Archive for category Jewelry

I’ll give you three guesses what I plan to feature today….

Okay 1 guess lol.  Actually, jewelry is one way that brides add often choose to a touch of blue to their wedding ensemble especially if it happens to work with your wedding colors. Of course, there are different shades of blue from soft tiffany blues to dark blue sapphires.  So for today – here are some gorgeous blue necklaces – click on the images to find them online.

Shown Here:  Blue Pearls from AmericanBridal.com ($28), Katie Holmes Inspired Synthetic Sapphire Necklace from Emitations.com ($55), Blue Topaz Rhodium Plated Flower Design Necklace from JewelBasket.com ($79), Colored Pearl & Crystal Jewelry from the Online Bridal Store ($36), Sapphire Chandelier Necklace from Portia Jewelry ($24)

When you’re planning a wedding one of the biggest and oldest budget saver is renting/borrowing. You rent transportation, decor and other items you know you won’t need again. You rent tuxedos and sometimes even wedding dresses.  Brides often borrow pieces from friends and family as well: a heirloom necklace, a gorgeous decor piece that will add just the right touch, etc.

Borrowing jewelry is another great way to save – and celebrities have been doing it for ages! Do you really think they actually BUY those multi-million dollar accessories they wear once down the red carpet?   The great thing is that there are now a number of services that offer jewelry rentals. Some that you may have heard of include Bag, Borrow & Steal and Adorn Brides were you can find designer fine jewelry at a fraction of the cost to rent for your wedding day.

Another service I discovered recently is BorrowedBling. BorrowedBling works a little differently. Members pay a monthly fee starting at $29.95 per month and can then borrow as many pieces from the collection as they wish at no extra cost!   This is a great way to keep yourself decked out in fantastic styles for all of your pre and post wedding events and of course the wedding itself! Here are a few pieces available from BorrowedBling.

New jewelry doesn’t have to mean expensive. One of my favorite online jewelry stores is Emitations.com and they specialize in celebrity style replicas. If you’re looking for the kind of bling you see on the red carpet without spending a lot of money, this is the place to look. Emitations offers a great selection from gorgeous glamorous bling to classic, stylish pearls to suit just about any bride.

So for today’s Something New – here are a few of my favorite pieces from Emitations.com.

Over the next few days I’m going to do a small series on wedding day jewelry and I’m going to start today with Something Old: Wedding day jewelry made from repurposed finds.  Repurposing old and used items is one way to reduce garbage and over the last few years jewelry artists are emerging who specialize in fantastic jewelry pieces made from old jewelry, brooches, lace pieces, watch pieces and much more.

Repurposed jewelry pieces are often unique statement pieces which is exactly what today’s brides are looking for – jewelry pieces that add a glamorous wow factor to your style. Etsy is a great place to look for affordable repurposed items of any kind so I took a look and here are a few of my favorite repurposed necklace designs.

To find these and other designs visit Etsy and search for Repurposed Necklace.

Because we have bunked tradition so far, the fact that Eric was planning to propose was not a surprise at all- more like a discussion. He even asked me to help him pick out the ring. After hours upon hours of searching, I found a gorgeous five thousand dollar, 1.75 carat bridal set that I fell absolutely in love with upon first sight. “But what about the budget?”, you ask . What I neglected to mention until now was that I bought this gorgeous set brand new from Ebay for roughly $400. I am sure after that last sentence you are now reading this with your brows arched promptly towards the top of your forehead & your mouth open wide as if you are expecting to fed that first slice of wedding cake. But yes, you read that right. I bought my engagement ring on Ebay.

Despite whatever preconceived notions you may have, the fact of the matter is that Ebay, pawn shops, & the like are perfectly acceptable places to buy diamonds. Sure, they may not have all the glitz and glamour of big name jewelry stores but that’s exactly what you aren’t paying for. If you are willing to put in the time & effort to not only search but research, you too might end up with a ring twice as nice as anything you could typically afford at a jewelry store for half the budget.

Tips for buying diamonds on eBay

1. Know the seller & their merchandise. Are they someone who deals solely with jewelry or so they specialize in other items as well? I’d be weary of anyone who has diamond rings & novelty toilet paper in the same store.

2. Examine the ad. This is not a case of “less is more”. You want as many detailed photos & descriptions as possible.

3. Ask questions.. Does the ring come with a GIA certificate? Can the ring be sized? (you’d be surprised how many can’t) Is it in perfect condition? (Pictures, especially of diamonds, can be very misleading.)

4. Keep score. Not only look for “power sellers” (those who sell to hundreds if not thousand of customers per day) who have a customer satisfaction score of atleast 99% but those who have also been operating on Ebay for atleast 5 consecutive years.

5. Look beyond the stars. Actually read the detailed feedback left from previous buyers. Learn as much as you can about the sellers before you buy to hopefully spare you any surprises later. I recommend reading the first & last ten pages of feedback & atleast 5 pages in the middle.

6. Know the return policy. Look for sellers who offer a no-questions- asked 100% money back guarantee.

7. Be realistic. Like your mother always said, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. If someone is offering a flawless 5 carat diamond ring for fifty dollars, run the other way. There is a big difference between a deal & an outright scam. You should also note that very rarely does the jewelry sold on Ebay appraise for what is quoted in the ads. Take that price & divide it by half & even then it may be an exaggeration, so do not let that sway you.

8. Patience is not only a virtue, it can also save you money. Ebay is the only place in the world where stalking is not only legal but also beneficiary as well. Say you found a ring you absolutely adore, but it is offered in an auction only format. Resist the urge to bid on it right away. All that does is raise the price & the fact of the matter is items typically get more bids in the last hour of an auction than they do in all of the other days of the auction combined. Bidding too soon & raising the price only heightens the chance that the final sale price will be out of your price range. I suggest waiting until the final seconds before placing your bid. I won my ring by not placing a single bid until the last 20 seconds of the auction (to lessen the chance of someone having time to outbid me) & by entering a maximum bid hundreds higher than that of the person before me. If the auction ends for less than your maximum bid, that’s all you have to pay & the higher your maximum as compared to the current bid, the higher your chance of winning. Of course, this is not a fool-proof plan & you may be bidding against people who know the same tricks you do but it doesn’t hurt to try.

9. Get a second opinion. As soon as you receive your ring, take it (as well as a copy of the ad for reference) to a reputable jeweler and have it looked it. Ask if the color, cut, & clarity are all as described in the ad & that you got exactly what you thought you were paying for. This is where the all important return policy comes into play.

10. Pat yourself on the back. Secretly laugh inside every time a girlfriend shows off that ridiculously expensive ring her fiancé purchased for her at DeBeers. Chances are your ring is just as nice, if not nicer, & you & your fiancé probably won’t have to spend the first year of your married life living off of macaroni & ramen in order to pay it off.

(ARA) – Pearls are the perfect wedding companion. Known by some as the “Queen of Gems,” the classic elegance of pearls transcends centuries and style fads. Nothing looks more beautiful with a bridal gown than a single strand of flawless pearls.

But pearls are not just for the bride — they’re the perfect accessory for bridesmaids as well. Today, you can find pearls in shades ranging from the traditional white all the way through the color rainbow, including pink, green and black, so they will coordinate with the wedding party’s dresses.

If you’re confused by the different types of pearls on the market, you’re not alone. “Pearls are classified according to their origin and their shape,” says Natalie Parman, vice president of merchandising at Jewelry TV. “Because of the wide variety of pearls available, you can choose a look and a price that is right for you.”

Pearls are formed when a foreign object enters the shell of a mollusk and triggers the release of nacre, which builds layer upon layer until a pearl is formed. Most pearls in retail stores today are cultured pearls. They are less expensive than natural pearls because they are mass-produced with the aid of technology. Instead of waiting for nature to take its course, pearl farmers insert an irritant and a nucleus (often a mother of pearl bead) into an oyster to speed up the process. Cultured pearls come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and many are dyed. As a result you can find almost any color your interested in.

Akoya cultured pearls are produced by the Akoya oyster found in the waters surrounding Japan. They are almost perfectly round and are well known for their high luster and rich color, which can range from white to cream, pink, green, silver and gold. These pearls can vary in size from between 2 millimeters to 10 millimeters. “Cultured Akoya pearls are the quintessential ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ strand in a creamy white color,” says Parman. “Multiple strands or choker styles are hot wedding trends.” Since they are affordable, cultured Akoya pearls also make wonderful bridesmaids and mothers’ gifts.

South Sea cultured pearls are larger than Akoyas, usually more than 10 millimeters. Produced in the warm waters of the South Seas, they come mainly from Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. These pearls are mainly white, yellow or gold. Due to their size and rarity, South Sea pearls are expensive. Exotic golden South Sea pearls in particular have gained popularity in the United States in recent years. “If you’re choosing a special strand of pearls for your wedding, this can be a good jewelry investment,” says Parman.

Tahitian pearls are produced in Tahiti, the Cook Islands and Mexico. They range in color from black, to aubergine, pistachio and many other colors, often with overtones of blue, pink or green. These pearls range between 8 and 15 millimeters and are highly valued because of their rarity. “Wear Tahitian pearls to your rehearsal dinner, or pack them as part of your honeymoon wardrobe,” says Parman.

When choosing pearls, look for nacre thickness and quality. Nacre quality determines how long the pearl will last as well as how light reflects through the pearls. Check for any cracks or peeling in the nacre. Also, look for how the pearls on a strand are matched. Pearl matching affects the value of the piece, as mismatched pearls are not as aesthetically pleasing. Finally, look for pearls that are individually knotted between each pearl instead of just strung one after the other — that’s a sign of quality.

Whatever your jewelry wish for your wedding day, visit www.jtv.com for a great selection of pearl necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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