The series of interviews with women and men who have personalities, story to tell and their own GEM style. They make it happen for themselves all over the world and follow GEMOLOGUE by Liza Urla.

Olga Nikolskaya is a travel blogger behind WIDE SEA | NO ANCHOR, a gorgeous and captivating travel diary covering all corners of the world. She is also the latest addition to GEMOLOGUE team. Prior to immersing herself in the world of blogging, she worked in investment banking and the art world.

Name: Olga Nikolskaya

Alma Mater: London School of Economics and Sotheby’s Institute of Art

Occupation: Travel Blogger

Hometown: Moscow, Russia

LOCATION AT TIME OF INTERVIEW: Covent Garden. I am a bit of a “lazy” Londoner, so I tend to stick almost exclusively to Covent Garden, Soho and Shoreditch; there are so many great places here, it is practically impossible to get bored! I like to start my day with an almond milk flat white from New Row Coffee. If I feel like being productive, I spend a few hours in the lobby of the newly opened Hoxton Hotel, where they also serve fantastic brunch. I am a terrible cook, which I means I end up eating out quite often. Currently, I like going to either Barrafina, a fantastic Spanish tapas bar, or Lima Flora, London’s best Peruvian. For oysters, I think Bentley’s is the best! For special dinners, I absolutely love The Ledbury, the epitome of fine dining, or The Shiori, London’s only authentic kaiseki dining that I have found so far. My favourite drinking den is Mark’s Bar in Soho! For shopping, I like Covent Garden, since this area has a nice assortment of stores, or Liberty. I love going to museums and galleries; my favourites in London are the National Gallery, the Courtald Gallery and the Gagosian.

IN THE BEGINNING… Traveling has certainly been a lasting passion since my childhood. As soon as the Iron Curtain fell in 1991, my parents started travelling abroad extensively, trying to make up for lost time and severe restrictions imposed by Soviet Union on its people. My father tells me that before I was born the idea that he could ever travel abroad was incomprehensible to him. I think that their newly found wanderlust, in particular that of my father, has been extremely contagious on me. I have now travelled to around 50 countries, and hopefully many more to come!

TRAVELLING IS… Discovering yourself and the world!

NEXT… I have a very exciting trip coming up next in a few days! First, I am going to Tanzania, to see the Ngorongoro crater, followed by a three-day safari at Serengeti National Park. Afterwards, I am going on an expedition cruise in East Africa with Zegrahm Expeditions that has been named one of National Geographic Traveler magazine’s “50 Tours of a Lifetime”! During this trip, we will explore Zanzibar, Comoros Islands, Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius. I will be sharing this incredible trip on my blog, so stay tuned!

BLOGGING… I have read blogs for years, and I have always wanted to publish my own blog. However, I never really knew what I would blog about… Gradually, I got into writing and travel photography; many friends commented on how gorgeous the photos were that I would share on social media, and a couple of them suggested that I should start my own travel blog. And I thought, why not?! I have an incurable case of wanderlust, and the world is my oyster!

WIDE SEA | NO ANCHOR… is a very personal diary of my travels aimed at both avid and aspiring travellers. I take my readers on a visual journey with me and hopefully inspire them to go to places that I have had the opportunity to visit. I also love sharing other people’s stories through a series of interview that I publish.

You can also follow her adventures on Instagram, Facebook, and Bloglovin’.

ICONS & INFLUENCES… As an aspiring travel photographer, I am strongly influenced by a couple of seminal photographers. First and foremost, Henri Cartier-Bresson, the pioneer of street photography and the father of photojournalism. Cartier-Bresson travelled widely for his work, and he used photography as a tool for observing his surroundings and for capturing those fleeting moments otherwise passed unnoticed. Another major source of inspiration is William Eggleston, who was a major figure in development of colour photography and who is widely credited for acceptance of colour photography as art that can be displayed in galleries.

TOPSHOP OR CHANEL… Chanel! It is such a classic French brand; it stands for the epitome of feminine elegance. Chanel shoes and bags are staples in my wardrobe, because they make even the simplest of outfits glamorous! I love clothes that are either made of leather, silk and lace, and always seem to end up wearing a lot of black! My favourite brands at the moment are Theory, J Brand, and Sandro. I have a couple of times that I adore: my crazy diamanté-encrusted Dries Van Noten coat, which I found at the Opening Ceremony store in London, and my bejewelled, embroidered Alexander McQueen flats. The last item I bought was a gorgeous, very sexy black swimsuit from Eres!

FIRST JEWELLERY… I do not remember my first piece of jewellery, but I do remember my first watch! My parents gave me a ceramic and stainless steel Rado watch with diamonds around its face. I only tend to pick pieces that have yellow and white gold; however, I would absolutely love to get some jewellery that includes sapphires and tanzanites, which are my favourite coloured stones. I usually find my perfect pieces of jewellery when I window shop, and now by working with GEMOLOGUE. Current obsession? Anything by Shaun Leane!

MY EVERYDAY JEWELLERY… On a day to day basis, I have a relaxed style in jewellery with a small hint of luxury; I tend to go for small pieces made from yellow gold and diamonds that would add a discreet sparkle to my outfits. I love contemporary designers, such as Diane Kordas and Solange Azagury- Partridge, who have a youthful, fun approach to designing pieces from precious stones and metals. My most recent purchase is a very pretty swallow and flowers ring from Anabela Chan.

I wear the following pieces almost every single day: Ileana Makri yellow gold diamond star pendant necklace, Cartier Juste Un Clou Bracelet, Cartier watch, Diane Kordas diamond and yellow gold oval ring, Repossi Berbère gold ring and gold hoop earrings from Links.

PERFECT ENGAGEMENR RING… The same one that Brad Pitt gave to Angelia Jolie, which he designed jointly with L.A. jeweller Robert Procop, containing 16 carats of emerald-cut dimonds!

ROLEX OR CARTIER… I feel lost without a watch; I have to have it on even when I sleep! For me, it is both an accessary and a necessity. I do not have a favourite brand, since so many brands produce beautiful and intricate watches! One day, I would love to own a watch either from Breguet or Jaeger-LeCoultre watch…

FASHION JEWELLERY… I have a few pieces of costume jewellery; my favourite piece being a classic pearl necklace from Chanel. However, I do try to avoid buying costume jewellery, since I generally never end up wearing it…

FINE JEWELLERY… My perfect piece of fine jewellery has that je ne sais quoi element to it, which I instantly recognize as I try on a jewel: it just feels right! Fine jewellery is the perfect finishing touch to any outfit, and it makes you feel like a princess or a movie star. I do not believe in jewellery as investment, since, for me, a piece of jewellery is a very personal purchase. If I want to invest, I would invest in property or art!

VINTAGE JEWELLERY… I do not own any vintage jewellery, but I would love to own an antique piece one day that has a special story behind it. In addition, I am absolutely in love with some of the jewels that Liza Urla picked out for Harper’s Bazaar from LAPADA fair: they are all incredibly gorgeous!

DREAM JEWELLERY/WATCH… Sisi Stars: the famous set of 27 star-shaped diamond-encrusted jewels that Empress Elisabeth of Austria wore in her hair, which were made for her by the imperial court jeweller, Köchert.  I also absolutely fell in love with the Garrard double wing pendant with white and black diamonds and white gold that was featured in Karen El-Khazen’s interview with GEMOLOGUE…

A POSSESSION YOU’D NEVER PART WITH… My perfect watch that I am yet to find! Or, perhaps, my DSLR camera, Nikon D610…

PERFECT GETAWAY: I am not really sure what my perfect getaway is anymore…Definitely somewhere out in the wilderness, hiking and getting completely immersed in Mother Nature! I have travelled to some incredible places over the last year or so: the Russian Far East, so remote and wild, and practically inaccessible unless you travel by a small ship; Papua New Guinea, where the people are warm and welcoming and always marvel at white skin; Santorini, perhaps the most stunning archipelago in the Mediterranean; Isle of Skye that is so wild and rugged and the perfect place to de-stress.

HOTELS… I love staying in different hotels; sometimes, if I stay somewhere for more than two nights, I would hotel-hop so that I would see different places. I review some of the more memorable hotels for my blog; the last place I featured was the Crosby Street hotel in New York. I am currently working on a feature about the St Regis hotel in Florence.

MUST VISIT… Antarctica, since it has the most amazing wildlife and landscapes! Italy, because it has the most visually astounding Renaissance and Baroque art. And finally New York, because it is exactly how you imagine New York would be and so much more!

CHRISTMAS / NEW YEAR… I will be spending my Christmas and New Year in the Maldives. We are trying out two different hotels: first Maalifushi by Como, followed by Velaa Private Island. I am actually really looking forward to a bit of beach lounging, since it has been all ‘go, go, go!’ all year!

I would love to hear what you think by leaving me a comment below. Thank you!

SHOP MY FAVOURITE JEWELRY ONLINE:

I am extremely happy to announce that my new jewelry book – GEMOLOGUE: Street Jewellery Styles & Styling Tips – is now on Amazon. I’m so excited. It’s the first book of its kind solely dedicated to jewellery. 

You can sign up for GEMOLOGUE newsletter below and I also share  jewellery on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook  and Youtube if you’d like to connect, or feel free to say hello info@gemologue.com

GEMOLOGUE jewelry blog by Liza Urla is a celebration of fine, fashion and vintage jewellery featuring talented jewellery designers, trendy urban street style, exclusive interviews and rare jewellery reviews. This jewellery blog’s goal is to encourage and educate about jewellery online in a fresh and original fashion to inspire women and men across the globe in a fashion and travelling context.

Jewellery blogger, writer Liza Urla, the founder of GEMOLOGUE, is a London-based and NYC-educated gemologist, who has travelled to and lived in many countries. She is now one of the most influential digital jewellery tastemakers. Her jewellery influence has been acknowledged by Financial Times, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

*Photographed by Julia Flit. Styling and Art Direction by Liza Urla. All photos belong to GEM Kreatives for GEMOLOGUE.

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