Twilight star Nikki Reed talks in this video about why she loves Simon G Jewelry at the recent Summer Soiree in Las Vegas. A big fan of Simon G for a long time, her favorite pieces in her personal collection are 3 sparkling diamond bracelets worn as a set in rose gold, yellow gold and silver and we can see why! “I love Simon G’s jewelry because it’s delicate, classy, simple and I think he uses a wonderful combination of different metals and beautiful different color diamonds” says the star.
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.
With a tough and unprecedented election season nearing an end soon, New York City’s longtime jeweler Firenze Jewels has taken a look back and weighed in on four very different but influential women in politics this year. This article examines what sort of image these women project to the public by looking at the jewelry that each of them has worn and how it compliments their overall style. “You can tell a lot about someone’s personality by looking at the style of jewelry they choose to wear,” says Gabrielle Guzman, Director of the e-Commerce division at Firenze Jewels. While you may or may not agree with their (or their husband’s) philosophical views, one thing is for certain; we’ll be seeing a lot of one or more of these women in the future.
Hillary Clinton
Current second term Senator of New York, former First Lady and former 2008 Democratic candidate for President of the United States, Hillary Clinton has worn many different hats and usually likes to wear a pearl or modest diamond necklace to go along with each. Some people tuned into the election coverage may remember that when asked a light hearted question during last year’s UNLV presidential debate about whether she prefers diamonds or pearls, she
jokingly replied “I want both”. Hillary is also known to be a big fan of turquoise jewelry, and when she’s not in the spot light she’ll usually opt for a simple gold necklace. Firenze Jewels believes that the jewelry Mrs. Clinton chooses to wear is very much like her famous trademark pantsuits, it shows that she’s confident, enjoys attention and likes to be in control.
Cindy Mccain
Philanthropist, chairwoman of Hensley & Co, and potential First Lady, Cindy McCain has always been a fan of chunky beaded or pearl necklaces and/or earrings. In fact, her philosophy seems to be “the chunkier the better”. Cindy’s traditional demeanor has often been compared to that of Nancy Reagan’s, but her overall fashion style as the wife of a Republican presidential candidate is anything but. On her husband’s campaign trail she’s been seen wearing sharp red leather and copper toned jackets with bold jewelry to match. The clothing and jewelry styles that she wears
are traditional but the fabrics and colors that she chooses are not. Firenze Jewels believes that Mrs. McCain’s choice in jewelry and sense of fashion shows that although she chooses to play the role of a traditional Republican First Lady if her husband were elected, she certainly does not think like one.
Michelle Obama
American lawyer, Princeton University & Harvard Law School graduate and potential First Lady, Michelle Obama has been compared to Jacqueline Kennedy for her taste in beaded necklaces and she’s even drawn comparisons to Barbra Bush for her fondness over bold “pearl-like” white necklaces. Michelle has made several appearances on various best dressed lists for her sense of style. Her use of jewelry is very distinct. When wearing a contemporary outfit, she’ll usually compliment it with a more conservative looking jewelry piece and when dressed a little more conservative, she will wear something along
the lines of a long beaded necklace, a sparkling brooch or other form of jewelry that adds flair and drama to her overall style. Firenze Jewels believes that Mrs. Obama’s selection of jewelry and the way she employs it with her outfit, shows that she is very down to earth and comfortable with who she is.
Sarah Palin
Current Governor of Alaska, former mayor of Wasilla, and current potential Vice President of the United States on the Republican ticket, Sarah Palin has a flair for small gold nugget earrings and stretch bracelets. Many times, she’s been seen wearing a pair of gold earrings that look to be the shape of Alaska. Her trademark rimless glasses and flashy power suits have become her bold signature
look, so Sarah usually keeps her jewelry to a minimum. If she does wear a necklace or chain of some sort, it’s usually a simple chain made of gold or modest sized beads. Firenze Jewels believes that Mrs. Palin’s choice of jewelry and overall style shows that she takes pride in roots as well as her work and achievements.
Antique Styles
For people who are not fortunate enough to have heirloom engagement rings in their family, pieces that are handmade using styles from generations past also provide historic reverence. A vintage ring is sometimes made with filigree designs, highlighting a period’s characteristics (Edwardian, for example), and have attention to detail that one would find more often when these styles were contemporary.
Bezel Settings
A lipped metallic ring keeps a diamond safely in place on bezel rings and make sense for women that are on the go. An added bonus is that the setting makes the stone look larger, while also holding it firmly in place.
Engagement & Wedding ring combination
Often these rings have many small diamonds which sparkle brightly around a platinum or gold band. With the emphasis on more stones, they are higher on glitter and lower on cost than the traditional separate engagement ring with a large stone.
Personalized Engravings
This can be as simple as the date of a wedding or as detailed as a phrase from a song or poem. If you intend to have a ring engraved by hand, do so weeks in advance.
Colored Diamonds
We’ve mentioned before on The Top Shelf that color is very in with all types of jewelry this year. Expect to pay a significant premium on colored diamonds due to their scarcity. These are favorites with celebrities.
If you lose jewelry at the beach this summer, chances are it will not stay buried in the sand. In contrast to years past, amateur “treasure hunters” will have a much easier time locating your lost gold necklace or ring. Technology advances, as well as falling prices from higher production numbers, mean the metal detector of 2008 does far more for much less. A “hobby” metal detector ten years ago could help you find tin cans. Today, for a similar price a detector can find small jewelry items, sometimes worth over $1000. Machines today can detect the difference between platinum and gold. Furthermore, the high price of gold and shaky economy makes hunting for gold objects particularly attractive this year.
If you are forgetful, and leave a ring or bracelet under a beach blanket, chances are you won’t find it the next day; regardless of whether it’s still there or a treasure hunter found it after the beach goers left for the day.
There are, however, plenty of stories of good Samaritan treasure hunters who find identifiable items they return to owners. Vietnam veterans have been reunited through finds of their class rings and dog tags.
For $153, you can be the proud owner of the Garrett Ace 150 Metal Detector
Do not give a “secondhand” engagement ring to someone! If it was a family heirloom that’s different of course. If you’ve given that heirloom to numerous wives from numerous prior marriages, and your soon to be fiancé will probably guess that, think twice. Engagement rings have far more meaning to most women than wedding rings. Remember that, as girls, diamond rings stand along-side princes in storybooks and represent all that is love.
No one wants to think about the history a ring had on the finger of a former fiancé or wife.
Educate yourself about ring styles and fashion on at least a simple level. “American consumers favor the largest rocks possible, as demonstrated by Hollywood starlets,” Ruth Donaldson, the UK manager of Platinum Guild International says. “British consumers are still living up to their more austere reputation. Ladies like a better class of diamond and lean towards the best metals being used to secure their jewels. It is strongly felt by brides that their fiancés are getting it wrong if they are just selecting the biggest rock.”
The word around New York is that gold is now truly a precious metal in every sense of the word. The World Gold Council statistics show that gold jewelry demand increased by 22% in 2007 as compared to 1996, and that was before the recent jump in costs for gold bullion.
If prices for gold fall back to the old reality, Firenze Jewels and other jewelers expect it will still be an attractive accessory. Many people want the prestige of wearing beautifully crafted gold items that are out of reach to many. New technical processes allow gold to be designed in ways not imagined years ago. Stones that were previously not used along side gold such as peridot are now paired. Sterling and platinum were what the fashion conscious jumped on, but with the new extravagant price of gold, it will be more attractive to all.
Bracelets