Jewelry Fashion Trends

Kendra Wilkinson best known for being Hugh Hefner’s ex-girlfriend tied the knot with Hank Baskett at the Playboy Mansion over the weekend. Although Hugh Hefner did not walk Kendra down the aisle he seemed to be very happy for his former love.

"I could not be more delighted," Hefner told E! "This is one of the happiest days in one of the happiest places on earth."

Kendra looked beautiful in her bridal gown which she designed herself with a local Los Angeles seamstress. To finish her look she chose classic diamond jewelry worth over $100,000. The gems came from jeweler, Michael Barin, and included 4.25-carat platinum and diamond drop earrings worth $47,000 and a 2.5-carat platinum and diamond pendant worth $33,700.

The new husband and wife left LA on Sunday to spend their honeymoon on St Lucia.

Congratulations Kendra and Hank !

In 2008, Senator Edward Kennedy examined the effect of economic troubles on women, their families, their jobs, and everything else that’s at stake during this difficult downturn. He and his committee wanted to shed light on gender and discrimination; topics which Senator Kennedy says have been unfairly ignored, while bailouts and indictments have stolen the show.

According to his analysis, one of the most noticeable differences between men and women during these hard times is fear. More women than men are said to be very worried about the economy, especially since women, on average, are paid only 77 cents per their male counterpart’s dollar.

And, this worry is understandable, considering how much harder women have to work just to survive in an economy where the standards have been set by men for generations. Though women are compensated only about 80% as much as men, they can’t just ask for a 20% discount on everything. (But wouldn’t that be nice?)

Mothers feel the hurt even deeper, as they worry for not just themselves, but the well-being of their children during the worst crisis of its kind in years. With many women still managing the “second shift”, the stress and press for resources doesn’t stop at the workplace.

The New York Times’ brighter side of the story is that when it comes to job loss, women have less to worry about. The fastest falling jobs are those in construction, other manual labor jobs, and manufacturing. Since these are dominated by men—whereas women tend to tackle caregiving, children’s education, and other domestic realms—females may experience more job security (if only slightly more) as the recession rolls on.

Next month, Jessica Simpson plans to begin filming her newest reality TV venture—and no, she’s not back with Nick Lachey. Actually, Simpson plans for her filmed tour around the globe to culminate in a VH1 documentary series, “The Price of Beauty.”

On her quest to identify and appreciate beauty, Simpson intends for her series to feature women from all over the world, and discover what other cultures find attractive. According to VH1.com, one of the singer-celebrity’s aims is to shed light on the pressure women feel to meet standards about their looks, behavior, and even diet. The yet-unproduced reality series can only promise that Simpson will go so far as to participate in some of the strangest primping rituals.

Not to delight Jessica critics, but her “Price of Beauty” proposal leaves room for feminists to speculate about her intentions. She’s quoted as saying that the “idea [was] for a show about true beauty”, but then also expresses her wish to observe the “crazy things” that people do in the name of vanity. This begs the question: will Jessica Simpson simply scrutinize the habits of strangers, or follow through with a credible report—preferably one that is relevant to VH1’s historically young audience.

This announcement comes not long after the pop star’s recent bout of media exposure concerning her weight. It may be this embarrassing episode that makes her the ideal candidate to redefine “beautiful” in 2010.

If you've considered going green, don't go without your wardrobe. Here's what designers and manufacturers have to say about the difference between one earth-wise fabric and another.

Choosing clothing that boasts “sustainability” doesn't necessarily mean that you've gone organic. In fact, in most cases, the word sustainable, when referring to textiles, takes on a very specific meaning. So what's the difference?

While organic materials are ones which are grown and produced without synthetic add-ins or chemical treatments, sustainable textile production insures that clothes are produced without any further harmful effects on our planet. Often, the qualities that make your dress or t-shirt certifiably sustainable, don't have to do with the actual fabric at all. Instead, it could mean that efforts were made to insure that excess packaging or hazardous waste were reduced during the process of production. Or, it could mean that the workers assembling your product were compensated fairly.

But many times, yes, a sustainable label can indicate that the piece of clothing itself is unique in more than just theory: one of the main objectives in designing a sustainable wardrobe is that the items are usually made of recycled materials. This way, not only does a buyer's new purchase keep old ones out of landfills, but if funding and enthusiasm continue to fuel environmentally-conscious production centers, the cost of these materials will be much less than brand new ones.

Now, what does this mean for the earth-aware, fashion-forward lady? It's your choice: you can eliminate unnecessary chemical hazards from your clothes by buying organic—and be assured that from the get-go, nothing funky has been added to your little black dress—or you can protect the future of the planet by choosing labels that promise smart and efficient production policies. Both are making our world greener, and each option will only become more popular (and affordable) as more consumers support the effort.

Barbie doll has a new face – a face of supermodel Heidi Klum. According to E! Online, the German supermodel’s mini-me will be part of the Blonde Ambition collection, which already includes Goldie Hawn, Marilyn Monroe, and will be in stores later this year. Barbie Klum has blonde wavy hair, super long legs and wears sequined minidress with miniature gold Dior heels.

Associated Press reported earlier this week that the thieves involved in Harry Winston jewelry heist have been arrested. The robbery took place last December in Paris and robbers escaped with over $100 million worth of jewelry.

AP Quote:

“Paris--French police have arrested 25 suspects in connection with the multimillion-dollar robbery late last year of the Harry Winston store off the Champs-Elysees in Paris. The robbery made headlines worldwide in December when the alleged thieves--some dressed as women and wearing wigs--burst into the store armed and grabbed about $118 million in jewelry, making it one of the largest jewelry thefts in France's history.

The incident occurred just a few weeks before Christmas and wasn't the first time this particular Harry Winston store, which is located on the fashionable Avenue Montaigne, has been the target of thieves.

The suspects arrested on Monday range in age from 22 to 67 and include some women. The arrests occurred after months of surveillance in and around Paris by French police and investigators. They opted to move in and make their arrests on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, after learning that foreigners were on their way to collect some of the booty. Police were able to recover some of the stolen rings, necklaces and watches, as well as shoulder weapons and about $345,000 in cash.

Members of the Pink Panther gang that operates out of the Balkans originally were suspects in the case but appear to have been ruled out".

Christie Brinkley, the 80’s top supermodel, best known for her appearances on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, long-running contract with Covergirl and being the ex-wife of Billy Joel is now launching a jewelry line called CeleBrate.

Brinkley has partnered with multi-channel retailer Ross-Simons and according to a press release, her line was designed to "celebrate" creativity, joy, and optimism. The jewelry line includes nearly 100 pieces featuring everything from feminine floral motifs, to bold, southwestern-style turquoise, to elegant gold peace signs shining with diamonds. "I'm excited to bring my ideas and personality to the line," Brinkley stated. The collection, she says, "is appealing to the everyday woman - affordable and stylish."

Darrell Ross, president and CEO of Ross-Simons, is thrilled to be the exclusive retailer for The Christie Brinkley Jewelry Collection - and believes that the timing is opportune. "We're delighted to be Christie's exclusive partner for her jewelry line - and we believe that it will exceed all expectations," he said.

A Japanese Company Ginza Tanaka, known for its unique gold creations (e.g. a golden Santa Claus worth over $2 million dollars) has recently made a golden beer mug, which is available for sale for “only” $50,000.
The mug is made of 859 grams of gold and according to the makers it enhances the drinker’s experience. A Ginza Tanaka staff member did a taste test and said: “It’s tasty drinking beer from a normal glass of course, but it was a new experience to drink from a golden mug and it was really quite tasty.”