Jewelry PR Division

A favorite line of accessories editors the world around is "and then take one piece" off referring to the rule of removing one piece of jewelry after you are fully dressed and prepared for the day.

Of course another editor tip through the ages has been stretching a wardrobe of basics through clever jewelry usage. But if you are instructed to constantly downsize your accessorising options for day is it possible that you need a wardrobe of jewelry basics too?

Given the classic popularity of a string of pearls, diamond stud earrings, and the tennis bracelet it seems that jewelry lovers the world over agree. This makes discovering the right pieces of jewelry for your even more critical. Even the classics make different statements. Pearls make any outfit more conservative whereas a diamond stud is a classic touch that ups the elegance factor on any outfit. The same principles of choosing basics in clothing applies to jewelry.

But remember even when the editors appear to know better than we mere mortals do it can be good to break the law sometimes and throw it all on. You can always take a few pieces off at the end of the night. That is still technically following the laws of accessorising right?

STORM Watches is a proud sponsor of this year's EMA's, MTV's European Music Awards has especially commissioned 4 Unique Limited Edition watches that will be your access all areas pass to the legendary MTV Europe Music Awards 2006, being held in the Scandinavian party town of Copenhagen on November 2nd.

You will get the full VIP treatment at the pre-party and then get to see the main event itself, where some of the biggest names in music are performing. Finish the night off in style dancing until the early hours at the VIP after show party.

To enter the competition you must be 18 or over. Competition closing date 14th October 2006.

Please read The Terms & Conditions and enter to win!

Cocktail rings — first popular in the 1940s and 1950s as a way to show off at cocktail parties —are staging a comeback this holiday season. The rings, which sport big colorful gems, can be found everywhere, real and fake, from Tiffany's to Macy's and even at Walmart.com. Ravi Jariwala, a spokesman for Walmart.com, says the site expanded its selection from about 10 last year to more than 30 this year to keep up with the trend. "This season there's a pretty strong customer response," said Jariwala, noting sales have more than doubled from last year.

A top seller is a cushion-cut square ring made with either blue topaz, pink sapphire or amethyst surrounded by "diamond accents," which retails for $79.97. Prices range from $59.88 for a pink sapphire three-stone ring to $1,590 for a fancy-yellow grade and white diamond ring. At Macy's, cocktail rings are offered both in its fashion jewelry and fine jewelry departments. "We have some great styles in fine jewelry featuring rubies and various stones," said Macy's spokeswoman Elena Kazan. "A lot of them are very Deco-inspired." Big sellers are Levian brand rings with sapphire and topaz, Kazan said. Prices range from about $300 to $9,000 dollars

Platinum has run to record highs this year, but it's not a rush of demand for wedding bands that has boosted prices. It's diesel. Demand for platinum comes from two main arenas: the consumer market for jewelry and the auto market, which uses the metal as a catalyst in diesel engines. According to JPMorgan, the price of platinum group metals has surged nearly twofold in a year and is up 85 percent since January. That performance has been topped only by zinc indexes and is trailed by other industrial and precious metals, including nickel, copper and gold.

Months of volatile price swings have scared off some buyers in the jewelry market, where demand is expected to drop 12 percent this year. However, demand for platinum as an auto catalyst is predicted to jump 15 percent in 2006, according to a report by platinum trading house Johnson Matthey, based in London.

Saint Patrick’s Day is coming up soon! Now is aggod a time to check out but the Clover & Horseshoe Collection at overstock Jewelery. It has been spotted on celebrities and it's definitly withen your reach. Lucky clovers and lucky horseshoes are in high demand already. In Irish tradition the first leaf represents faith, the second is for hope, the third is for love and the fourth is for LUCK! Some traditions believe that wearing a clover to bed will bring dreams of a future husband. A recent myth is that spiritualists have claimed that the four leaf clover releases energy that will help guide a person through life.

Horseshoes have been a lucky symbol for over a thousand years. The myth behind the beauty is that horshoes were hung above doorways to ward off fairies. Apparently it was thought that iron was the only way to keep fairies out of your house. Horseshoes were readily avaiable to quickly hang up above doorways.

Celebrities in Hollywood have been wearing clover jewelry designed by Van Cleef and Arpel, Heidi Klum, Tiffany’s, Fred Leighton, Roberto Coin, for quite some time now. I’d like to think they wear them as a reminder of how lucky they already are. Whatever the reason, clovers and horseshoes are so hot right now. They’re a great trend and we are sure that they will never go out of style.

Here are some of our favorite stars wearing one of the hottest jewelry trends in Hollywood, New York & Paris:

We all have a wish list of jewelry brands that we are all dying to wear and many times it is the price tag that prevents from doing little more than window shopping. I know I would love to dawn something by Vera Wang, Gucci, Kara Ross or even Stephen Dweck; maybe a gorgeous bracelet, an intricate ring or eye catching earrings. Now we no longer have to window shop, when we can simply borrow these gorgeous baubles at a fraction of the cost of buying them.

Bag Borrow or Steal and Borrowed Bling both offer jewelry that you can rent out whether it be for a big evening out or to impress a few friends. Bag Borrow or Steal offers genuine name brand jewelry while Borrowed Bling offers imitation gems that are said to look as close to the real thing as possible. Both operate on membership with various levels that determine which brands and how many pieces you can borrow at a time. Each site is different in the way you can borrow and which site you chose to borrow from depends on your budget and desire for the luxurious.

The comparison:

Bag Borrow or Steal:

4 membership levels:

+ Couture—Runway worthy handbags and jewelry from top designers such as Gucci and Rosiblu starting at $175 a month.

+ Diva—Luxurious, dream bags and jewelry from designers such as Louis Vuitton and Charriol starting at $90 a month.

+ Princess—Confidently versatile accessories from designers such as Betsey Johnson and Pianegonda starting at $40 a month.

+ Trendsetter—Fresh, trend-forward accessories from designers such as Dooney & Bourke and Lori Bonn starting at only $20 a month.

There are additional fees (per week or per month) for each item borrowed. The first 3 months of membership only allot you up to 3 borrowed items, and after that timeframe you can borrow up to 5 items at once. There is no time limit on how long you can borrow an item for. Borrowing frequency is based on your account being in good standing.

Via Business Wire: The Silver Institute has released a comprehensive report on trends in the global silver jewelry market. The report was prepared, on behalf of the Silver Institute, by GFMS, Ltd., the London-based precious metals consultancy. GFMS Ltd also produces the annual World Silver Survey for the Silver Institute, a role they have undertaken since 1994, and it is the report of record for the silver industry.

Two of the key areas of silver fabrication demand are jewelry and silverware. Since its inception, the World Silver Survey has featured jewelry and silverware as a combined total in the main country-by-country tables. In the report issued today, entitled, Silver Jewelry Report, global statistical series have been produced that separate jewelry and silverware for the first time as well as a detailed review of the country-by-country data.

The report features a 10-year global series for jewelry and silverware, as well as a detailed qualitative analysis of the silver jewelry market. In addition, the report also examines the following key areas:

* A review of trends in silver jewelry fabrication, both at the regional level as well as focusing on countries with manufacturing volumes exceeding one million ounces, including China, India, Italy and the United States. The analysis brings out the main trends, specific to each market that have impacted silver fabrication over the past decade;

* Separate data on the leading silver jewelry consuming nations is provided in this report, including country-by-country data for the 10 largest consuming countries for the 2000 to 2005 period;

* Jewelry consumption, and in particular, competition for silver jewelry. The review is not limited to competition from white or yellow gold but extends to other materials, both precious and non-precious;

* The global trade in silver jewelry, focusing on the top five importing and exporting nations; and

* The impact of trends in the silver price, economic developments and the effect of changing fashion on consumption.

This Silver Jewelry Report makes an important contribution to the transparency and understanding of this fascinating area of the silver market. A copy of this report, may be downloaded from the Silver Institute’s home page: www.silverinstitute.org

With statement rings being one of the jewelry trends this Spring, David Lundahl has designed a collection that will leave you humming the tune, “I want candy.” These oversized crystals come in a variety of colors set in gold or silver toned metals.

For more information about David Lundahl:

Jewelry PR Division Christina at piercemattie dot com

It’s a wedding day tradition to wear your mother’s pearls, female politician’s wear them to look serious yet refined, business women wear them with their pantsuits to give off a casual elegance suitable for the workplace and when heading out the door for a family portrait, most women reach for the pearls as their jewelry of choice.

While the diamond exudes luxury, pearls exude that old time level of sophistication that is best defined through old photographs of Jackie Kennedy. In fact, the cultured pearls worn by Jackie in the famous photo of John Kennedy Jr. as a youngster trying to grab them from her neck sold for $211,500 at a Sotheby’s auction in 1995 when their true value was only $500. Jackie helped defined sophistication, not only through her fashion sense, but through her choice of style in jewelry as well, which many times included pearls.

No matter if you can afford the real thing or have to opt for cultured pearls, this is jewelry that can define your style and image. Most young girls yearn for the day when they can wear their mother’s pearls and this is true for generations both past and present. Through years of jewelry trends and the hottest gems, pearls have somehow been able to remain a staple to most women’s attire. It’s still a “fall back” piece of jewelry that acts as a chameleon and can go with almost any outfit.

No matter the woman, no matter the year, I can guarantee that she has at least one piece of pearl jewelry in her jewelry box.

What do you think? Is pearl jewelry a thing of the past or does it still define sophistication and elegance among today’s jewelry trends?

Spring is here (despite the recent Nor’easter) and the jewelry trends for the season are beginning to be seen on fashionistas everywhere. While the most talked about jewelry trend has been statement rings such as David Lundhal’s Candy Couture collection, statement rings are not the only jewelry trend that is in style right now.

Hefty gold chains: Whether shown in necklaces or bracelets, classic chunky chains abounded at Spring 2007 Fashion Week. Seen on the runways of Carolina Herrera, Diane von Furstenberg and Heatherette.

Layered necklaces: Carried over from previous seasons, the layered look now features thinner, even delicate necklaces. Seen on the runways of Charles Nolan, Ralph Lauren and Carmen Marc Valvo.

Simple pendants: Continuing the minimalist trend, designers opted for sweet charms on dainty chains. Seen on the runways of Chado Ralph Rucci, Mark Bouwer and Akiko Ogawa.

Cuff bracelets: Cuffs appeared on diverse runways, with designers pushing them above model's elbows for a fresher look. Seen on the runways of Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons, Carlos Miele and Nicole Miller.

When you can’t get to the beach, bring the beach to you. Beach glass jewelry has become increasingly popular in recent years. Pieces of beach glass jewelry used to fetch for about $10, but can now be found online and in many boutiques from $30 to $100 and sometimes more, depending on the piece.

There’s something calming yet intriguing about jewelry made from glass that was shaped by the waves of our oceans and lakes. Each piece of glass has a history and an origin according to beach glass company, Relish Inc. of Erie Pennsylvania. Relish Inc. handcrafts their 14k gold and sterling silver jewelry from beach glass found on the shore of Lake Erie.

“Vick’s Vapor Rub, Philip’s Milk of Magnesia, canning jars, Blue Coral car wax, and Noxema are responsible for various shades of blue. Depression glass is responsible for the beautiful pastel colors that we find, old Clorox bottles, apothecary bottles and beer bottles give us the brown glass. Clear glass may come from bottles containing anything from milk to shampoo. Rare colors include red, (a coveted find from old boat lights) yellow, orange, purple and teal.”

There’s nothing more spectacular than the beauty of glass that Mother Nature has manipulated herself. While the jewelry design may be the same, the uniqueness of shape and size of each piece of glass means there are no two pieces alike. I don’t know about you, but I like to wear things that are unique and stand out among all of the sameness of jewelry trends.

*Photo credit: Relish Inc.

During the summer, it’s still considered fashionable to wear less makeup and let our hair dry in the sun. And if we’re going more au naturel, why shouldn’t our accessories?

Apparently jewelry designers share the same sentiments. Taking a look at a recent collection featured in W magazine, pieces now offer more rough, polished gems in more earthy tones like this three strand necklace from Neil Lane for DeBeers. Yossi Harari chose to set his 24-karat ring’s array of rose-cut diamonds in oxidized gold and Fred Leighton’s pearl adorned enamel serpent bracelet is still a little more toned down. Despite the less fussy approach, these jewels are still sure to turn heads.

I guess we’re not the only ones with natural beauty.

Photo credit: W Magazine

As women, sometimes the claws come out. It could be when we’re fighting over the last pair of Ksubi skinny jeans at Barney's or vying for a promotion our co-worker is just not as equipped to handle. Whatever the reason, we definitely can be a little beastly at times.

To match these animal instincts, designers are coming out with pieces like Stenzhorn’s diamond encrusted frog ring seen here and Roberto Coin’s gecko bracelet in pink gold and black diamonds.

These Casato leopard painted enamel rings (pictured above) with blue topaz, amethyst and citrine framed by diamonds are truly wildly alluring. And Carrera y Carrera never disappoints with their yellow gold elephant bracelet sprinkled with pink sapphires and rubies.

So the next time we're in a situation where we're starting to feel a little animalistic, let's just let our jewelry do the talking.

Photo Credit: Casatogioielli.com

It’s that time of year again. Bees are buzzing, birds are chirping, and everywhere jewelry is in full bloom.

Bouquets of glittering jewels seem to blossom before our eyes from designers like Calgaro. His colored sterling silver on elegant woven silver fabric (above) is simply stunning.

Garavelli's delicate yellow gold rose ring with diamond petals almost has a sweet aroma all its own.

And you can almost hear the beating wings of hummingbirds sipping the nectar from this spray of Dior "Diorette" gold, lacquer, diamonds, amethyst, and citrine.

After shopping for treasures like these, it’ll be hard not to have our pockets full of posies.

Photo Credit: Calgaro, Dior, and JF-W magazine

Ever wish you could go back in time to those days when afternoons were filled with tea parties and the only heels you ever wore were the ones you found rummaging in your mother’s closet?

Bring back that inner little girl in you with this season’s pale pastels. Jewelry designers are now combining light shades of pink and purple gemstones with rose gold to create an ultra feminine look, like this pendant by Marco Molinario.

A diamond bracelet by Fr Hueb will leave you feeling like a fairy princess and this ring by Korloff could definitely stir up a little magic. With Chantecler's necklace set with coral, you’re sure to be the belle of any ball.

Now if only you could figure out how to turn a certain toad into a handsome prince...

Before they say “I do,” when it comes to diamond engagement rings, many women are saying “I don’t.” Whether it’s the recent concern over conflict diamonds or a surge in creativity, some brides-to-be are choosing gemstones instead of the usual solitaires.

However, just because they’re opting out on diamonds, doesn’t mean these women are saving money. Gemstones, such as emeralds and sapphires, are still very rare and costly. According to the Gemological Institute of America, a ruby can be more expensive than a colorless diamond of similar size.

Since non-diamond engagement rings are just starting to gain in popularity, here are a new set of Pierce Mattie 4 C's just for gemstones inspired by suggestions from Jennifer Howze of the Wall Street Journal.

Customize

“You don't have to buy a rock as big as the Ritz to work with jewelers at creating a ring from scratch…Bring the jeweler pictures of rings you like, browse available styles and sit down with a store's designer to talk about the stones and look you want.”

Consider

“Even when buying a ring straight from a display cabinet, you can make a highly personal choice...Diamonds are the hardest substance found in nature…so if you're choosing a different gem, make sure it can withstand day-to-day wear.”

Compliment

“Many jewelers say platinum is the most protective material to use for settings, because of its hardness and its ability to maintain its color and to complement the color of most gemstones. Gold, however, remains a favorite to use with emeralds and other green stones. White gold is less desirable, but is a more affordable alternative.”

Courage

“If you go for a colored stone, you needn't worry about being matchy-matchy..." Don't be afraid to make a fashion statement.