Jewellery for the holiday season.

Jewellery empowers us. It makes us feel important regardless of the occasion. Of course, when selecting jewellery its important to know what works and what doesn’t. When going out for a party, you might want to keep the jewellery understated, but eye catching. Similarly, a wedding may be the perfect event to show off your gold jewelry. No matter what the occasion, we will help you select the right jewellery so you can step out looking fabulous all the time.

What to wear - At the office holiday party

The year 2013 comes to a close and as we say goodbye to the old year, the parties have already begun to ring in the new year. If your office is celebrating the new year with a party it may be a fine time for you to make the right impression. A pair of elegant diamond earrings teamed up with a red or black dress is a perfect way to make your outfit pop, while keeping things classy. Silver bracelets are also a good choice for ladies who want to show off their festive manicure.

What to wear - To the New Year Dance

The end of the year brings with it the onset of celebrations and if you’re the type who loves to party with their dancing shoes on, a new years ball is a must. At such black tie gatherings, it’s important to look the part. Opt for a long black dress, high heels, and an updo for your basic outfit.

For jewellery fans, an occasion like this presents much opportunities for showing off your precious collection of jewellery, but don’t overdo it. Diamond and Crystal necklaces are very much in vogue and can accentuate a plunging neckline. Try to find hair sticks for your updo that have gem accents on them. Chandelier earrings can help bring out that new hairstyle, and also help keep that outfit runway chic.

What to wear - Dinner with the extended family

It’s usually that time of the year when the turkey’s are carved, egg nog is prepared and the entire family gets together to celebrate the holidays. If you meet them just once or twice a year it may be a good idea to dress formally,  grey skirt, black flats, and a white button down blouse. A pair of sapphire earrings and a simple diamond ring may be all the company you need in terms of jewellery.

If you meet them often, (once a month) then you could get away with wearing casuals, t-shirt and jeans teamed up with a simple diamond ring.

What to wear - For the after party

If you’re the clubbing type, who prefers to ring in the new year with song and dance, you should know that what you wear at the club will determine how the rest of your night plays out. Usually a short dress and a good pair of heels is all you need to wear at a club. In terms of jewellery, earrings and bangles can go a long way. This year, chandelier earrings and hoop earrings are both making a comeback, so pick up a pair before you head out a long way. Adding bangles to your outfit is a great way to complete a fun outfit without having to splurge too much. Lastly, wearing a toe ring or a simple silver ring on your finger can also help put together a funky but fun outfit that will have heads turning.

So, how are you going to be decked up for the holidays? Ask us all your jewellery related questions below and we will answer them. Happy Holidays!

This holiday season’s hottest jewelry trends - II

The holidays are a time for more than just warm fires, family gatherings, carol singing and binging on Christmas goodies. They are a time to go out, socialise, party and truly live it up. And when the question of what to wear to these parties has been sorted, another more pertinent question arises, what do I wear to accessorise my perfect ensemble?

The answer to that question can be traced back to the world’s fashion capitals for the most happening trends in jewelry and accessories. From Milan, New York, Paris and Rome, we bring you the latest, most up to date trends in jewelry, to enable you to truly make a splash and a statement at your next holiday do!

The seasons hottest trends:

While earrings and conventional jewelry are always the rage, this season you may want to look at unconventional pieces of jewelry, think as wacky as you can and chances are you will find that to be the season’s most defining piece. Don’t believe us? Keep reading…

# 1. Bracelet clutch handles:

A clutch purse always contains your essentials, now how about turning it into a signature jewelry piece for the holiday season? How does one do that? Well the answer is quite simple, a clutch purse with a bejewelled handle that fits around your wrist like a bracelet. Sounds far fetched? Well these are all the rage in Paris right now, where the creative geniuses at major fashion labels are combining leather and jewelry to make a statement of pure decadence on the runways.

# 2. One word necklaces:

You may have seen these on hip hop artists, who wear them mostly as a combination of rings. This season though, one word necklaces are all the rage with the runways of Milan, buzzing with activity about them. Positive words like LOVE, COOL, HAPPY, SEXY and AMAZING set into metals of choice, either adorned with precious stones or simply left unadorned are gracing the necks of models, glitterati and celebrities too! So what’s your word of choice this season?

# 3. Chandelier Earrings

Classic, timeless and the epitome of elegance. Chandelier Earrings are one piece that refuses to go out of style. In Rome. London and New York, the fashion weeks and ramp shows are replete with models showcasing this look. When teamed with either a simple diamond solitaire necklace or a bare neck, and an off shoulder gown, chandelier earrings are bound to make a statement of elegance and sophistication, not to mention the looks of envy and admiration from all and sundry.

Diamond Chandelier Earrings

# 4. Mineral Necklaces

Worn as a choker, mineral necklaces are what fashionistas are raving about this season. Featuring a range of pendants in unconventional stones such as aquamarine, jasper and agate, these mineral necklaces are perfect accompaniments to high necked sweaters, turtlenecks and open shirts. Very elegant and yet rustic and earthy, a definite must have this holiday season!

# 5. Brooches

With their old world charm, intricate craftsmanship, their appeal as collectibles and as family heirlooms, brooches are an unusual, yet highly in vogue jewelry trend this season. While they can be made from either, gold, silver or platinum, this season’s predominant trend favours gold with precious and semi precious stones in animal, insect and flower shapes.

# 6. Solid gold medallions

Singular and distinctive, inlaid or simple, medallions are the flavour of the season. While traditionally used as a pendant, traditions are meant to be rewritten in fashion and this season the medallion is being use as bracelets, as earrings, as brooches and as rings. Shiny and round with intricate designs seem to be firm favorites with models and celebrities alike!

This holiday season’s hottest jewelry trends - I

Joy to the world, it’s the most wonderful time of the year, to deck the halls, and rock around the Christmas. It may seem like the weirdest sentence ever constructed, but the holiday season does bring out a wee bit of excitement even in the grumpiest of us. It is that time of the year when the world seems to take a vacation, trick itself out in all its finery and absolutely everyone is on a jolly trip. It is also that time of year, when gift giving isn’t a choice, it is the norm!

And what better way to show your special someone that you haven’t forgotten about them, or simply state what they mean to you than by gifting them something that shows them everything that you are trying so hard to say. Wow! That was one long sentence, to try and sum up one simple word… JEWELRY.

The ultimate statement of love and appreciation, jewelry is the perfect gift, all round the year, but even more so at this time. So here are a few trends to be aware of when you are buying your special someone a little something-something shiny, this holiday season.

This seasons hottest trends:

# 1. Go Bold or Go Home:

All the world’s fashion capitals saw one jewelry trend that absolutely swept all others away. Going BOLD. And that means, simply wearing one standout piece of jewelry that defined your entire ensemble. Now that piece could be a diamond ring, with a single large stone, flanked by a bezel ingrained with smaller diamonds. A choker, with a large central stone and precious metal lattice work around it, or a solitaire pendant with a rather large crystalline carbon rock. The bold look is all the rage this holiday season.

# 2. Get wristy:

A handcuff you will gladly wear. We aren’t getting naughty, we’re simply trying to describe another of the season’s hottest trends, bracelets. Whether they be slender and ornate or chunky and simple, bracelets are all the rage, with some of the fashion world’s leading names showing off new designs at all their shows. Quick tip: A bracelet is an amazing accessory, irrespective of the kind of outfit, formal or casual, a definite must have in your accessory cabinet.

# 3.  The most wonderful time, to PROPOSE…

The holidays are a time of unbridled joy and what better time to ask your beloved to settle down with you, than the happiest time of the year, right? The trend in engagement rings remains unchanged, go classic, timeless, go solitaire. A single diamond in the cut of your choice in either platinum or white gold is the perfect way to sweep your lady love of her feet and make her heart skip a beat.

# 4. Make her ears ring with joy

Diamond earrings are HOT this season with designs like flowers, animal shapes and abstracts ruling the roost. The choice of metals too is mind boggling, from the traditional favourites of Gold, Platinum and Silver, to new kids on the block, Titanium, Palladium and Tungsten. Whichever you pick, remember to put some thought into what will look regal and gorgeous on your lady love’s ears. And we’re sure it will be like sweet music to her ears!

# 5. Keep it surprising, unusual pieces

There is some merit in getting your beloved a piece that is unusual. What do we mean by that? Well a piece that not everyone either possesses or can carry off. Think exotic, like nose rings, anklets, or a girdle. Something that isn’t run on the mill and she doesn’t possess. If they are encrusted with diamonds… so much the better! Imagine the surprise on her face when she unwraps her gift to find one of the aforementioned pieces. We’re betting it will be priceless!

Sources:

http://4csblog.gia.edu/2013/4cs-diamond-tips-diamond-jewelry-holiday-buying

http://www.michaelherrdiamonds.com/holiday-jewelry-trends-2013/

Why it pays to buy a certified diamond.

Diamonds represent the epitome of luxury, decadence and absolute excess. Diamonds have long been held in high esteem by humanity for their, beauty, radiance and unbridled sheen. When diamonds are bought and sold however, some diamonds are more expensive than others, and this happens solely because some gems are of a higher grade than others. These grades include, but are not restricted to the 4Cs (Cut, Color, Carat and Clarity), and pre-determined tests that are conducted by a 3rd party laboratory to determine the grade of the stone in question.

The history of Diamond Certification:

We all know that by the late 1800s, De Beers was the world’s largest diamond miner and supplier. The stones mined from De Beers’ mines were bought and sold the world over. In the 1890s, the London Syndicate, a collaborative syndicate of buyers and sellers of diamonds mined in De Beers’ mines came up with a grading system for the merchandise they were purchasing.

Now the earliest system (i.e. the London Syndicate’s grading system) was quite rudimentary and basic, they based their decisions about a diamond on a loose color grading system. This meant that they would sort through rough diamonds and assess their grade based on an inconsistent color allocation system. Some of the earliest ‘certified’ diamonds therefore had vague grading like brown, yellow and almost transparent ascribed to the stones graded.

It wasn’t until 1931, when Robert M. Shipley, a former diamond retailer, founded the Gemological Institute of America, that the diamond industry got its first formal system of evaluating a diamond. The institute’s journey into being the foremost authority on gemstones the world over was one that saw it give the world a series of ‘firsts’, the most prominent among them were the 4Cs. Grading a diamond on its cut, color, clarity and carat weight, revolutionized the way diamonds have been bought and sold.

How diamonds are graded…

As stated earlier, the diamond is graded on its cut, clarity, color and carat weight. Now how are each of these determined is the next question.

Cut: A diamond’s cut isn’t just the natural shape of the stone or the shape in which it is cut. The term ‘cut’ represents the proportions, polish, and symmetry and facet uniformity. A diamond’s certificate lists these aspects under a grading system.

Clarity: Clarity of a diamond is determined through a battery of tests designed to tests the way light passes through the stone. Clarity tests also look for things like fracture filling, and would also evaluate if the stone is natural or synthetic (simply because synthetic stones can be made in a laboratory and are much less expensive as compared to a natural diamond.)

Color: The color of a diamond is determined against graded stones of a pre-existing color. Later microscopes with up to 10X magnification will check the diamond for flaws and blemishes.

Carat Weight: The carat weight of a diamond is checked on a very precise and sensitive weighing scale. This scale is specially formulated to make sure that the diamond’s weight is as precise as possible.

Diamond Certification: Advantages

Diamonds that are graded always fetch a higher price than their non-graded counterparts. Think of buying a non-certified diamond as akin to taking a trip without a map, it is ill-advised. A lay person buying a diamond isn’t always aware of whether the diamond is natural or synthetic, as to the untrained eye, both would look similar, a certificate vouches for the authenticity of a diamond and therefore simplifies the buying decision for the customer.