Sarah Jessica’s Statement Necklace

Rejoice, jewelry hounds! High jewelry season is upon us.

As if to signal all the glorious fashion that is set to befall us, Sarah Jessica is back on the streets of New York shooting Sex and the City 2 – giving us die-hards a glimpse of the fabulous frocks we’ve come to expect from the show.

Looks like the statement necklace is a trend SATC stylist, Patricia Field, is keeping in our vocabulary, as The SJP was spotted wearing a Solange Azagury-Partridge gemstone piece to complement her Halston Heritage dress and cooler-than-thou gold Christian Louboutin pumps (with a gold Chanel clutch to match).

And Heidi Klum may have given up her clover jewelry line, but Carrie Bradshaw is keeping the category alive and well with this little gem to go with her purple Halston number.

Oh, but this is just the beginning, my bling-obsessed brethren. Stay tuned for my Venice Film Festival jewelry coverage (so far, nothing major to report despite a gorgeous Eva Mendez making a red carpet appearance) and NY Fashion Week is but a mere 8 days away.

Fall may be the time when summer’s fruits die on the vine, but its ‘back to school’ vibe for all things shiny gets my jewelry juices flowing like no other season.

Don't you agree?

Sandra Bullock’s Fashion House of Horrors

Despite Sandra Bullock’s A-list status, jewelry, fashion and taste were not present and accounted for at her All About Steve premiere in Los Angeles last night.

Don’t get me wrong. I love me some Sandy Bullock, in spite of her giving us the Miss Congeniality franchise and a few other clunkers. And until recently, she generally showed off her tasteful fashion sense in age-appropriate gowns with classic jewelry and a sense of fun thrown in for good measure.

So I have one question: What happened to you last night, Sandy?

This Lanvin dress is just all kinds of wrong, made even worse by (gasp!) ankle boots and a bedhead hairstyle that just isn’t red carpet-worthy. The jewelry is non-existent - just some simple diamond drop earrings – and to make matters worse, her bad fashion vibe trickled down to most of the other choices on the carpet like some primordial ooze contaminating everything in its path.

Actress, Beth Grant, graced us with a hideous Mrs. Roper-esque mumu with layered pearl strands that made a busy look even busier. And, I’m sorry, but this onyx and diamond jewelry statement on Luelle is just gaudy, doll, not glamorous.

The horror. The horror.

Bullock's co-star, Bradley Cooper, was the only saving grace from what I can gather, showing up in a simple suit and a winning smile. Let’s hope their film is better than the garments and gems that showed up to celebrate it.

I think it's best we just turn the page.

Lead a Charmed Life

Forgive me, jewelry hounds. I forgot an important fall jewelry trend in my post last week: charm bracelets!

Most of the hot celebrity jewelry lines are featuring them this season – from Paula Abdul to Tori Spelling – and top designers like Juicy Couture, Marc Jacobs and Betsey Johnson have special charmed creations in their collections as well.

Even Brad Pitt got shiny additions for his beloved Angie's bracelet - as if they didn't already lead a charmed life!

Charm bracelets are one of those timeless jewelry categories that work for all ages and styles. The fun isn’t about a one-off bracelet purchase – it’s about collecting the charms that represent who you are. And it’s a great way to get gifts that really mean something to you come birthday-time and holiday season.

One hotspot for charms is Reeds Jewelers on Jewelry.com. The retailer, in business since 1946, just joined the Internet juggernaut with over 4,000 (count em!) charms ripe for the picking - in addition to their extensive collection of fine jewelry styles.

Some of my favorites border on the bizarre, but you’ve got to hand it to them: they’ve got every whim and whimsy covered.

How much do you love this bathtub charm? They’ve got everything from a minivan and a gas pump to a spider web and a camera! Anything you can imagine.

So take some time to troll the Reeds coffers on Jewelry.com to add to your charm collection or to start a new bracelet just in time for the fall season.

And let me know how you make out! Which charms best suit your personality? They've got it ALL, I'm telling you. Surprise me!

Lindsay Lohan Robbed in Hollywood

Maybe diamonds aren’t Lindsay Lohan’s best friend after all. After several high profile diamond jewelry debacles – including a lost purse carrying thousands of dollars in jewels and rumors accusing her of stealing diamond jewelry from a photo shoot - La-Lohan is making diamond jewelry news again.

Maybe her bogus tanning products and lackluster legging line angered the fashion gods, but the papparazi darling found herself yet another victim of a celebrity-targeted break-in a la Paris Hilton and Orlando Bloom.

Her upstanding citizen of a father reported the robbery, telling TMZ that he believed it to be an inside job. Reports state that the alarm system was dismantled and Lohan’s safe was ripped off the wall. Bags, shoes and diamond jewelry were taken, but no word yet on how much the loot is worth.

It seems trouble follows Ms. Lohan wherever she goes these days. With plans already underway to move Lindsay out of her Hollywood Hills home, let’s hope the gods will be satisfied with a simple return to the movie industry where she belongs. Sans diamonds, patterned leggings and the perma-tan.

Jewelry Trend Alert!

Jewelry fashion is a fickle beast. Just when you think you can retire your statement necklace (or day-glo bangles, as the case may be), the trend-setters bring them back to catwalk another day.

This fall, there are a few relics from bygone eras that are trending big for the new season, but there are also some tried and true jewelry categories that are holding steady for us too.

Here are my four top fall jewelry trends to watch – at least until we get a look at what Fashion Week has in store this October.

Tell me about it, Stud:

Break out your bedazzlers, studded jewelry and clothing is back! From bracelets and belts to shoes and bags, bejeweled fashion is polka-dotting its way back into our hearts and jewelry boxes. Tori Spelling actually has some cute studded styles in her collection. Who knew?

Black and White (and Green all over):

Black and white jewelry may bring to mind the mod days of the 60s, but its making Fall 2009 fashion shine bright this year. Find black and white with a splash of green, and you’ll get high marks from all the sartorial looky-loos.

Yellow Gold:

Summer’s favorite metal has staying power well beyond poolside BBQ season. Gilded, golden, over-the-top jewelry is a major ‘do’ for trend setting fashionistas and Rachel Zoe followers alike. ‘Gaudy’ is no longer a bad word.

80s Glam:

Just when you thought it was safe, shoulder pads, day-glo and leg warmers are showing themselves again - and punk rock 80s jewelry is joining in the renaissance. Think Duran Duran meets The Ramones.

So stay tuned throughout the season for my updates to the fall jewelry fashion evolution. I'm secretly happy to know that even though the economy still blows, there is still whimsy and imagination to be had out there - and jewelry trends we can all participate in no matter our wallet size.

Alyssa Milano Weds in Special Diamond

Who's the Boss? Alyssa Milano, clearly, who wore a designer Vera Wang gown and a huge custom-made diamond engagement ring for her weekend wedding.

Celebrity weddings are full of designer diamonds, but Charmed actress Milano, 36, got hitched in a unique diamond engagement ring created by her very own husband - with a little help.

Mr. Alyssa, Hollywood agent David Bugliari, designed the diamond ring with Jim Lavi at Daniel Jewelry in La Jolla, California. The huge cushion-cut diamond solitaire rests on an 18kt gold band, but the jeweler refused to reveal the carat weight to reporters stating only that, "It's a big one."

Indeed.

According to People, the bride wore a Vera Wang gown and walked down the aisle to John Lennon's, "Imagine". Wedding guests attended a rustic-style reception after the ceremony, which Milano, who is of Italian descent, said was meant to create the essence of her family's Sunday dinners.

"We wanted a wedding that was reflective of who we are as a couple," said Milano, who met her husband in 2006.

But Alyssa isn't the only one with a cushion-cut diamond lighting up her ring finger. Cushion-cut diamonds are all the rage these days with Ivanka Trump, Anna Paquin and Mark Wahlberg's wife, Rhea Durham, sporting the style, among others.

Check out the Jewelry.com bridal boutique for over 600 diamond engagement ring styles from all the retailers you trust, including some stunning cushion-cut sparklers that rival any celebrity bling.

60s Jewelry Fashion: Mad Men Maven or Flower Child?

Woodstock may be turning 40, but the jewelry it inspired still lives on. Jewelry.com reports today that the Boho Chic stylings of Nicole Richie and Kate Hudson evolved from the muddy flats of that Woodstock farm 'lo those many years ago - and they've got a bevy of hippie chick styles in their coffers to prove it.



But with buttoned-up Mad Men 60s fashion taking the media by storm these days, many of us forget that there was quite a different fashion revolution going on at the same time. Bell bottoms, roach clips, peasant-wear and beads, beads, beads were as prevalent as sweater sets, pearls, and tailored suits.


Which 60s-era style do you prefer? The pendants, pearl strands, and vintage brooches of the three-martini lunch era? Or the layered necklace, love bead, bangled look of Janis Joplin and her acolytes?


I'm torn. I've lived in Manhattan for years - so consider myself a New Yorker at heart, but I've also spent enough time in California to own a pair of Birkenstocks and go to more than a few Grateful Dead shows before Jerry Garcia became the inspiration for an ice cream flavor.

What's your preference for the jewelry style of this era? Grace Kelly glam? Or Hippie Chick chic? Or are you content to leave the 60s well in the past where it belongs?

Weigh in!