Celebrity Jewel: CMA's 2011 - Celebrating Country Jewels

Tonight Country Music Stars took to the Red Carpet for the Country Music Awards!


TRENDS:  Silver White on Lee Ann Rimes and Taylor Swift with pure white on The Band Perry's award winning lead singer Kimberly Perry, along with the Gold of Carrie Underwood stood out among lots of black gowns and few bright misses.

If misses are what you are looking for - and believe me there were some BIG MISSES!
http://tasteofcountry.com/2011-cma-awards-worst-dressed-pictures/

...and what kind of show would it be without tweets...for some of the best tweets from the CMA's
http://tasteofcountry.com/2011-cma-awards-tweets/

Presenter Carrie Underwood arrived in a gold sequin ombre cap sleeve gown byReem Acra with Jimmy Choo shoes and Jewelry from her favorite jeweler Johnathan Arndt (the jeweler that designed her engagement ring).

This should have been a warning of what was to come - 10 costume changes in all!


I obviously don't want this to become a post all about Carrie Underwood (and personally I thought her Red Carpet look was her best)...so for a classic which look did you like best check the following link: 
http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2011/11/cma-awards-2011-host-carrie-underwood-which-look-do-you-like-best.html

...and you couldn't miss the GORGEOUS Lorraine Schwartz jewels on Taylor Swift!
Original post: http://justjared.buzznet.com/2011/11/09/taylor-swift-cma-awards-2011/




When she won the coveted "Entertainer of the Year" her exuberance was undeniable.

LeAnn is wearing a Badgley Mischka dress with Shylee Rose jewelry, YSL shoes, and aChanel bag.

From JustJared at: http://justjared.buzznet.com/2011/11/09/leann-rimes-cma-awards-2011/

What I would love is for some one to tell me who did Martina McBride's jewelry for the CMA's?   ....check out this ring!!!!

Rio Tinto Diamonds Announces Winners of Global Design Competition

Rio Tinto Diamonds today announced the winners of its Global Design Competition, awarded by an elite panel of eight judges from the fashion and jewelry industries.

The judging panel, at an event at the Kristin Hanson Gallery, selected nine winners from a record number of entries from the US, Canada, Australia, India, China and Hong Kong, across four categories of jewelry design: Champagne, Silvermist, Canadian Diamonds and Sustainable Jewelry.

According to jewelry judge and style editor Mr Michael O’Connor, “I was extremely impressed with how each of the designers interpreted the challenge and came up with unique and beautiful jewelry pieces that highlight the use of Rio Tinto’s diverse diamonds portfolio.”

The judging panel also referred to the incredible variety of designs, from classic pieces through to contemporary interpretations, often with nature and the elements as the source of inspiration.


Rebecca Foerster, Manager of Rio Tinto Diamonds' US Representative Office, commented on the results, "We were delighted with the level of interest in the competition from all over the world and we look forward to working with the winning designers to showcase their creativity".

As a result of their efforts, the nine winning designers will have many opportunities for significant exposure to the US jewelry industry, including their designs being showcased at a suite at the 2012 Academy Awards.

The winning designs are as follows:

Champagne Diamonds Master Craftsman- Nejal Rajesh Mehta, India, 

“The World of Champagne” earrings feature pave set champagne diamonds in a captivating gradient of color.

Champagne Diamonds Rising Star- Stacey Lindsell, Australia, 

Sturt’s Desert Rose” bracelet featuring champagne diamonds tapering in color and pave set in petals to enhance the form and reflect the rich and natural colors of the earth. It is set in 18K white gold with white diamonds to accent the flowers.

Silvermist Diamonds™ Master Craftsman- Joseph Weinreich, US  
The “Nature’s Beauty” flower cuff is encrusted in Silvermist Diamonds™, symbolizing this gift from Mother Nature and featuring a pearl in its centre.

Silvermist Diamonds™ Master Craftsman- Dean Walker, Australia 

The “Silvermist Express” bangle was inspired by a desire to create something that will inspire hope. This
18K white gold bangle appears to float around the wrist of the wearer. The “train”, adorned with striking Silvermist diamonds, moves on its track also made with Silvermist diamonds.

Silvermist Diamonds™ Rising Star- Vijayshree Sovani, India 

This Silvermist Diamond™ bracelet is inspired by the ripples in desert sand as well as the winds of time. It is set in white gold with black rhodium accents.

Canadian Diamonds Master Craftsman- Reena Ahluwalia, Canada 

The “Canoe” Canadian Diamond necklace is inspired by the poetic image of a magical Canadian landscape- a canoe in an icy, crystalline frozen lake. The Canoe is known as a carrier of Canadian myths, a symbol that represents voyage, discovery, harmony with nature, and courage.

Canadian Diamonds Rising Star- Michelle Buxani, Temptations, Hong Kong 
“Rain Dance” earrings featuring Canadian Diamonds are set in white gold with yellow gold accents. This design was inspired by the sun shining through the clouds after rain, with rays of light hitting the water.

Sustainable Jewelry Master Craftsman- Nadia Neuman, Australia 
The “Tyger, Tyger” fan melds together functionality and luxury all from a sustainable perspective.  In addition to using 100% sustainable materials in the design, the Tiger motif represents nature as an endangered creature and reminds its user of the need to care for the earth.

Sustainable Jewelry Rising Star- V. Saravanan, India 

“The Creator” necklace is a true homage to nature. Utilizing recycled materials such as plastic toothpaste tubes and mixing in the natural beauty of Silvermist Diamonds™, this design uses a mesh design to remind people to protect the earth and nature and find ways to recycle plastic materials.  

About Rio Tinto Diamonds  
Rio Tinto is one of the world’s major diamond producers through its 100 per cent control of the Argyle mine in Australia, 60 per cent of the Diavik mine in Canada, a 78 per cent interest in the Murowa mine in Zimbabwe. These three mines allow Rio Tinto to produce diamonds for all market segments.  Rio Tinto also has an advanced diamond project in India.

Gain National Exposure with Palladium Alliance International

Are you using Palladium in your work?  Palladium Alliance International invites you to join their website for all of the what, whys and hows of Palladium, marketing and promo campaign info, and more...

http://www.luxurypalladium.com/

Antoinette Matlins at NY Fashion Conference

Color, Quality, Character

Jewels of the Red Family

This is an opportunity to gain new insights into recent developments in the jewelry arena ... and to meet one of the most respected gemologists in the industry, along with other leading experts. Be sure to introduce yourself to Antoinette—she genuinely enjoys meeting people who share her passion for this field! 

Discounted early registration (by November 7, 2011)	$250
After November 7, 2011	$350

For more information about the conference or how to register,
please visit the
Initiatives in Art and Culture’s website.

Antoinette Matlins, P.G., is an internationally respected gem and jewelry expert, author, and lecturer. Honored with the international Accredited Gemologists Association’s highest award for excellence in gemology, Ms. Matlins is the author of many books that are widely used throughout the world by consumers and professionals in the gem and jewelry field. Her books include:

Jewelry & Gems—The Buying Guide, 7th Edition: How to Buy Diamonds, Pearls, Colored Gemstones, Gold & Jewelry with Confidence and Knowledge (over 400,000 copies in print—the only book of its kind ever recommended by Consumer Reports)

Gem Identification Made Easy, 4th Edition: A Hands-On Guide to More Confident Buying & Selling

The Pearl Book, 4th Edition: The Definitive Buying Guide—How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Pearls

Colored Gemstones, 3rd Edition: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide—How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Sapphires, Emeralds, Rubies and Other Colored Gems with Confidence and Knowledge

Diamonds, 3rd Edition: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide—How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Diamonds with Confidence and Knowledge

Engagement & Wedding Rings, 3rd Edition: The Definitive Buying Guide for People in Love

Jewelry & Gems at Auction: The Definitive Guide to Buying & Selling at the Auction House & on Internet Auction Sites

Former gemology editor of National Jeweler magazine, Ms. Matlins’ articles and comments on buying and selling gems and jewelry and on gem investment have appeared in many national and international consumer and trade publications. She is also the author of the “Gemstones” chapter in the Encyclopedia of Investments, 2nd Edition.

Ms. Matlins has gained wide recognition as a dedicated consumer advocate. She has spearheaded the Accredited Gemologists Association’s nationwide campaign against gemstone investment telemarketing scams. A popular media guest, she has been seen on ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN, educating consumers about gems and jewelry and exposing fraud.

In addition to her educational work, Ms. Matlins is retained by clients worldwide to seek fine, rare, or unusual gems and jewels for acquisition.

Editors' Choice Award Winners Announced for 2012 AGTA Spectrum Awards™

Editors' Choice Award Winners Announced 

for 2012 AGTA Spectrum Awards™

The winners in the Editors’ Choice category of the 2012 AGTA Spectrum Awards™ competition have been announced by the American Gem Trade Association.


It's A Tie!!!  Manya Tessler of Manya & Roumen and Todd Reed of Todd Reed, Inc. emerged with the same number of votes after the ballots had been cast by over 70 editors and stylists who attended the AGTA Spectrum Awards™ Media Day.  

Manya Tessler’s piece was an 18K yellow gold ring featuring a carved black Jade fish accented with fire Opals.  Todd Reed’s piece was a Palladium and 22K yellow gold locket featuring blue Moonstones, grey Diamonds, blue Sapphires and white Diamonds opening to reveal a 76.03 ct. Moldavite Buddha.  Todd Reed’s piece also won Best of Show and is shown below.



The annual AGTA Spectrum Awards™ Media Day was held October 24 and featured all of the jewelry and gemstone entries.   Attendees included top fashion/accessory editors from the trade and consumer press, stylists and bloggers.  Publications represented included Vogue, Elle, InStyle, Robb Report, Brides, Lookbook, Accessories,  and many more.

This year's AGTA Spectrum Awards™ will be presented during the 2012 AGTA GemFair™ Tucson to be held January 31 – February 5 at the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona. Winning entries will be displayed during the show and AGTA Spectrum Awards™ recipients will be recognized during the AGTA Dinner Dance and Awards Gala. The event starts at 7:00 pm Saturday, February 4. Tickets for the gala are $100 and cocktail attire is encouraged.



For further information on the 2012 AGTA GemFair™ Tucson or the AGTA Dinner Dance and Awards Gala, please call (800) 972-1162 or visit our website at www.agta.org.

The American Gem Trade Association is a not-for-profit Association serving the natural colored gemstone and cultured pearl industry since 1981. The AGTA serves the industry as "The Authority In Color" and has its headquarter office in Dallas, Texas.


AGTA - http:/www.agta.org/
AGTA GemFair - http://www.agta.org/tradeshows/gemfair-tucson.html

MJSA Welcomes ASTM Children's Jewelry Safety Standard

MJSA Welcomes ASTM - Children's Jewelry Safety Standard

New standard addresses cadmium limits in both fine and fashion jewelry

ASTM International, one of the largest standards setting organizations in the world, has voted to officially approve and issue a national Children's Jewelry Safety Standard. The standard includes strict limits on cadmium content in both fine and fashion jewelry intended primarily for use by children 12 and under. The standard calls for makers and suppliers to screen metal or plastic components of jewelry for the total weight of cadmium they contain. If the weight exceeds the trace amount of 300 parts per million (ppm), the standard calls for additional testing to measure how much cadmium can migrate out of a component.

 

[See background below, defining differences between total weight & migration testing.]

The additional migration testing was recommended by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which participated in the ASTM F 15.24 Subcommittee on Children's Jewelry that developed the standard. Fashion Jewelry & Accessories Trade Association (FJATA) Executive Director Brent Cleaveland chaired the subcommittee, and MJSA, the U.S. trade association for jewelry makers and designers, also participated, along with other experts from the jewelry industry, testing labs, and consumers' rights groups.

"MJSA welcomes ASTM's approval of the Children's Jewelry Safety Standard," says MJSA President and CEO David W. Cochran. "The cadmium screening test protects children's safety, first and foremost, but it also addresses many other safety issues."

The staff of CPSC, in a recent briefing package, acknowledged the standard as including an appropriate measure for reducing children's risk of harm from exposure to cadmium in jewelry designed for them. Though the standard is voluntary, ASTM standards are often later cited in federal regulations.

In a press release welcoming the approval of the standard, Cleaveland announced that FJATA will be meeting with CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum and ASTM subcommittee members in December to address educational outreach. FJATA also plans to meet with state legislators to explain the standard's requirements and to promote harmonization with existing state laws. To date, five states have signed into law cadmium limits on children's jewelry, and the limits and testing requirements conflict from state to state.

If the ASTM Children's Jewelry Safety Standard were to become embedded in federal law, however, the limits and tests for cadmium within it would likely pre-empt the state laws, eliminating what has become a confusing patchwork of regulation. Jewelry makers and suppliers already testing children's jewelry for total-weight lead content, as per the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008, could then easily incorporate the cadmium requirements into their procedures at little extra cost or time, according to labs that currently perform these tests.

The CPSC has been independently studying the issue of cadmium in children's jewelry since aJanuary 2010 Associated Press report brought the topic to its attention. The Commission announced five recalls of children's jewelry due to cadmium content during 2010, and has been considering the issue of exactly what trace amounts of cadmium are safe in children's jewelry ever since. InSeptember 2011, the CPSC commissioners voted to direct its staff to begin drafting a proposed rule restricting cadmium, especially in children's metal jewelry, unless a voluntary standard for cadmium in children's jewelry was published by ASTM within three months after September 16, 2011. Since the voluntary standard has now been published, the CPSC staff will begin to assess whether there is substantial compliance within the industry.

For more information and background on the issue of cadmium in children's jewelry, MJSA has published a Guide to Cadmium in Jewelry, available online to its members in the Public Affairs area at mjsa.org.

[differences between total weight and migration testing - defined]

Total content testing determines the total amount of metals found in jewelry, and is accomplished by destroying the object and weighing its individual elements. This is the kind of test that the CPSC requires companies use when measuring trace amounts of lead in children's jewelry, as required by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008.

Migratable content testing calls for a digestive acid simulation test that determines the amount that a metal (such as cadmium) can "migrate" or leach out of a product sample over a specified time period, when immersed in a strong solution. The solution is meant to mimic a child's stomach acids, should he or she suck on or swallow a piece of jewelry.

About MJSA 

MJSA is the U.S. trade association for jewelry makers, designers, and related suppliers. It provides the resources to achieve professional excellence and maintain a competitive edge. For more information, call MJSA at 1-800-444-6572 or visit www.mjsa.org.

2011-2012 IPDC Int'l Pearl Design Contest - Winners Announced!

The Cultured Pearl Association of America announces 

Winners of the 2011-2012 IPDC, International Pearl Design Contest

Francis Mastoloni, President of the Cultured Pearl Association of America, Inc. was proud to announce the winners of CPAA’S 2011-2012 International Design competition from the organizations' headquarters in Providence, Rhode Island. 

“We are very happy with the success of this year’s competition. Winners were chosen from a field of 94 entries from 11 countries.” Mr. Mastoloni reported.

President’s Trophy:  

The highest honor awarded to a design that unanimously captivated judges as the best of the best.

Winner - there was a Tie between: 

“Inspiration” by Joel Greene of Bristol, RI (pictured above) and 

“Shades of Paradise” by Jorge Adeler, Adeler Jewelers, Great Falls,  VA
(Jorge Adeler 's "Shades of Paradise" received the Brilliance Award see photo below) 

Luster Award:

Awarded to the entry that is judged “most marketable” of all the entries in the competition. This design will have the most overall appeal for the retail marketplace.

Winner - “Swirl Earrings with Pearls” Barbara Heinrich
Barbara Heinrich Studio of Pittsford , NY 

Designer’s Award: 

Goes to the entry that takes pearls to the far corners of the imagination and beyond.

Winner - “Telepathy”, Anita Dickey, 
Simplicity, Dallas , TX

Brilliance Award: 

Given to the entry that best illustrates the spectrum of pearl colors in the most beautiful way.

Winner - “Shades of Paradise” by Jorge Adeler
Adeler Jewelers, Great Falls, VA 

Orient Award:

The award given to the entry that would inspire a new found affinity in someone for cultured pearls.

Winner - “Simply Natural” by Jorge Adeler 
Adeler Jewelers, Great Falls , VA 

The Visionary Award: 

This entry re-defines the iconic pearl strand and shifts the perception of cultured pearls for today’s buyer.

Winner - “Queen Beads” Chi Huynh 
Galatea: Jewelry by Artist of San Dimas , California

The Fashion Award:

Fun, fresh, modern. A design which looks as if it came straight from the Paris runway.

Winner - “Zinnia Ring with Pearl ” Barbara Heinrich
Barbara Heinrich Studio of Pittsford , NY 

Wedding Day Pearls: 

 Brides and pearls are synonymous.  Create a “fantasy wedding” theme with pearls.

Winner - “Endless Joy” By Francis Morris, 
Francis Morris Designs of Burlingame, CA 
(contact info was not available)

Commendations were also given to 18 entries which demonstrated high standards of achievement, in accordance with the judging criteria. These can be viewed at Commendation winners

Winners receive a certificate, international publicity in CPAA partner publications, blogs, and websites, as well as exposure in the CPAA booth at the American Gem Trade Association Tucson GemFair 2012 and JCK Las Vegas.

The Judging Panel this year was:  Denise O'Donoghue from Brides, Robert Bentley of Robert Bentley Company, Cartier designer Jean Francois Bibet and Jennifer Heebner, Sr. Editor, JCK

Entries were received from 11 Countries - Making the 2011-2102 edition of the IPDC truly International in scope. 

The Cultured Pearl Association of America, Inc is a non profit group founded in 1957, comprised of the finest manufacturers, wholesalers, dealers and suppliers of Cultured Pearls in the United States .

Our intention is to "cultivate" awareness, interest, demand and successful marketability of Cultured Pearls for the retail community and the consumer level. Through promotion, education, public relations and unwavering commitment we aim to inspire an authentic passion for all Cultured Pearl varieties.