Custom Jewelry Designs

Note from Joe. Every year during the holidays it seems that I have one project that I pay particular attention to, one that captures my interest more than the others. This past season it was a necklace for my dear friends Peter and Liliana. It was a lot of fun working with Peter on this piece, choosing the aquamarine, working with the wax carver, working with the goldsmith, doing all that we do to make a custom piece of jewelry. It was big fun for me partly because of whom this piece was for, as both Peter and Liliana are special to me, and partly because I got to play with one of my designs! So thank you Peter for this!

View this Joe Jewelry piece in our custom jewelry section

It’s always a breath of fresh air to discover that the fashion trends for a particular season are accessible, simple to wear and fashionable. No sharp, pointy heels or or studded leather chokers this Spring!

According to Today’s Hot Trends, this Springs offers up ease and sweetness.

White is the key color for your wardrobe this season – and all of its variations. Once you have your whites covered, here’s the other trending colors, according to PANTONE at the Fashion Color Report Spring 2010.

Turquoise, tomato purée, fusion coral, violet, tuscany, aurora, amparo blue, pink champagne, dried herb and eucalyptus will be favorite colors.

Fashion trends include ripped jeans, feminine and frilly dresses, billowy pants and an overall casual, light feel.

Our Keys of Love pendant match perfectly with the relaxed look at a price you can afford. Prices start at $199.

Key of Love Pendant Necklace with Pave Set Stones

hi Joe. Thanks so much for helping Keith with the pearls. I love them! We are celebrating our wedding anniversary early tonight. Happy new year! Greetings to Katia! Teodora

Freshwater Pearl Necklaces

Pearls are always a great gift, and especially on anniversaries! Today, larger Tahitian, South Sea and Chinese freshwater pearls are all the rage ranging from 9-11+mm in diameter.

Check out our selection of Freshwater pearl necklaces ranging from 8.5-11.5mm.

Diamonds, pearl tassels, ruby earrings, mismatched piles of bracelets, sapphires…all were in abundance at last night’s Oscar ceremonies.

And while the ceremony itself was a real sleeper, the wardrobe definitely was lively. As we slowly creep our way out of a dark economic period, Hollywood reflects the change by showcasing some stunning, bold fashion choices.

The great part about the Oscars? If you see a piece you like, we’re craftsman who are more than happy to recreate the look at a fraction (and we do mean, a fraction) of the cost by using amazing alternative gems such as moissanite and Gemesis.

We’ll give you more creative “food for thought” throughout the week as we showcase more Oscar bling.

Zoe Saldana in Lorraine Schwartz

Sarah Jessica Parker in Fred Leighton

Miley Cyrus in Lorraine Schwartz

Pop star Rhianna started the trend: piling rings on top of one another for a fun, funky and ever so slightly over-the-top look.

New York–Pop star Rihanna lives on the cutting edge of fashion, fiercely stepping out in the latest runway trends and moving on to the next big thing just as everyone else starts to catch up.

So what jewelry is this taste-maker going for? It seems multiple rings side by side across three or four fingers are just the thing.

At the 2009 American Music Awards (left photo), the glamour girl accessorized a cut-out Marchesa gown with Sutra’s “3×3” rose-cut diamond ring flanked by black and colorless diamond rings set in platinum by Neil Lane.

At Glamour magazine’s “Women of the Year Awards”(center photo), she scooped up one of the night’s top honors while sporting two of her favored looks: an origami-style dress and rings on four fingers. The H. Stern “Stars” rings she wore are crafted in 18-karat “Noble” gold and are accented with diamonds.

Source: National Jewelry Network

How can you afford the same kind of look? Chances are, you have a few rings hanging out in your jewelry box already but we can put extra rings on your fingers that are affordable by using stones like moissanite or Gemesis.

Yellow Cushion Cut Gemesis Ring With Bezel Set White Diamonds

Fresh Water Pearls - Perfect for any Spring Outfit

Looks like the statement necklace is still making a showing, as well as layering jewelry (our Keys of Love pendant necklaces are perfect for that) and warm, neutral tones (which Gemesis is bound to accentuate.)

Remember, even on a budget, you can have the jewelry of your dreams for a fraction of the cost, using moissanite or Gemesis or even our fresh-water pearls, which are perfect for any Spring outfit.

Here’s what fashion expert Nan Napier has to say about the Spring showing:

• Be a lady in flirtatious fashions: Feminine flourishes abound. Look for peek-a-boo designs, ruffles, lace, touches of tulle, sheer insets and botanical prints. Silhouettes are “Mad Men” inspired: one-shoulder dresses, cap sleeves, sheaths and set-in waists. Femininity is always fresh and will be a key theme of this season.

• Make a scene in artful dresses: Day dresses are delightful and unusual with origami folds, asymmetric cuts, pleating and draping details. One of my favorites is the “tress,” what Vera Wang named the tunic dress. Surely it was a nod to “Tress” Mariposas, right? Wear a tress in a high-voltage graphic pattern over leggings or slim crop pants.

• Have fun with jumpsuits, playsuits and shorts: The variety is endless, the versatility is amazing. You can pick out a black jumpsuit for a cocktail party, a hooded playsuit or romper for the beach, or shorts in one of the new flattering lengths. Keep your eye out for the right items to add to your Spring 2010 wardrobe. This category is too, too fun!

• Lighten up with white lightning: White is right. Use white as a base for all other colors and white all over as a knock-dead look. White is right for 2010.

• Update with bright clean blues: Look for bright royal, cobalt, navy blue and turquoise. Color is the update that makes the most impact. This year’s fashions feature a whole variety of blues in an uplifting way. Combine all shades of blue with white for a crisp refreshing look.

• Energize with high-voltage prints: They are bold and beautiful with a modern twist – swirling abstracts, botanicals, batiks, ethnic and polka dots.

• Get the skinny with skinny pants: This is a trend with legs, as they say. The proportion rule applies here: If the bottoms are slim, balance with a flowy, looser top or tunic. Leggings and skinny jeans continue to be important this season. Something about the look of an ankle-length slim pant always has appeal. Perhaps it’s the Audrey Hepburn visual reference.

• Go with the flow with caftans and butterfly-sleeve tops: Flowy tops are perfect with slim pants and instantly update your wardrobe. A billowy top is slimming with butterfly sleeves and waist ties. Caftan-style tunics have easy batwing flowing sleeves. Shop for tops that encompass the spring trends: gorgeous blue hues, unusual prints, flowy and feminine.

• Do your feet a favor with fanciful flats: Comfort is chic – what a great idea! Worn with slim ankle pants, jeans, shorts or a fun dress, this is a modern winner. Consider gladiator-inspired strappy sandals to infuse yourself with strength and bravery.

• Go heavy on the hardware: Look for metal baubles, studded bags and shoes, chains and more chains. Adorn your wrists with large important bracelets and cuffs. Make a statement with bold necklaces.

We all know the dilemma: cute outfits are a little tougher to sport when the thermometer drops below 30 degrees! Suddenly, your many-layered outfit starts looking a little “linebacker” – which is decidedly not chic!

Here’s some pointers from the Budget Babe, so you can look cool, not cold:

Invest in a heavy wool trench-style coat that hits A) mid-thigh or B) falls at or below the knee so you can wear it with dresses/skirts. This will keep you warm and stylish for a good 6 to 9 months out of the year.

Next, invest in at least one thick, warm cashmere scarf, a cashmere/wool hat that covers the ears, and densely knit gloves or leather gloves lined in cashmere. Chicago winters are bitterly cold and you just can’t fool around with cheap polyester, it will do nothing against the cold wind.

Also, you’ll need tall leather boots with a low heel for walking, if you can afford La Canadienne or Aquatalia, great. Either way, invest in a couple pairs of warm wool socks (I like cashmere or SmartWool, not so itchy) and possibly even silk longjohns from WinterSilks.com (thanks to Sal over at Already Pretty for the tip on those).

Depending on how warm your office is, you can probably get away with long sleeve layering tees and cardigans, wool blazers, or pretty blouses topped with warm shawl collar cardigans. I mostly wear jeans all year round, just stick to dark washes for work. Black pants work well too.

On “warm” days (over 40 degrees) you can have fun with colored or textured tights and dresses or skirts, so long as you have that warm trench to shield you.

Hopefully this should be enough to get you started, then once you’re in the elements you’ll have a better sense of what you need. I always loved people watching while riding the El downtown or the bus (especially north-south routes near the lake). Admittedly, I always choose warmth and practicality over style (I know, blasphemy right) but that’s what growing up in the Midwest can do to a girl. Good luck!

Here’s one of our specialty items, guaranteed to warm up any outfit:

Style 8578CO

Save 30% Now! Maltese Cross Tahitian Pearl And Diamond Pendant

An original design by Joe Schubach. This solid 14kt white gold hand made, hand fabricated pendant features a 15mm natural gray Tahitian pearl along with 1/3ct total weight pave and bezel set natural diamonds. The piece hangs from a 16″ black rubber cord with a 14kt white gold clasp.

Internet Special: Save 30% now. In stock and ready to ship.

Hopefully you took advantage of our over-the-top moissanite sale, which certainly fits the criteria for the “eco-consciousness” and the pricetag conscious aware this season. But what outfit will you wear your new, dazzling piece with? Here’s a quick look at the fashion trends over the next few months:

Fashion Trend forecast for Fall Winter 2009 2010

In talking with so many people in the industry I realized that pretty much all of it is affected by the recession. The following is discussed from my perspective in the graphic shirts industry but it affect the whole fashion culture.

1. Lower price points. From online shops to brick and mortar stores everyone is lowering their price point. $100 tees or even $60 tees aren’t doing so good. I was told by a couple of big online stores that their lower priced tees are flying out but having difficulties pushing the higher price tag ones. This sentiment was also given to me from a big department store in the US. They are lowering the price points on tees but they are still carrying the big names like Affliction and Ed Hardy but just lower price point.

2. Out with the bling bling. “No one wants to look like they have money,” I was told. People feel guilty when they shop and buy flashy clothing. So the trend is for more subdue and subtle aesthetics. This is not good for Juzd as we are all about the heavy graphics and bling bling. It’s funny, last year before the recession hit I showed the Juzd original to Holt Renfrew and they loved it and it turned out to be their best selling Juzd shirts. Now I design more similar pieces and they are like, “we are moving away from that now.”

3. Cleaner aesthetics. There will always be a demand for graphic shirts, buyers are going for a cleaner aesthetics. Compare to other lines Juzd is is not as busy but buyers still put it in that category. As I have been trying to move to more of a busier all over prints, I am not moving back to the clean stuff.

4. People still want to go shopping. Shopping is like a drug for most women and in our capitalist society there is a sense of gratification when we own something new. Ever notice how complete you feel when you go out shopping and come back with something, anything! It makes you feel like your time wasn’t wasted.

Well people are still shopping and still want to shop, that’s one of the reasons American Apparel is so successful in recent years. Their items are inexpensive and you can easily buy several of the same items in different colors. This makes shopping easy so you’ll feel more productive.

5. Mix of high end and low end. People are pairing high and low end pieces together. People are dressing up in thousand dollar leather jackets with $300 dollar jeans and $18 American Apparel tee. This may not be caused by the recession and have been happening before the recession but with what is happening, it is surely accelerated the trend.

6. Eco conscious. You hear on the news, the radio, all over the internet and you are reading it here. Eco is not a fad and is here to stay. But those who are doing eco right are the established brands that added elements of eco to their collection. They come from afashion focused approach. Who is doing it wrong? The hippies! Those who want to save the planet with their organic cotton shirts that make you look like a hippie just like them. They are the innovators of the ecofashion movement, that is the reason eco clothing have not caught on.

7. Vintage is in. I read that the inspiration for the current flannel craze originated from thrifty hipsters getting their cheap flannel shirts from second hand stores. Now all the lines are going after that has been and washed up look. While vintage and distressed has always been in vogue, the coming seasons you will see a lot more. The recession have put a lot more emphasis back on used worn out clothing.

This season the eco movement have gain popularity as people are seeing it from a new angle. Instead of being eco to save the planet, people want to be self-sustainable. They are conserving energy and spending less on material goods. Even withfashion they are looking for items that will last and they can wear a longer period of time.

Source: Squidoo