Not long ago, a gorgeous girlfriend of mine asked me whether or not she could pull off any number of necklaces that I selected and blogged about. Her concern was that she doesn’t like to draw attention to her boobies chest and wanted to minimize. I’ve played the game with her before trying to convince her that her endowment is an asset and should be embraced (by her and by others) but in the end, her preferences are her prerogative so I let it go. So for you other swooners out there who want to do your own minimizing or maximizing here are some tips:
To minimize “the girls”:
Stick to shorter necklaces (20 inches in length or less) with not too many long dangly bits. Dangly bits (i.e. fringes, charms, ruffles) all add volume and bulk–the opposite of what you’re going for. As far as shape of necklace goes, you can do round or V, I personally think V is more flattering because angles tend to make you look more angular so if you’re trying to corner out some curves, this is the way to go. A great number of necklaces can be V, a small chain with one pendant (the pendant weighs the chain down thus creating a V) or a larger chunkier necklace that is V-shaped. No need to shy away from chunky necklaces in general though, you can get away with OTT (over-the-top) as long as you keep it short so it draws attention to your face.
Shourouk, Phenix Dorado crystal-embellished necklace. Perfect example of a short-V statement necklace that packs a punch. Photo courtesy of Net-a-porter.
If you’re smaller busted and want to accentuate a bit then this is where you go longer and fringier. Anything with ruffles, fringes, feathers add volumes so go nuts and experiment. I love the look of a plunging neckline on a waif-y girl and a huge “modesty bib” (what I call a big statement necklace to cover up some cleavage) but I wouldn’t try this if you’re on the more voluptuous side as it starts looking really trashy really fast.
Shourouk, Shabanou brass and crystal bib necklace. Long fringes and lots of volume draw attention to “the girls”. Photo courtesy of Net-a-porter.
Rosantica, Nicole 24-karat gold-dipped multi-stone necklace. Photo courtesy of Net-a-porter.
Etro, Gold-plated acetate and resin necklace. Photo courtesy of Net-a-porter.
Here is the big picture my DMD darlings: industry-insiders and consumers alike are waiting to see how the Greco-Euro currency debacle shakes out (and to suffer the aftermath if the shoe drops), the Chinese real-estate market has gone limp and we have yet to see whether the situation will be managed or if China will mimic the US in an economic landslide. You thought this was a jewelry blog? Honey, what do you think? I’m trading peanuts for my diamonds?!?!?! Jewelry costs money and since we DMD girls are responsible for our own extravagances (For the most part. We don’t maneuver for gifts but if one is offered by hubby or sig. other you smile and say thank you!) we need to know how the jewelry trends are affected by the global market. Duh. So, here is what I see.
COSTUME JEWELRY
Huge rush to get into costume jewelry as it is the sector with the largest margins. Huh? Yes, contrary to popular belief (that high-end jewelry is the biggest money-maker. No, YOUR “moneymaker” is something different and I don’t know if its bigger. Shake it and lets find out.), it is actually the costume jewelry that is cheapest to produce and sells at up to hundreds of times of the cost. Costume jewelry is then split into two–fashion costume jewelry and designer costume jewelry. Fashion costume jewelry is the cute trendy stuff that you see at BaubleBar or JewelMint. On the higher end you’ve got the DCG, designer costume jewelry, with names like Eddie Borgo, Dannijo, FentonFallon, and the design houses Oscar de la Renta, Etro, etc.
Roberto Coin, enamel, gold and diamond dragon bracelet and ring.
FINE JEWELRY
US consumers do not have the fatty wallets of yesteryear or rather yesterdecade. As a result you see a push in the fine jewelry sector to use lesser quality stones and materials incorporated with innovative designs and big statement pieces. The US is not currently buying to collect per se. You’ve got the celebrity pressure to bling it out for red carpet events but no cash-flow to really throw at high-end pieces (here I’m referring to the upper-middle class and celebrities–the uber elite are in another stratosphere and this does not apply). Hence you will see a lot of diamond and sapphire “slices” and colored gems like aquamarine, tanzanite and rutilated quartz being used to make larger statement pieces for what I call “fashion fine jewelry”–statement pieces made from precious metals and gems but the diamonds or gems used generally are of lower quality (i.e. not collector or investment pieces). Make no mistake, colored gems are nothing to balk at, with the mines being depleted the world over, prices for colored gems are sky-rocketing and larger pieces are exceedingly difficult to come by and are beginning to command quite a hefty price tag as well.
L’Dezen diamond and sapphire slice rings set in 18k white and yellow gold with diamonds.Exotic skin cuffs, stingray, tourmaline, quartz, tanzanite and moonstones shown here.
INVESTMENTS
Here we are dealing with those international or domestic uber-elite who are still spending and investing in collectible pieces. Investors don’t buy off the rack. They either buy at auction or commission private pieces and invest in high quality diamonds with high color and clarity grades. You will see some fancy colors floating around, the fancy vivid yellow, pink, blue and orange diamonds are so rare they are commanding upwards of $800,000 PER CARAT. The true connoisseurs are also targeting LARGE, high quality colored gemstones from specific regions that are being tapped out. For example, Burmese rubellites, Brazilian blue tourmalines (known in the trade as Paraíba after their origin), non-heated sapphires and rubies, the list goes on.
24.12 carat Kunzite.
When it comes to jewelry I am an equal opportunity lover. I mean, sometimes I get snooty over shoddy craftsmanship or poor service but on a whole I believe in collecting to build out a well-rounded collection so I will tap into all the categories. I buy costume jewelry for the sheer size and colors of the pieces, I hoard vintage costume jewelry because they are collectible in their own right. Fashion fine jewelry is hard to resist because these pieces are the most innovative and design-forward since the designers have to continuously find ways of reinventing their looks and incorporating new materials. Finally, the bespoke and collectors pieces are just plan smart investing in a time when the property and stock markets are fickle, one can always hoard diamonds!
