Category Archives: fashion jewelry

The Loving Heart Jewelry Collection launches a contest to honor Acts of Love

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What will love motivate you to do this year? Your love resolution will not only make your life better, but with a newly announced initial, it can also be of major inspiration to others. Oh, have I mentioned that it can also earn you sterling silver jewelries?

Loving Heart Jewerly Collection

Loving Heart Jewerly Collection

With less than a month until this year’s coming Valentine’s Day, Jean Schnaak, the designer and mastermind of Loving Heart announced the launch of this year’s Love Resolution Contest, go direct the spotlight on the oftentimes unnoticed acts of love that take place each an every day. The aim is to  encourage and celebrate these emotional acts, and to intentionally stop for a moment and pay attention to what really makes life memorable.

“My belief is that in this busy world we need to take the time to express our love
to the people closest to us. Words of love need to be spoken,” says Founder and chief designer of Loving Heart Jewelry, Jean Cotten Schnaak, adding “Small acts of love make a huge difference in someone’s day.”

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Tron jewelry and Olivia Wilde makes cyberspace sparkle

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You may argue that Disney’s brand new Tron: Legacy is not exactly a girlie movie, and most probably, you’re right. How could anything, based on a 80s video game, put together with XI. century technology, flavored with all the sci-fi must-haves of the previous decades turn out to be girlie at all? Well, it always helps if the costume designers of the movie are allowed to go insane. And, of course, we have to fill it with the appropriate amount of sparkling.

Enters Tron jewelry.

Since the Tron Legacy Movie with Olivia Wilde as its main female character was a predictable box office hit, it shouldn’t be of any surprise that various sets of Tron-inspired jewelries were designed by the time the movie opened in theaters a few weeks ago.

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Diane von Furstenberg is “drawn to designing jewelry”

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World renowned fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg was awarded WJA Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award by the Women’s Jewelry Association. At the award ceremony last week she admitted to being “drawn to designing jewelry”, and and expressed gratitude for being accepted to the jewelry industry. In her speech she highlighted that her mission as a fashion designer was to “empower women via fashion, mentoring, and philanthropy.”

Diane Von Furstenberg Jewelry for H. Stern

Diane Von Furstenberg Jewelry for H. Stern

Diane von Furstenberg has been present in the jewelry industry for several decades, this spring teaming up with luxury jeweler H. Stern for a line of ethnic jewelry and jewelry watches.

Diane von Furstenberg Jewelry Watch

Diane von Furstenberg Jewelry Watch

The award ceremony was held at New York City’s Pier 60, where WJA also announced its awardee for the Hall of Fame Corporate Award for Excellence. The award, that is named after Ben Kaiser, went to president and CEO of Jewelers of America, Matt Runci. Aside from directing Jewelers of America, Matt Runci is also the chairman of Responsible Jewelry Council, an international, not-for-profit organization established to reinforce consumer confidence in the jewelry industry by advancing responsible business practices throughout the diamond and gold jewelry supply chain.

At the ceremony, Runci mentioned the award to be special as he reflected on his first job – teaching at a women’s college -, and his world tenure with the award’s namesake Ben Kaiser, whom he described as a gracious mentor.

The ceremony was attended by some 550 designers and industry experts, while an ongoing silent auction during the award ceremony raised over $30,000 for WJA scholarships and grants programs. Another sensation of the show was the participation of recently engaged Ivanka Trump, showing off with her shiny brand new engagement ring. Funnily enough, while Ivanka Trump announced her engagement a few weeks ago in her Twitter feed, WJA also thanked Ivanka for her participation on Twitter.

Ivanka Trump at the WJA Award Ceremony

Ivanka Trump at the WJA Award Ceremony

Other recipients for the 2009 Awards for Excellence (where nominees are chosen by the membership of the Women’s Jewelry Association) included:

  • Gena Alulis, Cliq by Superfit, King of Prussia, PA (Manufacturer/Dealer/Supplier Category)
  • Kathy Corey, Day’s Jewelers, Waterville, ME (Retail Category – fewer than 15 stores)
  • Brandee Dallow, Julius Klein Group, Scarsdale, New York (Marketing and Communications Category)
  • Dione Kenyon, Jewelers Board of Trade, Warwick, R.I. (Special Services Category)
  • Cheryl Kremkow, Modern Jeweler New York City (Editorial/Reporting/Publishing Category)
  • Ann Lagos, Ann King Design, Philadelphia, PA (Design: Fine Jewelry & Watches Category)
  • Robin Lutin, JCK International Publishing Group, Los Angeles (Sales Category)
  • Bea Spiech, Macy’s, New York City (Retail – More than 15 stores)

“We are indebted to these women and to all of the nominees for serving as role models for all of us in the jewellery industry. We can learn from their successful careers and from their commitment to giving back to this industry and their communities. We are enriched by their examples and leadership,” WJA chairman Yancy Weinrich said in her ceremonial speech.

Lily Allen unveils new jewelry line (with video)

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Last week we have already shared the thrill with our readers: petite singer Lily Allen is about to launch a new jewelry line, called, hold your breaths, Lily Allen. Now the moment we’ve been waiting for has finally come, and we can’t wait to share all the juicy details about “Lily Allen” (the commercial one), that is targeted at women between the age of 14 and 40 (quite a broad range, I have to add).

Lily Allen jewelry line called Lily Allen

Lily Allen jewelry line called "Lily Allen"

“Firstly there’s the coin collection,” Lily told journalists, when unveiling one of the nine collections that consist of the Lily Allen jewelry line, “which is a nod to my gypsy past. My grandmother was a proper gypsy, and I have inherited quite a lot of her pieces. We took the idea of coins as the basis and then updated them by putting moons and stars on the faces. I also wanted to do something with fruit and animals, and of course, smiley faces to match my body tattoo.”

Items from the Lily Allen Jewelry Line

Items from the Lily Allen Jewelry Line

Other pieces of the collection feature whimsical themes, such as colorful flamingoes, fruits, flowers, traffic signs, and smiling faces in silver or gold, with each piece reflecting her style.

The 24-year-old Lily also admitted that while she’s not a newbie in the fashion industry (two years ago, she designed a full collection of dresses for British clothing store New Look), jewelry design was a complete terra incognita to her.

“I was in New York,” she was quoted as saying, “and literally went straight out to a bookshop and bought about 40 reference books, on everything from antique jewelry to modern-day bling. Then I went through them and chose loads of things that inspired me. I sent them to the designers with annotations on how I wanted the pieces to look and how to update them.”

A carefully planned design process, I give you that. The pieces of the Lily Allen collection are expected to hit the stores sometime in September (exact dates are yet unknown, but rest assured that we will keep you informed), and their prices will be between $60-$100.

Lily Allen to launch jewelry line called Lily Allen

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It was a swelteringly hot, slow, summer afternoon, when the thrilling news came in and turned everything upside down. At the moment I can hardly breathe from the excitement of finding out that singer and socialité Lily Allen is about to launch a new jewelry line.

Lily Allen jewelry line

Photography: I-D Magazine

That is, only a few months after becoming the face of luxury fashion brand Chanel.

Invitations for the launch party were just sent out yesterday (we’re not invited), the official unveiling party will take place at London’s Claridges hotel next week. Until then, the actual items of the new jewelry line are firmly kept in secret.

What we already know is that, the new line will include nine collections, aimed at Lily’s fans. Lily did the designing herself, giving her best, to be attractive for her 14 to 40 year-old target group. According to her official statement, “each piece will reflect her eclectic London style”. The collections are expected to hit the stores in late September.

Somewhat surprisingly this is not the first attempt of the now 24-year-old Lily to break through as a fashion designer: two years ago she teamed up with New Look to create a collection, called Lily Loves.

The new jewelry line will be called, very aptly, I have to say: Lily Allen.

Ex-Boyfriend Jewelry is ouch! – yet hilarious

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So what do you do with the golden half-heart shaped pendant your boyfriend gave you shortly before he dumped you for a 18-year-old? Wearing it is clearly not an option, while you don’t want it to collect dust either. Oh, and that bastard can not have it back, that’s for sure.

The solution can be your local pawn shop or something way cooler – such as the thematic web store aimed at the jewelries given by the “ex”, called Ex-Boyfriend Jewelry. The website that is on its way to redefine our visions of a perfect market niche.

Well, Ex-Boyfriend Jewelry is technically not a store. It’s “merely” a forum where disappointed women can trade their ex-jewelries at their own risk, not only precisely describing (and picturing) the jewelry they are about to sell, but also telling its story as well (according to the rules of the site, no full name listing is allowed, though).

A typical listing on Ex-Boyfriend Jewelery would look like this (an actual example):

Diamond and 14k White Gold 1 1/2K Unity Ring, Size 5

Ex-Boyfriend Jewelry

Ex-Boyfriend Jewelry

The Scoop:

I was “engaged” for 1 1/2 years only to find out my “fiance” was sleeping around. The ring was in both of our names but since he’s a looney and he tried to commit suicide, I took his name off the account and now owe over $1200 on this ring.

Jewelry Description:

This is a 1 1/2K white gold diamond unity ring, size 5. It is in near perfect condition and was only worn for a couple of months.It was originally purchased for $2,555. I have all of the paperwork for it and have taken it in on a regular basis for inspections. I’m very serious about selling this ring and am willing to make a deal. If you want any more information, I’m willing in answer any of your questions. I will accept Paypal and possibly a personal check.

Jewelry Rating:

Cut = Brilliant Round
Color = H/I
Clarity = I1

Condition: Near perfect

Vendors can also list a pricing for the item ($1,200 in the case of the above ring), or simply consider the best offer they get, when no price is listed. Items can be sold, traded, or given away for the benefit of the Good Karma Fund, a foundation set up by the site to help cancer victims, or those in need in China or in Myanmar.

The pictures listed with the items are – naturally – user submitted pics, so there are significant differences in picture quality. In most cases the images include some kind of a recipe or an approval of the jewelry’s worth.

Another funny list is of those gifts that “should have been jewelry”, including an array of things that testify boyish ignorance: bags, cosmetics, jeans, sex toys or even mobile phones.

While the whole concept may seem pretty weird at first sight, there surely is an existing market demand for this kind of trading, helping women to move on from broken or dead relationships. And also to make some money on their way out.

Target to bring Intuition Boutique’s celeb-appeal for the masses

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If you are a celebrity designer and shopkeeper, owner of a high profile Los Angeles boutique with a client base including Paris Hilton, Shirley MacLaine, Miley Cyrus, Nicole Richie, Halle Berry, Reese Witherspoon, Heidi Klum, Vanessa Hudgens and Kate Moss, there is a very high probability that mass trends will not be of your concern.

Well, apparently, not if you are called Jaye Hersh, and your LA boutique is called Intuition.

A $9.99 Mixed-media bracelet designed by Jaye Hersh in Target's debutant Hollywood Intuition collection

A $9.99 Mixed-media bracelet designed by Jaye Hersh in Target's debutant Hollywood Intuition collection

Because major retail chain Target has just announced to debut Jaye Hersh’s accessories collection this week. The collection, aptly named HollywoodIntuition, referring to both its origin and the celebrity appeal it aims to radiate, will be available in all 1,698 Target stores throughout the US and online.

To celebrate the deal she managed to ink with Target, Jaye Hersh recently threw a party in Jean Wright’s Golden Valley home, where she told friends and journalists: “This is my dream: to have my collection at Target. It’s the culmination of everything I’ve done.”

The HollywoodIntuition collection, that has its own display in Target stores (marked with Hersh’s portrait photo) features jewelry, handbags, makeup bags, headbands, hats, HollywoodIntuition Fashion Tape and a book co-authored by Hersh, titled “HollywoodIntuition”.

Hersh has a reputation of being a few steps ahead of people’s taste. “Intuition – it’s about being able to pay attention to my hunches; trying to anticipate what my customers are going to want before they know about it,” she writes in her book HollywoodIntuition.

Forever your girl: Paula Abdul launches low-class jewelry line

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Singer, dancer and American Idol judge Paula Abdul has finally launched her long-rumored jewelry line, titled Forever your girl, designed exclusively for Home Shopping Network. Although the “yet another celebrity designer” feeling may well seem familiar, Paula Abdul, is not a total newbie in the industry. Abdul began crafting her trinkets for “Idol” contestants in 2002, but debuted only two years ago, then at the age of 44, with her aptly named Paula Abdul Jewelry Collection. To make sure you notice the difference, she changed from QVC to its competitor HSN with the new collection.

Paula Abdul jewelry forever your girl

Paula Abdul jewelry forever your girl

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Tiffany goes small and user-friendly

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Although Tiffany, one of the world’s most renowned jewelry designer and retailer house will always be known for its Fifth Avenue store (besides the signature blue boxes, of course) it seems that the company is to introduce a new strategy to approach everyday customers, like, I guess, you. They will open smaller and more user-friendly shops. In fact, they’ve already opened the first.

The signature Tiffany-blue

The signature Tiffany-blue

The idea came from the jewelry giant’s executive vice-chairman, Beth Canavan, who noticed that the fabulous and huge store on Fifth Avenue, with all its doormen, security staff and locked-up diamonds, while undoubtedly stunning and fascinating, can also be daunting for most if its customers. “Our Fifth Avenue store is fabulous, but it’s intimidating,” Canavan observed.
Going smaller, more accessible and more casual means a break-up with a century-long sales strategy. The first “small-format” Tiffany store in line with the new concept was opened yesterday in Glendale, California. It is located in The Americana at Brand, a new 900,000-square foot retail and residential environment developed by Caruso Affiliated. The new shop, approximately half the square footage (2,600 sq foot) of a regular Tiffany salon is expected to be the first in the row of 70 others. The stores will mostly be based in small-city markets like Glendale (pop. 197,000) and will be located relatively close to existing flagship stores in case people prefer to shop at one of those.
The interior design of the new stores substitutes the marble chandeliers with flatscreens, to deliver a more usual shopping experience, and will feature the jewelries out in the open, instead of being locked up in glass cubes. Customers, therefore will be able to touch them without requiring help from the sales staff.

According to company, the new concept will definitely be appealing to women, who shop for themselves.
The new store format was designed by Canavan and her team over the last two years. According to her, one of the main goals of the concept was to expose potential customers to as many products similar to his or her choice as possible. “In our flagship stores, we merchandise our product by metal type,” Canavan told Portfolio.com. “So a woman might come in for a pendant, and she might see that it comes in silver, buy it, and leave. She might never travel through the store to find out that it comes in yellow gold or could be adorned in diamonds.” In the new stores, on the other hand, products will be grouped by style, and “sales stylists” (ie: the sales staff) will make sure a customer sees all the available options before deciding on a purchase.
According to Portfolio.com, the opening of the new line is in line with the company’s reshaped strategy first announced in October, 2007, in the framework of which, Tiffany also announced a 20-year manufacturing and distribution cooperation with Swiss timepiece-producer Swatch. This latter deal has also seen its first result: Tiffany has already opened a Patek Philippe salon inside its Fifth Avenue store.
While the more casual Tiffany shops are obviously expected to boost the trading volume, analysts warn that going “less upscale” will seriously harm the Tiffany brand that enables the retailer to charge exorbitant prices for its products.

Recycled jewelry from Ecoist is as cool as it sounds!

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The fact that you’re making a statement with the things you wear is not by any means new. But it turns out that wearing trashy sandals and hippie-style T-shirts is not the only way to show that you care more about your environment than you do for the latest trends dictated by reality show stars.

Ecoist recycled jewelry

Eco-friendly coolness website Ecoist found an apt way to make such a statement: if you are environment-conscious enough to recycle everything you possibly can (and even the toilet paper you use is already recycled) why don’t you wear recycled jewelry?

Recycling in this context obviously goes beyond the melding gold. The examples shown above and below are just a tiny part of a much larger assortment of jewelries offered by Ecoist. The first one is a pendant made from recycled genuine contour Coca-Cola bottle. It ships with a 16” sterling silver chain for a mere $40. The colorful glass used in this recycled line is individually selected and cut, ensure that each piece is an original work of art. Ecoist stresses that since they are one-of-a-kind pieces, the one you receive may not be identical as the one shown.

recycled jewelry by ecoist

The second one is a tree-shape cutout from an original vinyl record (if you have always wanted to have Paul McCartney hang around your neck, then, voilá, a childhood dream has come true). The subtlety is guaranteed by the laser-cut production method, and in the collection there are different colored records coming in different shapes. And it’s cheaper, too: only $25!

Check out Ecoist’s entire collection under this link!