Angelina Rocks

It’s always big news when a Hollywood power couple decides to make it official, and it doesn’t get much more powerful than Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

The couple recently confirmed their engagement, and Jolie’s new sparkler was ready for its close-up. The ring, which is rumored to feature as much as 10 carats of diamonds, was designed by Pitt in collaboration with jeweler Robert Procop. Pitt and Procop reportedly worked on the ring design for a year.

Evelyn Ring (rock crystal and sterling silver), $1,195, Gemvara

What does that mean for the rest of us? Look-alikes, of course! Gemvara has stepped up to the plate with their Evelyn rock crystal ring, shown above, which is made of sterling silver. Of course, like Gemvara’s other rings, it can be customized. Pink tourmaline for me, please.

Evelyn Ring (pink tourmaline, rock crystal and sterling silver), $4,430, Gemvara

I have to say that, although I prefer antique-inspired engagement rings, I think this one suits Jolie’s style well. What do you think of her new left-hand accessory?

Six Picks: Get 2012 Oscars Style

Last night’s Academy Awards red carpet offered up a gorgeous array of accessory styles that any jewelry lover could appreciate. The celebrities showed off many great looks that let us live vicariously through their sparkle.

That being said, many of these looks can be captured in accessories that the rest of us can afford. Here are a few of my favorite red carpet jewelry picks, with examples of pieces that allow you to get the look.

1. Glittering bangle bracelets (as seen on Penelope Ann Miller – Celebrity-Gossip.net) provide a touch of glamour to any outfit. The one below captures some of the vintage style of Miller’s bracelet.

Kalina’s Fancy CZ Cuff Bracelet, Emitations.com

2. Show-stopping emeralds (as seen on Viola Davis – JustJared) will never get old. Let’s be honest – the Lorraine Schwartz jewels that Davis wore are unparalleled. But these dramatic emerald earrings are beautiful in their own way.

Emerald and Diamond Earrings, Ross-Simons

3. An oversized link bracelet (as seen on Emma Stone – JustJared) is just about all you need to accent an outfit. I love the scale of this one, and it could go with a lot of different looks.

Kenneth Jay Lane Large Link Bracelet, Amazon

4. Double diamond earrings (as seen on Milla Jovovich – JustJared) provide a gorgeous touch to an outfit. The graduated stones in the earrings are classic and beautiful.

Nadri Framed CZ Drop Earrings, Bloomingdale’s

5. A glittering necklace (as seen on Michelle Williams – JustJared) was just about all that Ms. Williams needed to accent her lovely, vibrant gown. I think a necklace like this one would be beautiful on a bride.

Masterpiece CZ Necklace, With This Bling

6. Sapphire chandelier earrings (as seen on Tina Fey – Celebrity-Gossip.net) were a nice change from the diamond and/or emerald earrings that have been abundant on red carpets lately.

Sapphire and Diamond Chandelier Earrings, Zales.com

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News: Argyle Pink Jubilee Diamond

The Argyle mine in Australia recently turned up an “unprecedented” surprise: a 12.76-carat pink diamond (PINK!!! Cue my “My Little Pony”-loving* inner child). Click the link for a photo.

The diamond’s cutting and polishing process will require an estimated two months of planning and ten days to execute. I’d better start saving my pennies, because the diamond (dubbed the Argyle Pink Jubilee) will be going up for sale later this year. It’s going to look amazing in my tiara…

*My favorite was a pink, winged pony named Sun Glider. Wish I still had her. And my world is now about 1,000 times brighter upon discovering there’s a website called mylittlewiki.org.

Wedding Jewelry Wednesday: Bridal Jewelry Rental

It’s common for celebrities to wear borrowed jewelry for big events such as awards ceremonies and movie premieres. But as a bride, you can get in on the concept of “borrowing” jewelry for your big day, too.

Middleton Earrings, Adorn.com

A bride can choose jewelry from an online vendor (such as Adorn), have it mailed to her for a rental fee, and then return it. The bride gets to wear elegant pieces that most likely would have been out of her price range. The Middleton earrings above, for example, which retail for $10,875, can be rented for $160. That’s a savings that a certain outfit-recycling duchess could be proud of.

I stumbled upon this concept by accident, and I find it fascinating. I think the hardest part would be saying goodbye to those gorgeous gems when the rental period is over. Would you consider renting jewelry for your wedding day?

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Six Picks: Get 2012 Grammys Style

Given Whitney Houston’s untimely death, I was certainly expecting a more subdued tone for last night’s 2012 Grammy awards fashion. Despite a notable exception (Nicki Minaj) or two (Fergie), that’s what the Grammys delivered.

Black, white, and gold gowns dominated the scene, accented by a few notable jewelry looks. Here are a few examples of my favorite accessories, with suggestions for affordable, wearable pieces that the rest of us can pull off.

1. A gold bib necklace (as seen on Alicia Keys – JustJared) can make a big statement. I like this linked bib necklace from Modcloth, which offers a more casual look.

Newsworthy Style Necklace, Modcloth.com

2. A longer-length pendant necklace (as seen on Kelly Clarkson – JustJared) is lovely with a low neckline on an evening gown for a night out, or with a jacket or sweater during the day.

Sterling Silver Black Enamel Pendant (with 30″ chain), Amazon.com

3. Coordinating bracelet and earrings sets (as seen on Katy Perry, click over for the hair if for nothing else – JustJared) are an elegant way to make sure your accessories match. (Perry’s reported $2 million accessory ensemble is the stuff of dreams.)

CZ Bracelet & Earrings Set, Amazon.com

4. Glittering drop earrings (as seen on Miranda Lambert – JustJared) are expected at awards shows, but I think they’re a good reminder that we can all use a little more sparkle in our accessories.

Celia Earrings, Ziamond.com

5. A touch of gold (as seen on Taylor Swift – JustJared) is all you need when your apparel already has some embellishments – or in Swift’s case, many embellishments. I like the extra dimension that the citrine stones bring to these gold earrings.

Citrine Drop Earrings, Ross-Simons

6. Statement hoop earrings (as seen on Kimberly Perry – OK) are certainly acceptable on this more fashion-forward awards show’s red carpet. In your everyday wardrobe, they can go a long way.

Marc by Marc Jacobs ‘Classic Marc’ Hoop Earrings, Nordstrom

As a side note, the Kismet by Milka dove necklace that Kimberly Perry wore during her performance as part of The Band Perry has gotten a lot of buzz. You can get more information about it here.

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Wedding Jewelry Wednesday: Diamond Cluster Engagement Rings

It may be fun to fantasize about the megawatt, multi-carat engagement rings that celebrities receive, but few of us can afford the price tag that those gems carry. To get a lot of sparkle for your money, you could select a diamond cluster engagement ring.

Diamond Oval Cluster Ring, Zales.com

Instead of featuring one large center stone, these rings are made up of many smaller diamonds. From a distance, they may offer the illusion of one larger stone. Up close, the smaller stones create an interesting design element.

Below, you’ll find a few of my favorite diamond cluster ring options. They’re broken down by approximate budget limits, so you can find one that fits your needs.

• $2,000 budget:

1 1/5 Carat T.W. Bridal Set, Kay Jewelers

__________

• $1,500 budget:

7/8 CT Diamond Engagement Ring, Helzberg Diamonds

__________

• $1,000 budget:

3/4 Carat T.W. Composite Diamond Engagement Ring, Zales

__________

• $500 budget:

1 CT Diamond Cluster Ring, Amazon

__________

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Super Bowl Bling

After yesterday’s Super Bowl win, the New York Giants will have some rings headed their way. Time will tell how much they differ from this design:

Photo from Championship-Rings.net

Following their win in 2008, the Giants received their rings at a private ceremony. The three trophies on the ring represent the team’s three championship victories. One of those rings, shown above, is currently being offered for sale at Championship-Rings.net. The previous owner’s name isn’t disclosed, and the asking price is nearly $50,000.

Although that ring was made by Tiffany & Co., the majority of Super Bowl rings – 29 of them so far – have been created by Jostens (the same company that probably created your high school yearbook and your class ring, too). See their designs in their championship ring photo gallery.

News: Valentine’s Day Gifts Aplenty

This post already makes me happy simply because I get so few opportunities to use the word “aplenty.” I apologize for the social media silence this week. Hectic week, excuses excuses, ahem. Hey, points for posting at all, amiright?

On to this week’s roundup of news and noteworthy links. Forbes contributor Anthony DeMarco has compiled a gift guide for Valentine’s Day. His comment that women want a gift that makes them “feel special and understood” was nice. If my husband is reading, however, I’d just like the record to reflect that the $1 million prosperity pink diamond ring from FancyDiamonds.net would make me feel the most “special and understood” out of all of the options.

Just sayin’.

Here’s a roundup of other jewelry news:

• Fashion Week head Fern Mallis announces jewelry collection: Fashionista.com
• Designer offers free jewelry for Michigan military brides: Detroit Free Press
• A Lalique jewelry revival in Paris: The New York Times
• Jewelry store raises funds for the SPCA: The Ithaca Journal

News: Top Brass?

Is brass the new gold? Some jewelers and designers seem to think so. (Read the article at the Kansas City Star.) Because of the high price of gold, some are turning to brass as a more affordable alternative.

Kelly Wearstler, one of the designers mentioned in the article, sells this brass charm bracelet with cubes. I’m a big fan of Wearstler’s glamorous interiors, and her jewelry captures the same luxe look.

Here’s a roundup of other jewelry news:

• A look at upcoming trends in the jewelry world: JCK Online
• L.A. gallery helps male celebrities accessorize: Los Angeles Times
• 2011 celebrity engagement rings: Jewelry Information Center
• How is a diamond like a champagne cork? Find out: Wired

Six Picks: Get Golden Globes Style

The jewelry at last night’s Golden Globes wasn’t as bright and dramatic as I was expecting overall. However, the awards did deliver some great pieces (and potential trends for the coming months). Here are some of my favorites – and examples of items that could help you get the looks.

1. Chandelier earrings (as seen on Jessica Alba – JustJared) are nothing new on awards show red carpets, but they certainly steal the show when they’re done right. These earrings from Nordstrom could definitely help you channel your inner starlet.

2. Gorgeous green gems (as seen on Debra Messing – JustJared) highlight what seemed to be the color of the evening. This three-stone ring from Overstock has a great look that’s reminiscent of the one that Messing wore.

3. Dark faceted stones (as seen on Helen Mirren – JustJared) offer a sophisticated alternative. These three-stone white gold earrings from Amazon could look great with so many outfits.

4. Glittering headbands (as seen on Charlize Theron – JustJared) let you add a touch of sparkle to your hair, too. I love the one below  from Zappos. Click the link to see more photos – so cute.

5. Gemstone studs (as seen on Emma Stone – JustJared) contribute just the right amount of glitz to an outfit. I’m so crazy about this set from Ross-Simons. The studs are interchangeable within the diamond “jackets” that come with them. Genius!

6. Statement necklaces (as seen on Freida Pinto – JustJared) were relatively few and far between. But the ones that were seen on the red carpet were memorable – just like this collar necklace from Kate Spade.

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I was not paid or otherwise compensated to write about the jewelry shown in this post. All opinions are my own.