Modern Jewelry Trends

This morning, the Today show took a look at a diamond’s journey from mine to market, tracing the pipeline from Jwaneng mine in Botswana (probably footage left over from Matt Lauer’s visit there a few years ago) to sorting at the DTC in London to cutting on 47th Street in New York. Although conflict diamonds are mentioned, they are mentioned in context. The piece says that diamonds should “bear a certificate that shows where they come from.” Neither the upcoming movie or the Kimberly process are mentioned. The obligatory happy couple is thrilled that their diamond takes a year to move from mine to market and is touched by so many people. A story on Blood Diamond this morning in Newsday newspaper in New York? Less positive: “The memory may be a decade old, but the hunk of glistening carbon on your finger reminds you, whenever it catches your eye, of that giddy little scene: the velvet box, the few portentous words. Would it taint the romance of the stone to think that a slave under the eye of an 11-year-old armed with an AK-47 might have scooped it out of the fetid black mud of Western Africa? That he might have handed it to overseers who exerted their control by hacking off miners’ limbs with machetes? Or that a smuggler might have slipped it into a condom and then swallowed it, only to be disemboweled by a rebel soldier determined to retrieve it?” Charming. Expect more of this each day, as we count down to the opening of Blood Diamond on December 8. One interesting event scheduled is a press conference on December 5 with Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee Simmons, co-owners of Simmons Jewelry Company (and not-so-happy couple) who will have just returned from a nine-day journey to South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique. Simmons will announce “major historic initiatives pertaining to Africa and the diamond industry by the Simmons Jewelry Company.”

Imelda Marcos, icon of conspicious consumption, has announced a new jewelry collection. The prices? A budget-busting $20 to $100. Remember, this is the woman whose suitcases of diamonds, emeralds, and rubies were confiscated by the government of the Philippines. She returned to the Philippines in 1991 from exile in Hawaii, where her husband died in 1989. Marcos says that the designs of her new jewelry collection are based on “flea market finds” and her old accessories and clothes. “This is more than about money because money can only buy you food and things like that, but only beauty can feed your soul and your spirit,” Marcos says. But perhaps the most amusing aspect of this whole story is that news reports on the new collection noted that, for decades, Filipinos used the phrase “Imeldific” to describe acts of excess. Imeldific: it’s so “bling.”

The holidays are near, so it’s time, once again, for Victoria’s Secret to reveal this year’s diamond-encrusted lingerie. After years of Mouawad-sponsored mega-caratage, this year a new jeweler has stepped up to the, ah, cup. This year’s “diamond fantasy bra” is sponsored by Hearts On Fire. The bra is set with more than 2,000 diamonds weighing 800 carats, including a 10 carat diamond brooch with a Victorian floral motif. The value of the Victoria’s Secret Hearts On Fire Diamond Fantasy Bra? $6.5 million. If you haven’t received your catalog and want to inspect the bra, modeled by Karolina Kurkova, it isn’t posted on the Victoria’s Secret website yet. But here’s a preview.

Although the emphasis in jewelry fashion has shifted from the ear to the neck and wrist, stylish celebrities are still not able to resist those flattering drop earrings. And of course, wearing long earrings and a necklace is a bit over the top, even these bling-encrusted days. At the global launch of H.Stern’s new asymetrical and organic Stern Star diamond last night at the H.Stern store on Fifth Avenue in New York, Ashley Judd, Molly Shannon, Dana Delaney, Nikki Hilton, and others wore diamond drops. The theme of the night was black and white, which meant lots of jewelry set with black and white diamonds and a beverage concocted for the evening: black diamond caipirinhas.

It was a white night at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards on August 31. Many of the stylish women wore white gowns and the men wore blinding amounts of white diamonds. Christina Aguilera was the best-dressed star in an old-Hollywood gown and Lorraine Schwartz triple diamond flower necklace valued at $550,000. Beyonce, too, chose a white gown and Lorraine Schwartz, wearing a 40 carat diamond bracelet valued at $100,000; and diamond ring valued at $90,000. Rihanna was stylish in white and jewelry from DVH by H. Stern: a diamond sutra bracelet valued at $130,000; diamond love knot earrings with pave diamonds valued at $25,000; and diamond right hand ring valued at $15,000. The Pussy Cat Dolls were dressed in solid gold, including gold jewelry by Robert Lee Morris, Irene Neuwirth, Maya Jewels and Barbara D’Oro. Despite his recent legal troubles, there was a lot of support for Jacob the Jeweler. Jay Z, Ludacris, Chris Brown, Pharrell and other men wore Jacob & Co diamond watches and pendants.

Lace and jewel tones—especially purple—were the top looks at the Emmys this year. Big diamond bracelets were a favored look for many stars. The deep v-necks of many of the dresses also meant that necklaces were bigger than in past years. Geena Davis stopped traffic in $20 million of diamonds by Chris Aire, including a stunning diamond and red gold lariat necklace with 363 carats valued at $13.5 million. Ellen Pompeo layered two Neil Lane diamond and platinum double riviere necklaces with her purple dress. Journey designs made a red carpet appearance too, with Tyra Banks wearing Journey diamond earrings by Chopard.