Women's Diamond Jewelry Trends

When it comes to women's diamond jewelry, there are various new trends that appear every season. The tough part about jewelry trends are they can be difficult to keep up with, depending on the type of budget you set aside each season for purchasing jewelry. Since diamonds are forever, you want your diamond jewelry to last and be in style forever as well. So how can you tell which trends are one season, or multi-season trends?

The first thing you want to start with is the adoption of the trend by major jewelry designers. This is tough, because the bigger the designer, the slower they are to react to the new trends that are in season. Some companies do a great job of setting trends, as opposed to following them. These are the companies and designers you want to keep an eye on. Trend setters often design items that having "staying power", meaning once they come out with something, it usually stays desirable for a while. Diamond journey jewelry is a great example of this. What started out as a trend has now become a fixture in collections of even the finest jewelers. If you feel like you've seen a lot of a particular trend and you want to find a unique piece that still originates from that trend, look for a boutique online diamond jewelry store that specializes in these designs.

Magazines and fashion blogs are always a good place to browse for ideas on what's hot in the world of diamond jewelry. It wasn't too long ago that Christie Brinkley was spotted wearing diamond peace sign jewelry on the red carpet. Now days, almost every jeweler has some type of peace sign jewelry in their store or web site. How long the trend will last is hard to say, but if you like a design, there is nothing wrong with wearing it at your leisure, even if other people have stopped wearing it.

Of course, you can play it very safe and go with a staple piece of jewelry that never goes out of style. Solitaire diamond jewelry has been around forever and shows no signs of going out of style. But even though you cannot go wrong with classic, it certainly is not the most interesting piece of jewelry you can wear. If all else fails, don't be afraid to try and start your own trend. If you pick out a piece of jewelry that's unique and other people ask you about it, you know you're on to something. Who knows? You might have a knack for setting jewelry trends.

Fall 2010 Fashion Trends: Furry Things

You know how people often have little, out-of-character tastes that surprise you?  Well, here's mine: 

I love fur.  LOVE.  

It's weird because I am irritatingly responsible, and fur doesn't exactly scream “responsibility.”  But something about it makes me want to throw all those good girl instincts to the wind.  It is my personal James Dean. 

Maybe because it looks like this: 

And this:

It’s glamorous and decadent, and it's a huge trend this year. Luckily, those of us who love the look but feel a little squeamish about it finally have some good options. 

Consider shopping for the Origin Assured label, which signifies that a garment “comes from a country where local or national regulations or standards governing fur production are in force.”  Top designers like Oscar de la Renta and Karl Lagerfeld are applauding Origin Assured's efforts to identify and market ethically produced fur. 

You can also go faux, which has the added benefit of being easier on the pocketbook. Now, theres no denying that faux fur used to look like the homely love child of a polyester fleece and a brillo pad.  But we've come a long way since then, and much of today's faux is good enough to fool even the sharpest eyes. Judge the quality by the texture.  Bad faux is weird and woolly; good faux is soft and pleasing to the touch (like the real thing).  Keep in mind: if you don't want to run your hand across it, you won't want to wear it, either. 

For those who only go faux, I've identified the pics below that show genuine fur pieces. If it’s not specified, it’s faux. 

If you're in the market for the hottest way to wear fur right now, go for a vest, which works well with the hippie boho look.

Development vest

Hinge vest, DuMonde vest

Juicy Couture reversible vest, Forever Audrey vest 

Then there’s the obvious way to add this trend to your wardrobe: a jacket. There are many great options, everything from “red carpet” to “ski slope.” 

Kristen Blake jacket, Impermeable Platinum by Weatherproof coat

Sporty Coats

Shoes

Red Carpet Trend Of 2010 - Pant Suits

If you had said to me at the start of the year that pant suits would be one of the hottest trends on the red carpet I would have said you were crazy.

Surprisingly this trend worked, and on the most unexpected people.

A pant suit on Tilda Swinton always works well because of her androgynous look, but on boho queen Sienna Miller it was totally unexpected.

Her Gucci pant suit was a million miles away from the boho look we'd long tired of, but this look became the kick-start for a great red carpet promotional tour for the British actresses.

Evan also looked very comfortable in a Gucci pant suit, but the other big surprises were Penelope Cruz and Ashley Greene who both wore red Bottega Veneta pant suits.

Pen’s was a winner, the jury is still out on Ashley's.

Others who have dabbled with pant suits this year are Amy Adams at the “Sunshine Cleaning” LA premiere and Jennifer Aniston at the “He's Just Not That Into You” LA premire. 

Both wore Burberry suits. Amy's was white whilst Jennifer's was of course black.

Top Fashion Accessories Tips

1. Pick a good vintage

The second of the three Rs, "reuse," is there for a good reason-granting an existing item a second lease on life, instead of purchasing brand new, means no new manufacturing resources had to be tapped into. As a bonus, we're spared from any additional pollution and carbon emissions.

2. Make it a fair trade

Shelling out for fairly traded gear supports fair labor conditions and workers' rights, especially in developing countries. Helping producers get a fair price for their labors and promoting self-reliance also empowers them to break the cycle of poverty they're often caught in. Just keep in mind that trade, not aid, is the answer to improving livelihoods everywhere.

3. Repurpose for a purpose

Because the mining of precious gems and metals from the earth is an environmentally ravaging process, some jewelry designers have been taking a different, more eco-friendly tack. Recycled metals have been making their rounds of late, including a form of silver that is reclaimed from used photographic film. For your green wedding: engagement and wedding rings made from recycled gold and set with repurposed or lab-grown gems.

4. Suss out sustainable

Accessories made from sustainably produced or recycled materials are lovely to behold and kind to the planet. On the fabric front, choose textiles such as organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and even soysilk.

5. Beg or borrow

Plunder the contents of someone else's closet - with permission, natch-instead of shopping for your own. One company, Bag Borrow or Steal, even lets you rent as many as five designer handbags, belts, or pieces of jewelry at a time for a flat monthly membership fee (plus an additional fee per borrowed item). You can sate your desire for straight-off-the-runway ensembles without overtaxing the planet's resources.

6. Buy conflict-free

Conflict or "blood" diamonds are sold, often illicitly, in war zones and used by rebel movements to fuel conflict and human-rights abuses in countries such as Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone. Make sure your diamond retailer can provide paperwork or otherwise prove that the diamonds are conflict-free.

7. Take care of your wares

Repair a torn purse strap or restring a broken necklace instead of consigning slightly damaged goods to the rubbish heap. Treating your accessories with a little TLC will also go a long way to extending their longevity, which is kinder to the environment than running through a series of semi-disposable replacements.

8. Brevity is the soul of wit

Accessories are meant to complement your outfit, not take it over. And, anyway, wouldn't you rather be remembered for your sparkling wit rather than that blinding hunk of ice that was weighing your neck down? Jewelry that is simple and classic will stand you in good stead, regardless of the occasion or decade, for that matter. Which brings us to our next point.

9. Don't go with the flow

Pilot your own fashion destiny and unchain your heart from the vagaries of fashion trends. Being a follower instead of a leader will only bring you to a dark place filled with tears and the gnashing of teeth, plus a closet and dresser full of dated gewgaws and doodads that have long fallen out of favor with the fashion gods. One word: poncho.

10. Buy indie

Think of "mall" as a four-letter word. Instead of shopping at a big-box retailer, which is likely to cut corners by purchasing from sweat shops, undercompensating employees, and cheapening quality, check out the offerings of one of the thousands of indie crafters bringing their creative talents to market. Because craft businesses tend to be small one- or two-person operations, their carbon footprints are infinitely smaller to those of multinational retailers such as Walmart or Kmart. By supporting independent artisans, you're also taking a stand against the onslaught of crass commercialization and unmindful consumerism. Viva la revolution!