Courtesy of: John Hardy

The beautiful Cinta collection of luxury rings by John Hardy, showcases pieces that are individually inspired by a single unique gemstone.

Featured iconic pieces within this ring collection are luxurious Cinta Shell Rings, that are each created by combining shell with a precious gemstone. This extraordinary combination means no two rings will ever be the same.

Cinta, which means ‘Love’ in Balinese, is the name of John Hardy’s one-of-a-kind collection. While traveling around the world, Creative Director and Head Designer, Guy Bedarida finds unique gemstones that are truly captivating.

From each precious gemstone comes the inspiration for each masterpiece. The creation begins with a gouache water color drawing, traditional in French Haute Joaillerie.

Bedarida then combines the precious gemstone with organic natural materials such as bamboo and shell to create a one-of-a-kind piece that is unique and luxurious. Cinta Shell Rings are iconic in this line of one-of-a-kind pieces.

The combination of shell with precious gemstones means each ring is extraordinary in its own way as no two shells in this world are the same.

Cinta 18K Yellow Gold Marble Cone Shell Ring with Turquoise (10.52 ct.)

Cinta 18K Green Gold Marble Cone Shell Ring with Gold South Sea Pearl (2.99 ct.) Blue Paraiba Pasion Topaz (0.09 ct.), Peridot (3.61 ct.), Green Sphene (2.78 ct.) and brown Diamonds (1.58 ct.) Pavé

Cinta 18K Yellow Gold Marble Cone Shell Ring with Jade Lavender (12.04 ct.), Iolite Stone (6.05 ct.), Amethyst (4.27 ct.) and brown Diamond (1.18 ct.)

To see all the fine jewelry from John Hardy, please visit: http://www.johnhardy.com/

Courtesy of: Annie Haak Designs

The wait for the sequel hit movie “Sex and the City 2″ has passed. Although film reviews have been mixed, there is no doubt that luxury fashion and style dominate almost all the discussions.

When you think of fashion forward, one of the first names that come to mind is Carrie Bradshaw. The TV show Sex and the City made her a popular Hollywood actress.

The movie offers many fashion statements that many women will be copying this summer.

In one of the movie’s many amazing scenes, Carrie wears a beautiful clover necklace. Well Annie Haak Designs has many alternatives that will ena­ble you to snatch up SJP’s unique, chic style.

One example is the Anna Bella four leaf clover bracelet. It’s definitely a must have. The four leaf clover bracelet is made from sterling silver and this delicate piece of jewelry is essential for every fashionista.

Continuing with the clover theme, the Swarovski ring is another dazzling addition. The petite dragonfly necklace is a pretty piece covering endless trends including Carrie’s clover obsession.

So it’s time to bring a little luck into your life with these Sex and the City inspired clover pieces from Annie Haak. Emulate Carrie’s style, good fortune and look damn good.

For more information, please visit: Annie Haak Designs

Courtesy of: Henri J. Sillam

One of the world’s most established and well-respected European jewelry brands is “Henri J. Sillam – Joallierie depuis 1835.”

The House of Sillam was founded in Paris in 1835. The company’s flagship store and workshop are in the heart of Vienna, Austria, with boutiques on Salburg’s Alter Markt and inside Paris’ famed, Four Seasons Hotel George V.

In early 2008, Sam Cole launched Henri J. Sillam Ltd. and began showing Sillam’s spectacular and unique creations to a select group of clients, through private appointments and trunk shows in Los Angeles, Monte Carlo and Athens.

Following the success of several showcase vitrines inside two Beverly Hills luxury hotels, Cole and Sillam have partnered to open House of Sillam’s first U.S. boutique inside The Peninsula Hotel, Beverly Hills in California.

Courtesy of: Henri J. Sillam

For more than 100 years the family business, Henri J. Sillam, has been dedicated to professional and careful workmanship of jewels and precious metals. His trademark is originality in contemporary design, using rare gems and pearls.

In some instances, precious minerals from far-reaching corners of the world, including Green Persian Turquoise and Black Diamond. Each piece is completely unique, a treasure of timeless beauty reflecting quality, perfection and style.

Visit the Henri J. Sillam boutique inside The Peninsula Beverly Hills, to experience the exquisite collection including the amazing Strawberry ring entirely covered with rubies, the Green Apple ring with white diamonds, and the Champagne Cork ring in yellow sapphires and diamonds.

The collection of diamonds are absolutely gorgeous, proving the adventurous spirit of design by Henri J. Sillam.

For more information, please visit the dazzling collections at Henri J. Sillam.

A diver glides through the water. He cuts an oyster off the base of a rock cropping. On the surface, he opens the shell and inside is a beautiful oyster. Although a great vision, this is not how most pearls come to be.

Pearls are an elegant jewelry, which is somewhat strange considering how they are made. They are the result, essentially, of a reaction to an infection. Foreign material enters an oyster and it surrounds that material in a ball of nacre to protect itself.

The nacre is the important part of the pearl. The thicker it is, the better when it comes to jewelry. Getting it started and the correct thickness is a very hit and miss affair in nature. Pearl cultivators leave nothing to chance.

A farmed pearl is known as a cultured pearl. No, it is not a snob or any such thing. Instead, it is a pearl that was created by shooting microscopic foreign materials into mollusks and oysters, which are then given optimal growing environments.

The phrase cultured pearl refers to a pearl that is farmed. It is not an entirely accurate terminology, however. Why? Well, there are really four different types of cultured pearls.

Big pearls are often the ones that get the most attention, so we need to talk about South Sea cultured pearls. They can be as large as 13 millimeters in size, which is huge. They are usually close to perfectly round and are priced based on their luster.

Tahitian cultured pearls run a close second when it comes to size. They tend to be in the 10 to 12 millimeter range. They tend to be dark green in color with a high luster. They are fairly rare. This makes their price the highest on average among the cultured pearls.

Some people prefer the classics. With pearls, this means the white Akoya cultured pearls of China and Japan. In the 7 millimeter range, these pearls are beautiful, but common enough that they will not wipe out your bank account.

Last, but not least, we have our freshwater cultured pearls. They are farmed in rivers and lakes in China and tend to be white. They are the smallest of the cultured pearls, coming in at 4 to 7 millimeters. They also tend to be the easiest on the wallet.

Now that you know the choices, you just have to choose the one you want. The right answer is really a matter of taste. Personally, I like to go big. That makes the South Sea cultured pearls the choice for me.

Author: Arsene Gibson