Gemstone Imposters - The Name is the Key

Go surfing online for genuine gemstone jewelry, whether it be antique, vintage or contemporary, and you will more than likely come across a jewelry title with very descriptive words added to the gemstone which is, sadly, often an impostor.

Picture this - your best friend has just told you that she got a real steal on an American Ruby. Do you have the courage (or the knowledge) to tell her that she may have just purchased a garnet instead?

Diamonds are notorious for being described with additional words in the title, when they are actually various forms of quartz. Here are a few which are all quartz in some form:

• German diamond
  
• Herkimer diamond
  
• Bohemian Diamond

And it is not just diamonds that are the culprits. Colorful gemstones being sold with descriptive words in their title are also very misleading to consumers too. Sometimes the added word will make a simple piece of glass sound more like the real deal and other times, it will be used to signify one precious or semi precious stone, when a lesser value one is actually being sold.

Here are some common gemstone impostors. There are dozens more if you do your homework:

• Oriental Emerald (green sapphire)
• Australian Jade (treated quartz)
• Roman pearls (glass beads)
• Ceylon Opal (moonstone)
• German Lapis (dyed Jasper)

All of the above may be the item that is just what you have been searching for, albeit not the real deal, and in that case, go ahead and purchase it. But do your homework first to help you understand what you are really buying, lest you purchase a Spanish emerald, only to discover later that it is a piece of colored glass.

A quick search on Google of the name of the advertised gemstone with its descriptive add on will usually tell you what you may really be buying. And use common sense. If it is a deal too good to be true, it may very well be a fake. Synthetic stones are usually moderately priced simply because they are not as rare as real gemstones.

Love Tokens - Lockets - Timeless Treasures in a small Design

As many women have discovered, a locket is a wonderful place to keep a tiny memento of a loved one all wrapped up in a pretty jewelry design.

There are so many styles and shapes now. Gone are the days of only wearing a heart shape around your neck with a picture of your child. Let your imagination go wild. Today's styles are all shapes and sizes, sometimes even shaped like animals or hand painted with pretty floral motifs. I even have one that opens up to the shape of a shamrock for good luck!

If a memento isn't what you would like to place in your locket, then a perfume locket may be just the thing for you. These pretty designs hold a solid perfume block so that you can add scent on the go. I have one in my Ruby Lane shop in a ring design instead of a necklace.

Here are a few designs from my Ruby Plaza Shop - Jewelry Lane. I am partial to flowers, so I love the hand painted ones. Which are your favorites?

Body Chains - Not just for Belly Dancers!

If you are a typical woman, you probably have a variety of chain necklaces in your jewelry wardrobe. Most of us might several different styles. They seem to add just the touch of pizazz to any neckline. Add a pendant to the look and you have a lovely accent to your outfit.

A hot new trend this season seems to be taking chain necklaces and pendants to a whole new level with the introduction of a piece of jewelry called a body chain. They have recently been spotted on a host of Hollywood starlets and this has given the jewelry makers the impetus to add them to their contemporary jewelry lines.

What is a body chain? It's is a combination of chains which combine the look of a pendant necklace with what might simply be described as a light version of chain mail! When I first started seeing them, the look reminded me a bit of the sorts of styles women used to wear when they were belly dancing. But you don't need to be in a harem to enjoy this popular new look.

The pendant part of the necklace is usually joined with vertical rows of chains and then the chains are joined at the hip or waist area with a long single chain. The whole thing drapes over a shirt, blouse or slim fitting top. With the summer season here, another popular look for them is to wear the chain over the top of a bikini for a sexy, hot look.

What do you think of the look? Yay or nay? The look is so sexy and alluring, I am guessing the guys will definitely vote yay!

The style shown here is one that I have recently added to my Jewelry Lane shop at Ruby Plaza. Priced at just $22, it's can be affordable new addition to your trendy jewelry wardrobe.

Hot New Fashion Trend - Earlaces - Rihanna Style

One of the hottest new trends in jewelry is a combination of earrings and necklaces called an earlace. The style has become very popular after R& B star Rihanna was seen wearing a pair recently. I can't keep them in my stores.

What is an earlace? Simply put it is a pair of earrings which is normally joined by a series of chains. Ever since the style became popular all sorts of embellishments have been added to the chains - rhinestones, glass beads, and most recently feathers, another fashion trend this season. I also have some with peace logo motifs and flowers in filigree settings which join the chains to the earrings.

Who knows whether this fashion trend will last, but right now, they are selling well, and I keep relisting them.

What do you think? Is an earlace the style for you?

Here are a few examples of some of the styles that I have just added. For more designs, head on over to Jewelry Lane at Ruby Plaza or my ebay Store Carolina Collections Jewelry.

Angelina Jolie to Launch a New Jewelry Line

Those of you who love to keep up with the latest in contemporary jewelry fashions may be interested to know that Angelina Jolie has launched a new line of jewelry called Style of Jolie.

Ms Jolie has been involved in the design process since she wanted to create some beautiful art around jewels with the mission of helping children.

YouTube has an interesting video of the collection that you can find here: