Jewelry PR Division

This month Heidi Klum had her first appearance on QVC to launch her collection for Mouawad. This highly anticipated debut certainly got a big piece of the QVC pie. Her appearance was well received and everyone loved her pieces as the collection sold out of 14 of 16 styles in the first 36 minutes. Klum’s collection is inspired from a four leave clover as well as the pattern from the Duomo in Milan. (Duomo is the Italian word for the church in the middle of the city/town. Most Italian cities have a Duomo—Milan’s is the most well known for its gothic architecture.)





Personally, I really like this collection. I love the playfulness of the shamrock but I love that it can also be dressed up (ie. Heidi at the Emmy’s this year.) It could also be that I love Heidi Klum and everything she does! The nice thing is that, if one can’t afford the pieces from Heidi’s collection, there are options with similar designs and styles. My favorite kind of steal is from Endless Diamonds. They have similar pieces with a diamond in the center of the pendant.





Either way, we can all look beautiful in diamonds! After all, they are a girl’s best friend!

A favorite line of accessories editors the world around is "and then take one piece" off referring to the rule of removing one piece of jewelry after you are fully dressed and prepared for the day.

Of course another editor tip through the ages has been stretching a wardrobe of basics through clever jewelry usage. But if you are instructed to constantly downsize your accessorising options for day is it possible that you need a wardrobe of jewelry basics too?

Given the classic popularity of a string of pearls, diamond stud earrings, and the tennis bracelet it seems that jewelry lovers the world over agree. This makes discovering the right pieces of jewelry for your even more critical. Even the classics make different statements. Pearls make any outfit more conservative whereas a diamond stud is a classic touch that ups the elegance factor on any outfit. The same principles of choosing basics in clothing applies to jewelry.

But remember even when the editors appear to know better than we mere mortals do it can be good to break the law sometimes and throw it all on. You can always take a few pieces off at the end of the night. That is still technically following the laws of accessorising right?

There is no industry that appreciates an ugly duckling story more than fashion. In a business that banks on miraculous outward transformations for the "inwardly" beautiful nothing is better than a good makeover story. ABC is counting on just this type of appeal with their new show Ugly Betty.

In the superficial world of high fashion, image is everything. Styles come and go, and the only constants are the superthin beauties who wear them. How can an ordinary girl – a slightly plump plain-Jane from Queens – possibly fit in?

And of course the last time fashion magazines were used as a backdrop for this premise in The Devil Wears Prada there were plenty of cool product-tie ins to help all of the plain Janes watching feel like they were part of the miracle of fashion makeovers. The Hobo bag designed by stylist Patricia Field that was sported by Andrea Saches sold out within days.

For jewelry fanatics Ugly Betty offers a similar promise of cool by association with the big "B" necklace worn by Betty Saurez

You can buy it at the clever Enlightenment Through Shopping and feel just a little bit closer to makeover nirvana yourself.

Ellen's Wedding Ring

Ellen Barkin's jewelry, more than 100 pieces that included her wedding ring from her marriage to Revlon billionaire Ron Perelman, has fetched $20.3 million at auction. A hush came over the packed Christie's sales room Tuesday evening when the auctioneer announced the sale of the ring, a wide band set with four rows of bell-cut diamonds topped in 18-carat gold.

It sold for $130,000, surpassing a presale estimate of $50,000. The auction house did not disclose the buyer's name. Among the other 103 lots, ranging from period jewels and gemstones, a 22.76-carat diamond ring was purchased by a private American collector for $1.8 million - the highest price of the night.

Canada's Excellence in Design 2006 competition awarded the top prize in the diamond category to designer Tracy Borlase for her Oprah Winfrey-inspired diamond necklace.

Borlase—originally from South Africa—said the piece was designed for one of her clients who was set to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show. She created the necklace "O Afrique" as a tribute to her own heritage and Winfrey's African heritage. The small "O" shaped pendant represents the disc-shaped jewelry popular in Africa and also stands for "Oprah." It also features a zebra-striped pattern of 225 black and white diamonds, and hangs from a black, rhodium-plated, 14-karat white-gold chain.

The 35-year-old designer ran a successful business and studio in Johannesburg, South Africa, before deciding to move to Toronto eight years ago. She made the move to get away from a violent post-Apartheid climate where, as a young woman, she felt increasingly at risk.

Excellence in Design 2006 is the first competition Borlase has entered since arriving in Canada. The annual competition is sponsored by Canadian Jeweller and Jewellers Vigilance Canada.

If you are going to a party or out on the town to ring in the New Year, of course you want to shine. To show how to add that sizzle to your outfit like the stars do, Dawn Yanek, editor-at-large at Life & Style Weekly magazine visited The CBS Early Show.

Here are some of her ideas and some of the products that were used to illustrate them on the show:


Glittery drops:

• Bakers, $14, Bakers stores nationwide
• Express, $22.50, Express stores nationwide. For help finding an Express store, click here.
• Aqua, $28, Bloomingdales stores nationwide, or try Bloomingdales.com
• 14K white gold diamond earrings (2.02 carats), Endless Diamond Collection, $2,544 at Macy's, Zales and several independent jewelers nationwide.

Diamond.com and ICE.com, the leading online providers of high quality jewelry, are proud to announce that their companies’ jewelry will be showcased at a new, glamorous red carpet affair for celebrities and movie industry insiders during Hollywood’s high-profile Academy Awards week.

Movie stars and other celebrities attending this special event will receive complementary gifts of Diamond.com and ICE.com jewelry which they may wear to various glittering pre-event and post-event Oscar parties.

These celebrities looked stunning on the red carpet, but you don't have to pay a fortune buying the same jewelry they wore to replicate their look. See these and more jewelry and fashion styles at ShopStyle.com

The Stylists behind ShopStyle.com are Danica Lo and Kevin Sanders. Danica is a New York City Fashion writer, a prior fashion model and author of the book, "How Not To Look Fat." Kevin has styled for the Oscars, Tony's, Grammy's, Golden Globes, SAG and People's Choice Awards. He is known as the Stylist with the Golden Touch and that is because every celebrity he has been a Stylist to for an awards show has come home with the gold. If anyone can help you achieve the celebrity look whether it is fashion or jewelry, Danica and Kevin can.

Cate Blanchett

Kate Landry Large CZ East-West "Right Hand" Ring A large cubic zirconia flanked by engraved leaves with CZ accents makes this sterling silver band the perfect "right hand" ring. Buy it at Dillard's for $22

J & L Designs Large CZ Ring This rhodium-plated, nickel-free ring offers the look and quality of silver, only it's stronger. The etched band features a large faceted jet cubic zirconia. Buy it at Dillard's for $38

Hand-painted ivory enamel cuff One-inch-wide hinged cuff, hand-painted with glossy enamel and plated with antiqued silver. Magnetic closure with safety lock and chain. Import. Inner circumference: 6 1/2". Buy it at J. Crew for $88

Jennifer Lopez

Stephen Dweck Rock Crystal Necklace Sterling silver with faceted and linked rock crystals. Toggle clasp. Buy it at Bergdorf Goodman for $945

Single Row Sculpted Link Necklace Long single strand necklace with sculpted links in varying sizes. 36" long. Buy it at Ann Taylor for $29.99

Crislu Cubic Zirconia Round Stone Tennis Necklace Platinum plating over sterling silver Clear, 19.0 ct. total weight, Clasp closure, 16"L Buy it at Bloomingdale's for $215

Rachel Weisz

R. Dayan Cubic Zirconia Drop Necklace Cubic zirconia necklace and oval drop. Sterling silver clasp and findings. Buy it at Bergdorf Goodman for $970

FANTASIA CZ Antique Set Necklace 22K white gold-plated sterling silver chain link cubic zirconia accents and antique set pendant. Spring ring clasp, 16" long Buy it at Bloomingdale's for $350

Sterling Silver Cubic Zirconia Double Circle Pendant This pendant features round-cut cubic zirconia (2-1/10 ct. t.w.) set in sterling silver. Chain measures 18 inches. Buy it at Macy's for $50

Please be sure to visit the NEW Pierce Mattie Public Relations blog on its new URL, just add the word "public relations" after Pierce Mattie and omit the word blogs: www.piercemattiepublicrelations.com


Other Pierce Mattie PR Division Blog Locations:
Beauty Pro A professional beauty and cosmetics industry blog.
The Fashion Rag Fashion, design and style blog co-written by Jason Jobson and Shannon Nelson.
The Jewelry PR Division Jewelry, precious metal and accessory industry blog.
The Fitness PR Division Our sports fitness, health and club industry blog.
The Industry Dirt Blog Media Industry Blog.

See you there!