Jewelry Education and Advice

The summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in the street.

But you might want to take off your jewelry beforehand, especially if you’re wearing sunscreen. (Okay, those are the B-side lyrics!)

Here are some travel pointers found in Stylecaster.com, so you can take the best care of your jewelry this summer.

1. Sunbathe sans sparklers.
Sunscreen can coat gemstones, which reduces refractive and reflective light. Essentially, this means your stones won’t be as brilliant or bling-y. To avoid this, leave your fine pieces at home if you’re heading to the beach or the pool for the day, and be sure clean them regularly all summer.

 2. Organization is key when traveling.
When jumbled together, your jewelry doesn’t always get along. For example, a diamond can scratch a pearl, and a bracelet can get caught on a necklace, so always pack pieces in individual soft cloth pouches or lined jewelry boxes to prevent scratching, dulling, and the dreaded tangling of chains.

3. Keep it safe.
When selecting a hotel, be sure that safe deposit boxes are available. Never leave fine jewelry unattended in a hotel room, a rental car, or on a lounge chair—even if you’re just popping over to the bar for a mojito.

4. Shopping for something new? Do your research.
Oftentimes, vacation destinations are also prime shopping destinations, so if you get the urge to commemorate your trip with a new fine jewelry purchase (as opposed to a couple of locally-made friendship bracelets, which are a must!),  make sure you’re buying from a jeweler that’s been in business for several years. When in doubt, check a retailer’s reputation and rating with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbbonline.org) and also learn the store’s return policy. Most reputable jewelers have at least a 30-day money back guarantee wherever you are.

5. Before you go away, be sure your jewelry is adequately insured.
If you decide to bring an especially valuable piece on vacation—perhaps your engagement ring, a pricey watch, or a family heirloom—you might want to consider consulting an insurance agent to obtain an independent appraisal report to ensure a fair replacement if the article is lost, stolen or damaged.

This quick little video gives you a general idea of the directions you can go when choosing bridal accessories for your hair. For obvious reasons, we love the idea of using a family heirloom, such as a broach, to insert in your hairdo.

Imagine yourself in your bedroom, dressing for the evening ahead, perfume wafting in air, music playing gently in the background. You feel amazing, like a million dollars. Your dress couldn’t fit you any better and the night of you ahead is ripe with possibility and romance. You open your jewelry box and these lie waiting.

As you put them on, you know your look is finally complete. And as the night unfurls, your earrings enhance your face and capture the eyes of all you encounter.

Every woman deserves to have that extra special pair of earrings for that extra special occasion.

Let these be yours.

Style 10370MS Pear Moissanite And Natural Diamond Drop Earrings Antique design drop earrings featuring two 6x4mm (.48ct dia equiv) Charles and Colvard created pear shape moissanites and approximately 1/6ct t.w. natural diamonds. Available in 14kt white gold only. Trade Up Our Guarantee

While its small and may require a magnifying glass or loupe, understanding the markings on your jewelry help you understand the value and quality of your jewelry.

If you see a number you don’t understand, as the presenter points out, simply Google it for more information.

We used to think that cheap jewelry was only dangerous to good taste. But by now, many of us realize the potentially harmful components of jewelry, especially for children who love to put jewelry in their mouths.

Read on:

A non-profit organization called The Ecology Center ran tests on 99 pieces of jewelry (some of which was geared toward children but most of it was for adults) that were purchased from 14 different discount stores such from around the country, like Target, Claire’s, Glitter, Forever 21, Walmart, H&M, and Hot Topic. They checked each piece for dangerous things like lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel, brominated flame retardants, chlorine, mercury and arsenic. And, surprise, surprise, lots of the jewelry was full of nasty stuff.

Over half of the jewelry, all of which cost less than ten dollars, had high levels of these hazardous chemicals, including 27 of the pieces which had lead levels which exceeded the 300 ppm limit for children’s products. Ninety percent of the pieces had chromium and nickel, which can cause allergic reactions, and ten percent of the pieces had cadmium, which is a toxic metal that’s been the subject of other jewelry and toy recalls. Some of the most toxic pieces they found included, “Claire’s Gold 8 Bracelet Set, Walmart’s Silver Star Bracelet, Target’s Silver Charm Necklace, and Forever 21’s Long Pearl Flower Necklace.” Take a quick scan of the jewelry you’ve got on to make sure none of these poisonous gems are making contact with your fragile epidermis as your read this.

Source: Jezebel

    Cadmium – looks prettier than it tastes!

What if life worked from the outside in? What if changing the color of the walls around you invited  new change into your life? What if wearing a bright pink blouse brought you romance and just the right kind of attention?

What if you needed guidance and wore our Curved Round Journey Pendant necklace for assistance? What if, each time you wore it, you were able to see your life’s journey more clearly? Or what if wearing it reminded you, during rough times, that life has all sorts of twists and turns but is beautiful nonetheless.

People have worn “lucky charms” since the beginning of time. That’s because jewelry can have magical powers…if you believe.

Style 10053 Curved Round Journey Pendant Seven stone curved journey pendant with 1ct t.w. round brilliant stones set on an 18″ cable chain.

It’s your big day and the focus should be about you and your sparkling spouse-to-be. Your bridesmaids need to enhance and support your look, not distract (which also means picking smart, classic dresses–not those scary ones never to be worn again after the wedding!)

The bridesmaid jewelry can be worked out simply and easily using these basic rules:

4 simple rules when picking jewelry for the bridesmaids:

1. It has to work for you.

This day is about you and all you desire. You’ll be looking at your bridesmaids the entire day; you want them to reflect your creative choice.

2. When in doubt, pearl it out.

Pearls look great with practically any outfit and on any woman. Plus a nice set of pearls can be affordable!

3. Keep it simple.

A delicate pendant necklace or stud earrings will never distract or overwhelm. Since the day will be full of “big” outfits, why not keep it simple when choosing jewelry for your bridesmaids?

4. Work with the neckline of the bridesmaids dress:

V-Shaped – Y-Shaped necklace

Strapless or Low Neckline – Choker, collar or multi-strand necklace

Sweetheart – Y-Shape or longer necklace

This pendant necklace is a popular bridesmaid choice:

Trade Up | Our Guarantee

Style 447M Classic Four Prong Round Moissanite Solitaire Pendant Four prong solitaire pendant with a Charles and Colvard created round moissanite set on an 18″ cable chain.

Here are a few basic tips to keep in mind when arranging your outfit…and in under 2 minutes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65nMxWLiEfo

Celebrities and other VIP’s rely heavily on the guidance of fashion stylists for that “just so” look. Jewelry stylists work along side them, making sure their clients wear just the right accoutrements to show off their style. Brianna Miller [above, right] is a well-reputed jewelry stylist who makes a living out of helping people choose just the right baubles.

While working at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills, Miller discovered – and honed – her gift for styling and selecting the right jewelry for every ensemble. Her creativity and eye for color, textures and proportions helped her succeed, but she also learned to “read” a woman’s lifestyle and fashion profile.

“For me, styling is all about finding my client’s personal style and drawing it out,” she says. “It’s about elevating her style to make her the best version of yourself.”

She loves hearing women report back to her things like “everyone told me I looked fabulous, but it wasn’t about one specific piece – it was about the entire look!”

Read more at El Paso Inc.

A circle is the reflection of eternity. It has no beginning and it has no end – and if you put several circles over each other, then you get a spiral. – Maynard James Keenan

We’ve talked about classic looks here before–you know, the pieces that every woman should have in her jewelry box. Whether its a pearl necklace or simple, dazzling studs, some jewelry looks great on practically any woman and stands the test of time.

We’re going to add to the list: hoop earrings. Why should every woman own hoop earrings?

1. Face flattering. There aren’t too many times of faces that hoop earrings don’t work with, including a round race (though if that’s the case, you might want to go for oblong hoops).

2. Attention. Hoop earrings, unlike studs, are real attention getters. If they don’t work for the office, they’re perfect for a night out on the town.

3. Fun and flirty. If hoop earrings could talk, they’d say “celebration.” There is just something festive about them, even adding to the wearer’s mood.

4. Comfort. Weight is distributed evenly when wearing hoop earrings. They tend not to pull.

So what do your hoop earrings look like? Is it time for a new pair? With Spring fully in bloom, why not go for a bigger size?

Inside-outside hoop earrings with approximately 9/10ct t.w. (dia equiv) Charles and Colvard created round moissanite stones. Each earring measures 16x2mm wide, set in 14kt white gold.