Jewelry is the New Black
Fashionista. Whatever Mirriam-Webster may say (“a designer, promoter or follower of the latest fashions”), fashionista for me has an inescapable slave-to-fashion, trend-whore connotation. To be honest, the word actually makes me cringe. But there is another newly minted term that really ruffles my feather hatpin. Read: recessionista. I mean, at least as a fashionista I could afford to occasionally indulge in a trend du jour. As a recessionista, I have to watch my wallet rather than splurge on a new one.
But in dull economic times, there is a shiny nugget of good news: Now is the time to put your money on gold—or silver, platinum, diamonds, even enamel and wood. Jewelry, whether costume or the real McCoy, will weather both the economic storm and the ebb and flow of fickle fashion. Luckily, the Spring 2009 runways put forth a goldmine of investment-worthy statement baubles sure to give new life to last year’s looks.
It was all in the wrist at Louis Vuitton, where a lately svelte Marc Jacobs packed on pounds of boho cuff and bangle bracelets. The look: tribal meets Parisienne in a mix of metals, colorful leather, wood and beads. The key: stacking. For more bang for your bracelet, also check out Barry Kronen’s Nouveau Lace Diamond number—think of it as an 18-karat counterpart to fall’s coveted Prada lace.
Necklaces were also big—both literal and prevalent. 
At Chanel, Coco’s old camellia blossomed anew in breastplate-size patches. Draped over tweedy suits, the necklaces added the right amount of flourish, both feminine (in cotton candy pastels) and fierce (in gothic black and silver). Yogendra Manak also found inspiration in flora: Manak Couture’s Fleur pendant blooms in rubies and chocolate and yellow diamonds. (While we’re on the subject, Manak’s Rock n’ Roll chandelier earrings could rock even Lagerfeld’s world.)
Not to discriminate against any other bauble but, for me, the jaw-dropper ring has always sung an especially alluring tune. Apparently Dries Van Noten feels the same: This season, his rendition of the ring looks a lot like Christmas—or sounds like it, in the form brassy jingle bells. Also channeling a winter theme, Vicente Agor’s 18-karat gold Antarctica Snow Globe ring takes its cue from, well, a snow globe. With a whopping 47.75-carat crystal cabochon, Agor’s titanic cocktail rock is glacieriffic.
Last but not least: earrings. Coco always said to take off the last accessory you put on. Since I wear glasses (with sparkly CCs on the temples), I often forgo the earrings—for me, it’s just too much. 
But for those of you lucky 20-20 seers (or for those who throw Coco’s caution to the wind), here are some must have shoulder-dusters: Subversive Jewelry’s gem-drenched, bedraggled baubles are wowing me again this season in a hodgepodge of crystals, glass beads and semi-precious stones. You can also get that just-washed-ashore look with a pair of 18-karat gold and Tahitian pearl earrings from designer Clare Ullman, whose shapely forms and rich detailing evoke Indian temple etchings. If organic metals are more your thing, Betsy Barron’s two-inch Bottlebrush earrings, in both silver and 18-karat yellow gold, have earthy appeal at a down-to-earth price.
I would say “Don’t wear it all at once”… but that wouldn’t be very much fun now, would it?
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