Cascade Star - Designer Diamond Jewelry at Perfect Value

So what is good fine jewelry fashion for winter wear? According to well-placed sources within the jewelry fashion industry, black dress fashion is back this winter, offering, offering the perfect backdrop for white metals and diamonds. An 18k white gold diamond pendant turns a basic black sweater into a bold fashion statement. Diamond circle pendants and medallions dominate this season, as the trend toward geometric shapes continues.

In cold weather with layered clothing, layered necklaces are all the rage and are currently popular in chain link styles worn long or wrapped close to the neck. Charms and pendants of all sizes are hot, proving to be the ideal accessory to glam up this season's ubiquitous oversized tops.

When the gloves and hats come off this winter, there's nothing better to take the chill out than the fire and brilliance of diamond jewelry. As in seasons past, right hand rings and stackable rings continue to reign supreme in luxury fashion, while platinum remains the top choice for white metal engagement rings. Earrings, on the other hand, are shifting gears. The popularity of the chandelier appears to have piqued, giving way to a wider variety of styles. Hoops in all sizes and long, thin dangles are particularly trendy for winter. When executed in white gold and diamonds, they are the perfect complement to sequence tops and dresses that abound at holiday parties and festive events.

To help ring in the New Year with a bang, add bangles and cuff bracelets to your jewelry repertoire. The perfect accent to a gray or black top, statement-making cuffs and bejeweled bangles worn alone or in multiples brighten up this season's stark fashion color palette and make it come alive.

More than just ornamentation for the body, jewelry has long served as a palette for artistic expression. From Bulgari to Cartier to Harry Winston, the world 's famous jewelers have created pieces of bejeweled art that have captured the attention of collectors worldwide, as well as the imagination of those who appreciate fine jewelry.

Frederic Boucheron
Acquiring fame as an expert in precious stones, Frederic Boucheron opened his first jewelry salon at the Palais Royal in 1858. The masterful creator of beautiful jewelry, Boucheron also set up shop at the Place Vendome in 1893, which is still in successful operation today. Boucheron branches are also located in Moscow, Japan, London, and the Far East. Historical international expositions included exhibitions of Boucheron 's pieces, including the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial, the 1889 and 1990 Expositions Universelle, and the 1925 Exposition des Arts Decoratifs, all in Paris.

Sotirio Bulgari
Sotirio Bulgari of Greece began his firm in 1879 when he moved to Rome to open his first shop in Via Sistina. Bulgari 's distinctive style was carried on by his sons after his death in 1932. Bulgari jewelry-lovers admire the firm 's classical and Renaissance-inspired art, which features colors and patterns found in mosaics. Bulgari is also famous for transforming ancient coins into jewels. Bulgari boutiques grace Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Milan, New York, Paris, Singapore, and Tokyo. In 1998, a Bulgari diamond and colored diamond brooch auctioned at Christie 's for $1,186,400.

Louis-Francois Cartier
Renowned French jewelry and watch maker, Cartier may have gotten its start in 1847 by Louis-Francois Cartier, but it took it his grandsons Louis, Pierre and Jacques to build Cartier into the world famous empire it is today. Throughout its history, Cartier has undergone continued changes which have made it an international phenomenon. In 1983, the Cartier Museum was initiated; and in 1993, Cartier became a part of the Vendome Luxury Group.
Joseph Chaumet
Official jeweler to Napoleon, Chaumet was originally founded under another name. This jewelry firm captured favor for its grandiose creations and royal clientele including the Empress Josephine and later Empress Marie-Louise. Following the fall of Napoleon, the firm garnered continued acclaim under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Fossin and his son, Jules. Both were artists in their right who captured a spirit of Romanticism in their jeweled creations. In 1889, Joseph Chaumet, a Bordeaux jeweler took over the company and changed its name to Chaumet. The successful change in ownership thrust Chaumet onto the international scene, serving as jeweler to European royal houses and winning copious awards at international exhibitions.

Laurence Graff
Creating jewelry with some of the rarest gems available, Graff Diamonds was founded in London in 1960. The revered firm has handled some of the world 's most treasured gemstones, including The Idol 's Eye, The Emperor Maximillian, and The Begum Blue. The jewelry maker 's glamorous style is a result of its highly skilled in-house craftsmen. In 2002, a pair of Graff diamond and emerald ear-pendants sold at auction for $772,000. The House of Graff has locations in London, New York City, Monte Carlo, Dubai, and Moscow.

Tiffany & Co.
While Tiffany & Co. may have begun as a fancy goods store in the 1800s, by the 1950s Tiffany & Co. had captured its emphasis on the jewelry business. Its most famous pieces were created and sold by the founder 's son, Louis Comfort Tiffany. However, other esteemed jewelry designers, as well as renowned gemologist George Frederick Kunz were later instrumental in propelling Tiffany & Co. to international jewelry stardom. Today, Tiffany & Co. can be found in more than 100 locations worldwide.

Harry Winston
At only 24 years of age, Harry Winston opened his first jewelry store in New York City. A little more than a decade later, Winston established a company under his own name. Here, he handled such famous diamonds as the Jonker, the Taylor-Burton, the Star of Sierra Leone, and the Vargas. He was also responsible for donating The Hope, The Portuguese and, the Oppenheimer diamonds to the Smithsonian. Known as the "King of Diamonds," Winston owned nearly one third of all the famous museum diamonds at one time or another. After his father 's death, Ronald Winston continued the Winston dynasty, expanding into additional markets in Tokyo and Beverly Hills.

While some of the world 's most famous jewelers have made their mark in history, many local jewelers also carry on this tradition of beauty - fashioning jewelry that delights and commemorates. Whether famous globally or just well-known to a local community, artists in jewels are part of a long legacy - creating today 's jewelry for tomorrow.

Floral designs are expected to be the number one trend in fashion and fine jewelry for summer. It is evident from the multitude of designers from Italy to New York, and everywhere in between, who are creating jewelry designs with a universal floral theme. Tulips, roses, calla lilies and orchids are all prevalent blooms.

Here are just a few of the ways flowers will work their way into fine jewelry wardrobes and stay there all year round:

Dazzling in Diamonds
Diamonds accentuate every type of jewelry in special ways.The floral designs budding this season shine with the help of girls' best friend. When you think of flowers, one of the first
words that comes to mind is color. Where diamonds are concerned, it is the lack of color that makes the designs so sensational. Diamonds are doing everything from covering the entire surface of floral brooches and earrings to accenting simple flower pendants. If a customer is looking for a timeless heirloom, a diamond flower brooch could be just what they are seeking.

Gold Geraniums and Platinum Posies
Glowing gold, perfect platinum and simple silver can be transformed into spectacular floral designs. A sunflower is revitalized in yellow gold, and a grouping of unassuming daisies gets a breath of life in nearly every shade of gold. The icy white glow of silver evokes feelings of happiness and bliss when it is fashioned into fun, festive flowers such as chrysanthemums, gerbera daisies and lilies. Rose gold is a natural setting for what else but roses. One of the great things about these metal beauties is that their natural shapes come shining through refined metalsmithing. They are also available in countless shapes, sizes and price points.

Works of Art
Just like a fine painting, enameled jewelry can truly be a work of art. Enamel brings floral designs to life through vibrant colors and intricate design details added to otherwise blank canvases of metal. Enamel is paired with sterling silver for a fun, festive piece of flower jewelry.
However, enamel also becomes a stunning backdrop when it brings to life bright green leaves on a diamond flower brooch.

Gemstone Petals
Wandering through a garden, it is usually the bold flowers that grab your attention. It is true that vibrantly hued flowers tend to take center stage. This is also the case when it comes to jewelry. Every variety and colored gemstone brings to life floral jewelry in different ways. Pink sapphires, rose quartz, garnets, rubies, amethyst, turquoise and citrine are all vivid choices that will inevitably make fine jewelry wardrobes a garden of color. The bottom line with the floral trend is that flowers make people happy. Jewelry makes people really happy. Now just imagine the smiles that arise when the flowers and jewelry collide.

As spring approaches, take a fresh look at your necklaces. Spring is the season to show off the neckline - and to match up spring fashions with necklaces. When you wear a plain blouse, choose a fine, short chain with a pendant that will complement your bare skin - for example, a platinum droplet on a chain just showing at the neckline.

For bold patterns, like the flower prints that are popular this year, go with a longer, chunkier necklace. Use eye-catching pieces that combine more than one element like metals, diamonds, and gemstones. To keep up with the trends this season, have fun with pearls and precious gemstones in bright colors, like red (ruby), orange (tourmaline), yellow (sapphire), and green (emerald).

Smalli s more elegant but for patterns, big designs work best because they won't get lost in your clothes. Longer necklaces go well with tunics, while shorter ones flatter V-neck tops and balance out dresses with a high waistline. A scoop neck works with a longer chain that can be wound around the neck several times - or even several different pieces layered together.

One big no-no in jewelry fashion: wearing a low-cut shirt or dress without a necklace. The absence of a necklace under such clothes would make you look cheerless, like you're missing something.

Rose gold jewelry is appearing on the scene this year as the latest backdrop to set off diamonds and gemstones with spectacular style and a unique touch. Diamonds and other gemstones have always sparkled set in more traditional yellow gold or white gold, but in recent years, and this year in particular, rose gold has become the choice of jewelry lovers everywhere. The unusual properties of rose gold jewelry make it a great eye-catcher as well as setting off your finest gemstones to their best advantage. When shopping for new jewelry this year, most won't be finished until they have something in rose gold.

There is no such thing as pure gold jewelry. Pure gold is much too soft for jewelry making. It would bend, break and twist out of shape. Although it is mostly gold, there are alloys (other metals) added to the gold to give it strength, including silver, nickel and copper. These other metals affect the color of the gold. Rose gold has a higher copper content, giving the gold a warm tint that can range from a soft pink to a deep, glowing red depending on how much copper is used. The most popular rose gold jewelry is a warm, blush pink hue.

You may sometimes hear rose gold jewelry referred to as Russian gold because it was so popular in Russia in the 1800's, but that popularity soon swept over Europe and the United States. In the Victorian era, most women wanted an engagement ring of rose gold from their fiance. The rosy color was seen as more romantic and elegant.

Today there are many reasons to love rose gold jewelry. For one thing, rose gold has rich warmth to it that suits any skin tone, warming up skin and imparting a healthy glow when warm next to the face. The soft pink is universally flattering to every complexion, so it is ideal for chains or pendants.

Rose gold jewelry is also great for mounting gemstones. The rich color is the perfect foil for just about every color of gemstone. It's particularly prized for making diamond jewelry. While setting a diamond in yellow gold may give the diamond a slightly yellow cast, a diamond set in rose gold will shimmer brightly with pink/blue reflections that actually make it appear very clear.

Other gemstones really pop against the unique color of rose gold. Citrines, peridots and canary diamonds that would otherwise just fade into the background of a more traditional yellow gold look fabulous set in rose gold. Sapphires, rubies and emeralds are all complimented by the lovely color.

The finest rose gold jewelry is of 14k gold, which is stronger than the softer 10k gold. Because of the higher gold content in 14k gold, this rose gold will have the popular blush pink shade that most people think of when they hear the phrase rose gold jewelry. If you are looking for a deeper, more reddish version, look for 10k rose gold, which will have more copper but will also be a bit softer and will tend to scratch a bit more.

Whatever your choice when shopping for rose gold jewelry, you're sure to end up with a lovely piece of jewelry that others will admire for its lovely color and unusual style.