Wearing is Believing

Trendspotting: Seashell Jewelry

Right now, there’s nothing better than enjoying the summer sun and surf - and there’s no better way to take a bit o’ the beach with you wherever you go than with seashell-inspired accessories!

Seashell accessories range from casual, with the easy beauty of a Bahamian straw market, to more resplendent, like Mesi Gilly’s Coral and Shell Ring (at left), which features stunning natural coral, silver, seed pearls in a natural shell setting.  You can make shell accessories work with almost any summery attire: a tank and linen pants at a barbeque, a sleek sheath, a slim cut black suit. 

Some of my favorite pieces to try: the Genuine Mother of Pearl Shell Pendant, which captures the raw beauty of the sea with tiny shell rectangles and genuine mother of pearl.  I also like Conscious Jewelry’s Shell Necklace, a simple golden hued-shell on a textured gold chain.  For a sea-inspired twist on the seashell jewelry trend, try Holsted Jewelers’  Freshwater Pearl Chandelier Earrings, which feature delicate clusters of genuine freshwater pearls and turquoise-colored crystals.  

Love, Love and Cartier

More than 150 years old, Cartier is the ultimate in luxe, classic jewelry.  Edward VII of England once said of the jewelry company: “They are the jeweler of kings and the king of jewelers.”

Cartier is releasing three new collections sure to catch your eye.  A twist on their signature trio of interlocking bands, the new Trinity collection features a smattering of delicate diamonds stars.  Hypnose, inspired by a 1912 bandeau designed for Nancy Leeds (who later became Princess Anastasia of Greece and Denmark), is a collection of geometric black and white pieces.  My personal favorite, the classic Cartier love bracelet, gets an update with six new bejeweled styles.  The Love bracelet is designed to be put on by your paramour with a tiny screwdriver (and is very difficult to put on solo!) -- a sexy take on traditional gift jewelry!

While their pieces are gorgeous, Cartier luxury doesn’t come cheap.  While you’re saving up for your Love bracelet (or searching for the man to buy you one), get a similar  look with Holsted Jewelers’ Genuine Blue Topaz and CZ Bracelet.Or if you'd like to create a look like the pieces in the Trinity Collection, try Holsted's Tri Color Sterling Silver Rolling Ring, which is strikingly similar for a fraction of the cost!

Dare To Go Bare

A major trend to emerge this fall is bare necklines.  While chunky necklaces are still in, many women are choosing to skip necklaces in favor of fabulous bracelets.  One need look no further than the red carpet at the Twilight premiere or the recent Country Music Awards to see that it’s all about the bling below the neckline (see Julianne Hough at left, sporting an armload of Daniel Swarovski bracelets).

If you’re skipping the necklace, you can afford to make a bolder statement with a dazzling bracelet.  The Spring Rain White CZ Tennis Bracelet from Holsted Jewelers, a luxurious current of 49 carats of dazzlingly white cubic zirconia, adds a flashy yet refined touch to any outfit.  Holsted Jewelers’ Gold-over-Sterling Byzantine Bracelet, made of intricately interwoven gold links, is strikingly similar to a bracelet Kate Hudson sported at a recent red carpet event.  Make the boldest statement of all with Anton Heunis’ Sterling Silver Cuff Bracelet, a chunky amalgam of Swarovski crystals, jade, green agate, amethyst and murano glass.  Best paired with a simple black dress, the Heunis bracelet is likely to look cluttered with anything more complicated.

If bangles are more your style, check out designer Ippolita, favored by Minnie Driver, Jessica Alba and Halle Berry.  Known for slender gold bangles, Ippolita recently began creating pieces in sterling silver and resin.  Whether adorned with semiprecious stones or bare, Ippolita designs her bangles to be wearable: she says that once you put one of her pieces on, you’ll never need to take it off.

Do you dare to go bare and let your bracelets do the talking? Tell us about your favorite finds!

Trendspotting: Animal Rings

One of the hottest new trends in accessories: animal rings.  Snakes to tigers, subtle to bold, animal rings are in.

Watch out for rings that are all one material, like gold or silver, with no embellishment -- they can look a little junior high if they’re faux.  If you go bold and jewel-encrusted, keep the rest of your accessories simple -- a few bangles will do, or a necklace, bracelet or earrings that coordinate with your ring, but don’t match exactly.  Going for an all-fish or all-leopard theme with your accessories is over-the-top and cheesy, and reminiscent of your crazy third grade art teacher.

You can try out this trend at any price range.  My absolute favorite: Noir’s adorable silver -plated koyu fish ring (above right).  Glitzy and fun, it makes me smile every time I see it!  The look for less: Holsted Jewelers’ True Temptation Snake Ring ($97.50, at left) glitters with 4.47 carats of white cubic zirconia.  Patricia Field’s new HSN line Destination Style New York also features a tiger ring ($149.95).  While not exactly my style, it’s a bold choice for a woman looking to make a statement.

The Bold and The Beautiful

Well, ladies, we finally have an answer to that age-old question -- size does matter...if you’re a trendspotter, that is.  Big is big in accessories right now, as chunky costume assemblages of glass, plastic and metal crop up everywhere.  The fun of this trend is that you don’t have to worry about passing off CZ as the real thing -- bold is more important than authenticity here.  Equally fun: you can can bargain hunt for obviously faux pieces, new or vintage -- eclectic and funky is the goal.

Larger retailers like Banana Republic (their Autumn Necklace is pictured at right) and J. Crew offer reasonably-priced takes on the trend.  Check out Fragments NYC and Alexis Bittar (at left, Alexis Bittar Large Diamond Dust Abalone Hinge Bracelet) for slightly pricier but more unique pieces. 

If you’re ready to dive into the bargain bins at vintage stores for the most unique pieces of all, there are some things to keep in mind.  Weight matters: the heavier the piece, the older it’s likely to be -- and it's more likely to be durable.  Jewelry designers started using more plastics and lightweight metals like aluminum after World War 2 -- before that, jewelry was often made of heftier metals.  Make sure you check out the clasps on your finds -- you want to make sure they’re sturdy, or at least easily replaceable.  Also, don’t let decades of dirt deter you from a piece you love -- you can always get them cleaned!

When shopping for accessories for the fall, just remember -- bigger is better!

Trend de la Creme: A Blog To Check Out

Since Holsted Jewelers entered the blogosphere a few months ago we've gotten to know some very cool people who love accessories, beauty, fashion and jewelry just as much as we do. One of those people is Jill Sherman, who maintains a blog about all the latest trends in these areas. Jill seems to be able to spot trends as easy as the rest of us breathe and she can find evidence of a designer's ideas in just about anything: from birds and insects, to flowers and cathedral ceilings.

Until recently she called her very successful blog Trendinista. However, it seems as if that success has necessitated a name change, because it is now called Trend de la Creme. Now how cool is that? I love it!

If you like reading about trends as much as I do you should defeinitely visit Trend de la Creme. Happy reading!

Baubles For Fall

Now that New York Fashion Week Fall 08 is over I'm thinking back to the photos I saw from all the shows in and around The Tents. Several designers incorporated jewelry in their shows, most noticiably big, chunky jewelry:

Oscar De La Renta

Tracy Reese

Badgley Mischka

Dennis Basso

Ports 1961

The Ports 1961 piece is especially interesting. At first glance, it looks like a necklace made from threading a scarf through a wooden bracelet. It's not of course, but wouldn't that be an interesting jewelry trend?

You can see all the photos from Fashion Week at Coutorture.com. Enjoy!