A  loose diamond is such a pretty thing, until it finds the perfect setting, and then, well it’s extraordinary. It’s as though the diamond needs a container for all that exquisite energy. I tend to like the simpler settings, with little guss and fuss. Let the diamond speak for itself.

Last night, I told my children a story about a dull looking oyster called Marjorie. Her friends, Penelope the starfish and Terrence the seahorse, were both colourful and gorgeous. “Oh Marjie, it’s what’s inside that counts,” said her Mama, whenever she’d lament about how dull and ugly she felt next to her cool looking, prickly pals. That just confused Marjorie, because she didn’t feel very pretty on the inside, either. And then one day, the weirdest and most miraculous thing happened –– a small white orb, so lustrous and iridescent –– appeared inside of her. This, thought Marjorie, is my secret power and my lucky charm. I don’t have prickles, but I do have a pearl. Now, I didn’t tell Iole and Antimo the part about human divers digging up pearl oysters for necklaces and rings. That, I think is a story for another day.

My father has worn the same big, brash sunglasses from Cutler and Gross for as long as I can remember. I’m the opposite, always flitting from one style to another, never buying the same pair twice. When he took me to the C&G Knightsbridge shop for the first time in the late 90s, it was a pair of Jackie O inspired white frames that caught my eye. I wore them and loved them until I sat on them, and that was the end of that. But it was those sunglasses –– classic meets quirky –– that set the tone for many more to come. There were the Lulu Guinness cat eyes, in rose pink with tiny Swarovski crystals in the corners, that I wore for ages (and still do on a whim). The cherry red Ray-bans, that still make an appearance when a case of the ‘mean reds’ strikes. Three of my favourites –– the first, a pair of black and white vintage Balenciagas, the second, a snazzy pair of turquoise vintage sunnies by Ted Lapidus, and the third, classic gold Illestevas –– got crushed/left in a taxi/lost in Chinatown, to my utter dismay. But my all time bests, are the graphic Illestevas I’m wearing now. And while I have no intention of moving on (or sitting on them) I do have my eye on a pair of 70s inspired punchy, printed frames from fabulously eccentric fashion stylist, Catherine Baba. Maybe, they’ll be my party pair. Turban, optional.

With printed silk folk tops, fringed gilets and kimonos fit for a ball, summer is the perfect time to embrace bohemia. My drawers are stuffed with June-to-September caftans and peasant tops –– the cheerful, effortless items that make summer dressing a breeze. And don’t we all need one of those when it’s as hot as Hades outside. Now, there’s nothing easy breezy about Vita Kin’s price tags, but her dresses, blouses and rompers are a boho lover’s dream. “I’m inspired by the fading traditions and techniques of various ancient cultures for making and decorating clothing.” she says. “Embroidery, macramé and appliqué are my passion.” I love the geometric prints, bold colour combinations and cinched waists on an otherwise floaty silhouette. Have a look at (read : stalk) Vita Kin’s instagram feed, to see Charlotte Olympia, Leandra Medine, Giovanna Battaglia et al., cycling, yachting and skipping (in heels, oh please!) through summer in gorgeous Vita Kin frocks.

It feels like yesterday, that my Mum and I were sitting in a cafe across the road from Harrods when she handed me a small red box with gold earrings in the shape of bumble bees inside. “But I don’t have pierced ears,” I said. “You will in about ten-minutes,” she said back. Harrods is a pretty grand place for an eleven-year-old to get her ears pierced, although I can’t remember a thing about it.  It’s only the bees that I remember. It was a good few weeks before I got to wear them, and gosh, did I love them. As I moved into my teens it was silver hoops, peace signs and tragicomedy masks that I wore mostly. There was a brief flirtation with ornate chandelier earrings, and then came the diamond studs from my grandparents at age-18. Those I wore for years. It’s been a long time since I’ve worn earrings, so long, that I’m not sure my ears are still pierced. It’s funny how getting my ears pierced was this rite of passage to feeling like a grownup, and yet now, at age-37, all I want are clip-ons! Not just any clip-ons, mind you. These Suzanne Belperron honeys will do nicely, merci very much.  As Erika Bearman (aka OscarPRGirl) once said, “I‘ve always thought it was sort of a glamorous thing to take off one of your big fantastic earrings to talk on the telephone.”

One day, when the contents of my bag is not snotty rags, sticks and crayons, I will return to using something other than a cloth tote. There is the Goyard in sky blue, the Prada in a light cornflower, and the perfect little vintage Pucci in enough colours to start a rainbow. And that’s just the start. My bag collection is vast to enough to open a shop. And yet, with a cotton pouch in hand, and a canvas tote on my shoulder, out I go into the world, everyday. That doesn’t mean I don’t window shop, mind you. These handcrafted leather bags from Strathberry of Scotland are definitely on the list of, ‘things I wouldn’t shove a dirty nappy into.’ They’re beautifully crafted, (some take up to 14-hours to make) simple in design and available in a variety of classic colours. Put my name on the list. I’ll be there in about three to four years.