Gold Jewelry Adds Heat To Grammy Warm Up

Precious Metals were in abundance on the red carpet of the Clive Davis-hosted Pre-Grammy concert last night from the glittering frocks to the golden jewels.
Metallic mavens are a familiar occurrence on the red carpet this year, and last night was no exception. Mini mogul,Taylor Swift, our favorite sanity-challenged judge, Paula Abdul, and one-hit-wonder, Leona Lewis, continued the bejeweled dress trend with minimal jewelry looks.

But the biggest surprise of the night – aside from a much-buzzed about performance from Clive’s crown jewel, Whitney Houston, was the piles of gold lighting up the joint. And I’m not talking about gold records.


















Rhianna rocked the big braided gold hoop look with her flowing Gucci gown, Carrie Underwood added yellow gold chandelier earrings to her pre-Grammy polka-dots, and Keyshia Cole added yellow gold sparkle to her canary wrap dress. Sheryl Crowe is more of a copper queen (where has she been tanning?) but the bronzed beauty added just the right amount of gold to her Ports 1961 frock.

And I’m saving all my love for you, Whitney, who according to the Los Angeles Times,

“…hit her cues and delivered the songs with confidence. This felt like the beginning of something, not its climax: a tentative though friendly rapprochement with the diva role Houston once defined.”

Hell to the yes! Apparently Fantasia and Jennifer Hudson were in the front row having seizures during her entire set. And Houston’s gold bangles and earrings didn’t make her leopard-print get-up look cheap either - a pot of gold at the end of a very rocky rainbow.

Stay tuned for my wrap-up of the Grammy's proper later on tonight!

Jewelry Fashions for February

February is a good jewelry month. Aside from the obvious Valentine's Day potential, those of you with February birthdays enjoy a month marked by one of hottest birthstones of the moment - amethysts. The gemstone's purple hue is right in tune with the fashions gracing the catwalks and red carpets this year, and according to Jewelry.com, the stone is said to bring 'peace of mind' to its wearers. Sparkle and sanity. Now that's a winning combination.

Here is Jewelry.com's in-depth look at this royal gem for your reading pleasure:

Amethyst: The Color for Kings

Amethyst has long been a favorite gem of kings and queens for its royal purple hues. The gem, the most precious member of the quartz family, exhibits color ranging from pale lilac to deep purple. Amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and were worn by Catherine the Great as well as Egyptian royalty.

Through the ages, various special properties have also been prescribed to amethyst. The Greeks and Romans considered it a strong antidote against drunkenness and drank wine from goblets carved out of the gem. Leonardo Da Vinci wrote that amethyst could dissipate evil thoughts and quicken the intelligence. The stone also is supposed to bring peace of mind to the wearer and prevent fatal poisoning.

In some legends, the stone also represents piety, celibacy and dignity. In Tibet, for instance, amethyst is considered sacred to Buddha and rosaries are often made from it. In the Middle Ages, the gem was an important ornamentation for the Catholic Church and other religions. In fact, it was considered the stone of bishops, and they still often wear amethyst rings.

The birthstone for February, amethyst is an extremely popular gem for jewelry because of its regal color, variety of sizes and shapes, affordability and wide range of hues. It also is the recommended gem for couples celebrating their sixth wedding anniversary.

The stone is mined in Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia and Argentina, as well as in Zambia, Namibia and other African nations. Very dark amethyst in small sizes also is mined in Australia. But the ideal for fine quality amethyst was set by a Siberian variety, often called Russian or Uralian amethyst, which is now considered a defunct source.

Generally, South American amethyst tends to come in larger sizes than African amethyst. But the African variety has a reputation for having deeper color intensity and is therefore considered more valuable. The African version also is harder to come by than amethyst mined from South America. Most of today's amethyst comes out of Brazil.

The finest and most valuable amethysts are very clear, with very deep color (and they sometimes exhibit reddish or rose overtones). Some stones are so oversaturated with color they have areas that are blacked out, which can negatively impact their value.

Amethyst is available in a wide range of calibrated sizes and shapes, including many fancy cuts. Large fine stones are sold in free sizes but generally the stone is cut in standardized dimensions. Paler shades, sometimes called "Rose of France", were common in Victorian jewelry. Banding - darker and lighter zones of color - is also a common occurrence. Occasionally, amethyst is even found combined with its sister quartz citrine into a single stone called ametrine.

The most common enhancements to amethyst are heat and irradiation. The stone, which ranks a 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, is considered durable enough for everyday wear. However, care should be taken not to expose the gem to excessive amounts of bright sunlight, as this can cause its color to fade.

Christina Aguilera Is Stephen Webster’s Ice Queen

Celebrity jeweler, Stephen Webster, debuted his new line of jewels yesterday in Beverly Hills, and Christina Aguilera decided there ‘ain’t no other man’ she’d rather peddle for.

"Stephen's designs are little art sculptures, a perfect blend of traditional elegance and modern sexiness," says Webster’s ice queen, Aguilera.

His pieces have attracted a blue-chip portfolio of other celebs like Cameron Diaz, Johnny Depp, Sir Elton John, Jay Z, Ozzy Osbourne, Nicholas Cage, Michael Stipe, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Pink and the doyenne of diamond divas, Elizabeth Taylor.

"My clients like to wear things that provoke questions," says the British-born Webster. "They aren't wallflowers, they're entertainers - they want to make a statement."

With talons, daggers, bullets and thorn motifs, Webster's jewelry has a rebellious yet refined attitude – and as the new Creative Director for London’s crown jeweler, Garrard, his rock and roll sensibilities are the perfect way to bring a modern touch to an otherwise stuffy brand.

It’s time The Queen got a chunky goth cross to add to her modest collection, no?

Webster’s new Garrard lines include: a new women's collection in a fiery combination of red, black, and white gemstones; a bold men's range, inspired by the British sportsman, in a mix of black, green, brown and gold; and the recently announced Georgina Chapman for Garrard collection, due to be launched next autumn.

In the meantime, look out for a glittering Garrard ad campaign starring our favorite Genie in a Bottle in the April editions of your favorite fashion mags.

Fergie’s Fashion Is Off The Chain

I know you might be doing something important like finding a cure for cancer, performing brain surgery or building habitats for humanity, but your life won’t be complete without knowing that Keyshia Cole, Ron Fair and Manny Halley hosted a Vanity Fair and Krug dinner party yesterday at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood - and the fashions were off the chain.

Newlyweds Fergie and Josh Duhamel attended along with Nicky and Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Rapper Taboo, Akon and more. Marriage must agree with Mrs. Duhamel, as Fergie’s dinnertime ensemble was accessorized beautifully with a stunning vintage diamond flower hairpiece, a large cluster right hand ring and multiple layerings of pearl strands and gold-accented chains. The chain gang also included Nicky Hilton and a very pregnant Stefanie Fair.











The layered chain look is nothing new – the trend made it’s first appearance last summer, littered the fall fashion runways and has hung in there on the red carpets well into awards season. Marisa Tomei layered her links at the Golden Globes and a pants-suited Jennifer Aniston wore a series of gold chains at the premiere of He’s Just Not That Into You a few days back.

And layering chains is something we mere mortals can incorporate into our own wardrobes. Long pearl strands, chunky chain links, colored beads – anything goes. And while the current trend is to wear ‘everything but the kitchen sink’, it’s probably best to exercise a bit of restraint. Channeling Mr. T is not a good look. For anyone.

So when you get a break from that rocket science gig or a respite from solving our environmental crisis - remember to take a cue from Fergie and friends and layer up those chains for your next night on the town. Or Vanity Fair-sponsored dinner.

Diamonds, Divas and Debra

The Pink Panther 2 premiere at New York’s Ziegfeld Theater was full of surprises last night. Steve Martin made an entrance by driving a Smart Fortwo car on the pink carpet (Ed Begley Jr., eat your heart out), a man in a Pink Panther suit ran amok, and Debra Winger showed up looking like the bride of Crocodile Dundee. I’m hoping there’s a reason here. For all of this.

Not a surprise was the glittering fashion from the women who starred in the caper (and it’s time to bring back the ‘caper’ don’t you think?) Emily Mortimer wore a Chloe white cocktail dress with mismatched metal accessories, including one whopper of a flower diamond choker.

Indian goddess, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, arrived wearing an Alberta Ferretti black chiffon draped gown with a traditional round diamond necklace that positively sparkled. Word has it her ‘people’ aren’t happy about her minimal role in the film and lack of placement in the marketing materials. And you thought Steve Martin was the only diva roaming the pink carpet?

The film debuts on February 13th and follows the antics of that iconic French police detective, Jacques Clouseau, in his newest mission. This time, he’s aided by a team of international detectives and experts who help him catch a pesky thief who steals legendary treasures from around the world.

See? Capers. The world needs more of them these days. I’d kill to see one starring Debra Winger. In that outfit.

Jennifer Aniston? I’m Just Not That Into Your Pants Suit.

The premiere of the highly anticipated chick flick He’s Just Not that Into You starring Jennifer Aniston took place last night in Los Angeles, and, Jen, I have to say it. I’m just not that into your pants suit.

Why oh why does one of the hottest stars on the planet have to disappoint me so with this boring fashion display? For a girls' night out with Courtney or a John Mayer concert, sure, the pants suit could be a cool “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan” look. But for the premier of the biggest chick flick since Sex and the City? C’mon! We need our fashion fix from the girl next door. And it doesn’t come in the guise of a (snore) pants suit no matter how much cleavage you show, Jen, or boring gold pendant necklaces you layer.

In fact, despite the star wattage on the red carpet from the likes of Drew Barrymore, Scarlett Johansson, and Jennifer Connelly (looking both skeletal and sequined) - no one really hit the ball out of the park on this red carpet. Let’s hope this fashion showing is not as lackluster as what promises to be a pretty funny film.











Drew Barrymore continued her ‘almost but not quite’ red carpet showing in a Lanvin dress with an awkward length but lovely pony-tailed hair, make up and diamond clusters. From the neck up, we’re a go.










And a newly brunette Scarlett J. wore a strapless Oscar de la Renta bed spread from what I can gather, yet her orange gemstone earrings and ruby right hand ring accessorized the look well.










Orange worked a bit better on Big Love’s Ginnifer Goodwin, whose flower statement necklace won the night in my book, but her mini Bottega Venetta dress didn’t photograph well, and the strappy sandal silhouette didn’t quite work.

Quick side bar: Will that strappy gladiator pump look just get buried already in the fashion graveyard along with Crocs and Ugg Boots? And pants suits at high profile premiers? Please?

He’s Just Not that Into You opens nationwide on Friday.

A Heavy Metal Showing at the DGAs

The seemingly endless awards season continued this weekend in Los Angeles with the 61st annual Directors Guild Awards, and the red carpet shimmered with metallics that marveled - and some that missed the mark.

Slumdog Millionaire helmer, Danny Boyle, came out on top as the night’s big winner, as did the star of his film, Fredia Pinto in a Zac Posen metallic mini with nary a jewel in sight. Metallic frocks always pose the problem of how to properly accessorize without venturing into gaudy-land, and Pinto’s less-is-more choice worked in my book.

Another beauty proving her ‘metal’ was Amy Adams in a silver sequined Jasmine Di Milo dress from Spring 2007 with just a splash of diamonds on the ears. And doing some heavy metal lifting was fellow Oscar nominee, Marisa Tomei, in white strapless Dior and a chunky silver statement necklace with heart details and a cuff to match. Ms. Tomei often walks the fine line between glam and gauche, and this time the look served her well.



















Not as successful was Brothers & Sisters’ Rachel Griffiths, whose champagne coloured Lanvin dress with Neil Lane jewels felt more potato sack than posh. And Virginia Madsen is usually the perfect incarnation of old school Hollywood glamour, but this metallic blue mermaid look with gold drop earrings looks like it would work better on the costume rack of a Bette Midler review. Sorry, Virginia.



















Keeping things boringly tasteful was Claire Danes in a navy Temperley London gown with big diamond hoops and Taraji P. Henson in a strapless black Kaufman Franco number that would have fared better without the awkwardly shaped diamond necklace – the bodice beading gave the look enough sparkle in that area, don’t you think?










While it’s clear some of these celebs could use a little more ‘direction’ in the fashion department, the DGAs are the perfect place to work out the red carpet kinks before the Academy Awards, where the fashion stakes are high and real gold 'metal' winner is Oscar! To be continued...