weight and quality, and add engravings; all so you can create the perfect piece for you or a loved one. In my case, I started with the Heart Felt Emerald Cut Engagement Ring, swapped out gold for silver and switched from a diamond to a blue topaz stone. The ring is now the perfect everyday piece to wear alongside my other daily gems.

Thanks to Anjolee for partnering on this post!

Time for Spring

Put a Ring On It, Anjolee!