Jewelry Gift Guide for New Moms

Jewelry is often the go-to gift of choice for those 'BIG LIFE' occasions: weddings, anniversaries, graduations, it's Wednesday... But there is one present-producing event that often gets the shaft when it comes to shiny things: giving birth.

As a new mom myself, I surely appreciated the deluge of diapers and the like. But do you think jewelry-loving new moms like Rachel Zoe should have to settle for nipple cream and a bottle brushes? I think not! And neither should any of you other mommies out there.

So in honor of all that hard labor, ladies, I've collected a few of my favorite gift options for new moms. Just click on the heading or image for buying options and more info.

(A sidenote: #1MOM pendants should be banned from NOT JUST our jewelry boxes, gift givers - but the earth.)

1. Pink and Blue Gemstones:

If this seems a bit 'on the nose' - think again. Gems like the pink sapphire or aquamarine could remind moms of their gurgling bundles of joy - or could also work as just a fun fashion piece.

Birthstone Jewelry:

Always a crowd-pleaser, moms will love to have birthstone gems from the month their babies were born. Especially if it's an April baby (diamonds, anyone?).


Mom/Child:

This traditional jewelry silhouette never goes out of style. And you can find some options with birthstones already in the design.

Charm Bracelets:

What better time to start a charm bracelet, right? You can get baby shoe charms, birthday charms, initial charms - the list is endless. I'm waiting on the epidural needle charm to make mine complete.

Teething Jewelry:

Carrying the benefit of both 'Form' and 'Function', teething jewelry gifts are a fashionable way to get jewelry in a new mom's wardrobe during those grabby first months. And if there's a patent for drool-proof clothing? I'd like to add that to my list too.

So let's get out there and make us some shiny, happy mommies, gift givers. Are there any moms out there who have other jewelry ideas they'd like to add? Weigh in!

Deal Alert! Valentine's Day Jewelry For Less

Valentine's Day is to jewelry what the Oscars are to Awards Shows. There's Christmas, birthdays, Mother's Day, anniversaries and the like, but we women hold out our highest hopes for the "gift in a little box" on this day most of all, right?

C'mon! Admit it!

But our friend the 'male' tends to, well, procrastinate when it comes to getting into the Valentine's Day spirit, if memory serves. So here's a little hint, fellas, to keep you out of the last minute "flowers and candy" gift-giving rut.

It's called JEWELRY. And it doesn't get any easier than this:

1. JewelClub is having a pink and red gemstone sale to honor the holiday of LOVE - and there quite a few pieces under $100. We're talking FINE JEWELRY here, folks. Diamonds, gold, sapphires, etc.

Here are a few of my favs (click on the image for more info) or click here to see their entire stash:

2. I also saw these awesome 'personalize your own'' candy heart necklaces today on Luxist that are selling for under $50 from Zedena Designs. They're made out of enamel over copper and hang from a sterling silver chain.

3. And if you want to go the 'bended knee' route, there are SO many affordable engagement ring options out there today. Click here for my Guide to Affordable Engagement Rings for more creative ideas in that department.

So let's make Valentine's Day 2011 the year we forgo flowers for fine gems! Chuck the chocolates for carats! And procastinators? Stay tuned for more affordable jewelry tips in the days to come. 

Jewelry Libations for New Year's Eve

Cocktails and jewelry - what a winning combination. As I was recently pondering what jewelry to break out for my favorite champagne-drenched holiday this Friday (wait for the Carrie Bradshaw moment...), I couldn't help but wonder (there it is...): Why is it that jewelry and luxury libations have such a glittering partnership?

First, there's the cocktail ring. The jewelry category emerged in the roaring 20s during Prohibition at illegal, booze-filled ‘cocktail’ parties. Women went big with fashion statements at these underground soirees, flashing their oversized, colorful baubles along with their newly exposed knee caps.

Cocktail rings generally have an oversized center stone of 3 carats or more and are typically worn on the right hand (any finger will do). But as we jewelry hounds know, there are plenty of costume options out there that won't break the bank.

But there's another drinkable jewelry look emerging from the shadows lately - champagne diamonds. From light champagnes, to burnished browns and rich cognacs, these natural diamonds offer a selection of tones and hues to compliment every style, taste and tolerance level.



An informative piece in the New York Times reports that the stone made its debut in the late 1990s when it was discovered in Rio Tinto's Argyle mine in Australia, but is only now gaining a strong following - including from yours truly and a bevy of Hollywood's leading ladies.

If you really want to tie one on, how about a double shot with a champagne diamond cocktail ring like this one for almost $400 off retail? 'Tis the season!

And be sure to check out the champagne diamond treasure chest on Jewelry.com for more bubbly bling - it's jewelry that's perfect for teetotalers and the tipsy alike!

Jewelry Gifts for your Graduate

Ah graduation - that warm and fuzzy time when high schoolers break curfew for late-night keggers, and college grads realize their Liberal Arts degree gave them lots of debt and no job experience.

Seriously, though, this rite of passage is an event that warrants an important gift to commemorate the occasion. So whether you’ve got an uber-achievor or a ‘scraped by with Cs’-type on your hands, it’s time they got a little bling to remind them that they no longer have to suffer through Chem class or BS their way through another essay question.

Here are my top graduation jewelry gift ideas for the educated woman in your life (insert: me throwing my imaginary graduation cap Mary Tyler Moore-style.)














1. Diamond Studs:

They’re like a good bra. Every woman needs them, and mom is usually the one who will shell out the bucks for 'em.















2. Right Hand Rings

The ultimate expression of independence. She’ll have plenty of time to get a diamond on her left hand (stop hyperventilating). Celebrate her unique self with this empowering gift of diamonds.















3. Birthstone Bling

Jewelry that celebrates the day she was born and the woman she is sure to become. Awwww…















4. Personal Pendant

Is she leaving her favorite pet behind? Maybe she'd like a dog or cat pendant to keep them close to her heart? Or maybe she loves butterflies, frogs, pigs – whatever her passion let her know you know what makes her heart sing.

And I know what makes your heart sing. Wholesale prices. A reminder that you have access to my favorite Friends and Family site, Jewel Club, for your graduation shopping spree.

Use the code: INSIDER and gawk at the prices you won’t get anywhere else.


Happy Shopping, and congrats to all the upcoming graduates out there!

Diamonds on "Dancing With The Stars"

Dancing With The Stars is known for its gaudy display of costume jewelry, but this latest DWTS diamond ditty is my favorite so far.

Cincinnati Bengal superstar, Chad OchoCinco, gave dancing partner, Cheryl Burke, a huge diamond ring 'thank you' after last night's rowsing Paso Doble performance according to Us Weekly.

Said Cheryl of the surprise stash,

"At first I was like, Is this even real?...not even any of my boyfriends have given me anything like this! Ochocinco likes the bling!"

So what's the final carat count? Ocho only told US "A lot", but a source revealed the icy ring set in platinum came from Jason of Beverly Hills and cost more than $10,000.

Child, please!

Full disclosure: The Bengals are my hometown team and Chad is either a "love him or hate him" kinda player. But after this shiny gesture not only is he my favorite footballer - he's the one I'm rooting for to take the DWTS crystal ball.

What do you guys think? Do you think he's trying just a little too hard? Does he have a chance to beat that skater guy and the former Pussycat Doll? Will he win Cheryl's heart in the end? Weigh in!

Jewelry Buying Tips for Guys

With diamond prices reaching a record low, fellas, now is the time to pull the proverbial trigger on that jewelry gift you've been thinking about for months now but haven't had the ba - , I mean, time to buy.

In other words? Time to 'man up'.

But not to worry. Just pay attention to the following gift giving tips, and I guarantee you'll impress her with your remarkable taste and insight.

Know your audience:

There's nothing like that look you get when you know you missed the mark. The slight grimace followed by the fake smile? The best way to avoid awkward gift giving is to study what your significant other likes. What does she usually wear? Has she complimented friends on their looks? You know how to make her laugh, you can surely pick up some tips on her personal style. Take notes and bring what you know on your shopping trip.

Know your budget:

There are many price points in the jewelry world - from $99 to $9999 and beyond. Don't get in over your head with a bauble that will break the bank or make her afraid to wear it. Also, bring what you learned about stone and metal quality to the store, so you won't be duped into thinking 'bigger is better'. Often, it's not.

Know her size (mainly for ring purchases):

There's nothing like wowing her with a diamond ring she'll just have to wait three weeks to wear. Guys, break out your inner sleuth for this one. Find a ring she currently wears, trace the inside and bring it to your jeweler. You can always size a ring, but delayed satisfaction doesn't always fly when it comes to jewelry.

Know the occasion:

• If you're not about commitment but want to impress her with a gift of jewelry, word to the wise: stay away from the ring category. A ring, no matter what the design, is loaded with symbolism that screams "I'm in it for the long haul." A nice pair of diamond studs might be the better choice in this case.
• Right Hand Rings are the perfect self-gifting occasion to celebrate a promotion, graduation, or 'just because'. It's also a great friend-to-friend or mother-to daughter gift. Think female power!
• The 'go big' calendar moments are of course Valentine's Day and the December holidays. If she's expecting a ring, and you're thinking peridot earrings to match her eyes?you might want to think again.

Know the return policy:

Even with all of these words to the wise, there is ultimately no guarantee your jewelry gift is going to hit a home run. Most stores - whether they are online or in the mall - have a return policy. Don't be afraid to ask your salesperson.

With a little preparation, education and thought, we guarantee buying jewelry will move decidedly from "a little better than a root canal" to "right up there with no calorie ice cream and winning the lottery". Happy Shopping!

Champagne Diamonds - Brown is the New Black

As promised, jewelry hounds, I am continuing coverage of my new favorite gemstone - champagne diamonds - a positively glittering new jewelry trend that's sure to have staying power well into the bubbly New Year and beyond!


Tired of the same old same old? Champagne diamonds not only offer up the glam, they give you something different from the natural diamond color wheel when accessorizing for the season. Red carpets and runways have already taken to the sparkling stone, and Jewelry.com just curated a cool collection of the cognac-colored gems just ripe for the picking.

Most of the world's supply of champagne diamonds comes from Rio Tinto’s Argyle Diamond Mine in the rugged and beautiful East Kimberley region of Western Australia.

The Australian Aborigines who are traditional owners of the land in the East Kimberley believe that the diamonds were formed when a barramundi fish escaped through a spinifex net. According to that myth, the colors of the diamonds mined from the red earth of the region come from different parts of the barramundi.

Fish or no fish, these diamond beauties have really captured me. I'm putting this champagne diamond right hand ring from Reed's on my holiday wish list (a girl can dream, right?). Which champagne styles do you want under the tree this year?

Champagne Diamonds Sparkle Around The US

Jewelry hounds, I've got a new favorite stone to crow about. It combines two of my favorite past-times: the bubbly and the bling. We're talking champagne diamonds, people, and the holiday season is crying out for them to go with your little black party dress.

Champagne diamonds come in a variety of shades ranging from light champagne to deep cognac, and Rio Tinto Diamonds - the leading supplier of the trend-setting stones - is on the cutting edge (pun intended) of bringing these little beauties to a store near you.


They recently held a champagne diamond design competition - with the winning creations (pictured here) taking a tour around the country. Click here to see if they'll make it to your neck of the woods.


In the meantime, be on the lookout for champagne diamonds to light up a jewelry store near you. I plan on tracking some of the great deals to be found as the weeks progress, so stay tuned!

October Birthstone Banter

Opals are an often-overlooked gemstone option, but October birthday girls know you can never go wrong with this glittering gem. Here are some fun facts about the opulent little beauties, and a great idea on where to get some - at rock bottom prices.

It's all about JewelClub you libras and scorpios (and the folks who love them). Visit this Friends and Family site here and enter the code INSIDER to get wholesale prices on some stunning opal gems. And they've got every fine jewelry category stocked if you want to go outside the birthstone box. Did I mention they have free shipping too? Happy Birthday to you!

Opal:The Queen of the Gems

Opal, the birthstone for October, is one of nature's most prized gems. The stone - which also happens to be the recommended jewelry gift for couples celebrating their 14th wedding anniversary - was mined by eastern Europeans, the Aztecs and the ancient tribes of Central Africa.

Opals have been featured in the crown of the Holy Roman Emperor and the crown jewels of France. They were mentioned in the plays of Shakespeare and the novels of Sir Walter Scott. Napoleon gave an opal to Josephine. Queen Victoria gave them out as wedding gifts.

One of the reasons this gem has been so revered is because of its supposed mystical powers. Scandinavian women wore opals in their hair to prevent it from going gray. The Arabs thought opal would ward off lightning and grant invisibility to its wearer. Other powers ascribed to the gem include the ability to grant vigor, aid the heart and kidneys and protect against fainting and infection.

Worshipped by the Romans as a symbol of hope, fidelity, purity and good luck, opal is sometimes called the "queen of gems" because the stone can flash patterns of color representing every hue of the rainbow.

This "play of color" is one of opal's signature characteristics. The gem is found in a range of hues, including white opal (the most common); black opal; "boulder" opal (black opal with iron oxide); crystal or water opal, which is transparent; and fire opal, which has a yellow to orange to red body color.

The vast majority of the world's opal supply comes from Australia. Black opal is the rarest variety and therefore the most valuable. White opal is also mined in Brazil. Fire and crystal opal can be found in the United States (Nevada) and Mexico.

Brilliance of color and color pattern are critical in determining the value of opal. Opals with strong flashes of red fire are generally the most prized. Stones with blue or green flashes are more common and subsequently less valuable. Stone size also helps determine price, since the gem is very rare in larger sizes. Prices can vary from a few dollars per carat for common white opal to more than $1,000 per carat for fine black opal. Most stones are not faceted and usually cut into rounded cabochons to enhance color play.

Perfect natural opals are extremely rare and expensive. Many are treated to enhance their appearance. One common technique is to place the opal in a sugar solution and then in sulfuric acid, which blackens body color and makes the play of color more pronounced. Other treatments include applications of colorless oil, wax and resin, plastic, or synthetic resins and hardeners to fill cracks and improve durability.

With a hardness of approximately 5.5 on the Mohs scale, opal is relatively fragile, and care should be taken not to scratch, chip or crack it. To clean opal, use a soft cloth moistened with olive oil. Do not use chemical or mechanical cleaners. Also, avoid heat and dry conditions that could dehydrate and crack the stone.

Jewelry Gifts from the Heart

Last week, the New York Times featured a surprising editorial from a former jewelry store owner, Clancy Martin, who confessed he wasn’t a huge fan of many of his customers. He particularly dreaded the Valentine’s Day holiday, when last minute shoppers would grab any old bauble, throw it in a box and hand it over like it was anything but a special occasion.

“What upset me more was the ordinariness of the choices. You can give a pair of gold earrings to anyone. But Valentine’s Day is the one day when a present ought to express adoration. Valentine’s Day is for special gifts of intimacy.”

Now before you start to complain that times are tough and folks can’t afford more than a simple pair of gold earrings these days, Martin’s point isn’t that you should spend tons of cash on an expensive diamond or gemstone piece - it’s that the jewelry gift should have meaning.

Buy a pair of gemstone earring to match the color of her eyes, he suggests. Putting thought into jewelry gift giving is, as he wisely points out,

“…the opposite of conspicuous consumption, because it has nothing to do with showing off for others.”

I know I’m always pushing jewelry on every poor bloke who comes within earshot when it comes to gift giving, but I don’t mean that you should grab your nearest pearl strand and call it a day. There is a time and a place for baubles that don’t mean much. But more often than not, putting thought into the jewelry purchase couldn’t mean more. Especially on a day like Valentine's Day.

Click here for a full read of the New York Times editorial piece, and weigh in with your thoughts about the matter.

Does the guy have a heart, or is he just pushing more product?

Diamonds in the Ruff

Move over Fashion Week, there's a new kid in town! JCPenney is celebrating Doghouse Prevention Week from February 6th - 13th, and the event is sure to bring us jewelry hounds more pleasure than gawking at stick-thin models in clothes we'll never wear.

Why? Because this Valentine's Day JCPenney is dedicated to schooling the male species in the delicate art of gift giving. And by 'gift' they don't mean your run-of-the-mill Valentine's Day loot. They're talking diamonds, people. This cupid ain't stupid!

Let's face it. We've all had our V-day disappointments. How many times have we faked a smile when the same old box of chocolates surfaces or the proverbial red rose bouquet shows up at the office? It just doesn't take a lot of thought for fellas to go down that well-trodden road, right?

But here's a thought: What if you could throw your man in the gift-giving doghouse for even thinking about calling the florist?

Perhaps you've heard of the over 7,000 guys who were thrown in JCPenney's Doghouse over the holidays. Learn from them by visiting www.bewareofthedoghouse.com, where you and your main squeeze can watch a hilarious (and informative) video about other men's gift-giving failures.

But most importantly, he'll see how he too can avoid The Doghouse by getting you the perfect diamond gift from the jewelry store inside JCPenney. And they have an amazing selection, ladies, so whether it's a pair of tasteful diamond studs or a fun fashion piece, you can rest assured he'll find something to make your heart sing (not sink) this year.

So from February 6th - 13th take this gem of an opportunity to teach your old dog some new tricks for Valentine's Day. It comes down to this: Diamonds or a dog day afternoon in the big house. Sounds pretty straightforward to me.

Happy Holidays Jewelry Hounds!

Just a quick note to let all you glamorous glitter hounds out there know that I'll be signing off here until the 26th for a little holiday cheer. I hope you all find lots of little boxes with your name on them this year!

I've sent out all the subliminal messages over the blogosphere I could on your behalf...Fingers crossed.

Happy Holidays Everyo