2014 - The Year of the Male Green Wood HORSE!

The Chinese New Year is swiftly approaching, this year the 4711th Chinese New Year is on January 31st, the Year of the Horse starts on February 4th.

To be specific - it is the Year of the Green Wood Horse!  The Chinese calendar connecting the 12 Animal sign Branches to the 7 Stem signs - the yin and yang along with the 5 Earth Elements.

What does that mean?

Horse is one of Chinese favorite animals. Horse provides people quick transportation before automobiles, so people can quickly reach their destinations. Horse even can help people to win the battle. Therefore Horse is a symbol of traveling, competition and victory. That's why Horse is connected to speedy success in China

2014 is the year of    Male Wood Horse. Horse mainly contains Fire. Therefore, the Wood and Fire are the key factors to determine people's fortune in 2014.

Wood can help Fire to burn. So Fire of 2014 is quite strong. Fire could melt the Metal. Metal is afraid of Fire. If your Lucky Element is Metal, then you might encounter some unexpected troubles and you need to handle alone without help in 2014. Fire and Water are opposite elements, If your Lucky Element is Water, then your luck won't be better than 2013, Water Snake year. If your Lucky Element is Fire, then the fortune is coming toward you. You need to prepare for it and don't miss the golden opportunity in the Green Horse year.

Horse is a speedy animal. When something good or bad happens, it will come very quickly. It's same to the love relationship. Horse is a Romantic Star to many people. If you are single, you can increase your social activities. Horse will keep you busy and help you to find a great friendship. If you are in love, then it's good time to build deeper relationship.

Spring is the season of Wood. If your Lucky Element is Wood, then you will do well in the beginning of the Horse Year. Wood will help Fire to bring up the heat. Summer is the season of Fire. If Fire is your Lucky Element. summer will be your best months of the year. You can ride on the horseback and head for your goal. You will see you destination and enjoy your result in the fall. If your Lucky Element is Metal, then we have to wait for the heat of Fire cooling down to see your luck, If Lucky Element is Water, then you have to wait till the Winter time when the temperature turns cold.

Interested?  find your animal sign and see what the year of the Horse means to you!

The complete Chinese Five Element Astrology is at Chinese Astrology 2014 for The Year of Green Horse.The complete 12 Chinese Animal Signs Prediction is at 2014 Chinese Zodiacs for Year of Horse
Another easier way to find your own Chinese Five Element Astrology is at Predict your Personal 2014 Chinese Horoscopes

Info from my favorite Chinese Astrology website:  http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/2014.htm


Horse Inspiration At Retail - I have to give a big shout out to the Cavalcade Blog - Equestrian Chic for these next items!  find some inspiration of your own http://www.cavalcadeblog.com/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MargaretVera

Caracol  http://www.caracolsilver.com/ahipal-leather-bracelet-by-no-3-from-caracol-jewelry/

I am in love with the Cog Horse pieces  http://darkhorsestudio.com.au/

And Finally - do you have a horse?  I love the idea that you can have a bracelet made of your horse's tail...Cricket & Blue can make that happen!

Cricket & Blue  http://www.cricketandblue.com

Michael O’Connor Hosts Celebrity StyleLab for Golden Globe Nominees

GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS JEWELRY TREND PREDICTIONS

FROM LEADING STYLE EXPERT

Michael O’Connor Hosts Jewelry Style Event for Nominees & Presenters

This week Michael O’Connor, celebrity stylist and television personality, will host StyleLab’s styling event for Golden Globe Award nominees, presenters and stylists at a private venue in Los Angeles. Every season, O’Connor curates a selection of one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces from world-renowned designers for celebrities to borrow for the red carpet. From colored gemstone earrings to sustainable champagne diamond bangles, O’Connor will accessorize Hollywood’s leading stars with the most exquisite, highest quality jewelry.

This season O’Connor sees an overall fascination with more edgy, statement styles featuring colored gemstones or sparking white diamonds. As the 2014 award show season kicks off, O’Connor offers the following trend predictions:

Emeralds
Even though emerald was the Pantone color last year, Hollywood stars are still being drawn to the beauty of this gemstone. Designer Takat created a jaw-dropping necklace with 71.73-carats of oval and round emeralds, mixed with 8.34-carats of round white diamonds and 10.43-carats of fancy white diamonds. This design, priced at $498,014, is most suitable for a statuesque star like Nicole Kidman. Farah Khan incorporates 11.95-carats of emeralds and 11.41-carats of white diamonds into an Art-Deco style wide bracelet, priced at $41,697. This romantic style would look regal on Elisabeth Moss. Just Jules’ ethereal earrings feature 12.93-carats of natural emerald slices, mixed with 2.45-carats of grey rose cut and pave diamonds, priced at $81,140. We envision starlet Zooey Deschanel wearing them on Sunday.

Black HuesWhether it’s blackened metal or the richness of deep black gemstones, we’re also seeing a lot of this hue in jewelry, which creates a dramatic effect on the red carpet.Dena Kemp is showcasing a pair of earrings with 11.57 carats of black Burmese jade that would look spectacular on Jennifer Lawrence, given her new crop hairstyle. Designer Paula Crevoshay will debut a pair of black diamonds earrings, priced at $37,000, that have a vintage-inspired aesthetic, making them ideal for a classic beauty like Kate Winslet.

Responsible Sourcing

Diamonds With A StoryTM is featuring their latest designs called “Nature’s Beauty Collection of Sustainable Jewelry”. The collection is made of gold from the Kennecott Utah Copper mine in the US, with white and rare champagne diamonds from the Argyle Diamond Mine in Australia, also sustainably and ethically mined. One show-stopping piece is a 2.5-carat bangle sprinkled with champagne and white diamonds, priced at $4,999. It has geometric and architectural qualities that would suit Cate Blanchett perfectly!

Statement EarringsDesigners are reinterpreting traditional chandelier earrings by adding bold gemstones, mixing metals, and creating unique shapes. Fei Liu will debut a pair of oversized earrings featuring amethyst, green garnet and diamonds, set in black gold. We can imagine Sofia Vergara wearing these earrings, priced at $12,000. Kallati re-masters the white diamond chandelier style with their “Teardrop” earrings, featuring 4-carats of brilliant white pave diamonds shaped like teardrops, priced at $25,000. Sofia Vergara would turns heads in these earrings!

Historical Pieces

Hollywood glamour continues to remain a staple on the red carpet, especially jewelry designs with historical significance. The Jewelry by Gail collection features vintage hair combs/pins once owned by Marilyn Monroe, priced at $55,000. Olivia Pope would be jealous of Kerry Washington wearing these clips in her hair!

#DailyJewel - Your Daily Dose of Sparkle for Jan. 6th - Paul Michael Design

One of the great things about Facebook is that it introduces you to so many companies and brands that you have never met prior...just such a Brand (for me) is Paul Michael Design. However, you don't stay anonymous for long when you are posting custom designed beauties like this!!!!

Palladium with cabochon turquoise and emeralds.

Website:     http://www.paulmichaeldesign.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/PaulMichaelDesign

#DailyJewel - Your Daily Dose of Sparkle for Jan. 5th - IVY NY!

Blue Sapphire - Green Tsavorite Garnet - Red Spinel -

 with diamonds in gold - Discover IVY NY today!

Website:  http://www.ivynewyork.com/

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/ivynewyork

#DailyJewel - Your Daily Dose of Sparkle for Jan. 4th

Jean-Noel Soni of Top Notch Faceting 

recently posted this great look back at his favorite... 

Tourmalines of 2013

My favorite Tourmalines from 2013. From Left to Right:

Top Row: Nigeria, 4.78ct • Namibia, 2.67ct • Nigeria, 4.17ct

Middle Row: Afghanistan, 2.65ct • Kenya, 3.09ct • Nigeria, 5.07ct

Bottom Row: Nigeria, 4.10ct • Brazil, 2.33ct • USA, 2.91ct

All are One-of-a-kind designs, faceted by Jean-Noel Soni. 

• Award winning, custom ParaTraditional gemstone faceting by Jean-Noel Soni • 

Created without the aid of computers • Located in San Francisco CA •

When Jean-Noel says custom it takes on a new meaning...

each gem he cuts is unique to itself.

 He starts with a standard shape/design...

and lets the individual gem determine where he goes from there...

• 3rd Place, Phenomenal Gemstones, AGTA Spectrum Awards 2014.
• 1st Place, Innovative Faceting, AGTA Spectrum Awards 2013.

Website: http://topnotchfaceting.com

Email: TopNotchFaceting@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TopNotchFaceting

CIBJO - Important Conflict Minerals Seminar To Take Place in Vicenza

Impact of conflict mineral legislation on jewellery business

to be examined at seminar during VICENZAORO Winter show

VICENZA, ITALY: DECEMBER 23, 2013 - The new year is likely to be a most significant one in terms of the regulation of minerals from areas of conflict in Africa, including gold.  It involves legislation coming into effect in 2014 that will influence the businesses of thousands of jewellers directly or indirectly supplying the U. S. market, and pending legislation that may affect companies importing or supplying jewellery in the European Union countries.  The impact of these processes will be the subject of a critically important seminar that will take place on Monday, January 20, during the VICENZAORO Winter show in Vicenza.

Entitled "Conflict mineral legislation in the Europe and the United States: How it impacts on both the domestic and export jewellery business," the seminar is being organised by Fiera di Vicenza, the Responsible Jewellery Council, CIBJO-the World Jewellery Confederation, and Confindustria Federorafi. It will be held on Monday, January 20, 2014, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, in the Palladio Room at Fiera di Vicenza. The host of the event, Fiera di Vicenza, was accredited in March 2013, through CIBJO, to plan and implement a United Nations-endorsed Corporate Social Responsibility programme for the international jewellery industry.

According to the conflict mineral rules contained in Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act, publicly-traded companies in the United States, including major jewellery retailers, will for the first time, in 2014, have to file a report with the Security Exchange Commission, tracing their supply chain. Using a nationally or internationally recognized due diligence standard, companies will need to determine whether their supply chain includes gold sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries.

Another legislative proposal on conflict minerals is being developed in the European Union and is being led by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Trade. It is expected to build on existing efforts and guidelines like the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and the U.S. conflict minerals legislation. It is forecast that a formal regulatory proposal will be brought for consideration before the college of EU commissioners early in 2014.

The seminar in Vicenza will include a blue-ribbon panel that will be presented by Corrado Facco, Managing Director of Fiera di Vicenza, and Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO. The panelists include Marieke van der Mijn, Standards Coordinator at the Responsible Jewellery Council; Michael Allchin, Chief Executive and Assay Master at the Birmingham Assay Office and the President of the CIBJO Precious Metals Commission;  Philip Olden, who is responsible for managing the development and implementation of responsible sourcing protocols for gold at Signet, the world's largest specialty jewellery retailer; Maria Benedetta Francesconi of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, and a representative of Confindustria Federorafi.

Israel's president Shimon Peres hosts ILAN annual reception

Israel's president Shimon Peres hosts ILAN annual reception,

praises Israel diamond community for significant contribution

Ramat Gan, Israel - December 30, 2013: Shimon Peres, president of the State of Israel, hosted the annual reception for ILAN, the Israel Foundation for Handicapped Children, last Thursday, at the presidential residence in Jerusalem. He was joined by students of the Herzfeld School for Special Education, , the ILAN board, and , Shmuel Schnitzer, president of the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE), who is also ILAN's Chairman of Community Relations.

Indicating the children who were gathered on the stage to perform for the gathering of dignitaries, President Peres said that while the Israeli diamond industry produces countless diamonds, these children were the industry's most precious jewels, and the Israeli diamond business community had good reason to be proud of them.

 

In his speech, ILAN Chairman Ehud Ratzabi made special mention of the IDE and its members who, he said, "not only contribute funds but also invest considerable time and energy in improving the lives of many handicapped children." Addressing Schnitzer directly, he said that ILAN hoped to see the close cooperation and support by the IDE continue and develop further during Schnitzer's term.

In his address, Shmuel Schnitzer emphasized that the IDE and the Israel diamond industry at large work hard to make a living and consequently contribute significantly to Israel's economic growth. However, he noted, the IDE membership also supports numerous social causes. "By embracing the cause of ILAN, we hope to contribute toward improving the quality of life of those children who have been dealt a bad hand in life," he said.

Earlier this month, the IDE held a dedicated fund raising drive for ILAN at the Ramat Gan Diamond Exchange complex, in concert with ILAN's national collection campaign. The cooperation between ILAN and IDE began in 2012.