Just Ask Leslie: Jewelry Tips

It’s your lucky day! I am pretty sure that this is the first time I’ve featured a good luch charm on the blog. Lots of gems are thought to bring you good luck, but this 3/8 carat blue topaz horseshoe pendant is our first luck charm. No jewelry box is complete without a good luck charm. The horseshoe is considered a lucky charm for many people in different parts of the world. This beautifully crafted swiss blue topaz pendant is crafted in 14K white gold and suspended on a chain. It’s a great gift idea at just $85. Plus the light design is perfect for every day wear!

Celebrate your June birthday in style with your birthstone – the pearl! In ancient times, pearls were thought to have life-giving powers and the ability to restore youth! They have also come to represent modesty and purity. If you wear lots of grey or pastel colors, pearls are a perfect accessory. They also are always appropriate for any formal occasion.

At just $350, these 10-11mm freshwater cultured pearl and 1/5 carat diamond earrings are a perfect present for a June birthday! Click on the image above to get a closer looks at the feminine, expertly crafted settings. Simply beautiful! In these earrings, large white freshwater pearls are the centerpieces of an exquisite diamond-studded white gold design.

If you were born between May 21 and June 21 you are a Gemini. According to lore, you have an ingenious, quick-witted nature which you can display in this traditional zodiac glyph beautifully crafted in 14K white gold pendant studded with dazzling diamonds. It’s a great every day piece of jewelry that’s a wonderful birthday gift for the Gemini in your life!

Here is some more interesting tidbits about Gemini from the wikipedia:

Gemini is the third sign of the Zodiac and associated with youth and versatility. Individuals born under this sign are thought to have a sociable, fun-loving, versatile, cunning, lively, communicative, liberal, intelligent, mentally active and friendly character but one which is also prone to moodiness, nervousness, inconsistency, superficiality, restlessness, immaturity and laziness.

Among medieval astrologers, Gemini was thought of as a fortunate sign, and its subjects were considered to possess the qualities of intense devotion, genius, largeness of mind, goodness, and liberality. Gemini is also governed by Mercury, the planet of communications.

Dear Leslie,My wedding is in June and we’d like to get the groomsmen something special for all their help at the wedding. Do you have any suggestions of what to get?

The folks in your wedding party are probably close friends and family. You don’t want to forget them when it comes time to express your gratitude for their presence at your wedding. They’ve made sacrifices – the gifts, the tux, the time off – to be with you during this special time.

This sterling silver black keyring is a masculine choice for a groomsman gift. Form meets function in this chic, unique key ring. Soft black leather is accompanied by a secure ring and a sleek polished fob of lustrous sterling silver. Men in the wedding party will remember the good times shared at your wedding each time they use this gift!

If the guy in your life doesn’t have them already, shirt studs are a great Father’s Day gift! These sterling silver shirt studs are just $50 and are the perfect formal accessory for any man. Even if he already has a set, it’s nice to have your own personal assortment to change your look from one event to the next. These shirt studs also make a great groomsman gift for all you folks getting married this summer.

In a couple of my previous posts, I’ve mentioned Cat’s Eye. Some of you may be familiar with the gem already, but it never hurts to learn more! I found a bit of interesting information about cat’s eye at answers.com.

In gemology, chatoyancy (or chatoyance) is an optical reflectance effect seen in certain gemstones. Coined from the French, meaning “cat’s eye,” chatoyancy arises either from the fibrous structure of a material, as in tiger eye quartz, or from fibrous inclusions or cavities within the stone, as in cat’s eye chrysoberyl. The effect can be likened to the sheen off a spool of silk; the mobile, wavering reflection always being perpendicular to the direction of the fibres. For a gemstone to show this effect it must be cut en cabochon, with the fibers or fibrous structures parallel to the base of the finished stone.

It makes for a sexy and unique effect in jewelry and accessories. This sterling silver cat’s eye keyring is a great example of the gem used in a practical accessory. At just $65, this keyring is a perfect for Father’s Day. It’s a masculine look that he’ll appreciate and use!

Cufflinks are a great gift for Dad on Father’s Day. Every man should have a few pairs of cufflinks for those more formal occasions. They’re perfect for setting apart a business suit or a tuxedo. A rented tux looks much better with the unique touches of personal cufflinks.

According to Wikipedia

A cufflink (also cuff link or cuff-link) is a decorative fastener worn by men or women to fasten the two sides of the cuff on a dress shirt or blouse.

Cufflinks are designed only for use with link cuffs (also known as French Cuffs), which have buttonholes on both sides but no buttons. These may be either single or double-length (”French”) cuffs, and may be worn either “kissing,” with the ends pinched together, or “barrel-style,” with one end overlapping the other. Kissing cuffs are usually preferred.

Cufflink designs vary widely. The simplest design, consists of a short post or chain connecting two disc-shaped parts. The part positioned on the most visible side, is usually larger; a variety of designs can connect the smaller piece: It may be small enough to fit through the button hole like a button would; it may be separated and attached from the other side; or it may have a portion that swivels on the central post, aligning with the post while the link is threaded through the button-hole and swiveling into a position at right angles to the post when worn.

The visible part of a cufflink is often monogrammed or decorated in some way. There are numerous styles including novelty cufflinks, traditional cufflinks, contemporary cufflinks, and humorous cufflinks.

The sterling silver navy blue cats eye cufflinks above are a wonderful choice for any man! At just $55 these will fit into any Father’s Day gift budget. In these elegant cufflinks, navy blue cats eyes – gleaming with lighter blue inner highlights – are beautifully complemented by simple sterling silver settings. They are very masculine and will add a touch of color to any formal occasion.

Father’s Day is coming up fast and it’s time to think about what to get the important man in your life. Dads can be really hard to buy for. Please, please, not another tie this year! Ok?!

Men appreciate things that they can use. A great idea is this sterling silver cats eye keyring. At $95, this is a luxury gift that a man might have a hard time justify buying for himself but would really enjoy as a gift. Gleaming sterling silver is beautifully crafted into a sturdy key ring with a striking, modern, geometrically themed fob. It’s look he’ll appreciate every time he opens your door.

I get asked all the time about the perfect gift for women. Of course this varies wildly depending on the style of the woman – some go with a more classic look while others are modern and chic…and everything in between! Well, I think that this 46 carat green jade sterling silver bracelet has a little something for every woman. At just $55, it perfectly priced for a gift and it’s a fashion that is great for everyday wear. In this bracelet, the fresh green tones of jade lend their vivid color. The faceted jade beads alternate with polished sterling silver flowers.

For all of you out there searching for the perfect gift – stop now and go for the gold! Nothing beats this 14K yellow gold and diamond ring. It has a bold and powerful geometric design that is stunning. It’s not too over the top which makes it budget friendly and also perfect for every occasion. It’s just $150 and would make a great “just because” gift. If I had to pick a night out to dinner or this ring – I’d go for the jewelry every time!

Dear Leslie,Do you have any suggestions for a great graduation gift? I am already going to give the grad some money, but I’d like to give a more personal gift as well. Any thoughts?

A great and useful gift for graduation is a watch. It’s a perfect way to keep the lucky graduate on time at their new job! For men I really like this Pulsar Mens watch with a stainless steel bracelet. This masculine watch features a stainless steel case and bracelet with a round black dial. The date is at 3 o’clock and it also has a convenient sweep second hand. This watch will stand up to any man’s schedule with a tough double locking clasp and water resistance up to 50 meters.

Dear Leslie,I am bored with my jewelry wardrobe! is there something that you can suggest to add a little color to brighten up my spring and summer outfits?

A classic gem that back in the fashion forefront is turquoise. It’s not just for hippies anymore. Turquoise was wildly popular in the 60s and 70s with the flower power generation and may still have that connotation. However in new and modern jewelry designs turquoise takes on new life!

Just take a look at these turquoise and diamond tear drop earrings in 14K white gold. They are a perfect example of how fresh turquoise can be. It’s a great look for evening and will give your summer evening wear a punch of color for sure. These earring feature teardrops of vibrant blue-green turquoise which are exquisitely complemented by diamonds in graceful settings of cool, lustrous white gold.

Recently I posted about the birthstone for May, the emerald. It’s a beautiful gem that makes a wonderful gift for spring. However, emeralds require more TLC than diamonds and some other gemstones. Because emeralds usually contain many cracks, fissures, and inclusions, the majority of these stones are “oiled”. This means that they are immersed in oil which reduces the visibility of the inclusions, and also improves the clarity. Oiling is almost universal and because it is so common today, it is not considered necessary to disclose this fact. Due to the oiling treatment and because emeralds are brittle stones, care should be taken when wearing or cleaning them. They should never be immersed in an ultrasonic cleaner or subjected to steam cleaning. Take your emerald jewelry to a professional jeweler when you think it’s time for a cleaning.

The pendent above is a wonderful example of how stunning emerald jewelry can be! At just $350, the 3/4 carat emerald and diamond pendant in 14K white gold adds dramatic color to any outfit. Very elegant a dangle design is enlivened with round, dazzling diamonds and suspended on a delicate chain.

Do you have a June wedding coming up? Haven’t been able to decide on the perfect wedding band? It’s tough, I know! I’ve helped hundreds of couples find the perfect wedding band. One that I am particularly enamored with right now is this 1/2 carat diamond and 14K white and pink gold band. At just $695, this ring is a steal! This ring features contrasting tones of precious metal and sparkling diamonds to create a beautiful effect. It reminds me of classic jewelry from the Roman and Byzantine empires. It’s a timeless design that will be perfect for demonstrating your enduring love every day.

This Mother’s Day do more for mom than just take her out to lunch or dinner. Buy her something really special that shows how much you care. It’s not really about the money you spend, but rather the thought and care you put behind it. Giving a gift that mom can wear and use every day will be appreciated.

A great set of earrings that she can wear with any outfit is this pair of 1/2 carat diamond earrings in 14K white gold. These striking earrings feature an eye-catching classic design studded with dazzling diamonds. Beautifully crafted in 14K white gold, they will definitely fit any look.

Plus you can still enjoy free FedEx shipping on your order. It’s even guaranteed to be delivered by Mother’s Day!

Celebrate your May birthday with a beautiful emerald! A symbol of fertility, rebirth, and springtime, the emerald is also regarded as an amulet for good fortune. Emeralds are perfect for everyday but it goes particularly well with wardrobes featuring hot colors.

This 3/4 carat emerald and diamond ring in 14K white gold is a perfect gift form someone with a May birthday. This stunning ring glistens with the vivid green glow of emeralds, one of the world’s most precious stones. An elegant single band design is crafted from lustrous white gold and prong-set with vibrant emeralds and dazzling diamonds.