As 2009 draws to a close, I look back on the year and think of all the hours I have ’spent’ with my Delamina women. Many evenings after long days at work, and many weekends indoors, spent at my computer, seeking out women that I wanted to celebrate.

With a passion for quality workmanship and elegant design, and a constant desire to reinvent his jewelry collections, Barry Kronen Designs showcases glorious gems, glittering diamonds and gleaming high karat metals in styles that are both classic and trendy. Something for every Delamina woman.

Often considered the “oldest type of jewelry,” you may have thought brooches were a prehistoric accessory, something that was only worn by ancient royalty – and you may have been right – until now. This season brooches are making a comeback.

Jacqueline is featuring Delamina - and a pretty sweet discount for her readers - on her wonderful blog. We’ve recently discovered Jacqueline Luxe and her insights into all things luxury.

Have you ever owned a piece of jewelry that you wished you could wear everyday? When contemplating an important jewelry purchase, you should pick something that you love and that can be worn on several occasions with many different outfits.

Here are the five must-haves for this season. This spring, add bunches of bangles, a yellow belt, wedge heels, an oversized bag and pendants to your wardrobe.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Yellow gold is everywhere. It’s bright sizzle is the perfect complement for every skin tone. It’s sunny color warms up any wardrobe. And if you generally prefer silver tones, don’t be afraid to mix metals. Layer. Sprinkle in a little yellow as an accent. Alternate yellow and silver colored bangles.

Sterling silver, which contains 92.5 % silver and 7.5% copper is the most popular because of it’s durability and ability to be highly polished. Most top quality silver pieces are stamped with a mark which designates the precious metal content and a maker’s mark or registered trademark.

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.