I'm not one for enormous jewels and gems on my jewelry (I know, call me crazy) but this Glacier Ring by Swarovski really appeals to me. Maybe it's because there is no large bling set onto a band so much as the bling is the band. Appropriately named after a mass of ice, this Swarovski crystal cocktail ring is faceted to catch both the light and the attention of your fellow party goers and is gold-plated inside for comfort. A perfect winter accessory as it evokes feelings of snow and sparkles and will coordinate with everything. £142

The Miss California USA pageant is eager to put the Carrie Prejean story behind it and has unveiled the crown that will sit atop the new Miss California USA's head. INTA Gems & Diamonds, the official jeweler of Miss California USA, has designed the new crown which they say promotes unity, love and the beauty of California. The crown will be unveiled to the public at the Beauty of California dinner at the Rivera Resort in Palm Springs on November 21 at 8 pm. The stars that line the border of the crown represent the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The curves of the crown are mean to recall the waves that flow back and forth along the California coastline. The crown is made of silver, gold and a total of 768 stones including diamonds, diamond simulants, natural sapphire, and pearl.

Peter Young, creative director of INTA Gems & Diamonds designed the crown with the idea that after the controversy over Carrie Prejean's opinion on gay marriage at the Miss USA pageant he wanted his design to present a positive view for the next 2010 Miss California USA titleholder. The wave design also represents the different perspectives in California. He says: "I felt a strong need for people to know that although we may have different opinions from opposite sides, the one universal idea that speaks true for all of us is that love unites. Therefore, at the center of the beautifully formed sparkling wave design is a heart. I hope that speaks true to the next Miss California USA."

The 2010 Miss California USA pageant that will be televised on Sunday, Nov 22 on the CW and on My Television television networks.

Peter Nitz creates unique leather goods that represent his own personal vision of what a sophisticated luxury aesthetic embodies. A former Assistant Director of Acquisitions at an auction house, Peter has a unique eye for quiet luxury and handcrafts each piece himself. He refined his abilities for two and a half years at the knee of a former Hermes craftsman, who he encountered on a weekend trip to Paris. During this time he mastered centuries-old techniques that, while demanding precision and patience, result in products that are truly refined.

Originally from South Carolina, Peter moved to Europe and traveled the globe in a quest to find the best producers of exotic skins, linen thread, hardware and other materials necessary to open his own atelier. Each bag is designed from an initial plan, but influenced by the specific exotic skin used, to produce a perfect union between design and material. Some of the bags feature vintage fine jewelry Peter acquires by scouring auction houses and private collectors, and each piece is one of a kind.

There are two main collections:
The Atelier collection, which include classic Peter Nitz designs, but can be special ordered in whichever skin and color a customer desires. This results in a truly bespoke bag that suits a clients specific needs.
The Masterpiece collection, which combines exquisite vintage fine jewelry with exotic skins resulting in a piece that is closer to art than a handbag.

Each piece comes in its own handmade leather-covered drawered box with a customized handle made from the same leather as the individual bag. Prices for the bags without jewels begin at $2,500 and can reach as high as $9,000 to $20,000 dollars depending on both the type of skin used and the value of the jewels that adorn the bag.

This has been a big week for celebrity jewelry lines. We've seen Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt announce a line with Asprey, Alica Keys has a new line and now actress Michelle Trachtenberg has designed a line of jewelry for Coach's youth skewed Poppy Line. Trachtenberg's line in bright and colorful with big crystals, faux pearls and metal charms. Our sister blog Styelist spoke with Trachtenberg who said that her spring line was inspired by a mixture of romance and edginess that she described as having a very "Marie Antoinette meets Blondie" vibe.

Watches in rings have been done before, but not quite like this. This is a new approach and quite interesting. The Digit Watch is design to appeal to both men and women, and given its high level of customization - the company can make one for you. Produced in London, the Digit Watch takes existing mechanical watch movements from major luxury watch brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Breitling, Blancpain, and others (buyer can choose), and places them inside of an 18k white gold ring with an Aquamarine jewel face, decorated with 142 diamonds. The ring has a watch face on it, and a crown for winding and setting the movement.

The concept is nifty for women who want something different, and as a second timepiece on ones hand for men who want the bling of a pinky ring. That rhymed... "Yo, look at my ring... I'm talking here!" I like who the movement is actually special and often a bit unique. It would have been easier to just put in a quartz movement, but that is not what the designer wanted to do. You can see in the image gallery who the small 17 jewel manually wound movements are inserted into the watch. An interesting idea and available starting at about 8,000 British pounds.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Frequent among the Forbes Magazine list of world's richest people, South African native Johann Rupert has been appointed the new CEO of the Richemont Group, who is owns a bevy of world-class watch and jewelry labels. Among these are Cartier, Panerai, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and A. Lange & Sohne. It is unclear to me why Richemont Group's previous CEO left (sources say he retired), but with Rupert's history in the luxury realm, as well as charismatic personality, he seems like a good fit. Plus, he is wealthy enough to afford his company's own products.

One thing that Rupert made clear, is important for the company's future. Unlike the recent increase of detailed oversight of the brands under the Richemont umbrella, Rupert has indicated that he desires autonomy for the group brands. This is one of the major reasons we saw a rash of CEO resignations from Richemont brands (such as A. Lange & Sohne and Baume & Mercier). Hopefully Rupert is aware of the fact that micromanaging didn't do anyone any good, ever.

Rupert is not exactly a self-made man, but has done well with the incredible wealth that he inherited. His business record is quite impressive. It is well known in the watch industry that times are tough for luxury items. Richemont Group and main competitor Swatch Group have been hit hard, so it will be interesting to see their plans for recovery over the next few years.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Natural colored diamonds and other colored stones did very well at the Sotheby's "Magnificent Jewels" sale in Geneva this week. The Roxburghe Rubies, a parure of a ruby and diamond necklace and earrings brought $5.77 million, five times the set's estimated price. A rare 2.52 carat vivid green diamond sold for $3.08 million. It was the largest vivid-green diamond ever to appear at auction and the sale set a new world-record price per carat for a green diamond at auction. Swiss jeweler Chatila paid $2.52 million for a 3.17-carat fancy intense blue diamond which set a new world-record price per carat for an intense blue diamond sold at auction. Chatila also paid $3.13 million for a 74.8-carat fancy vivid-yellow diamond ring. The sale brought in $36.68 million putting it safely above the pre-sale low estimate of $29.5 million. A total of 79 percent of the lots up for sale sold.

LOLA Jewelry gets its name from Lots of Little Accessories, a nod to the undeniable desire to pick up a handful of tempting gems. This is a jewelry line that really celebrates color in the form of tourmalines, sapphires, beryls and many other beautiful gemstones. The brand is the creation of creation of Stacey Vance and her partner Kim Wilson and is based is based in Dallas, Texas. Jewelry from the LOLA collection is crafted out of 18k yellow gold, 14k white gold or platinum, and piece start around $400 but go much higher. Custom designs are also available.

Luxist asked Stacey Vance about which colored gemstones are most popular. She says that sapphires remain the most popular but that what many people might not know is that sapphires come in many colors beyond deep blue. The necklace above, which is made of sapphire and ruby briolettes, shows just some of the colors this stone can come in.

For those who are unsure about purchasing colored stones, Vance says that while the internet is a great research tool its important to be able to trust your jeweler. She says that at LOLA she likes to have a personal relationship with customers so that she can advice pieces for their particular wants/needs and budget. As she puts it: "once you buy a piece of LOLA Jewelry, I consider you part of the family - even if it's a one-time purchase. Whether it's an engagement ring, a new mother's gift, or a pair of exquisite earrings to show someone how you feel about them, I love being part of life's special occasions; it makes every piece wonderful and exciting!"

We've written about Alicia Keys's charity work with Keep A Child Alive before so its no surprise that one of the core pieces in her new jewelry line is devoted to the cause. Keys is launching a new jewelry line, The Barber's Daughters, with jeweler Gisèle Theriault. The collection will be displayed at a pop-up shop at the Collette Blanchard Gallery in New York City on November 23 and 24. The inspirational jewelry line features precious metals inscribed with poetry, prayers and other words.

The special design for Keep A Child Alive is a sterling silver double tablet necklace on an oxidized rope chain features the Gandhi quote which says: "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." The design is inspired by ancient Inukshuk rock sculptures used to alert others they were on the right path. The necklace sells for $295 and Keep A Child Alive receives $100 from each one.

Can two of the hottest stars in the world pep up an esteemed but faltering British jewelry line? WWD announced that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have created a capsule collection of gold jewelry and silver snake-themed accessories called The Protector. The collection was conceived and designed by Pitt and Jolie and will go on sale at Asprey stores in London, New York, Beverly Hills, Tokyo and Dubai later this week. All net proceeds from the pieces, which include a serpent-handled baby spoon for $525, will benefit Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, a nonprofit Jolie cofounded in 2006. Jolie, who is a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency, has a deep interest in aiding young victims of war, conflict and natural disasters.

Brad Pitt has designed pieces for Damiani when he was married to Jennifer Aniston. Jolie has worn Asprey on the red carpet before and both Jolie and Pitt have also commissioned pieces privately from Asprey. WWD has a gallery of the pieces which include silver baby gifts, pendants and rings features micropavé diamonds and gemstones.

As WWD mentions, the collection should bring some attention to Asprey, which has been struggling to find its niche lately. Last year the brand decided to narrow down its offerings and to focus on bridal and high-end jewelry. In September after Hermes bought out the Asprey store on Bond Street in London rumors swirled that Hermes might buy the entire Asprey business. Asprey had two consecutive loss-making years with sales dropping from £17 million to £13 million but the tremendous star power of Brangelina might mean happy days are here again for the brand.

You have to be a very important collector to get your own sale at Christie's. Most collections are amassed into larger sales but a single owner collection of 10 jewels is set for December 10, is set for the same day as the New York Jewels sale at Christie's New York. This smaller sale features some big stones. The most important is the "Evening Star" diamond, a pear-shaped, 39-carat, D-color diamond mounted in a platinum pendant. This stone is a type IIa diamond the type which was found in India's famous ancient Golconda mines. It is certified to be VVS1 clarity and is accompanied by a working diagram indicating that the clarity may be potentially internally flawless.

The Evening Star alone is estimated at $3.6 million to $5.5 million. The name comes from the owner's habit of wearing the stone to evening galas. She wore the stone suspended from a diamond necklace that consisted of 68 graduated pear-shaped diamonds. That necklace is also for sale with an estimated value of $400,000 to $600,000. And to complete the parure you can pick up the matching pair of diamond ear pendants with two pear-shaped, D-color diamonds of 10.21 and 10.51 carats. The earrings which are also type IIa stones are estimated to bring in $1.7 million to $2.5 million.

Other diamond pieces in the sale include a diamond bracelet by Van Cleef and Arpels and a 36.78-carat, rectangular-cut, D-color, internally flawless diamond ring mounted in platinum with an estimated value of between $2.75 million and $3.5 million. If diamonds aren't your favorite you can bid on an a rare color-change alexandrite ring. The 3.6 carat stone show teal in daylight and purple in incandescent light.

[via National Jeweler]

If the fears of hyperinflation are realized, you'll look back with pride on your luxury purchases. All that money you've sunk into custom jewelry and top-of-the-line stones will make you look like an absolute genius. Well, that's the position of South African billionaire Johann Rupert, and I'd take the advice of a guy who can be described that way.

According to Bloomberg News, the told investors, "If we enter hyperinflation, you're going to be so glad that you bought that stuff two months or six months ago." He added, "If inflation picks up, you're going to see people running into your stores, buying high jewelry."

Will inflation cause a mob to form outside the Cartier store on Fifth Avenue? Well, I don't think I'd worry too much about the pushing and shoving, but being ready to throw an elbow probably isn't a bad idea.

Of course, Rupert has something to gain – his company, Richemont, is the world's second largest luxury goods maker (behind LVMH). In his talk with investors in the company controlled by his family, he forecasted "normal growth" with luxury sales showing signs of recovery this month and next.

Love your state? Maya Brenner's state necklaces are a unique way to show your love for your home turf or maybe the place you'd most like to be. The necklaces are hung on 16-inch 14K gold chains and show the outline of the state. For a little personalization you can add a small diamond mounted anywhere along the outline. The pieces are available in 14K gold or sterling silver, with or without the small diamond. The Texas necklace shown at right sells for $300 and is a favorite with Texas natives Eva Longoria Parker and Jessica Simpson.

If you've ever seen celebrities on the red carpet at one of the major awards shows you've probably seen Fred Leighton jewels. The estate jeweler routinely outfits many top stars with glittering jewelry for special occasions. It's been a tough year for the jeweler, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2008 but now rescue comes from diamond jewelry brand Kwiat. National Jeweler reports that Kwiat Enterprises, LLC and two other partners have purchased the assets of Fred Leighton in a $25.8 million deal.

Kwiat will take over the Fred Leighton business, including its boutiques in New York City and Las Vegas, continuing to run them under the Fred Leighton name. Kwiat's other partners are Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC--partnering as FL Acquisitions LLC and FOF Inventory Holding, which consists of four estate and jewelry dealers including Windsor Jewelers, Robert Sadian and Mark Emanuel of European Arts and Antiques, Sima Ghadamian of Sima G. Ltd., and Moonbeam Consulting, whose principal is the company's original founder Fred Leighton.

Greg Kwiat, who will be chief executive officer of Fred Leighton, told National Jeweler that he see Fred Leighton as a "very complementary acquisition for Kwiat." After all both brands court the favor of Hollywood stars and both have retail stores on Madison Avenue in New York City and in Las Vegas. Kwiat hopes to boost Fred Leighton's retail presence and its wholesale presence in fine department stores and independent jewelers.

Jewelry collector and Fred Leighton owner Ralph Esmerian who filed the bankruptcy petition, bought Fred Leighton for $100 million in 2006 using a $178 million loan from Merrill Lynch and Co. Last year he planned a Christie's auction to recoup some of the brand's outstanding debt claims. Esmerian relinquished control of the company to a restructuring officer in January 2009 and earlier this month a bankruptcy judge signed an order that authorized the sale to Kwiat and the other two companies of Fred Leighton's assets, free and clear of all liens, claims, interests and encumbrances. The company's main creditor, Merrill Lynch will be the first beneficiary of the proceeds of the sale. In a press release issued by the company, Fred Leighton himself expressed enthusiasm that the Fred Leighton Madison Avenue store will continue to remain a New York landmark and that the brand "will continue to be the preeminent antique jeweler in the world."