American Idol Judge Weds in Dozens of Diamonds

Wedding jewelry for most of us consists of a diamond ring and matching band and perhaps some pearls here and there. But if you’re a celeb, the high-end jewelers come out in droves to make sure you’re dripping in their diamonds – and American Idol judge, Kara DioGuardi is no exception.

The superstar songwriter and Bikini Girl wanna-be walked down the aisle on July 5th in Prospect, Maine wearing a Vera Wang gown and almost 100 carats of diamonds from jeweler to the stars, Neil Lane.

She sparkled in a 30-carat diamond-and-platinum bracelet and chandelier earrings with 20 carats of diamonds. The total value? $250,000.

"She wanted something glamorous," jeweler Neil Lane told People about DioGuardi's wedding bling.

I guess 250 large qualifies.


Kara got engaged to Mike McCuddy, a general contractor, on December 8th after a year and a half of dating. The engagement took place while they were on vacation in Mexico and the alternative engagement ring was another Neil Lane creation featuring a smokey topaz center stone instead of the more traditional diamond fare.

In fact, many women today are going for colored stones instead of diamonds for their bridal bling – including the Today Show bride, who is sporting an emerald solitaire on her ring finger for her big day.

What do you guys think? Would you wear a colored stone engagement ring or are you afraid to buck with diamond tradition? Weigh in! And in the meantime, take a gander at Jewelry.com’s education section about the many ways to skin the engagement ring cat.

Ok. Bad metaphor. But you get the idea…

Jewelry Makes a Statement in Paris

It’s my favorite jewelry fashion time of year – the Paris Haute Couture Shows. And while this go-round has not delivered the Christian Lacroix craziness that lit up the runways last year, there are some serious statements worth coveting.


Dior did diamonds in flowers and bows, and pearls in both black and white and ‘bigger means better’ silhouettes.



Armani kept the statement necklace trend going strong with grey, metallic, chunky looks that must have weighed more than a newborn.



Valentino used headpieces as his accessory du jour, with stunning lace looks that oozed style and sophistication.


And gold kept glittering at the Givency and Christian Lacroix shows (a sad showing since this will be his last Couture collection due to financial issues).

And Fashion Week isn’t over yet! The stars are still arriving and the catwalks still cracking with fashion that you can’t even afford in your dreams. But what’s a jewelry fantasy without a dash of inaccessibility, right?

Stay tuned for more couture coverage, and check out a complete album of stunning jewelry looks fresh from Paris on Jewelry.com’s Facebook page.

Drool, dream and covet, jewelry hounds!

New York Housewive Spotted with Diamond Ring

Bethenny Frankel finally has that diamond on her ring finger, according to US Magazine. The only Real Housewife of New York who isn’t really a ‘wife’ may get that moniker changed if the story holds true.

The Bravo reality show star was spotted wearing a diamond ring in Miami on Saturday, and her rep confirmed to US that an engagement is ‘definitely in the works’.

Good for her!

The ring itself is apparently only a starter engagement ring with the real deal still in development according to a source.

"He's hunting for the ring, but in the meantime this is a place holder or promise ring," the source told Us.

The couple first met at NYC nightclub Tenjune. Since then, the Frankel and Hoppy - who works in real estate - have attended several events together and went on a romantic vacation in Turks & Caicos in May. She has even reportedly gotten approval from her Housewives friends, who say Hoppy is a catch.

Although Frankel has struggled to find love on the hit Bravo show, the 38-year-old admits to falling for the hunk.

"I'm in love," Frankel said at an event in the Hamptons. "I'm pretty much certain I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him... I'm really happy."

Take THAT Kelly Bensimon!