Archive for the ‘Jewelry’ Category

The Tiara

Tuesday, August 20th, 2013

Not surprisingly, people have strong opinions about anything having to do with marriages and wedding ceremonies, and one area of perpetual conflict is over what the bride should wear on her head. One school of thought, call them retrograde traditionalists, argues for the full veiling. A second, modernists and minimalists, say the bride should wear nothing but her carefully coiffed hair. A third, from the princess-for-a-day camp, advocate for diamond tiaras.

Me? Depending on the mood, I can see merits of all of three, although lately I’ve been feeling partial to the tiara, although just not the full-on, Homecoming-Queen tiara, proudly rising ten inches from the top of Mary Sue Gentry’s bouffant, but rather a more modest affair, understated and elegant, that accentuates rather than dominates the brides beauty.

Of course, you know me, I’m not willing to spend a lot of money, defined as much more than $100, on something that will likely be worn just once. (The exception to this rule being, of course, the wedding dress itself. In that case, the sky’s the limit.)

For my tiara of choice, I’m thinking about something more like this:

Alan Hannah Swirl and Crystal Tiara

The Alan Hannah Devoted Statement Pearl and Crystal Swirl Tiara, which is dramatic enough to be noticed, but not so dramatic that you feel you should be standing on a stage holding a bouquet of roses and waving to the judges. (Image via Jon Richard)

Obviously, at under $200 this piece is not made of diamonds and south sea pearls, but crystals and fresh-water pearls, which will be fine, since most of the guests at the wedding won’t be close enough to notice the difference, and since your last name isn’t Rockefeller, most of the guests won’t expect it to be “real” anyway.

Men’s Diamond Cross

Sunday, April 21st, 2013

Men’s Diamond Crosses are a trendy piece of jewelry these days; with the increasing penetration of the music culture, many pop icons and rap stars wear them to set themselves apart. Traditionally, fashion has always been associated with women, however as times have changed fashion does not remain restricted to women alone. Men are equally interested in looking good, wearing the best clothes, designer wear, and especially things that are custom made. Rather than buying something off the rack people prefer to add a personal touch to most of their possessions; the reason being the desire to look distinct, to stand out in the crowd. One way this can be done is through accessorizing, and a really cool accessory that can help make a statement is a Men’s Diamond Cross.

Men’s Diamond Cross pendants comes in a variety of sizes, designs and shades, thereby giving the option of choosing one that best suits you. Also, they can be customized according to your need so that you are able to get something distinct and eye catching. Their prices vary depending on the amount of diamond it has and its size. Because there is a great variety available, you can choose one that is affordable for you.
Before planning on buying a Men’s Diamond Cross, there are a number of things that you should consider so that you make a smart investment. The first thing is to decide how much you are willing to spend on it. Remember that more money does not guarantee more class. However you should have a modest budget so that you can play around with it, and are able to stretch a bit in order to get what is best for you. Another thing to consider is the size. Choose a size that compliments your body type. A big cross is likely to give you the “bling” factor, but it might be bulky and become a nuisance to handle and maintain.

Since it is diamond, it is a great investment and is likely to appreciate in value. Therefore, you must consider the caratage of the diamonds so that you are able to make the most out of your investment. Also, the color of the diamonds should complement your style, so that you give off a vibe of fashion and class.

TraxNYC is one of the companies specializing in custom made jewelry and also have a great collection of designs for Men’s Diamond Crosses to choose from. Their customers include well known celebrities like Ludacris, Akon and Jay Z. They offer a variety of designs for Men’s Diamond Crosses to choose from at affordable prices, and their latest designs can be seen at traxnyc.com.

Lost and Found

Friday, November 9th, 2012


It’s a good thing Vicki Belanger hasn’t moved house in seventeen years.

You see, seventeen years ago, Belanger’s siser, Valerie Lynch was putting sunscreen on her two very small children and her young nephew, all of whom were under the age of five, before heading off to a waterfront outing. She was doing this in Belanger’s back yard. As a precaution, she slipped off her wedding and engagement rings and put them aside on a platform next to the swing set.

Unfortunately, she forgot to put her rings back on before they left.

When Lynch discovered her rings were missing, she raced back to her sister’s house only to find… she couldn’t find them. About a year and a half later, Belanger found Lynch’s wedding ring, but not the diamond engagement ring.

And that’s where matters stood until October 28 of this year. By then, Belanger had met up with Kent Blethen, a jewelry hunting enthusiast. Belanger told him of her sister’s missing ring and Blethen offered to help her look for it.
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Short Locks, But Long on Drama

Monday, October 29th, 2012


All too often brides to be assume they have to grow out their tresses to look dramatic and beautiful on their wedding days. This, however, is not the case.

In point of fact, it’s all about the right cut combined with the right accessories.

For instance, that look up top? A combination of relatively short curls with a multi-layer bandeau is a look that has roots in the Napoelonic era, but it’s just as fabulous today.

And there are other great options, too.
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Rings That Never Lock

Wednesday, October 17th, 2012

Are you a fellow Stargate fan?

Whether your Jack and Daniel look like this:

… or like this:

(and for the record, I swing both ways)

… this could be the wedding ring for you:

Best of all? The chevrons spin!

Jennifer’s Rock, or You Can’t Win for Losing

Tuesday, October 9th, 2012


See Jennifer Aniston. See her fiance, Justin Theroux. See the eight carat rock on her ring finger.

Look, if you’ve been reading this blog for more than a week you know my longstanding distaste for diamonds. They aren’t my thing. Never have been, never will be. And yet, I stand utterly mystified and completely annoyed at the general reaction to Jennifer Aniston’s new engagement ring.

Why? Because so many people are lining up to hate on it so for being too big, too gaudy, and not understated enough.

Look, I’m well aware that Jennifer Aniston is known for her trademark sleek, simple, girl-next-door-taken-to-eleven fashion sense. I know this ring is the opposite of girl next door. I know people expected her to sport a sleek, simple, super-tasteful ring.

But when I look at the design of this ring, I see that one spectacular, over the top accessory that really makes a super simple outfit. It’s really a very simple ring, except for the size of the stone. And even if I didn’t see that, it wouldn’t be up to me to judge that ring.

I don’t know whether Theroux chose it on his own, if Jennifer chose it herself, or if they collaborated on the decision. That – like the price tag – is between them and their jeweler. Whatever the case, she seems happy to wear it. And that – combined with an ability to pay the jeweler’s bill, which I’m not terribly worried about with this couple – is what matters.

Besides, just a few months ago, the same yet opposite chatter accompanied the appearance of the ruby and diamond engagement ring Facebook founder Mark Zucker gave his lady love, Patricia Chen. He designed it himself, taking into account her Chinese heritage and her upcoming career as a doctor as well as, presumably, her taste, and style mavens across the world howled in angry disdain that he had (according to their assumptions) spent so little cold, hard cash on the hardware. If Chen is going to practice medicine, the sort of ring they wanted Zucker to buy her would have just gotten in the way… and probably been denounced as too gaudy, anyway.

Jennifer Aniston is not a doctor treating patients. She is an actress. She’ll mostly leave her engagement ring off when working, and it’ll look good on a red carpet. If she likes it and Theroux likes it, there’s no reason on earth they should change it.

Ultimately, if the ring works for everyone involved in the engagement, it works. If the person giving it can’t afford to do so or the person wearing it hates it, that’s when you’ve got a problem.

Big or small, diamond or no, gaudy or plain, can’t we just love the symbolism without worrying so much about the price tag or whether it seems like a departure from a signature style?

My ring makes me happy. Her ring apparently makes her happy.

That really ought to be enough.

Me and My Gallifreyan

Sunday, June 10th, 2012


(via Fashionably Geek)
I’m too busy having a fangirl squee moment to write anything coherent.

Take the box! Take the box!