10 timeless and classic pieces of jewelry to add to your jewelry box


When overhauling your entire wardrobe is out of the question, it's still possible to update your look with the help of key accessories. But the pieces you wear needn't be so trendy that they have to be replaced each season, either.

By choosing classic pieces of jewelry, you'll be able to add a touch of glam to your existing wardrobe and can count on them to last you season after season. We checked in with Gino Priolo at Ex Aurum Jewellers, to find out which pieces of jewelry you should consider adding to your collection.


1. Pearls
Pearls are one of the earliest known gems to be coveted by man. From ancient Greece, when brides wore pearls to promote wedded bliss, to royal weddings throughout history, pearls have long been the symbol of accomplishment and status. Soft, sensuous, lustrous and smooth, their beauty embodies the very essence of a woman.

Suitable for women of all ages, pearls are the most sporting of gems and are the easiest to wear. Their versatility is equally as appropriate with blue jeans as with evening gowns. Their luster flatters all skin tones by creating a warm radiance. While color is a matter of personal preference, white pearls tend to look best on fair skin and cream tones are more flattering on darker complexions.

2. A gold chain
A 14 or 18K gold, 18-inch chain is a staple in a classic jewelry wardrobe as it can be worn alone or with a matching gold pendant. It is the perfect accompaniment to minimalist styles and monochromatic outfits, from knits to more tailored, structured styles. Since Roman times, these pieces have been winding their way around necks. Generally speaking, the less cluttered the neckline, the more elaborate the necklace can be.

3. A diamond solitaire pendant
The diamond solitaire pendant is "the little black dress of necklaces," in that it is the most versatile of all necklaces. Sitting in the hollow of the neck, there is nothing prettier. It pairs with anything from a white shirt to a strapless gown.



What about earrings? Bracelets? What kinds of pieces should you look for when you want a timeless look?

1. Pearl studs
The white seven-millimetre pearl stud goes with absolutely everything and is the single most versatile, no-fuss earring for everyday use. It complements every face shape and goes from nine to five and all through to evening.

2. Diamond studs
Equally at home with sportswear as evening dress, diamond stud earrings light up the face and are totally elegant and appropriate in any situation. For everyday use, a half carat is best.

3. Hoops
A silver or gold 14K medium-size hoop earring is a pleasing shape for most faces, and is as perfect with a business suit, as it is with a white shirt, or black turtleneck sweater. It adapts to more casual weekend wear as well.

4. A silver cuff
Elsa Peretti's silver cuff – sleek minimalism at its best – has been a Tiffany's best seller since the bracelet debuted in 1974. It goes anywhere with anything, and looks particularly great with black and grey. It is the perfect accent to unstructured suits and knits.

5. A gold link bracelet
A gold link bracelet is essentially a daytime look that has been around for hundreds of years. It is a great investment because it is always in style, can be worn with business and casual attire and will be worn for decades to come. Yellow gold is great with any color, and white gold is best for women who prefer to wear a lot of black and gray.

6. A tennis bracelet
When Chris Evert dropped her diamond bracelet on the tennis court in 1987, this bracelet (known as "the line bracelet" for 50 years) gained its current classically essential status. Now called the tennis bracelet, it's is as versatile in the daytime as it is elegant in the evening hours.



How do you decide between yellow gold and white gold and sterling silver?

Historically, gold has been associated with things of beauty and wealth. Prized for its rarity, gold is one of the most durable and flattering materials for jewelry, as it brings a warm glow to the skin.

White gold, like moonlight, casts a coolness. Its look is modern and urban, but versatile enough to lend itself to many interpretations.

Silver is considered a little more youthful and therefore may not be as versatile as gold.

Jewelry Trends 2010-2011

Jewelry Trends 2010 – 2011






Coming out of the recession that made us all a bit nervous and tightening our pocketbooks... we have pared down to a simple way of looking at things. Big and bold gives us two distinct feelings when it comes to our jewelry: Extravagant and safe. These are the feelings that played out during these tough economic times and now we have a different feeling ahead of us... a sense of relief, a sense of balance and beginning.

Whenever we feel as consumers that the time is right for paring down, we focus on simple designs and simple, warm colors. Plain metals and eco friendly materials: wood, bone, simple and soft semi-precious stones with Earth colors and a simple palette will prevail for 2011. This is our breathing room. This is our nervousness winding down. Gone are the statement necklaces of the past two years and in with the thinner, yet charming and graceful strands. Creativity will overrun our need for security and gentle pairings of blackened metals and all natural materials: pearls, bamboo and recycled media will tone things down considerably.

Pearls will be the big player as we see them with different eyes than ever before. They will convey a sense of hope and simplicity with tones that will match anything in your wardrobe. If the recession keeps us as consumers from buying everything we want and making smarter choices, we will have to go with what we can get the most mileage from. I know one very positive thing: we needed this recession. We needed to correct the overdone hype and over-the-top, crowded marketplace with designers that are not taking themselves too seriously! I welcome the very simple, yet creative work that will be here for us this year.

QuickStart Report

Whether you are a collector, a fashionista or a specialty shop retailer, knowing what fashion jewelry trends are current and coming is vital and then being able to duplicate the trend at a fraction of the designer or retail pieces is essential. After much market research and trend-spotting, I have compiled a list of the jewelry trends for 2011. In summary;

- Antique, Vintage, Retro & New Combinations
- Dramatic, unique, unusual necklaces (simple... yet exotic)
- Ornamented Bracelets
- Eclectic Natural Look
- Crystal, Rhinestone & Venetian Art Glass (...mainstays...)
- Black, Grey and Neutrals
- 2011 Color Predictions (you'll love the blues)
- Faux & Real Pearls
- Over-The-Top Rings (not gaudy, but daring)
- Enormous Hoops and Chandelier Earrings
- Green Eco Aware Movement (tastefully delicious)

London—Pieces from a renowned collection of jewelry once owned by Wallis Simpson, the infamous Duchess of Windsor, will hit the auction block at Sotheby's in late November. But first, the jewels are embarking on an international tour.

Included among the touring items are a number of Cartier creations, a jeweled Van Cleef & Arpels purse and a series of silver items and medals that were once property of Edward VIII. The pieces are currently on display in London and will move on to Hong Kong, Moscow, New York and Geneva before a Nov. 30 auction, where they are expected to fetch around $4.7 million.

The Sotheby's auction will mark the first time the Duchess of Windsor jewels have returned to market in 23 years, back when the auction house sold the items as part of an auction that fetched $50 million.

The collection is renowned both for its exquisite jewels from the great European jewelry houses, as well as for the story that they tell of a romance that led Edward VIII, who became king in 1936, to abdicate the throne of Great Britain.

An American socialite, Simpson was once divorced and married a second time when she began a relationship with Edward VIII, then Prince of Wales. Months into his reign as king, Edward caused a national scandal, declaring that he would give up the throne to marry the now twice-divorced Simpson.

The pair became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and the jewelry they commissioned over the years illustrates key events in their historic relationship. Included among the auction pieces are a Cartier onyx and diamond panther bracelet designed in 1952; a flamingo brooch featuring rubies, sapphires, emeralds, citrines and diamonds, bought in 1940; and a number of inscribed designs.

A heart-shaped emerald, ruby and diamond brooch by Cartier features the initials "W.E.," for "Wallis and Edward," and commemorates the pair's 20th wedding anniversary. Another Cartier diamond bracelet is studded with nine gem-set Latin crosses, each representing special moments in Simpson's life from 1934 to 1944.

Today, the Duchess of Windsor jewels remain the most valuable single-owner jewelry collection ever sold, Sotheby's said in a media release.
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About Fluorescence

What is fluorescence?

Fluorescence is the visible light some diamonds emit when they are exposed to invisible ultraviolet (UV) rays. On a GIA diamond grading report, fluorescence refers to the strength, or intensity, of the diamond's reaction to long-wave UV, which is an essential component of daylight. The light emitted lasts as longs as the diamond is exposed to the ultraviolet light.

Is Fluorescence common?

Yes. Of the diamonds submitted to GIA over the past decade, approximately 25% to 35% exhibit some degree of fluorescence. However, only 10% of those show strengths of fluorescence that may impact appearance (i.e. strengths noted on laboratory reports as medium, strong, and very strong). In more than 95% of the diamonds that exhibits fluorescence, the color seen is blue. In rare instances, the reaction is yellow, white or another color.

What impact does fluorescence have on the appearance of a diamond?

GIA studies show that, for the overwhelming majority of diamonds, the strength of fluorescence has no widely noticeable effect on appearance. In many instances, observers prefer the appearance of diamonds that have medium to strong fluorescence. In rare cases, some diamonds with extremely strong fluorescence may appear hazy or oily; fewer that 0.2% of the fluorescent diamonds submitted to GIA exhibit this effect.

Does fluorescence compromise the structural integrity of the diamond?

No. A diamond that fluoresces has the same integrity as one with no reaction to UV. Submicroscopic substitutions and/or shifts in the diamond structure can cause fluorescence as well as prevent it. Nothing in either instance inherently weakens or is bad for the diamond.


Excerpt provided by GIA Gem Institute of America

WHY DID MY SKIN TURN GREEN? Solutions to keep jewellry from discoloring your skin.

Has gold and other jewellry ever left greenish or black marks on your skin? It's happened to most of us at least once or twice, and even though some people are allergic to certain materials, most staining isn't caused by an allergy--it's a reaction between our skin and the metals used in jewellry, especially when the jewelry touches areas that perspire.

Copper Jewellry

Copper reacts to turns skin green. The piece you're wearing might not be pure copper, but it might have enough copper in it to cause a reaction, and some people seem to have body chemistry that's prone to staining.


Sterling Silver

Sterling silver is 7.5 percent copper, but the most common stains from sterling silver jewellry are black, and occur when the metal tarnishes (darkens due to a reaction with gases in the air). Some sterling pieces are coated with products that help keep them from tarnishing, but the coatings will wear off in time.

Gold shouldn't cause staining, should it?

Gold itself hardly ever stains your skin, it's the other metals that gold is mixed with that do. Copper, nickel and silver can be used to alter the color of gold, and make it stronger and more affordable. Any of those metals can cause discoloration on your skin.

The lower the "K" number on your gold (Karat), the less pure gold it contains--and the more other metals. Some people never have a reaction to the metals in even 10K gold, but others must buy 18K pieces to stop the discoloration.

More About Gold

Nickel Allergies

If you are allergic to nickel, you won't just have stained skin. Jewellry that contains the metal will make your skin itchy and red where it comes in contact with your body.

Gold Plated & Gold Filled Jewellry

The thin layer of gold in gold plated jewellry can wear off, exposing an inexpensive base metal that can stain your skin

Gold filled jewellry is made with a thicker outer layer of gold, so it doesn't wear off as quickly.

Ways to Eliminate Staining

* Switch to 18 Karat gold, a more pure metal.
* Platinum is expensive, but rarely reacts with our skin.
* Ask your jeweller if the piece can be coated with a new layer of metal or a clear protective film along edges that touch your skin.
* Coat the jewellry with clear nail polish where it touches your skin.
* Choose stainless steel jewellry when possible, especially when buying body jewellry components.
* Titanium is another metal choice, for its non-staining qualities and for people with metal allergies.
* Watch for jewellry labeled hypo-allergenic. It's formulated for people with heightened sensitivities to metals.
* Keep your skin dry when wearing jewellry.
* Wear offending pieces for only a short time.
* Keep your jewellry clean and tarnish-free.

26
May
2010
Sex and the City 2 trailer features jewelry for every personality The ladies of Sex and the City know good jewelry.

Do you hear that sound? It’s the rumble of women across the nation getting ready to hit the theaters when Sex and the City 2 is released tomorrow night! We got a sneak peek at the trailer, and the main characters’ jewelry looks wonderful.

Of course, the pieces perfectly fit each of the lovely ladies’ personalities.

Miranda is the smart one, and her jewelry choices speak to her intelligence. The vibrant redhead was caught wearing a pair of golden hoop earrings that perfectly matched her gold dress, and was also seen wearing red earrings to match a beautiful conservative dress. It looks like the character has a lot of jewelry know-how, as matching the exact color of your jewelry to your outfit is a brilliant move.

Charlotte is refined and classy, and it looked like her jewelry complemented this idea. The beautiful brunette (and now mom of two) keeps it simple and with her engagement and wedding rings on her hands. She also chooses to wear simple classic pieces, such as diamond earrings or a string of pearls.

Samantha is the girl who’s bold, and she puts on jewelry to complement this trait. Throughout the trailer she’s caught wearing bold gold earrings and a bunch of loud gold bangle bracelets.

Last but certainly not least, there’s Carrie. The icon, who is known for being a combination of all her pals, donned a bold, sparkling necklace and a simple bracelet on her arm. The look was smart, classy and sexy all at once.

Considering all the fabulous jewelry pieces we saw in the trailer, we can’t wait for the film. We’ll be there at midnight tomorrow!

Sarah Jessica Parker sports diamond jewelry, tattoos, at Oscars 08 Mar 2010

Sarah Jessica Parker wears diamond bangle bracelets to the Oscars. Fans of fashion mogul Sarah Jessica Parker can always count on the blonde bombshell to scout out cutting edge threads, and she was a pioneer of jewelry trends as well on Oscar night.

The Sex and the City 2 star paired her beautiful, butter-yellow Chanel dress with a slew of beautiful diamond bangle bracelets that added texture and interest to the couture gown. They also gave what could have been an uber-girlie look a little bit of an edge.

Parker also wore diamond cocktail rings and floral diamond earrings.

In addition to the real diamonds, the actress wore skin-art on her wrist. The temporary tattoo is from Chanel’s new Les Trompe-L’oeil temporary skin art collection, and it resembles a delicate diamond bracelet.

SJP can do no wrong in our book, but we think that we prefer diamonds the old fashioned way – forever.

What do you guys think? Would you try out this temporary jewelry trend or will you stick to the real deal?