Blog posts about Fashion, Fashion Design, Style, Shopping, Beauty, Fashion for women, Fashion Dresses, Fashion Shoes , Fashion Celebrities - by MommiePretty & more - Stylehive

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Don't Be A Hard Rock When You Really Are A Gem...Like An Emerald!

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Want to turn heads and make them green with envy? Investing in emeralds is certainly one way to do that. Want the same gemmy green bling sans the hefty price tag? Consider tsavorite, a green variety of grossular garnet mined near Tsavo National Park in Africa, or chrome diopside, mined mostly around Siberia and described by the International Colored Gemstone Association as "a beautiful gem with an ugly name... [that] sounds more like car polish than a gemstone." Tsavorite and chrome diopside are both a brilliant, verdant green to rival any emerald and without being "enhanced" with oils or resins, a common trade practice with emeralds. It IS easy being green (unless you're Kermit the Frog), just check out my SLIDESHOW to see why!

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Tags :   bling , bracelet , chrome diopside , emeralds , gems , gemstones , green , jewelry , necklace , ring , tsavorite , womens

Jewelry Class: Juicy Mandarin Jewels Make You Wanna Fanta

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If you loved mandarin oranges as a kid (or heck, if you still do!), the bright-orange spessartine garnets aptly named mandarin garnets will surely appeal to your grown-up lust for juicy goodness. Although spessartine garnets, the parent classification to which mandarins belong, have been found in places as far-flung as Kenya, Brazil, and Australia, the Fanta-coloured mandarin variety is found only in Namibia. Mandarin garnets are continuing to gain popularity with jewelry consumers, whether paired with white or yellow metal, and are beloved of retail jewelers and indie designers alike. You may not be able to squeeze juice from a stone, but the brilliant colour of these striking jewels just might make you think you could! Check out some hivelicious examples of jewelry featuring this yummy gem in my SLIDESHOW.

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Tags :   earrings , fuss , garnet , garnets , gemstone , gemstones , jewellery , jewelry , kerri hale , mandarin , mandarin orange , necklace , nina rossi , orange , pendant , rachel rose , ring , sky dreams , spessartine , spessartine garnets , teepee designs

Jewelry Class: Alexandrite a Worthy Upstart in the World of Rubies and Turquoise

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In the far-reaching history of gemstones in jewelry, alexandrite is one of the "newer" stones, having been discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia in the 1830s and named for Czar Alexander II at his coming of age ceremony; other gems such as turquoise, rubies, and pearls, have deeply ancient roots. So what's so exciting about relative newcomer alexandrite, affectionately called "alex" by many jewelers? For starters, it's truly scarce: natural alexandrite is extremely rare, especially in sizes over one carat. But the most fascinating aspect of this gem is its color-change characteristic, with the best quality stones displaying a brilliant verdant green in sunlight or fluorescent light and shifting to a remarkably rich red in incandescent light or candlelight; lesser quality stones are still unusually lovely, showing blue-green in fluorescent light and plummy purple in incandescent light. Read on for more on how to tell real from fake, and click my SLIDESHOW for some more of the amazing Alex!

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Tags :   accessories , alex , alexandrite , bracelet , cocktail , cocktail ring , gemstone , gold , green , jewellery , jewelry , lab created , necklace , necklaces , pendant , ring , rings , royal , slides , slideshow , synthetic

Indie Style: How to Go for the Gold Without Breaking the Bank

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Gold has enjoyed a comeback in the last few years, but with historically high prices, who can afford to follow the trend? YOU can, if you know how to shop for gold that fits your budget. Gold-plated refers to karat gold over base metal, usually brass. According to Federal Trade Commission regulations, the gold layer must be at least 0.50 microns in thickness, compare that to the width of an average human hair at about 100 microns. This is the least expensive option since it contains the least amount of karat gold. Vermeil (pronounced "ver-MAY") is usually not less than 10kt gold but is more often 18kt or 22kt gold plated over sterling silver. Although one might think that the same standards would apply to vermeil as to gold-plate, since both processes involve electrolytically depositing a layer of gold over another metal, vermeil must actually have a gold layer of not less than 2.5 microns in order to be legitimately sold as vermeil and not as gold-plated silver. Click READ MORE for the rest, and be sure to check out the slideshow!

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Tags :   affordable , bling , budget , chic , economic , expensive , gold , hiveslides , jewelry , lifetime , luxe , metal , silver , slideshow , trend , wear

Designer Spotlight: A Stroll Down Ruby Lane

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By now one pretty much has to have been living under a rock to not have heard of Etsy, but do you know about Ruby Lane? While Etsy is dedicated to all things handmade, Ruby Lane is a fabulous collection of handcrafted and manufactured items with a focus on antiques, collectibles, fine art, and jewelry. Buying items from a Ruby Lane shop is similar to buying from a seller on Etsy: most store owners explain their selling and return or exchange policies, afford potential buyers the opportunity to ask questions before making a purchase; some even offers sales, coupons, or other purchase incentives; and many invite commissions for custom work. Take an appreciative look at some of the hivelicious jewelry offered by indie designers who sell exclusively on Ruby Lane.

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Tags :   antiques , artisans , collectibles , designer , designer spotlight , earrings , etsy , fine art , gemstone , handcrafted , hot designers , indie , indie designers , jewelry , necklace , ruby lane

Style Spotlight: 10 High-End Gemstone Pieces To Covet

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Think that only independent jewelry designers use gemstone beads in their collections? Think again! Even the major jewelry design houses like Tiffany & Co., Bvlgari, and Cartier work gemstone beads into their jewelry designs. Gemstone beads are usually either faceted or smooth, come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and can vary greatly in quality. Beads can be drilled all the way through the center, across a corner or point, or even half drilled. Drilling gemstones allows them to be incorporated into jewelry designs with minimal requirements for mounting and setting, allowing the beauty of the gems to be appreciated from every angle. Does drilling a gemstone detract from the beauty of the stone or of the overall piece? Judge for yourself from these images of ten of my favorite high-end designer jewelry pieces that feature gemstone beads.

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Tags :   accessories , amethyst , blue topaz , bvlgari , cartier , citrine , gems , gemstone , gemstone jewelry , hamilton jewelers , high end , hiveslides , jewelry , necklace , paloma picasso , peridot , ring , tiffany , tiffany and co , topaz
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