The Top Drawer

 
Going big and going red were the top two jewelry and fashion themes at Sunday’s 63rd Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards. Stacked bracelets, bold jewels and antique style pieces were some of the popular trends we saw last year. This year followed suit. However, tear drop shaped dangle earrings and colorful right hand rings clearly became the newest desirable jewelry accessories for Fall 2011. We noticed a growing trend of celebrities accessorizing solid pallet ensembles with an array of white and black diamonds or color gemstones in warm tones. With red being the statement color this season, there certainly wasn’t any shortage of rubies or sapphires and semi-precious stones of this hue on the red carpet.

Here are our Emmys 2011 jewelry winners below along with some suggestions on how to grab similarly designed sparkle for a steal!

Gwyneth Paltrow arguably wore the most interesting attire of the evening.  The 38-year-old actress, who picked up an award for her role as Holly Holiday on Glee, accessorized a sheer Pucci dress with a 50 carat diamond platinum wide bracelet, a 50 carat black diamond and black rhodium link bracelet, a 5 carat diamond and black onyx platinum right hand ring (not pictured) and a pair of emerald cut black diamond platinum dangle earrings.

Sparkle for a Steal: Pairing black and white diamonds together always works for Fall fine jewelry fashion. These 18k white gold huggie earrings feature round brilliant cut white diamonds weighing .20 carat total and 82 round cut black diamonds weighing .54 carat total.

Colbie Smulders wore a gorgeous turquoise Alberta Ferrenti dress which accentuated her smoldering eyes. The How I Met Your Mother actress accessorized her look with 50 carats of diamonds including a pair of diamond platinum drop earrings, a diamond platinum bracelet and a diamond and an emerald cut aquamarine right hand diamond ring.

Sparkle for a Steal: Emerald cuts aren’t just for emeralds. This 18k white gold right hand ring features one emerald cut blue topaz weighing 3 carats total surrounded by 72 round brilliant cut white diamonds weighing .39 carat total.

Sophia Vergara never disappoints in the fashion or jewelry department. The 39-year-old actress and Modern Family star looked gorgeous as ever in a custom Vera Wang coral one-shouldered crepe gown accessorized with an elaborate set of diamond and Colombian emerald yellow gold earrings. She wore the earrings, which feature over 100 carats of Colombian emeralds and over 60 carats of white diamonds, with an interesting 6 carat diamond and emerald dangle pinky ring and a bold diamond yellow gold cuff.

Sparkle for a Steal: For big and lacy look we recommend these diamond and peridot 18k rose gold dangle earrings featuring 2 honeycomb pear cut peridot stones weighing 4.42 carats total and 314 round brilliant cut white diamonds weighing 1.37 carats total.

Anna Torv used a large pair of diamond and ruby dangle earrings featuring over 80 carats of carved rubies to add a strong pop of color against a black Vera Wang gown.

Sparkle for a Steal: If you’re looking to go big and red in one fell swoop, we recommend these exquisite diamond and rust agate 14k yellow gold drop earrings at an excellent price point.

Heidi Klum has long been a fan of working bold and unique statement jewelry pieces with her wardrobe. The 38-year-old model accessorized her one of kind strapless Christian Siriano dress with a pair of fire opal, amethyst, yellow, white and brown floral cluster earrings and a spectacular matching floral leaf ring.

Sparkle for a Steal: Floral jewelry works for fall so long as it consists of dark metals or warm hued stones. This 14k rose gold and black rhodium right hand ring features 99 round cut pink sapphires weighing 1.94 carats total.

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Jane Lynch did a good job of hosting this year’s Emmy’s. On the red carpet, the 51-year-old actress paired a custom David Meister Signature strapless evening gown in aubergine chiffon with a pair of vintage style earrings encrusted with a dazzling array of gemstones and stacked bangle cuff bracelets.

Sparkle for a Steal: This diamond 14k rose gold and sterling silver bracelet is brilliantly accented with.40 carat of round brilliant cut white diamonds.

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 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

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.

As investments in Real Estate and stocks continue on a downward spiral, many are realizing that a girl’s best friend may also be her best investment.  Very high quality diamonds and other gemstones have a lot of investment appeal if one takes into account global trends in the coming years.  The fact is that wealth is being distributed more widely in our global world, but at the same time mines are being depleted of fine quality stones.

Antoinette Matlins is the author of “Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide.”  She says “The cost of the finest emeralds has increased approximately 75% over the past 2 years, rubies about 70%, and sapphires over 60%.”  She notes that wealthy individuals in the Middle East and China are increasingly interested in purchasing top quality gemstones, and their habits go a long way in explaining why prices are moving up.

Investing in gemstones requires a tremendous amount of expertise.  Stories of tourists trying to buy gems from individuals near mines in places like the Golden Triangle in Thailand are infamous.  Scores of people have been swindled while outside their home countries because they think their hobby or amateur knowledge is good enough to identify quality when buying from individuals at seemingly immense discounts.

If you want advice on what gemstones are most likely to increase in value, ask one of the experts at Firenze.  Test our salespeople’s knowledge and you’ll see they are some of the most educated in New York when it comes to high-end gemstones.  Our reputation comes from our genuine commitment to each and every person that approaches us for advise.