Jewelry Fashion Trends

Precious gemstones like diamonds are not just used for jewelry today. The newest trend among the Hollywood stars and celebrities is a diamond massage. Depending on a spa either loose diamond or diamond powder are used to massage your body. The diamonds are placed along your spine as a massage therapist gently massages your back. To pamper your skin choose diamond powder treatment. The sparkling powder will be left for a few minutes to react with your skin and then removed by means of a magnet. This luxurious treatment is supposed to have anti-aging and detoxifying effects.

A private funeral service has been held for actress Natasha Richardson who died after a skiing accident. Husband Liam Neeson was among the pallbearers who carried her coffin into a small church in upstate New York. The actor arrived with their sons Micheal, 13, and Daniel, 12, and Richardson's mother Vanessa Redgrave and sister Joely Richardson. After a private wake on Friday her coffin was driven to the Hudson Valley farmhouse she shared with her family.

Graveside ceremony

It was emblazoned with an Irish claddagh symbol, signifying love, friendship and loyalty. From the acting profession, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Laura Linney, Uma Thurman and Timothy Dalton were among the mourners at the service, which was held at St Peter's Episcopal Church in Millbrook, 90 miles north of New York city. After a graveside ceremony, Richardson was buried in a cemetery close to her maternal grandmother, Rachel Kempson, who died while visiting her granddaughter and Neeson in 2003.

Instead of flowers, Richardson's family asked for donations to be made to the amfAR foundation for Aids research. The 45-year-old English-born actress, whose father Tony Richardson died of complications from the disease in 1991, was a long-time supporter of the charity and served on its board of trustees for the last three years of her life.

On Thursday the New York medical examiner's office said Richardson died of epidural haematoma caused by a blunt impact to the head. Richardson died in a New York hospital last Wednesday after being injured in a fall during a skiing lesson at the resort of Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada. Doctors said she might have survived had she received immediate treatment.

Theatres in London's West End and on Broadway dimmed their lights in tribute to the respected stage actress on Thursday and Friday night.

The Gemological Institute of America Museum is a temporary home of magnificent 472-carat emerald crystal from the Muzo region mines in Colombia. The “El Itoco” crystal belongs to a private owner and is one of the largest gem-quality crystals in the world.

Teri Ottaway, the GIA Museum curator says “To have the El Itoco in our museum for our students and the public to view is an extraordinary honor. Pieces of this size and quality are the stuff of legends. It generates what Colombian miners call 'green fever' in the imagination”.

The emerald will be on display until Fall 2009 and the viewings are free and available to the public through scheduled tours

Last week Mahatma Gandhi's pocket watch and personal belongings including sandals, glasses, bowl, and thali were auctioned for $2.096 million. The new owner plans to bring the collection back to India and put it on permanent public display.

The Gandhi’s watch was not the only interesting and valuable item sold by Antiquorum Auctioneers. A watch belonging to both U.S. president John F. Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis - Jacqueline Kennedy's second husband – was sold for $120,000. It is known as "Kennedy Onassis" watch, and is considered to be the only known item connecting Jackie O and her two famous husbands.

Lanvin – an international fashion brand founded at the beginning of last century in Paris has presented their 1940's influenced jewelry collection. The collection fits this year’s jewelry trends with oversized statement necklaces, chunky metal designs, gigantic gemstones and big black and white faux pearls. The symmetrical designs give the jewelry quite futuristic and modern look.

Barbara Westwood is a well known jewelry designer and a member of prestigious American Jewelry Design Council. Together with her husband Sky Hall (a professional jewelry photographer) they are the special guests of a 2009 Amberif – an International Fair of Amber Jewelry (Poland). This is the biggest and most prestigious amber jewelry fair in the world. During her interview Barbara spoke about her work, life and passion for jewelry.

- Q: Barbara, your jewelry is known for the exquisite quality, precious materials that you use and uncommon cuts and compositions. You are a recognized American artist. What would you like to say about your artistic attitude towards jewelry and design so that the people in Poland could get to know you better? What is your main inspiration?

- Barbara Westwood: Jewelry is mysterious. I wonder what is beauty, how do you define it? I think you just cannot describe it, it is very emotional, it is like love - you cannot see or touch it, although you can sometimes feel it. Love is the most important driving force in my life also in my work. It does not only mean the romantic love - it is the love for art, love for music. Nobody buys the jewelry for someone they hate - designing jewelry for someone is building a relationship between me and the person that wears it. Jewelry is the form of this relationship, it is beyond words.

- Q: You use some precious and uncommon stones to express it.

- BW: In my works, I use quartz, colored gems like aquamarine, opals, rocks and.amber. I especially love diamonds. I also like the red color of garnet. I love the fact that the molecules, I think, despite being so solid, they quiver inside I love that idea. You can see it especially in my "Glacier" and "Phantom Crystals" collections. When I choose a stone, I don't expect to hear, "O yeah, this is pink" or "This is 3 or 4 carats". The jewelry is not about that. I just want to catch you before you think, when you just express your feelings by saying: "Oh, it’s beautiful!" -

- Q: But on the other hand, your pieces seem to be constructed almost in mathematical proportions. They have the perfect composition and precision of craftsmanship.

- BW: I love details! The application is detailed, but the idea is transcendent.

- Sky Hall: Barbara makes every piece of jewelry for her. There is no contamination, no thoughts like "Can I sell it or not". The relationship begins when somebody unrelated comes, sees the piece and says, "Oh, it’s me!" It is a truly metaphysical connection between the artist and receiver Barbara made the piece for her, but the customer finds it’s meant for him/her.

- Q: How will you describe a woman that buys your jewelry?

- BW: She is not necessarily rich, but it’s a person who is well defined inside.

- Q: Just like you - but as far as I know, the beginnings of your career as a woman-designer were not that easy. 30 years ago it was a field mostly reserved for men.

- BW: Yes, it’s true. Some of the associations in those times even did not accept women as its members. Then, I was a founding member of what I believe is one of the most influential organizations in the industry, the Women's Jewelry Association. I was its vice president for eight years. I also belonged to the board of the California Jeweler's Association.

- Q: You were also awarded with some important awards.

- BW: One of the biggest achievements was in 1988, the 'Best Continuity of Line' Award by New Designer Showcase of America. It is important because it emphasizes the consequence in my work. Another one was in 1993 'Women of the Year in Design', by the National Women's Jewelry Association and Blenheim Award, New York Excellence in Design in 1995.

-Q: But you didn't learn to design all by yourself. You are a graduate of the prestigious University of California in Long Beach. How important is art education in your career?

- BW: Oh, art education was everything. It opened up my mind, taught me to see in a way that I can translate thought to form. I think that art is a manifest of thought in a certain form, and this is what school has taught me. And I met my husband during the studies! And then, after I finished school, a very important step was to become artistically independent. It wasn’t until I stopped searching for other people's approval when I became successful. It's like with the dates when you don't need one, you get twenty, when you search for one - nothing happens.

- Q: How does the relationship and cooperation between a jewelry designer and a professional jewelry photographer look like?

- BW: Although we share similar work, we are like two different planets.

- SH: And guess which one revolves around the other (laugh)?

- BW: It is very developing for both of us, especially when we disagree we can discuss the projects we are working on. Sky, as a photographer can see things in a different way.

- SH: My work as a photographer helps people understand jewelry; thanks to my work I promote the art of design.

- Q: How is your workshop organized?

- BW: We have a beautiful studio in our house in the mountains in Colorado where I do the waxes and develop my designs. The manufacturing is in Beverly Hills - I cooperate there with a very good shop, which manufactures among the others for Van Cleef, Cartier, Bulgari. They have wonderful craftsmen working for them a lot of them come from either Europe or Argentina. This is typical for this area, these people are very well trained technically. I have a couple of famous cutters that prepare stones for me, like Steve Walters from Utah, Tom and Bernd Munsteiner from Idar-Oberstein and Paul Christensen who works with the Australian opal.

- Q: What will you present at the Amberif?

- BW: I got some nice amber stones from the International Amber Association. My friends are helping me to work on them, because it is a very specific material. And the rest is surprise. Sky will be presenting an exhibition of his photographic works at the fair, too.

- Q: And what are your expectations about Poland?

- BW: We hope to meet friendly, interesting people, discover new places; we are planning a small tour around Poland. It will be a new inspiration for the further work.

- Q: Do you have any tip that you would like to share with the young designers?

- BW: "I can have what I want if I know what it is".

Source: Malgorzata Gliwinska

During this difficult economic time many of us could use a few simple methods to lift up the mood. These tips come form Dr Stuart Shipko, a psychiatrist and author of “Surviving Panic Disorder” book.

- Pleasant fragrance will boost your spirits. A study in the journal Physiology & Behavior found that when a dentist’s waiting room smelled like orange or lavender, patients were less anxious and in a better mood. So, surround yourself with fragrances your like and you will feel better immediately.

- Exercise. Exercise releases mood-boosting dopamine and serotonin. In a study of over 12,000 people, those who ran regularly were 70% less likely to be highly stressed and dissatisfied with life.

- Have goals. People who set goals are actually less stressed, feel better about themselves, and find more meaning in their lives.

- Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is not a solution to any problems. It prevents the production of neurons in the area of the brain that regulates mood.

Anyone interested in Madonna’s diamond tiara has now a chance to buy the jewelry piece designed by Gianni Versace. The precious piece will be auctioned online on Bidz.com on March 23rd. The value of tiara is estimated to be $3 million and the opening bid is set for $699,000. The tiara was designed by Gianni Versace and is a part of his famous Atelier Collection. The jewelry masterpiece features 1,200 diamonds set in gold and won the famous De Beers Diamonds International Award in 1996. It was worn by many celebrities including Amber Valletta, Donatella Versace and of course Madonna.

The jewelry auction will benefit the Aid for AIDS charity a non-profit service provider for Los Angeles County whose mission is to provide direct financial assistance and critical support for the necessities of life to those impoverished and disabled by HIV/AIDS.