Hi Girls

Vintage rings are hot right now in Hollywood. The Oscars were sprinkled with vintage picks and some of the latest engagements were heralded with vintage style.

Vintage jewelry just looks classier. It has that ” I have a history and perhaps a wicked past” kind of feel. This jewelry has seen things that you haven’t, has been passed down as a treasured gift or as a symbol of someone’s love.

Now if you haven’t found a piece of jewelry buried in some lost love letters in your grandmother’s attic or if some hot young celeb hasn’t decided to jet over and present you with part of Elizabeth Taylor’s famous collection, you can still get the look. And the best part is that it won’t cost you a fortune.

Vintage looking jewelry is all the rage and pretty easily discovered. Add a simple vintage style necklace to your wardrobe and suddenly you become a woman with a past. A woman with a secret life and perhaps a lover hidden away somewhere.

Trust me. Wear an interesting piece of jewelry and both men and women will flock over to find out a bit about it. The men will even use it as their rapport building pick up line. See for yourself.

SMILES!
ZOE

Hi Girls

June is just a few days away and that is a sign that you should get your pearls out of storage. June babies have pearls wrapped around their little fingers, as their birth stone. Classy, yet simple these lovely strings are perfect for garden parties, summer dresses and adding that special bit of innocence to any outfit.

For those of you who can remember, actress Mary Pickford wore only pearls when she was filmed and Audrey Hepburn’s pearls in Breakfast at Tiffany’s are infamous. Pearls are one of the easiest jewels to wear as they can make even the simplest outfit shine.

They also make a wonderful gift for all of your friends that have June birthdays and they are very reasonably priced. So you can stop wracking your brains on what to get her this year. See how easy I make life for you?

SMILES!
ZOE

Hi Girls

How would you feel about getting an engagement ring in the shape of a serpent? That is what Queen Victoria wore in the nineteenth century and she wasn’t upset about it. That was just what was “in” back then.

Prince Philip gave his fiance, currently Queen Elizabeth, recycled jewelry and again she didn’t mind. Not when the jewels came from his mother’s tiara. Not exactly a “honey can you take it back” moment.

And Prince Charles gave Lady Diana a sapphire and diamond engagement ring, perhaps a style that should be placed back in the vault, if their not so happily ever after is any indication.

The royals tend to go with the unusual as their engagement rings. For yours, perhaps a serpent may be a bit much but you don’t just have to go for a standard diamond either.

JFK gave Jackie a Diamond and Emerald engagement ring and we all know that she wouldn’t have worn something that wasn’t both classy and elegant.

I kind of like the idea of intermingling diamonds with some other gorgeous stones. While a single diamond sparkles, a ring like this really shines.

Can you handle a bit more bling in your ring?

SMILES!
ZOE

Hi Girls

Part of the thrill of owning fabulous jewelry is the ability to share that joy with others. For some it is passing a special piece of jewelry down from generation to generation. For others it is lending it, as something borrowed, at a wedding. And finally for the privileged few it is the ability to auction off a few precious pieces in the name of charity.

When Elizabeth Taylor gave away her Emerald and Diamond engagement ring at an Aids charity event she said,” Please know that it is not easy for me to give it away. It is only my commitment to AIDS that persuaded me to let it go. My love is inside that ring forever.”

She believed and stated in her book that jewelry is never owned by it’s wearer. From her book Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry she states, “I believe that I am their custodian, here to enjoy them, to give them the best treatment in the world, to watch after their safety, and to love them.”

What an amazing way to view your jewelry collection. Some people receive a piece of jewelry and lock it away in a safe or jewelry box somewhere. But to truly appreciate a piece of jewelry you must wear it, share it and allow it to live a life, alongside your own.

Want not begin your collection today? Choose each piece wisely, not just for the monetary value but for the pure joy you will have in wearing it and in passing it down for others to enjoy. You don’t need millions of dollars worth of diamonds, as long as you have a collection that you personally can be proud of. Maybe you can even start your own jewelry savings account. Each year you can add a piece to your collection.

How fabulous is that?

SMILES!
ZOE

Hi Girls

Have you noticed the simple style that celebs are adopting in Cannes this year? Sharon Stone stunned in simple hoop earrings and a chain link bracelet. The stars statement of the year is simple is best. Although some celebs still went the diamond route, the ones who truly shined in my humble opinion were the ones that went the “less is more route.” Anyone can look fabulous in diamonds but to stun in simpler jewelry says something not just about the jewelry but the woman wearing it.

Try pairing a simple dress with a couple of gold hoop earrings and watch heads turn your way.

SMILES!
ZOE

Hi Girls

( source: The National Gem Collection by Jeffrey E. Post)

Since the month of the emerald is about to end, I thought I would show you a world famous emerald necklace called the Mackay Emerald. This emerald is 167.97 carats and was discovered in Muzo, Columbia, designed by Cartier and is the largest cut emerald in the National Gem Collection. This little bauble was a wedding gift from Clarence H. Mackay to his wife, who later donated it to the Smithsonian Institute. Talk about generosity.

Perhaps we can’t all be as well endowed but gorgeous, eye catching Emerald necklaces are not out of reach. This gorgeous emerald pendant, for example, is less than $200 and doesn’t require a crane every time you lift your head:

And this lovely ring can put some zing in your bling:

We may not all have small fortunes at our disposal but a small investment in some jewelry that makes us look and feel glamorous is always a wise choice.

SMILES!
ZOE