BEADED EARRINGS – CLASSY FUN

Bead Earrings never fail to satisfy the bead lover in me. 

These vintage earrings are beaded embroidery and are backed with vinyl padding.  They were not made with the tambour beading technique.     
 





Fun pair of vintage flower bead and crystal earrings



Some onlookers call these beaded earrings "sexy"

Ok, these are large!  That is what makes beaded jewelry so much fun. 



These half moon earrings are the perfect match for dramatically tailored clothing

I wear these 3 pair frequently because the iridescent colors match so many outfits.

Check back for more eclectic jewelry style and more vintage earrings.

Pat Thomas for Jewelrystash until next time…

AUGUST JEWELRY STYLE ROUND-UP

Here’s  a round-up report on the new fashion season's  jewelry style forecasts and hot trends  illustrated in some August magazines.  Vogue and Bazaar magazine picks are included.

STYLES ACROSS THE BOARD:

Bejeweled coats and other clothing; Big bold colored gemstones; Royal looking jewelry; Chain earrings; Dimensional and thick hoop earrings; Ethnic trade bead and Maasi style colorful bead jewelry designs; Arm full of bracelets; Heavy metal in black; Bold bejeweled shoes; Chunky silver; Sleek gold; fringe; bold gemstone buttons,  and, fabric jewelry.

GEMSTONE COLORS TRENDING:

Purple, wine, fuchsia, black, cobalt blue, lapis blue 

VOGUE jewelry style picks

Chanel necklace with cobalt blue agate  slices

Prada bold purple bejeweled clutches

Bold jeweled buttons

Cameron Diaz's diamond Tag Heuer watch

Italian chunky silver chains

Arm full of gemstone bracelets

Gucci gold netted carved gemstone rings

SOPHISTICATE’S BLACK HAIR hot jewelry trends

Eva wearing chest length long chain earrings

Arm full of bracelets

Ethnic bead necklaces

Dawn Richards wearing thick hoops

Long silver lame earrings

Vanessa Williams wearing long chain earrings

Lavender blue fabric fringe earrings

BAZAAR new classic fine jewelry and fashion baubles

Rihanna wearing a chunky gold panther link bracelet

Taylor Swift geometric hoops

Belt strap black leather necklace with huge silver links

Le Vian lavender, purple and fuchsia gemstones

Givenchy wreath earrings

Bulgari Art Deco snake gemstone timepiece

Vuitton bejeweled mary jane shoes

Kelly Rowland wearing a pink oversized watch

Ivory colored horn shaped bracelets

Spikey hoop earrings

Native American turquoise vintage jewelry

Royal looking jewel designs with magnificent gemstones

NEW YORK TIMES STYLE MAGAZINE

Chanel multicolored jewel studded gray coat

Omega rose gold timepiece

Morelli black diamond snake necklace

The Absolutely Fabulous gals in black jewels

Babette chartreuse green Lucite bracelet

Valentino crystal low heel shoes

Cynthia Rowley bejeweled white shirt

Kate Spade wearing a red enamel bracelet

Hard edge metal fantasy necklaces

All white Bell & Ross watch

Vuitton jeweled button coat and skirt

Beamon ethnic looking button and trade bead necklace and earrings

Pat Thomas for Jewelrystash until next time…

TRANSFORMERS JEWELRY

Doorknocker earrings have always been my favorite style, especially those designed with colorful gemstones or plastic.  I found the blue pair below in a bin at a thrift store for about $7 a couple years ago. 



Vintage Doorknocker Earrings



BUY JEWELRY BECAUSE YOU LIKE IT

To me they seemed to be a good business look. I really liked the style and aqua color.

 I thought that they were made of glass when I bought them because the material does not have the soft feel of turquoise.

I brought the earrings home and put them with my other fashion jewelry. I have never worn or even cleaned them (as you can see in the photo).

AMAZING VINTAGE JEWELRY FIND

Just recently, I noticed them and I took them out for a closer look.  The pierced earring clips are an unusual narrow design. There are several hallmarks on the back of the clips.



Unusual Pierced Earring Clips with Hallmarks on the Back



 The hallmarks on each earring are similar but slightly different.  In fact, one earring is marked 14kt but the other one is not marked. Hmm…

GEMSTONE BEADS TO SWITCH-UP



Gemstone, Plastic Doorknocker Beads for Earrings

 

 

The only problem with some of the above gemstone dangle earrings  is that they are a little weighty on the ear.

Pat Thomas for  Jewelrystash until next time…

STAY ON REAL WORLD TIME

How does Usain Bolt know how fast he can run?  And what gift did Dwayne Wade give his champion Miami Heat teammates who can afford anything?  Answers:  Serious and expensive watches.

11 real world reasons to wear a serious timepiece

1. You wear a diamond or gemstone bracelet. A clear sapphire crystal on a watch is virtually scratch proof.
   

   

   Burberry Charm Bracelet Watch

   
2. You wear very little jewelry but you do wear a watch—A serious wristwatch may be all the fashion statement you need.
3. Want to set the max time you will wait on the phone or for a dinner date to show-up? A watch with a rotating bezel converts  into handy countdown tool you can see at a glance.
4. You will be swimming, snorkeling or skin-diving. You will need a timepiece that can handle depths beyond that for hand washing dishes. Basic serious timepieces can handle depths down to 30 feet and some have screw down crowns for waterproofing.
5. You need to check software load times. You can tell the software vendor that you used Rolex timing.  It’s persuasive!
6. You perform heavy duty tasks with your hands, like changing a tire yourself or just looking under the car hood in the rain to find a problem. Serious timepieces are designed to be shockproof and are designed with sapphire crystals that are very hard to crack.
7. You don’t live the disposable lifestyle, not in this economy. You wouldn’t throwaway your car because it needs a simple repair or basic maintenance.  Well, there’s an entire army of watch mechanics to repair or maintain serious timepieces.
8. You wear bracelets that rival Wonder Woman’s style. Serious watches won’t get scuffed-up by an arm full of sterling silver bracelets.
9. You have sensitive skin. I swear that Swiss watches seem to massage my wrist.  In any case, the stainless steel is medical grade with no bizarre alloys.  Luxury watch brands often have exotic leathers like stingray that can handle sweat.
10. You actually need to see the day and date because you hop international time zones like some people hop crosstown trains every day.
11. You don’t want your boss or your clients to laugh at you or laugh you off—Enuf said!

STANDARDS FOR SERIOUS WATCHES

What’s the worldwide standard for a serious watch?  Answer: the watch is completely Swiss-made or made with a Swiss movement.

But don’t forget about the heritage of American watchmaking.  At its’ height, pre-1960s, the American watch industry was the world’s premier producer of timepieces for masses of consumers on-the-go or working overtime like James Brown sang about.

Many American brands were decimated by cheap imports. The best American brands were bought-up by Swiss companies.

ALWAYS SHOW YOUR FASHION STYLE

Whatever your fashion style there’s a serious watch that is the perfect accessory to reflect your jewelry style. Whether your style is like that of Omega’s Cindy Crawford, Rolex’s Marie Sharapova, or Tag Heuer’s Tiger Woods, there’s a stylish watch to choose from.  Ok… these are really expensive watches.

But there are many watch brands that are great values and the prices aren’t like car or house down payments which is the cash needed to buy some luxury watches.

Serious not expensive Watches

• Michele watches are  the hottest fashion trend right now, they're urbane with diamonds.
• Burberry features cutting edge hot fashion and business  watch designs that are youthful looking. 
• Movado styles are ubiquitous, somewhat androgynous designs, quite understated. But look-out for unusual designs that are rarely advertised. I’ve seen a couple of doctors who wear Movados with distinctive, compelling looks.
• Hamilton can be ultra feminine or dressy masculine.
• Wittnauer, this is a classic basic business brand, that’s very sturdy.
• Swiss Army features hardy utilitarian designs for outdoor and water sports.
• Vicence is Italian, artsy, edgy and very tastefully designed.
• Fendi—More Italian designs, some for the funky in you.

Oh… You probably need a second hand on any watch you wear.  What’s in few seconds?  Time is life. Life is serious. Losing time is expensive. Watches are highly recommended.

Pat Thomas for Jewelrystash until next time…

ETHIOPIAN CROSSES - SMALL JEWELRY COLLECTIBLES

Museums and individuals worldwide collect large Ethiopian handheld Coptic crosses and bold cross necklace pendants.  They feature incredibly beautiful silver and bronze metalwork with compelling designs.

I have been especially intrigued by the small 1 inch or so collectible pendants. This faith jewelry is often ancient-looking and artisan crafted with a rustic edge.

 From left to right:  Stone, Metal and Wood African Faith Jewelry

ETHIOPIAN COPTIC CROSSES - SMALL

These petite crosses are harder to find. But you can find them with diligent searching at arts and crafts fairs, import stores or on internet shopping websites.

Regrettably, my all-time favorite, a half inch long leatherwork Ethiopian cross was stolen from my car.  I had stupidly used it to adorn the rearview mirror.  I hope that jewelry thief got a blessing.

Pat Thomas for Jewelrystash until next time...

DO YOU KNOW YOUR JEWELRY’S MISSING?

I found out that my faceted carved tiger’s eye bead necklace was missing when a person walked into my home wearing my necklace.  

 “Hey” I said, “Isn’t that my necklace?” I squinted for a close examination.

 “No”, she replied sweetly, “My…gave me this… blah, blah, blah!”

Yeah, he in fact did give it to her: After he stole it from my bedroom.

THE JEWEL THIEF YOU KNOW

The necklace was inexpensive. I just liked the unusually and dramatically faceted beads. But now I know who I’m dealing with and who is really coming into my home.

When it comes to jewelry thefts, you may have more to worry about from a crooked individual you invite into your home for business or entertaining purposes than a burglar.

Recent JEWELRY THEFTS IN THE news

• The cable guy stole all of the fine jewelry from an armoire in a Chesterfield, Michigan (Detroit) home.
• A Hilton Head, SC real estate agent is accused of stealing jewelry from numerous homes.
• Paula Deen’s trusted housekeeper stole over $100,000 of Deen’s jewelry in small increments.

RULES TO AVOID JEWELRY  LOSSES

• Keep an wary eye on individuals who always innocently borrow books, cosmetics, tools, etc without asking because they "know" you aren't using the items.  They graduate to fine jewelry!
• Don’t keep lots of earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets on display in your bedroom for your convenience. It’s just too convenient for a visitor to pick-up an item without you missing it.
• Jewelry armoires really grab a thief’s attention.
• Check yourself and stop taking off earrings in rooms where visitors would commonly have access to, like the kitchen, dining room, bathroom and family room.
• Don’t allow guests or workers unaccompanied access throughout your home.
• A home safe or strong box is a sensible investment for expensive gold jewelry or cherished fashion baubles you wear all of the time.
• A bank safety deposit box is a must for diamonds or sentimental jewelry you just don't wear anymore.
• Get a jewelry rider on your homeowners’ insurance policy.
• Keep the jewelry rider updated!

Pat Thomas for Jewelrystash until next time…

US GYMNAST GABBY DOUGLAS WINS GOLD MEDAL

Congratulations to US Gymnast Gabby Douglas for bringing home a Gold Medal for her 2012 Olympics performance. Her style clearly stood out and above the rest.  The front page of the New York Times this morning has an incredible photo of Gabby’s “air time” on the balance beam.  

Watching Gabby’s awesome performance on TV with my family was an especially great time together.  We are all proud of Gabby! 

Congratulations to  All of gabby's Families:

• In Hometown Virginia Beach, Virginia,
• Host family in Iowa while training,
• Extended family “Team Gabby” in the Steel City-Gary, Indiana.
• Let’s all give Gabby’s grandfather a very special thank you for raising money through AM VETS to send Gabby’s contingent to London. 
• Sadly there was no ‘Old Family’ money for Gabby so her granddad sprung into action.

A loving  and committed family is part of the secret formula for success!

Said like a true champion

‘Praise goes up to God, and the Blessings fall on me.’

‘If you can get past the hard days, you can get past anything.’

HAIR STORY

Too bad, Gabby has been getting some bad bytes on certain internet hair forums about her simple “work” hairstyle.  Duh...Gabby has to use her eyes to intensely watch apparatus as she performs:  She can’t have her hair flopping in her face.

Here were Gabby’s Choices

• 4 hours training in the gym and get a gold medal?

Or

• 4 hours at the hair salon and get fat, diabetic with high blood pressure?

Hmmm….

Congrats Gabby for being a champion and showing us how positive good things come to us when we make the right choices! Gabby, you look good wearing gold!

Pat Thomas for Jewelrystash until next time…

ALY RAISMAN WINS GOLD IN FLAG COLORED STUDS

Congratulations to the entire US Gymnastics team for bringing home Gold Medals with their precise, powerful gymnastics routines at the 2012 Olympics in London, England. Captain Aly Raisman led the team to the top spot on the podium wearing demure fine jewelry.

ALY’S FLAG COLORED STUDS

Aly’s colorful stud earrings made a softly powerful statement that was an intensely visible and compelling image on television:  Just like the entire teams’ winning performances. The red, white and blue studs feature a design with diamonds, rubies and sapphires made by Aly’s own family’s jewelers Adamas Fine Jewelry from Newton, Ma (Boston).

ACCORDING TO ADAMAS, THE EARRINGS FEATURE

• 0.35 carat of white diamonds, total 0.7 for both studs, surrounded by
• 0.7 carats of red rubies and blue sapphires, total 1.5 carats for both studs

For a close-up pic of Aly’s stud earrings, see Pinterest-Pat Thomas-Hot Jewelry Trends.

Pat Thomas for Jewerlystash until next time…