Happy Stories From our customers

Palladium is definitely the new black. Well, maybe not the new black, but at least the new metal of choice. Why? With the climbing costs of gold and platinum, palladium is an affordable and gorgeous choice for those in the know:

Actress Christina Hendricks is the new face for the “Get a Life” palladium jewelry collection by Vivienne Westwood. Here, she wears the collection’s heart pendant with a Gaia inscription on a palladium chain.

New York—The Palladium Alliance International (PAI) and designer Vivienne Westwood have announced Mad Men actress Christina Hendricks as the face of the new Vivienne Westwood “Get a Life” palladium jewelry collection.

“Vivienne Westwood has always been one of my favorite designers,” Hendricks said, “So it was a great honor for me to be asked to represent the ‘Get a Life’ palladium jewelry collection.”

Featured in the line are both couture and retail pieces crafted from palladium, a naturally white precious metal belonging to the platinum family. The collection’s design is inspired by nature and symbols of paganism, such as the acorn, the oak tree and the heart.

“I love that there are dramatic pieces, such as the crown and the heart necklace, as well as more simple pieces, such as the acorn earrings,” Hendricks (below) said.

“Christina is the embodiment of beauty, and we were delighted to have been able to involve her with this new jewelry collection,” Westwood said. “Her style is just so complimentary to my designs.”

Westwood’s “Get a Life” palladium jewelry collection will be available in Vivienne Westwood boutiques in London and Los Angeles March 2011. Prices for the retail collection range from $445 to $900. The couture collection is made to order.

The PAI is an organization dedicated to establishing palladium as a precious and distinctive metal. This is the first time in history that palladium will be marketed to consumers as a precious jewelry metal.

Vivienne Westwood began designing in London in 1971 and is regarded as an influential fashion designer.

Source: National Jeweler

The rings are both amazing but people currently only get to see the engagement ring and it has attracted many oohs and aahs. People think it is amazing and they cant stop looking at it. Thank you so much for all your work with us. The rings turned out better than we could have even imagined and working with you was so easy and alot of fun.

Received my order yesterday, the earrings are great.   Thanks much for the excellent price and service.

Hello Joe,

–E

There’s no easy answer to the question. Most of assume the jewelry is “on loan” for the evening but that’s not always the case. Here are a few case in points:

CBS) Actress Anne Hathaway was reportedly paid a pretty penny just to wear a few flashy gems during Sunday’s Oscar ceremony.An insider tells Us magazine that the 28-year-old show host was paid $750,000 to exclusively wear Tiffany and Co. jewels throughout the evening.

For her red carpet appearance, Hathaway paired her strapless red Valentino bustle gown with a $10 million Tiffany Lucida Star diamond necklace, diamond earrings and ring.

Show performer Gwyneth Paltrow was reportedly also generously compensated to wear Louis Vuitton jewelry. Paltrow, who sang “Coming Home” during the ceremony, accented her shimmery Calvin Klein Collection gown with a pair of multi-toned earrings, ring and brooch from the fashion house’s “L’Ame du Voyage” collection.

Others stars to make a statement with their baubles include presenter Cate Blanchett, who wore a Van Cleef & Arpels vintage bracelet, which boasted 127 yellow and white diamonds, and best supporting actress nominee Amy Adams, who reportedly wore $1,350,000 worth of Cartier jewels with her sparkly, midnight blue L’Wren Scott gown.

Source: CBS News

Oh no…don’t look away! We all know that even men can overboard on the bling! Mr. T proved this in spades, but what is too much when it comes to men’s jewelry? And what are some “must have” pieces for men? This article explains that, with just the right touches, you can look elegant and polished…without hurting the eyes!

mr. t is unemployed

Okay, so maybe some guys built their reputations with the amount of gold wrapped around their necks. Heck, there’s even one rapper with flavor that became famous because he wore a huge clock around his neck. But the A-Team stopped production and Public Enemy isn’t number 1 anymore.

Although it is amusing to see the dude with the Mohawk strut his stuff with 75 pounds of jewelry draped all over his body, no one in the real world would be taken by such a fashion statement, or lack thereof.

When it comes to guys and jewelry, minimalism is key. Believe it or not, it is possible to portray an image of class and sophistication. And if you want the ladies to think you’re made of money, that’s possible too.

is that a gucci?

Of course, every guy has to own a watch — and I’m not referring to some contraption that has Mickey Mouse’s hands moving around the dial. Rather, every man should own a few watches, one of which is expensive, classy and timeless (ha, the irony).

Leave your Nike watch at home on those days when you’re trying to make an impression. There are plenty of watches that turn heads and from my Hugo Boss watch alone, I’ve been the target of many a woman’s interest.

Of course, that’s not to say that your watch will do all the talking for you, but rather, a beautiful timepiece can pique the interest of the honeys who know their brand names. And there’s no harm in that, at least not until they start asking for brand-name items of their own.

what else should guys wear?

Besides the typical watch, what other jewelry is acceptable or unacceptable for guys? Well, I’m glad you asked so that we can clear this up once and for all.

Rings
Unless your name is Fat Tony, I don’t recommend that you wear all kinds of 14K gold, diamond encrusted pinky rings.
Acceptable: A wedding band or a simple ring (read: no frills) is acceptable so long as it’s one ring per ten fingers.

Chains

Wearing a chain around your wrist isn’t the end of the world, so long as it doesn’t clash with the watch you’ve got on.
Acceptable: Wear a strong, sturdy chain (thick enough to suit your wrist); those are typical of men’s dress and look best on a man’s wrist.

Necklaces
Necklaces that have the ability to give you a sore neck or that possess some tacky pendant of a Play..boy bunny or that say “#1 Lover” should be chucked right this minute. Well, go on, I’m waiting…
Acceptable: Again, simplicity is key. So a thin necklace with a small pendant (cross, star of David, zodiac sign, etc.) or no pendant at all can go a long way. Even a beaded necklace can look great with the right outfit.

Earrings
I’m not sure if you’re aware of this just yet, but earrings for men went out of style in the mid-’90s.
Unacceptable: If you’re wearing earrings, then you’ll probably disagree with my assessment about earrings, but believe me, everyone who sees you with metal in your earlobes thinks you’re tawdry.

Body piercings
Bellybutton, tongue, eyebrows, chin, nose… I strongly disapprove of most of these. If you have model appeal, then maybe you can pass with an eyebrow ring.
Unacceptable: Under no circumstances should guys have a piece of jewelry stabbed through their navels; leave that for the ladies. And that goes for the tongue and nose rings too.

go alongs are no-nos

You still have to keep a few things in mind when you sport jewelry. If you’re wearing a ring, that’s fine, but for God’s sake, don’t let your pinky nail grow. In fact, keep all your nails trim and dirt-free.

If you’re wearing a necklace, don’t unbutton your shirt down to your chest and have the necklace hanging between your nipples. All necklaces should hang just past your collarbone.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to wear jewelry whichever way you see fit. What looks good through your eyes, however, may not seem so through mine. To each his own, but the next time you see some babe laughing in your direction, it’s quite possible that it won’t be because she’s impressed by the silver bunny hanging from your neck and caught in your chest hair…

Source: Ask Men

Gent's Comfort Fit Wedding Band, 14kt White Gold Men's 14kt white gold comfort fit wedding band, diagonal design, 6mm wide. Metal: 14kt White Gold

Jewelry as a form of art and investment is becoming increasingly popular. Read on (and click on image below to enlarge):

What do the following trinkets have in common: Jackie O’s gold handbag; Joan Crawford’s Raymond Yard tennis bracelet; journalist and ambassador Clare Boothe Luce’s gold, diamond, and sapphire necklace; and automobile heiress Bernice Chrysler Garbisch’s Van Cleef & Arpels diamond and ruby earrings? If you guessed they were the inventory of a Hearst heiress’ safe deposit box, you’d be wrong. They’re all, ahem, valuable works of art.

These pieces are included in the Museum of the City of New York’s current “Notorious & Notable: 20th Century Women of Style” show. It’s the latest in a growing number of exhibitions treating vintage jewels and accessories as miniature sculptures and objets d’art.

With the art market still very much in recovery mode, collectors are turning to jewelry not only for its artistic value but also for its investment potential. “Since the start of the recession we’ve seen a growing number of new and established collectors come into the market with particular interest in buying jewels as an alternative asset or as a hedge against inflation,” says Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s head of jewelry.

Feeding the craze, museums and galleries around the world are hosting more historical and thematic exhibitions than ever dedicated to 19th and 20th century jewelry. Last year, Lalique and Cartier curated museum shows that toured the country. Next year, Van Cleef & Arpels will mount a retrospective of its work at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York. “The public’s perception of jewelry has absolutely changed. Clients and collectors now have a greater appreciation for fine jewelry as an art form,” says Kadakia.

To a point. Many savvy collectors are also drawn to such pieces because of the increase in the investment value of diamonds and gold, and recent auction sales have reflected this enthusiasm. Kadakia cites Cartier’s multicolored- gem-encrusted “Tutti Frutti” bracelet as an example of the market’s extraor- dinary growth. The limited-edition designer piece fetched about $300,000 at auction 10 years ago. Today prices consistently exceed $1 million. In April, Sotheby’s sold a gold, platinum, and diamond David Webb panther bracelet for $134,500, nearly three times its pre-sale estimate. That same month, Christie’s sold a diamond and emerald brooch once belonging to Catherine the Great for $1.65 million—$400,000 more than its anticipated price.

More experienced collectors are trending toward unique period jewels and pieces from top-tier jewelry houses. It’s a good strategy, Kadakia says, one that has canny buyers seeing positive returns over the long term. One example of a period piece with currency is the Bulgari Blue Diamond ring, a gold band flanked by two enormous triangular diamonds, which will headline Christie’s New York’s Jewels sale this month. Purchased for $1 million in the 1970s, when it was designed, Christie’s expects it to field more than $12 million this time around.

 

Read more at Bloomberg Business Week