Cocktail Rings - Bling in the New Year!

Remember when cocktail rings were only worn by the likes of a caftan-wafting Mrs. Roper on Three’s Company or your wacky Aunt Florence from Miami Beach? Thankfully, those days are long gone, and the jewelry statement has made a major comeback.

Celebs from Angelina Jolie to fashion icon Cate Blanchett wear them with pride on the red carpet, and we've seen them all over the runway this year from Versace's bold gold looks to Marc Jacobs's bohemian-chic stylings.

Cocktail rings emerged in the roaring 20s during Prohibition at illegal, booze-filled ‘cocktail’ parties. Women went big with fashion statements at these underground soirees, flashing their oversized, colorful baubles for all to see. Cocktail rings continued to be popular in the 1940’s and 1950’s but soon became a fixture in Aunt Ida’s cobwebbed jewelry box until recently.

The fashionable baubles generally have an oversized center stone of 3 carats or more and are typically worn on the right hand (any finger will do). They come in two gemstone categories: higher-priced precious stones (rubies, emeralds, sapphires) or the more affordable semi-precious options like citrine, aquamarine, peridot, etc. They also come in a variety of costume options, like this fabulous oversized, recession-friendly star ring from Nicole Ritchie’s House of Harlow jewelry line for only $38 bucks.

Because of their affordable price points and wide style range, cocktail rings are the perfect alternative to a more expensive diamond piece. The bigger and bolder the better. And since the economy will most likely have us wearing that little black dress more often this year, a cocktail ring is the perfect way to take things up a notch.

Jewelry.com features a great selection of cocktail rings in all shades of the rainbow:

This amethyst flower ring covers both the purple and flower-shape trend for 2009.










Blue and white topaz bring in the New Year for only $99









And this psychedelic mystic topaz ring from JCPenney is almost $300 off the original price.










Champagne in one hand and a big old rock on the other - -seems the perfect way to ‘ring’ in the New Year, don’t you think?

Building A Basic Jewelry Wardrobe

Whether you're accessorizing for work or play, having the right jewelry can go a long way in helping you project an image of confidence and individual style. But how do you develop that style when you're building your jewelry wardrobe from scratch?

According to Jewelry.com, developing your own style means "knowing yourself": what you like and dislike. To determine this, ask yourself "What is my ideal?" and "What turns my head?" Decide if that means contemporary or classic jewelry styles; streamlined or detailed; colored stones or white diamonds.

Also, listen to style-related comments from others. What outfits or accessories do people compliment you on? This will give you important clues about the kind of jewelry that looks best on you.

Next, make sure what you've selected fits your personality and lifestyle. For instance, if you spend a lot of time doing activities outdoors, consider simple earrings that won't dangle too far and get in the way. Comfort is a must. If something is either physically or psychologically uncomfortable to wear, you'll have trouble projecting the kind of confidence and competence integral to developing a personal style.

As for the jewelry itself, stick with the basics in the beginning. The rule of thumb is to always buy the best-quality basics you can afford, so you can add matching pieces later. In gold jewelry, such basics should include a gold chain necklace, classic hoop or button earrings, and a link bracelet. Additions could include slide-on pendants or drops to create different looks with your necklace and earrings. In diamond jewelry, classic stud earrings or a solitaire pendant should be among your first purchases.

Experts advise that you begin with classic shapes that look appropriate with a variety of outfits, and then add pieces that offer versatility of wear or a fashion touch, such as different colors or finishes.

And don't overlook the importance of selecting jewelry that suits your body type. For instance, your height and bone structure play a big role in determining the kind of jewelry that looks best on you. A smaller, petite woman would be better served with necklace lengths that fall below the breast but above the waist to elongate her figure. Meanwhile, a tall, thin woman may want to select a choker that cuts the line of the neck and de-emphasizes her height. And a full-figured woman should stay away from jewelry that's too small or delicate.

Equally important to style are face shapes. The four basic are oval, round, rectangular and heart-shaped. If your face is oval, triangular-shaped earrings are especially flattering. A round shape should seek elongated, dangling styles that draw the eyes down, rather than around. For a rectangular face, try jewelry that adds width, camouflaging the length of the face. And for heart-shaped faces, look for earrings that are wider at the bottom, because style can soften a pointed chin look.

And don't forget to consider your hand type if you're purchasing rings. If you're long-fingered, wider bands will look especially good on you. If you're short-fingered, thinner bands and stone shapes such as marquise or pear that elongate the hand would be a good choice.

Purple Jewelry Reigns for 2009

New Year’s Eve is around the corner, and it’s time to hone in on the jewelry look that’s going to take your fabulous self into the early hours of 2009. It’s a big decision, I know. And while you can certainly never go wrong with diamonds, of course, there is another trend emerging in the fashion world that is worth a jewelry hound’s attention these days. In a word: purple.

Purples in every incarnation – from fuchsia to lavender, violet to plum - lit up the runways this season, and the hue is sure to have staying power well into spring. There is a reason President Elect Obama calls it his favorite stripe on the rainbow.

Purple is a powerful color that has long been associated with royalty and nobility. Color psychologists deem purple the color of good judgment and spiritual fulfillment and claim it also fosters peace of mind.

Will it also foster a rise in my 401k balance? Just asking…

So what jewelry is best to bring out your inner purple princess?

Amethysts are gorgeous gemstones that come in a variety of purple pigments. They have long been a favorite gem of kings and queens - and as an added bonus? They’ve been used throughout history to guard against drunkenness and mental disorders.

Pass the bubbly!


But if your intention is to get a little tipsy on December 31st, perhaps a tanzanite ensemble will add sparkle while you say goodbye to your sobriety.

Although tanzanite is a relative newcomer to the gemstone market, it has made its mark on the jewelry world in a hurry. This rare, exotic gem was first discovered by Portuguese prospector Manuel d'Souza in the Merelani Hills of Tanzania in 1967 in the shadow of majestic Mount Kilimanjaro. The gem comes in a variety of purple shades, but most fall in the light purple or lavender color category.

And if these gemstones don’t work for you, there are purple sapphires and purple topaz jewelry styles to make the likes of Prince and the runway rats proud. So get in touch with your purple passion, dazzle hounds, and add the royal color to your jewelry box for 2009.

Dolce & Gabbana Make Diamonds & Pearls

Prince isn’t the only icon to sing the praises of Diamonds and Pearls, now the famous fashion duo, Dolce & Gabbana, are getting in on the act.

To celebrate over two decades of their successful partnership, the tony twosome is launching a new book appropriately titled, Diamonds & Pearls, which Domenico Dolce describes as “an invitation to the public into our own personal world: one of luxury, intense pleasure and seduction, but also a dreamlike world featuring grotesque and ambiguous situations that verge on the paradoxical”.

Fashion designers love their paradoxical adjectives, don’t they just?

The book is a collaboration with the Austrian photographer Guenter Parth, whom they chose because he specializes in still-life images. The fashion that graces the pages was personally selected by D & G to highlight jewelry of all kinds – from gemstones to diamonds, gold leaves to pearls.

And in a bizarre turn, the clothes are not worn by models but by what the pair call three “real dolls”, or lifelike mannequins made to bear a striking resemblance to real women and built following specifications for their “ideal woman”.

“The three dolls symbolize the perfect woman: we deliberately chose not to take any top model as an aesthetic reference when we made them,” Gabbana explains to The National Newspaper.

I’m not sure that their ultimate muse, Madonna, would approve of replacing flesh and blood with mannequins that are three hairs shy of a blow-up doll in couture, but I suppose anything goes in the name of art.

The book retails for $270 and is available in select D & G boutiques worldwide. All proceeds benefit children's charity, Butterfly Onlus Foundation.

Tom Brady Pops the Question

Sidelined QB and all-around hottie, Tom Brady, gave his uber-model girlfriend, Gisele Bundschen, the ultimate Christmas gift this year: a diamond engagement ring. And the lucky lady said ‘yes’!

Well, duh.

According to the pillar of journalistic integrity, TMZ, the Patriots’ fearless leader proposed on a private jet that took off from New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport and landed in Boston. Four dozen roses, champagne and Gisele’s parents were on board to set the mood. (The mile high club membership will obviously be dealyed until the honeymoon…)

Brady and Bundschen have been dating since late 2006, following her split with actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Brady’s highly publicized breakup with former girlfriend Bridget Moynahan, with whom he also has a son.

Rumors of an engagement between the two have been circulating since late October, when it was reported that Brady was spotted in Beverly Hills looking at a five carat, yellow diamond engagement ring. However, according to the Boston Herald, Gisele said that she would rather have an “antique-looking and understated” ring.

And the final verdict? No photos have surfaced yet of the rock that took the richest supermodel off the market, but you can bet I’ll be on the look out.

And as for the groom-to-be, he’s apparently taken a new job as ‘Gisele’s errand boy’ while he’s sidelined with an injury until next season. If this football thing doesn’t work out, maybe he has a future in wedding planning?

Happy Holidays Jewelry Hounds!

Just a quick note to let all you glamorous glitter hounds out there know that I'll be signing off here until the 26th for a little holiday cheer. I hope you all find lots of little boxes with your name on them this year!

I've sent out all the subliminal messages over the blogosphere I could on your behalf...Fingers crossed.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

(giveherjewelryyougiftgivingstudshinythingsnotsocksets
diamondsdoitbetterbirthstonesnotbathrobes...)

Diamond Engagement Rings: A History

Ever wondered how the diamond engagement ring became the superstar of the jewelry world? The Jewelry Insider offers a brief history for your reading pleasure.

'Tis the season to pop that fateful question fellas...

Diamond Engagement Rings: A History

Because of their beauty, strength and durability, diamonds for centuries have symbolized the eternal love of two people that have pledged to join together in marriage.

The actual tradition of giving a diamond engagement ring as a promise of marriage is thought to have started in 1477, when Archduke Maximillian of Austria presented Mary of Burgundy with a diamond ring. This practice became a trend among royalty and the wealthy, and the rest of the world's upper classes began to embrace it over the next few centuries.

But giving a diamond engagement ring as a symbol of betrothal really started to become an established, widespread tradition once the gems became more accessible and affordable to the public. And that all started in 1870 with the discovery of diamond mines in South Africa. These new sources flooded the market and led to the creation of the De Beers conglomerate to control the worldwide diamond supply. During these early decades of the De Beers dynasty, diamond sales flourished in Europe, the United States and other key world markets.

By the late 1930s, however, the United States and much of Europe was in the wake of the Depression, and Europe was bracing for the start of World War II - and demand for diamonds had plummeted to an all-time low. Thus, De Beers diamond mogul Sir Ernest Oppenheimer sent his son Harry to New York to meet with the N.W Ayer advertising agency. The plan was to transform America's taste for small, low-quality stones into a true luxury market that would absorb the excess production of higher-quality gems no longer selling in Europe. The result of Ayer and young Oppenheimer's efforts was a campaign - led by the enduring "A Diamond is Forever" slogan - that helped turn the United States into the premier market for the world's supply of gem-quality diamonds. The successful campaign also cemented the diamond's status as the engagement ring stone of choice in America.

Here are some other interest historical facts related to the engagement ring:

• The tradition of placing both the engagement ring and wedding band on the fourth finger of the left hand stems from a Greek belief that a certain vein in that finger, the vena amoris, runs directly to the heart.
• In the Middle Ages, men often kept a betrothal ring suspended from the band of their hats, ready to give to their chosen maid.
• Posy rings, which were inscribed with love poems and messages, were popular betrothal rings from the Middle Ages until Victorian times.
• A popular engagement ring style during the Renaissance was called the "Gimmel," or twin, ring. The ring was typically made of two (or three) interlocking rings: one worn by the bride-to-be, and another by the groom-to-be (and sometimes a third worn by a witness). All three parts were reunited into one to become the wedding ring on the day of marriage. Martin Luther and Catherine Bora were wed with an inscribed gimmel ring in 1525.
• The smallest engagement ring on record was given to two-year-old Prince Mary, daughter of Henry VIII, on the event of her betrothal to the infant Dauphin of France, son of King Francis I, in 1518. Mary's tiny gold ring was set with a diamond.
• A diamond cluster ring in the shape of a long pointed oval was popular as an engagement ring during the time of Louis XVI (1754-1793), and remained fashionable for 150 years afterward.
• Hearts were popular motifs for engagement and wedding rings during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Such rings often combined rubies (signifying love) and diamonds (signifying eternity).
• Despite the diamond's growing hold on the bridal market, colored stone rings were still quite popular in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Often, the first letter of the stones within the setting spelled out the name of the giver or a word (for example, "dearest" would be represented by diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, epidote, sapphire and turquoise).
• Queen Victoria's (1819-1901) engagement ring was in the form of a serpent. The snake motif was believed to be a symbol of good luck.
• The Tiffany, or solitaire, setting was introduced in the late nineteenth century.
• The "princess ring," a type of English engagement ring sporting three to five large diamonds in a row across the top, was popular in the United States in the early twentieth century. The three-stone style has enjoyed a major comeback recently.
• In the early part of the twentieth century, platinum was the metal of choice for engagement rings because of its strength and durability in holding a diamond. However, platinum was declared a strategic metal during World War II, and its usage was restricted to military purposes. This led to the rise of both yellow and white gold in bridal jewelry.
• The famous "A Diamond is Forever" campaign established many of today's standards for diamond engagement rings, including the "two months' salary" guideline - which basically says that a prospective groom should plan to spend two months' salary on an engagement ring for his bride-to-be.
  
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Championship Ring Sales on the Rise

Professional athletes dedicate their entire life to achieving one goal: winning a championship. And while big salaries, flashy diamond jewelry and a visit from MTV Cribs goes along with being at the top of the heap, nothing is more symbolic of a number-one ranking than that big-old, gaudy-as-all-get-out championship ring.

They make those hideous high school class rings we all bought back in the day look like trinkets from a gumball machine, right? Regardless, you have to think that these guys count the symbolic bauble among their most prized possessions.

But CNBC reports this morning the sad news that more and more sports stars are hocking their championship rings for cash these days due to economic woes.

Say it ain’t so!

Can you imagine anyone from that miracle Super Bowl-winning Giants team last year selling the ring that symbolizes the triumph of the ultimate underdog? According to Tim Robbins from Championship-Rings.net, someone already has.

Robbins tells CNBC that championship ring sales are enjoying a banner year as the economy adds to the pressures of athletes who may have more bills than their paychecks can cover.

“A lot of times people sell the rings because of what we call the three D’s. It’s usually drugs, divorce, and/or death. And in recent times we’ve had to add an “E” to it because of the economy.”

But why don’t these guys just get rid of the fourth Porsche in the driveway or the second home in the Hamptons?

“With players, it’s more of a private sale. Instead of going off and selling their house, their expensive cars, they look for items that most people don’t see very often because they don’t necessarily wear their rings out everywhere,” Robbins explains.

It’s a sad day in Mudville, sportsfans, when you hear something like this. Maybe because jewelry is (to us dazzle hounds, especially) the ultimate expression of emotion and experience, but also because the rings represent memories that will no longer get passed down through the families of these guys.

A Porsche is nice and all, but a diamond ring is (as they say) forever. Even if it looks like something from Liberace's treasure chest.

Diamond Jewelry Gifts Go Back to Basics

It’s that time of year again – and, guys, the Jewelry Insider knows how you feel. You’ve been thinking about what to get her for weeks now - putting it off until somehow the gift-giving gods provided some kind of divine inspiration. But now it’s crunch time, and you’ve got, well, a whole lot of nothing. Am I right?

The good news is: there’s still time. And the better news? We have the perfect gift idea that will wow her without breaking the bank. Diamonds.

Why spend money on meaningless cardigans, boring bathrobes and sad-sack sock sets when you can consolidate your list into one shining gift that she’ll treasure forever?

According to the Diamond Information Center’s Sally Morrison, diamond jewelry is experiencing a return to basics this holiday season. Staples like diamond studs are a surefire winner. Three-stone jewelry and right hand rings are also popular choices. And while interest rates may be lowering (along with the stock market and our 401k balances), there’s no denying that love will never go out of fashion. In other words – pop the question fellas. There’s no time like the present!

Ms. Morrison also points out that price points for all of these jewelry categories are far from frightening – and I couldn’t agree more.

In a recent appearance on Chanell 11 news in New York, she features these diamond studs from Jewelry.com for only $250.















And how about this 1/4 carat three-stone diamond dazzler for just a bit more?

















And what better way to get rid of those butterflies than to get on bended knee with this stunning diamond bridal set from Kay Jewelers for only $700!















So take your finger off the panic button, gentlemen, and let one little box do all the talking this holiday season. ‘Less is more’ never looked this good.