Last Saturday, Simon G Jewelry held their annual Summer Soiree at The Palazzo Las Vegas. The renowned fine jewelry artisan teamed up with fashion designer Marc Bauwer to launch their latest collection of diamond wedding bands and other jewelry pieces as well as raise awareness for Generosity Water.

The event was held at Azure Luxury Pool where Multi-Platinum recording artist Gavin Rosdale gave an intimate acoustic performance on a 70-foot stage over the pool and guests enjoyed an evening of entertainment and fashion. Some of the designer jewelry pieces debuted consisted of textured rings, cuffs, pendants and earrings designed from various shades of gold, diamonds and other precious stones. Celebrity guests that attended to support Simon G and the cause include America Ferrera, Terri Hatcher, Torri Spelling, Dean McDermott, Tim Urban, Jamie King, Raven Symone and Lindsey Vonn.

Generosity Water helps bring clean drinking water to impoverished countries around the world. Over the last 3 decades this charity has funded over 250 wells in 17 countries and served clean water to more than 100,000 people.

Below are a few snap shots of Simon G’s latest collection taken at the JCK Las Vegas – the jewelry industry’s biggest show of the year.

Congratulations to the newly wed Royal Couple! The Royal Wedding ceremony was held 6 a.m. EST this morning at Westminister Abbey where Prince William and Kate Middleton exchanged vows after nearly a decade of courtship. With all the anticipation over her nuptial attire, the now ennobled Duchess of Cambridge looked dazzling by all accounts. Kate managed to harmoniously balance royal tradition with her own sense of modern style. Here’s an overview of her elegant ensamble including something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue:

Something Old – Kate’s spectacular ivory white Alexander McQueen gown was designed by creative director Sarah Burton. Middleton worked closely with Burton in formulating the design of her dress which combines traditional fabrics and lacework with modern structure into the artistic vision that characterizes Alexander McQueen’s work. The Carrickmacross needlework in the beautiful lace sleeves and accents is a technique that dates back to the 1800s.

Something New – The royal bride’s custom made diamond earrings were a personal gift to her from her parents for her wedding day. The platinum earrings feature a pear-shaped diamond set drop oak leaf design and pave set acorn motif suspended in the center inspired by the new Middleton family coat of arms. The earrings were beautifully set off by her hair; a natural “demi-chignon” styled by James Pryce from Kate’s favorite salon, Richard Ward of Chelsea, London.

Something Borrowed – Loaned to Middleton by Queen Elizabeth, Kate’s delicate diamond halo tiara held together her veil and perfectly topped off her gown. The tiara was crafted in 1936 and purchased by the Duke of York for his wife(Elizabeth’s mother). Then Princess Elizabeth received the gift for her 18th birthday.

Something Blue – Perhaps the most famous piece bridal jewelry of all is Middleton’s diamond and blue sapphire engagement ring. Honoring his late mother Princess Diana, Prince William gave the exquisite ring to Middleton when he proposed in November 2010. The 18 carat ring features an oval shaped blue sapphire center worth approximately $300,000. Sapphires are actually rarer than diamonds, but less expensive because the demand is lower.

Congratulations to Prince William on his engagement to Kate Middleton! Honoring his late mother, The Prince recently announced the engagement ring he gave his new fiancé Kate Middleton was the same one Prince Charles once gave to Princess Diana. “I’d been carrying it around with me on my right side for about three weeks…” Prince William said in an interview with CNN. “I literally would not let it go. Everywhere I went I was keeping hold of it because I knew if this thing disappeared, I’d be in a lot of trouble. You hear a lot of horror stories about proposing and things go horribly wrong, but it went really, really well.”

The exquisite 18 carat diamond and blue sapphire engagement ring features an oval cut center surrounded by 14 brilliant cut white diamonds in a cluster setting. The sapphire alone is worth approximately $300,000 and the ring total is worth $500,000 retail. Sapphires are rarer than diamonds, but less expensive because the demand is lower. With blue sapphires all the rage once again, here’s a selection of our favorite diamond rings featuring an oval cut center that would make for a unique engagement ring:

Diamond and Blue Sapphire 18k White Gold Ring
Diamond Setting: .86ctw | Blue Sapphire Center: 4.56ctw

Diamond and Blue Sapphire 18k White Gold Ring
Diamond Setting: 1.60ctw | Blue Sapphire Center: 1.91ctw

Diamond and Blue Sapphire 18k White Gold Ring
Diamond Setting: 1.95ctw | Blue Sapphire Center: 3.62ctw

Diamond and Blue Sapphire 18k Yellow Gold Ring
Diamond Setting: 1.80ctw | Blue Sapphire Center: 3.60ctw

Diamond and Blue Sapphire 18k White Gold Ring
Diamond Setting: 1.42ctw | Blue Sapphire Center: 9.19ctw

Diamond and Blue Sapphire 18k White Gold Ring
Diamond Setting: 1.37ctw | Blue Sapphire Center: 2.39ctw

Gossip Girl actress Joanna Garcia flaunted her eye-popping emerald cut diamond engagement ring from New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher when she paid a visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live earlier this week. Upon seeing the enormous sparkler, Kimmel jokingly blurted “That’s the biggest ring I’ve ever seen on a non-queen.”

The red-headed Cuban beauty shared some details on the show about their relationship such as where their first date took place, the fact she watches all of his games whether he plays or not, and how she and the other Yankee wives get along really well. Their relationship went public in September 2009 when Nick Swisher announced it during an interview with Sports Illustrated. The 30-year old actress is planning to walk down the aisle with the Yankees star after baseball season is finished.

Garcia’s new TV project, a comedic sitcom called Better with You, premieres next Wednesday, September 22 at 8:30PM on ABC.

Perhaps no other jewelry you purchase will have greater sentimental value and be worn more often than your engagement and wedding rings. As timeless symbols of your love and commitment to one another, it’s only natural that you want to take the utmost greatest care of them.

1) Protection: Be gentle to your rings – It is advised to remove your rings before potentially undertaking any heavy work, gardening or dealing with harsh chemicals. Despite being incredibly strong, gemstones and even diamonds can chip or crack if accidentally struck too hard.

2) Upkeep: Keep your rings scratch free – All precious metals will eventually get scratched over time and can be brought to any professional jeweler to be buffed and polished. If your rings are made of white gold, your jeweler may also suggest that they be re-plated. This is normal as white gold is an alloy with a yellow gold base; it gets its white color from being plated in rhodium. After being buffed, the ring may begin returning to its natural gold color. If you’ve purchased platinum wedding bands, they can be polished back to their original condition. Platinum is naturally white, so no upkeep is needed to retain its luster.

3) Inspection: Watch out for loose diamonds – For peace of mind, have your jeweler occasionally inspect her engagement ring to ensure the stones are securely in place. It’s not uncommon for diamonds to come loose with everyday wear and tear. We generally recommend an annual inspection. However, depending on her lifestyle and the ring’s metal type, this may need to be done more or less frequently. Because of its density, a platinum setting will hold stones most securely in place.

4) Cleaning: Let those diamonds sparkle – The maximum brilliance of her diamonds can be maintained by keeping the ring clean. This can easily be done by soaking the ring in a mild solution of soap and warm water or a jewelry cleaning solution and gently rubbing dry with a soft cloth. Do not do perform this near a sink as you may risk the ring falling down the drain! For a more thorough cleansing, take the wedding and engagement ring to your jeweler.

5) Storage: Keep your rings safe – Store your pieces in a jewelry box, individually lined compartment or chamois bag when not being worn. Ensure that they are carefully placed separately to avoid the diamonds from rubbing against other pieces of jewelery which may produce a scratch.

Pop diva Mariah Carey and husband Nick Cannon received a dazzling wedding anniversary gift from the bosses at cosmetics firm Elizabeth Arden – a diamond encrusted Ipad.  Aside from being covered in glittering stones, the Ipad features a butterfly and Carey’s signature “M”. The stunning gift marks the couple’s second anniversary. Known to renew their vows every year, they held a lavish wedding ceremony at their Bevery Hills home on April 30th.  Mariah wore a white dress and veil, while Nick wore a white suit.

Their first 2 weddings were very low key in island-driven remote spots, so they opted for a more traditional ceremony this year.  Cannon mentioned that his super-star wife would be getting a third diamond ring to go with the third ceremony.  Celebrating their second wedding anniversary, he told the press, “We get married every year! That’s our thing.” – then adding, “If you were married to Mariah Carey, you’d want to marry her every year too!” ]]> http://www.firenzejewels.com/jewelry_blog/mariah-carey-wedding-anniversary-gift/feed/ 1 http://www.firenzejewels.com/jewelry_blog/chelsea-clinton-diamond-engagement-ring/ http://www.firenzejewels.com/jewelry_blog/chelsea-clinton-diamond-engagement-ring/#comments Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:44:26 +0000 Firenze Jewels http://www.firenzejewels.com/jewelry_blog/?p=236

Although she announced her engagement to Goldman Sachs investment banker Marc Mezvinsky back in November ’09, no one has yet seen Chelsea Clinton’s diamond engagement ring.

Rumored to be quite the sparkler, the ring was said to draw a crowd backstage at last month’s Women in the World: Stories & Solutions conference. Host Tina Brown, Diane von Furstenberg and Barry Diller surrounded Clinton in the greenroom at the Hudson Theater admiring her rock.

Cameras finally got a first glimpse of the gem Sunday night as the private bride-to-be attended the opening night performance of the Broadway musical “Promises Promises”. The couple is expected to wed this summer at Martha’s Vineyard.

Christina Applegate was seen flashing quite the stunning diamond engagement ring Saturday evening as she tried to avoid the paparazzi at Los Angeles International Airport.

The 38-year-old newly engaged actress recently announced her engagement to rocker Martin Lenoble after 2 years of dating. Her fiance popped the question on Valentine’s Day although the 2 didn’t announce the news to their friends up until a week ago.

Her pal Alyssa Milano told US Magazine that Applegate kept her engagement to Lenoble “a secret from everyone” but that she is “thrilled” for her. No word yet on a wedding date, but she is very likely keeping that a secret as well. We wish her the very best.