Victoria's Secret Is A Diamond Bombshell

Ah, Victoria. That pesky lingerie mass marketer whose 'secret' is to lure us into buying overpriced skivvies by parading around those insipid angels is at it again.

This time, they're putting the impossibly beautiful Adriana Lima in their Bombshell Fantasy Bra - a cross-your-heart creation made out of 2,000 diamonds in a star-burst design. With a price tag of $3 million, it isn't the most expensive Fantasy Bra in their coffers (Gisele Bundchen wore a $12.5 million cup holder a few years back), but it will certainly make heads turn and wallets burn.

Ms. Lima's 'ice chest' will make its sparkling debut at the Victoria's Secret 2011 Fashion Show, which airs November 30th on CBS.

One angel who will be noticeably absent this year is Heidi Klum, who 'retired her wings' with the company earlier this month.

One day you're 'in'? And the next? You're free to eat again.

Danielle Staub's Jersey Jewelry

Jewelry lines and the Real Housewives franchise go together like D-listers and Dancing With The Stars. And while Atlanta's Lisa Wu Hartwell and New York's Ramona Singer actually have a dash of designer street cred to back up their baubles, Jersey's Danielle Staub?

She seems better suited to peddle a line of cat-fight-proof hair extensions. Or stripper poles.

But, alas. Luxist reports the woman who inspired the table flip heard 'round the world is entering the jewelry fray with a line of cross styles she hopes to launch in time for the holiday season.

Staub says the crosses are "an insignia of just being close whether it's a religious thing or a relationship thing."

Manhattan-based jewelry house, Versani, is her named collaborator and they plan to offer rings and cuffs in addition to the cross necklace collection.

Thuggy body guards and frivolous law suits, not included.

For those of you who just can't wait to get 'close' to the cross craze, I found a drama-free Joan Jett-inspired rocker style in sterling silver with diamond accents in JewelClub's coffers for just over $80 ($168 off retail).

Wonder what the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills will have to offer us in the diamond department? My DVR is already set for this Thursday's debut. And my brain cells are already rotting.



   

 

Galas, Gowns and Grown-up Jewelry

Every jewelry hound knows the fall season brings with it all kinds of galas, opening nights and high profile fundraisers - perfect conditions for a good bauble hunt.

I love it when the grown-ups come out to play.

New York City Ballet's Fall Gala:

It's been a while since we've seen Sarah Jessica Parker on a red carpet, and she picked the tony occasion of the New York City Ballet's Fall Gala last night to grace us with a little Halston hotness and some great dress-up jewelry.

I love the necklace layering - not too matchy-matchy and just the right side of gaudy with the metallic sheen of her dress.  What do you think of the choice? Should she lose the longer look?


Los Angeles Philharmonic Opening Gala:

Eva Mendes lit up the left coast last night in a flowing Dior gown and sparkling Neil Lane jewelry that channeled old Hollywood glamour.

This diamond bracelet looks like it was made for her gown. Gorgeous!

Who are your favorite grown-up gamines to gawk at on the red carpet? Charlize Theron is another one on my list - despite her unfortunate gown choice at the Oscars this year.

Lady Gaga Inspires Meat Jewelry

 

Move over diamond divas. Here comes something meatier....

One would think things couldn't get any more bizarre than the 'insect jewelry' craze or gems made out of the remains of your beloved pet, Muffy (or Uncle Herbert). But the jewelry world is a vast and varied landscape, my friends.

So it should really come as no surprise that the dress that shocked America - Lady Gaga's VMA frock made from real red meat - has inspired a jewelry line sure to add sparkle to your sirloin.

Keep your panties on, PETA. The carne creation is made from FAUX meat product - it's 100% animal friendly. And might just cause some folks to go green on sight.

LA-based company, Onch Movement, is responsible for this lovely addition to the jewelry lexicon - and they promise the $55 'Meat-lace' will "look just as fresh and delicious as the day it was first cut."

Where's the beef, Mary? Oh, right. It's hanging around my neck like a Rocky Balboa punching bag.


I think I'll pass on this one. Thoughts?

Jewelry Shines at Chanel

Jewelry at Paris Fashion Week always play second fiddle to funny hats. I don't know what it is about those french fashionistas, but they just love themselves a crazy chapeau - especially that John Galliano.

But my jewelry prayers were finally answered with Karl Lagerfeld's surreal 20-minute catwalk creation for Chanel that brought back the statement jewel in refreshing new ways.

Fashion reviewers from the New York Times and Style.com raved about the jagged-edges and feathery silhouettes for Chanel's Spring 2011 ready-to-wear line. But I'm loving the emergence of a jewelry category we haven't seen much of lately - shoulder-duster earrings.

Sure, there are blingy bib necklaces akimbo from Mr. Lagerfeld, but the earring choice is fashion-forward at its finest.  I have been trying to find out more about the history of this style (jewelry buffs, weigh in!), but with statement earrings surging on the awards show circuit, I'm sure we'll get our fill of daring dusters in the months to come. Stay tuned.

What do you all think of the swinging shoulder style? Designers? Do you have some in your coffers you'd like to share? Weigh in!

JewelClub Masters 'The Art of the Deal'

Used to be the words 'jewelry' and 'sale' were the oil and water of the marketing world. The common wisdom was: folks just wouldn't want to buy discounted diamonds and gems, fearing they were somehow tainted or 'damaged goods'.

But they were wrong. So wrong.

Unlike a four-carton pile-on at the all-you-can-eat buffet, there is no shame in the jewelry deal. Now, every jewelry outlet - from mall retailers and department stores to mom & pop shops and online e-tailers - offers sales, discounts and the grand-daddy of 'em all: wholesale jewelry.  

Enter: JewelClub. 

What was once a 'password-protected' Friends and Family site for a large fine jewelry manufacturer offering 70-80% off retail (yes, you're reading that right), is now open to all us huddled masses yearning to bling free.

And in the great Donald Trump "Art of the Deal" tradition - they now have a "Deal of the Day" feature, where they offer one item every 24 hours for an even lower price. Sometimes it's a colorful cocktail ring. Sometimes it's gold hoops. Sometimes it's a bridal piece. Sometimes it's a brown diamond cat pendant. I could go on...But it's always worth a look.

I just check their Facebook Page or their homepage for a quick glimpse every morning, and then go about my business.

So frugalistas and jewelry hounds, there's really no reason to pay retail when it comes to fine jewelry anymore. There are, of course, still reasons to hide our heads in shame (Jersey Shore marathon, anyone?). Luckily - buying fine jewelry at a discount is no longer one of them.

Now go out there and make 'The Donald' proud.

Tony Curtis: From Pants Suits to Pearl Strands

Diamonds may have been Marilyn Monroe's best friend, but pearls were the pretty companion of Tony Curtis in their iconic film "Some Like It Hot" - a movie masterpiece that I'm sure many will revisit now that the last living member of the film's trio has passed away.

For the uninitiated: "Some Like It Hot," is a1959 film in which Curtis and Jack Lemmon played small-time jazz musicians who witnessed the St. Valentine's Day massacre in Chicago and, pursued by gangsters, posed as women to escape with an all-female jazz band bound for Miami (Marilyn Monroe, included).

Hi-jinks ensue.

Oscar-winning costume designer, Orry Kelly, turned Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis into 'Josephine' and 'Daphne' using all the well-known fashion secrets drag queens the world over still use today: lots of neck scarves, long gloves, fun hats  - and yes - that ubiquitous symbol of understated femininity: pearls.

Pearl jewelry is generally thought of as the go-to gem when women want that 'conservative yet classic' look. Politicians and first wives love pearls for their sartorial safety, and they're always a Mother's Day crowd pleaser.

But Tony Curtis and his partner in crime brought the category to a, shall we say, 'new' audience - making everything from pearl-drop earrings to long strands work in ways the jewelry world never thought possible.

In other words: Clothes may make the man - but classic pearls create the crossdresser.

Tony Curtis, R.I.P.  Here's to you. Who's like you? Damn few.