Jewelry PR Division

De Beers is one of, it not the biggest diamond jewelry brand out there. They dominate the diamond industry and own most of the diamond mines. However, for being one of the biggest jewelry names, they have been a little behind in the times with their information only website. This summer that will all change.

The National Jeweler Network published an exclusive report confirming that De Beers will begin to offer their jewelry for sale on the website by this summer. The amount of jewelry will be limited however, and visitors will continue to be encouraged, as they are now, to make an appointment with a Senior Collection Advisor.

While I think that many loyal De Beers customers may love the convenience of shopping online, out of habit they may still bypass the website and head directly to the store. The online store looks to be a way to capture the many jewelry consumers that wish to eliminate the need to go to the store and have the convenience of shopping from home or want to avoid the experience of potentially being haggled by a salesperson. Either way, the new direction for De Beers website looks to be a potentially profitable one.

What do you think?

With statement rings being one of the jewelry trends this Spring, David Lundahl has designed a collection that will leave you humming the tune, “I want candy.” These oversized crystals come in a variety of colors set in gold or silver toned metals.

For more information about David Lundahl:

Jewelry PR Division Christina at piercemattie dot com

It’s a wedding day tradition to wear your mother’s pearls, female politician’s wear them to look serious yet refined, business women wear them with their pantsuits to give off a casual elegance suitable for the workplace and when heading out the door for a family portrait, most women reach for the pearls as their jewelry of choice.

While the diamond exudes luxury, pearls exude that old time level of sophistication that is best defined through old photographs of Jackie Kennedy. In fact, the cultured pearls worn by Jackie in the famous photo of John Kennedy Jr. as a youngster trying to grab them from her neck sold for $211,500 at a Sotheby’s auction in 1995 when their true value was only $500. Jackie helped defined sophistication, not only through her fashion sense, but through her choice of style in jewelry as well, which many times included pearls.

No matter if you can afford the real thing or have to opt for cultured pearls, this is jewelry that can define your style and image. Most young girls yearn for the day when they can wear their mother’s pearls and this is true for generations both past and present. Through years of jewelry trends and the hottest gems, pearls have somehow been able to remain a staple to most women’s attire. It’s still a “fall back” piece of jewelry that acts as a chameleon and can go with almost any outfit.

No matter the woman, no matter the year, I can guarantee that she has at least one piece of pearl jewelry in her jewelry box.

What do you think? Is pearl jewelry a thing of the past or does it still define sophistication and elegance among today’s jewelry trends?

According to a story on The National Jewelry Network, Joan Parker former director of the Diamond Information Center and most recently head of public relations for DeBeers Diamond Jewelry, has been announced as Brand Ambassador for Gemesis Corporation. Gemesis Corporation has mastered the creation of natural diamonds grown in a lab setting.

The announcement of Parker as Brand Ambassador for a lab grown diamond corporation is very interesting for two reasons. First, DeBeers is the world leader for naturally grown diamonds and second, there is tension in the diamond industry that lab grown diamonds may become the next Cultured Pearl creating competitive pricing between naturally mined diamonds and cultured lab grown diamonds. With all of the knowledge Parker brings to the table, not only about naturally mined diamonds, but also about the inner workings of DeBeers, it may very well give Gemesis Corp. a lengthy head start to becoming an industry leader in the lab grown diamond market and quite possibly a true competitor to a naturally mined brand such as DeBeers.

Lab grown diamonds are produced from real diamond seeds that come together under pressure in a lab setting to create a diamond that matches or exceeds a mined diamond in quality and brilliance. You can read more about lab grown diamonds in a previous post I wrote here.

So what will this mean for the lab grown diamond industry? Surely raising a level of awareness about Gemesis and lab grown diamonds can only bring a positive overflow effect onto other lab grown diamond companies. As the public becomes more educated on lab grown diamonds, not to mention the fact that they are a real diamond at a much lower price, the natural diamond industry may just have an issue on their hands that will force them to become more creative in marketing naturally mined diamonds.

What do you think?

Spring is here (despite the recent Nor’easter) and the jewelry trends for the season are beginning to be seen on fashionistas everywhere. While the most talked about jewelry trend has been statement rings such as David Lundhal’s Candy Couture collection, statement rings are not the only jewelry trend that is in style right now.

Hefty gold chains: Whether shown in necklaces or bracelets, classic chunky chains abounded at Spring 2007 Fashion Week. Seen on the runways of Carolina Herrera, Diane von Furstenberg and Heatherette.

Layered necklaces: Carried over from previous seasons, the layered look now features thinner, even delicate necklaces. Seen on the runways of Charles Nolan, Ralph Lauren and Carmen Marc Valvo.

Simple pendants: Continuing the minimalist trend, designers opted for sweet charms on dainty chains. Seen on the runways of Chado Ralph Rucci, Mark Bouwer and Akiko Ogawa.

Cuff bracelets: Cuffs appeared on diverse runways, with designers pushing them above model's elbows for a fresher look. Seen on the runways of Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons, Carlos Miele and Nicole Miller.

Via National Jewelry Network: New York—Two iconic Japanese design forces, Mikimoto and clothing designer Yohji Yamamoto, will collaborate on a fine jewelry collection set to launch this fall. Three groups of designs will comprise the Yamamoto-designed collection of about 20 pieces, which will make its official debut in Paris during Couture Week this July.

Mikimoto and Yohji Yamamoto stores worldwide will begin selling the designs in November. "The pearl is a symbol of feminine perfection, and, in the quintessential universe of fine jewelry, it stands alone," reads a Mikimoto statement. "Its perfect form, the subtlety of its irridescence, its refinement singularly unique ...the pearl radiates magnetic attractions. For these reasons, Yohji Yamamoto has decided to design a jewelry collection focused on the pearl.

Mikimoto's incomparable reputation for designing, producing and selling the world's finest cultured pearl jewelry made it a perfect choice for Yohji Yamamoto." Yamamoto, who rose to prominence with his bold designs in the 1980s, is famous for clothing featuring glossy textures and dramatic silhouettes.

Frederique Dessemond is a talented painter turned jewelry designer hailing from France. After studying art history and working as an interior designer, Dessemond felt there was more out there for her and in 1999 she landed in New York. After getting her feet wet in the fashion industry, she began to design her own jewelry and now eight years later; ginette_ny has its first one of a kind jewelry boutique in New York’s West Village.

While her jewelry can be found in Henri Bendel’s and Barney’s, the ginette_ny jewelry bar offers customers a different jewelry buying experience. Dessemond wanted to provide her customers with a personalized sense of customer service with a unique way to shop for jewelry. One can sit and have something to drink while perusing the display stands on the bar and received personalized service from Dessemond herself. In a time when engaging with customers seems to be more product-focused than customer service-focused, ginette_ny offers something unique that is not merely “shopping,” but instead an experience.

The ginette_ny line of jewelry consists of signature gold disc necklaces, custom monogrammed necklaces, keys, coins, chains, rings and earrings. Besides the new jewelry bar, ginette_ny jewelry can be purchased at a variety of locations, all of which are listed on her website. Her jewelry collection is also available for purchase online at ShopBop.com

ginette_ny Jewelry Bar
172 West 4th Street, NY

Endless Diamonds offers patented touch setting, which will help to celebrate endless love. For a summer wedding every bride wants to be a reflection of happiness. There is no better way to sparkle in the summer sun then to wear jewels. Add enchantment to a summer fairytale wedding with diamonds.

Most Endless Diamonds styles come as a set which includes pendants, earrings, and rings. Almost every design is available in white, yellow or two toned gold. The patented touch setting gives an appearance that is three to five times larger than a single stone at a comparable weight.

Let your magical fantasies come to life on your wedding day with Endless Diamond’s collection of bridal jewelry that has a beautiful selection of diamonds. After all, Endless Love is worth it. The Endless Diamonds Collection by Fantasy Diamond is available at Macy's.

Media Contact:
Jewelry PR Division: Erin at piercemattie dot com