January babies can start the New Year off right, with their own sparkling garnet gemstone. Along with a new year bringing the hopes of a new beginning, garnets bring their own fairy tales and special powers.

Proof that function can be fashionable – exposed zippers are showing up on everything from purses to shoes, jewelry and more.

Think of your favorite aunt - the one that you visit and never want to leave, the one who feels like a lifetime friend.

You know what to do Ms. Sotomayor. You’ve always known what to do.

Since summer fashion is heating up with bold and bright colors – especially yellow - shouldn’t your jewelry do the same?

Delamina, the new fine jewelry site that speaks directly to women and provides them with a place to explore their own unique style in a fun and relaxed environment, is now showcasing the authentic and distinctive designs of Ian Saude.

I am a separatist. Well, sartorially speaking. I’m a passionate shopper who splurges on a must-have “piece”—like a YSL high-waist bow-tied purple skirt—and then spends who knows how many seasons deciphering what the hell goes with it

Let’s just acknowledge that my mother is a freaking saint. When my husband asked my 98 year-old, Alzheimer-stricken grandmother (who was no saint) if I was a good child, she came to life, her eyes sparkled, she had her first lucid moment in years while she emphatically replied: ‘NO!’. She even chuckled knowingly.

With eco fashion, going green has never looked or felt so good. It’s time to get creative. When shopping for your next outfit, remember - old is now the new new.

Yes it is tax day, and while taxes are no fun, they are most definitely the preferred one of the two famous certainties. This week we are celebrating both Lilly Ledbetter, as our Delamina woman of the week, and President Obama for signing into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act early in his tenure.

Michael Vick is on my shit list. But thankfully, there is balance in the universe and for every Vick there is a Sarah McLachlan. Not only has Sarah got a voice that melts butter, she has devoted herself to several causes in a very selfless, passionate way. She’s helped out fellow female vocalists, raised millions of dollars for charity and she has been a spokesperson and strong advocate for the SPCA.

The beauty of pendant jewelry is that you can create your own combinations, and they will all work together. And there are endless unique pendant creations to choose from; there is definitely one for every outfit. And each combination can make the same old outfit new again.

Also this week we are featuring an article about renowned designer Beverly K, who isn’t a Beverly at all, but a man named Morrie.

The Beverley K collection is a line of handcrafted jewelry, available in 18k gold and platinum, with pieces that are adorned with fancy engravings, hand filigree, shimmering diamonds and strikingly colorful gemstones. The collection includes handcrafted bridal rings, all with their own exquisitely feminine touch, and each band showcasing “delicate vine-like curls to form a fancy bridal bed.”

Delamina is currently looking for the best new ‘Because’ statement giving a reason for a woman to buy herself jewelry, along with ideas for an accompanying photo. The winner will be treated to pure bliss with a 5 day/4 night getaway to the exclusive El Rincon del Pedregal in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico’s premier luxury destination. Also included are airfare and $500 in cash.

Thirty-three carats of London blue topaz are showcased in Enamorata’s 18-karat gold and diamond earrings, which boast the richest topaz blue I’ve ever seen. Considering the hefty carat weight, the $1800 price is decidedly reasonable. If, however, a four-digit tag still induces a case of sticker shock, the company offers an equally beautiful pair of 7.5-carat London blue topaz hoop earrings for a third of the price.

As Barbie is a busy supermodel on the go in a long running, on again, off again relationship, her days are varied from active to very formal. When she was first introduced fifty years ago today, she was wearing the famous black and white bathing suit. She often paired that bathing suit with simple hoop earrings.

The coming days of spring are calling you to do something special for yourself. It’s time to spring forward with this beautiful 18k yellow gold and sterling silver ring with sparkling floral-tinted stones. This silver ring is adorned with solid 18k gold filigree, which makes it even more enticing.

This newsletter celebrates the March birthstone, Aquamarine, and makes the point that jewelry is a safe commitment. Pearls are potentially more long-term than a relationship.

Amidst plenty of recession prognosticating, stimulus package negotiating, all night budget balancing, economic crisis opining, stock market diving serious news, we had a bright burning, starry, glittering, shining moment. The Oscars. And not just any Oscars, but the best Oscars in years. Well produced, well moderated, well executed and downright GLAM. With underdogs and icons, touching speeches and true entertainment, elegant gowns and well coiffed hair. And jewelry with a capital ‘J’.

“I look at Delamina as my e-commerce partner,” said Agor. “We share the same sense of integrity in providing the best pieces to unique individuals who share an experience with their jewelry. We were a good fit from the very start. My customers are self-purchasers who have a relationship with the jewelry they select for themselves.” Agor’s designs are inspired from his world travels as he truly incorporates his spirit into each piece. He sources his stones through out the world and has personal relationships with the families who supply him with the cognac diamonds, fire opals and Australian opals that he uses in his one of a kind designs.

Vicente Agor’s eclectic, inspired designs are worn by some of our favorite women, including include Oprah, Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow. “My ideal client is not so much a celebrity as a self-made woman in her own right. She is smart and remarkable, chic but not overdone, well traveled and open-minded, sophisticated and urbane, but most of all she appreciates the artistic energy of the jewelry. She cares about her community and wants to make a difference.”

Designer Barry Kronen’s gorgeous heart-shaped locket pendant in 18K white gold has made Gem Gossip’s short list this year. This lovely pendant has a traditional heart shape, with vintage good looks and is set with almost a full carat of brilliant round and rose cut diamonds, all on an 18K white gold 16 inch chain.

“I love Delamina. It’s a beautiful site with a great group of designers. I love the site’s attitude. Women should always take care of themselves and not wait for anyone to do it for them. They shouldn’t need a reason to splurge, and what better way to do that than with beautiful jewelry.”

Style-ology chose a lovely solitaire diamond as a fave, to wear whenever and on whatever finger you darn well choose. What’s your favorite?

This year, Delamina is on a mission. A mission to make sure that women don’t feel a sense of remorse if we buy our own jewelry. Let’s love ourselves this year! Delamina is the undiscovered goddess of jewelry, of self preservation, of empowerment and self-love. Let’s honor this goddess, and ourselves. Why not?

Maya G., an editor at Find Jewelry News noticed the Because statements on the Delamina site, with her personal favorite being: “Because it’s your money, and you don’t need a freakin’ excuse”.

Gem Gossip has chosen her favorite pieces from the Delamina site. Gorgeous sapphire studded earrings from Crysobel, a delicate diamond bow from Barry Kronen, an ID bracelet paved with multi-colored sapphires by Talisman Unlimited, lovely disc earrings covered with pink sapphires from Ginger Peachy, a modern rubber and diamond bracelet by Heston Designs, and a beautiful diamond and ruby lariat from Barry Kronen. Excellent choices.

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.

The ever-wrinkling casualization of fashion has long eluded me. Growing up in the south, I was schooled in the principles of dressing for dinner and wearing lipstick to the grocery store. Now happily encamped in easy, breezy San Francisco, I am still a last bastion of hope for certain classic mandates: the belt should match the shoes; a black turtleneck is always elegant; and yes, there is such a thing as too much jewelry.

All of that being said, I began to think that the most green accessory, ever, was jewelry. Think about it. You would be hard pressed to find it in any landfill, at least intentionally. It gets passed down from generation to generation. It gets redesigned…and every little bit of the parts are treasured and recycled and reworked. Pretty much no part of it is ever wasted! Well, the next time I’m wrestling with picking up another pair of jeans to hang in the closet with the other five pairs I own, I might just do the planet a favor, and buy a fabulous piece of jewelry instead.

Carat is the unit of measure for the weight of a diamond. It gets its name from the carob seeds that were used in ancient times to balance the weighing scales.

And while it certainly can be, the meaning behind a personal piece of jewelry doesn’t have to be that deep. Coco Chanel pinned a white camellia to her lapel simply because it was a flower she loved. According to Chanel’s website, she “adored the camellia for its almost geometrical roundness and the regular perfection and classic order of its pure white petals.” Now a symbol of the French fashion house, the camellia adorns some of the most jaw-dropping pieces of Chanel’s fine-jewelry collection, in the form of rings, pendants, earrings, and watches.

Some believe the idea of metaphysical properties in gems was first cultivated in the ancient cultures of Babylonia and India where astrologers believed gems were filled with magic and spiritual powers. In early societies a stones’ healing and mystical properties had more meaning for its wearer than its aesthetic qualities. Celestial planets were linked to specific stones and this ultimately led to the foundation of our Western birth month, zodiac sign and gemstone traditions.

San Francisco socialite, Dorothy Parker, once said, “There are always those who cannot distinguish between glitter and glamour, just as there are always those who cannot understand why you should desire real pearls…”. Now there’s a woman who understands how amazing these gifts from the sea are!

Topaz is the gemstone thought to hold the widest range of curative powers. Among those is the ability to dispel enchantment, improve eyesight, increase strength, heal mental disorders, cure insomnia and asthma and even prevent death. Topaz’s qualities that would certainly boost your social life are promoting friendship, ensuring fidelity, increasing patience and developing a pleasant disposition. Topaz is said to change color in the presence of poisoned food or drink … maybe it could tell you if that guy is good for you or not!

But can she talk in a common language when it comes to discussing jewelry? Just as with shoes, accessorizing with the right piece of jewelry can make an outfit. To be an educated buyer, you’ve got to know the lingo!

This was the point where I said who cares? I like to wear tons of jewelry. And I receive compliments on my quirky style all the time. People are always coming up and touching my pendant, picking it up, flipping it around in their hands or jangling my heap of bracelets which sounds like a wind chime. I think it’s all in how you wear what you wear, not how much of it are you wearing.

A style of diamond cutting named after famed Dutch diamond cutter Joseph Asscher, which resembles a rectangular or square shaped octagon. This sexy cut has had a recent resurgance of popularity as a unique alternative to the traditional emerald cut.

A popular look for the bold “Right Hand Ring”, this style setting surrounds a larger center stone with several smaller stones. It is designed to create a beautiful larger ring from many smaller stones.

A loupe, pronounced loop, is any small magnifying glass mounted for hand use, that allows the user to take a closer look at a gemstone.

The metal tip or bead that actually holds a stone in place. Traditionally stones are held by four or six prongs. A safety tip … always check your prongs regularly so you do not loose your precious gem! If you take your jewelry to a shop every now and then for a professional cleaning, they can check your prongs at the same time. And don’t forget to keep your insurance riders up to date.

Pearls are soft, especially compared to gem stones. To keep your pearls from getting scratched by other hard jewelry, always store them separate from in a soft pouch or a jewelry case with a soft lining.

At one time they were even consider more valuable than diamonds. You probably can’t find a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I where she is not virtually dripping in pearls … in her hair, around her neck and sewn into her gowns. Elizabeth’s display of opulent pearls demonstrated her station in life; her power, wealth and her nobility. In 1893 Kokichi Mikimoto developed the culturing of pearls and subsequently changed the pearl market forever. Though not considered as rare as they once were, pearls are still a wonder of nature and a symbol of purity, elegance, beauty and sophistication.

I was shocked. For some reason, this event stuck with me. As I continued about my day, the image haunted me. For 25 years I have worked in the jewelry industry, and have seen and repaired many a treasure.

Platinum gained popularity in the late 1800’s when metal smiths developed the technology to work with the rare metal and discovered its unique properties. Platinum is remarkably pliable, allowing it to be drawn into very fine wire while remaining strong and durable. This opened up a world of intricate, lacy jewelery design possibilities. Most platinum jewelry is 95 percent pure platinum. The other 5% is usually palladium, iridium, ruthenium or other alloys. Look for a stamp or mark in jewelry that reads Plat or 950 Plat to be sure you have acquired this glamorous metal.

Pure gold is a rich glorious yellow color. When it is alloyed with other metals, the color varies. Basically, the higher the Karat percentage, the softer and yellower the metal. A myriad of colors can be created as the gold is combined with different elements. White gold is created by adding palladium or nickel alloy, copper and zinc. Pink or red gold is created when gold is combined with copper. Green gold is a mixture of yellow gold, silver, copper and zinc.