Kate and William's Rainbow Connection

Kermit, eat your heart out. Britain's Daily Mirror reports that Kate Middleton and Prince William are going to be GIVEN the world's most expensive diamond stash, The Rainbow Collection, by some uber rich Saudis who want to buy the $120 million treasure chest from gem collector, Eddy Elzas.

It's good to be the king (in waiting).

These special 'crown jewels' are made up of 301 of the world's largest and finest fancy colored diamonds.  Few have seen the fabled collection (which is why I'm having a hard time tracking down pictures), and a member of the Saudi Arabian royal family even tried to buy them as a wedding gift for Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981, but the offer was turned down by Mr Elzas.

“Lots of Middle Eastern investors are keen to buy the collection and give them to William and Kate because it would be a huge badge of honor,” a source said.

“A deal is now very close to being done and an announcement is set to be made soon. Mr Elzas is due to retire soon so is looking to sell. But he will only sell if they go to William and Kate. He thinks it would be a fitting gift for the couple.”

What will the tony twosome do with the donated loot? Hard to tell - but I would give my pinky finger to see a new rainbow crown or tiara designed in Kate's honor. Can you imagine?

In the meantime, click here for more crown jewel craziness - and here to see another colored diamond display that took my breath away.

Get Hip to Garnet: January's Birthstone

Garnet, the birthstone for January, is one of the most versatile gemstones on the market today.

For the curious, here's a little history, a little lore, and a little nudge to help you find some great garnet gems at prices that will make you forget we have four more months left of winter.

Garnets come in a rainbow of colors, from deep red to tangerine orange to lime green to pale pink, as well as purple, gold and brown.

The name garnet most likely was derived from the pomegranate, a fruit whose deep red-purple color resembles some varieties of the stone. Many ancient pieces of garnet jewelry are studded with tiny red gems that look like a cluster of pomegranate seeds.

Garnet is found all over the world, including Africa, Australia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, North America, South America and Southeast Asia.

Throughout history, garnets have been prized for their rich hues and supposed mystical properties. The stone was a favorite of ancient Egyptian jewelry artisans. Demantoid garnet was used lavishly by the Tsars of Russia.

Travelers carried the gem to protect them against accidents, and garnet was thought to protect its wearer from a range of ailments, ward off evil spirits, spark creativity and dispel anger. The stones are also said to light up the night and protect their owners from nightmares.

Garnet's various types range from 6-7 on the Mohs scale of hardness, which means that the stone is susceptible to nicks and cracks caused by impact.

To clean garnet, use warm soapy water and a soft brush. Ultrasonic cleaning is safe for most types of garnet except demantoid. Avoid steam cleaning.

Here is my favorite garnet jewelry deal right now - a cocktail ring-sized center stone set in 14kt gold flanked by two diamond accents. Retail was $679 but it's now listed for only $222.96 on JewelClub. That's a lot of look for that price. Got any birthday girls to buy for this month?

Or click here for more Garnet Gem deals on Jewelry.com.

2011 People's Choice Awards: Red Carpet Jewelry Roundup

 

Fasten your leverbacks, jewelry hounds. Awards Season is upon us!

Last night's People's Choice Awards kicked off what is sure to be a sparkle-filled season of A-list gems and gowns - and the 'less is more' trend everyone has been squawking about was - indeed- on display.

With metallic minis ruling the fashion landscape last night, jewelry style stayed on the down low - with lots of metal looks making an appearance instead of huge doses of diamond bling.

Nude pumps and naked necklines are also trending big, with simple earring style ruling the red carpet on stars like Taylor Swift (in Amrapali) and Selena Gomez.

My best bejeweled look of the night has to go to the lovely Lucy Hale in a burnt orange mini from Ronal Abdala and a diamond ensemble also from Amrapali in 14kt Gold. Loving the color combo in a "Michelle Williams Oscar" kind of way.

And the worst? Sorry, but Natalie Portman's tiered purple Jason Wu does nothing to flatter the burgeoning baby bump - despite her sparkly Solange Azagury-Partridge mirror ball earrings.

Finally, Jennifer Aniston? I'm still just not that into your pants-suit/layered gold chain look from 2002. Bless you, but you gotta mix it up, sister.

Here are some more of my selects from last night. Any favorites? Nothing really knocked my socks off.