If Life Was Only Black And White

So naturally colored diamonds are generally extremely, incredibly, OMG how much, expensive. A pretty little (and I mean little - just one carat) fancy colored red diamond would, more or less, set you back a cool million. Pinks are more affordable - any A-lister Hollywood heavyweight can afford a three-plus carater pink, and any average Wall-Street Hedge Funding Joe can afford a nice fancy yellow.

For the remaining 95% of us fancy colored diamonds are considered a day-dream material, along with a yacht in the South of France and cellulite-free thighs. But, a few know a secret - that is how almost anyone can own their fancy colored gem. Black and champagne diamonds are not only much less expensive than their pink/red and blue counterparts - they're also one of the hot-hit trends of the year.

Kat De Luna was seen sporting a rather cute black and white diamond necklace at the Latin Music awards a couple of weeks ago.

If you want to start off simple, then JCPenney might just be the place to start at. Black, white and champagne diamonds in a ring that's good enough to drink.

Gucci Discovers The Dane

Gucci has just announced the new 'face' of the jewelry campaign. That means they're laying down some serious money on one of young Hollywood's best in the hope she'll attract some new Gucci followers. Eschewing Britney and Lindsey for some strange reason, they've instead chosen Clare Danes as the symbol of what Gucci jewelry represents.

(If you're curious, which I was, apparently Gucci is all about being passionate, independent and having a strong character. They forgot to mention it's all about having money.)

Gucci ain't the only company that has a famous face as the 'muse' for their gems. British rock-maker Stephen Webster recently zeroed in on Christina Aguilera as his muse. Me wonders who's next - any thoughts?

Diamonds 4 Peace

Any beauty queen worth her (meant 'my') weight in salt knows that all she really wants after winning Ms Galaxy et al, is to look after children and bring about world peace. Not that I'm going to start disparaging those more beautiful than myself, ok I am (why break a habit of a lifetime?) but please beautiful people - it's much easier and more realistic if you just buy a piece of peace.

I may have a inherent dislike for those genetically-gifted in the looks department but I spotted one former uber-model wearing a rather chic peace pendant and promptly decided that in this case I"ll make an exception - and follow in a model's footsteps.

Found this diamond peace for $99. (Well, I do get out of bed for less than $10,000) - at Jewelry.com for Zales.

Got Cash To Spare?

Ever wondered how much the super-rich are prepared to pay for their diamonds? Well, they're ready to lay down some serious cash for chance to out-bling the Jones' on Billionaires Row.

A rare and flawless blue diamond recently set a record as the most expensive jewel of its kind ever sold. The gem, which is 6.04 carats and sparkles with an unusual blue hue, is almost as breathtaking as the price it fetched at auction in Hong Kong. It went for a whopping $7.98 million, or about $1.32 million per carat. Because blue diamonds are so rare, they sell for around ten times comparable regular white diamonds sell for.

But, if you prefer your diamonds big and colorless, an upcoming auction in Hong Kong may have that special something. A 101.27-carat stone, the largest white diamond to appear at auction for 20 years will go under the hammer in late May and is expected to fetch in excess of six million dollars.

If you think those two diamonds are, well, somewhat exorbitant, then you obviously weren’t at the 1990 auction in which a 101.84-carat pear-shaped diamond, sold for $12.7 million dollars. The diamond was bought by famed diamond house Mouawad and named the Mouawad Splendor. The gem resurfaced in 2005 hanging between the ‘assets’ of supermodel Gisele Bundchen. Mouawad had teamed up with Victoria’s Secret to create their 2005 Fantasy Bra – aptly named the ‘Sexy Splendor’.

Gemalicious Colors

Daffodil, Mango, Blue Lagoon and Daiquiri Green – I don’t mean flowers, fruit, sea and a cocktail – these are the colors for spring/summer 2008. Forget the dusty shades or subdued pastels, color this summer means bright, bold and blaring.

The fashion world is showering summer-time shoppers with two distinct color palettes this season: juicy, fruity brights that are eye-popping and peppy, or natural neutrals that aim to tap into our eco-consciousness. After all, what's hotter than being GREEN.

There’s no room in the middle Mary.

According to designer Michael Kors, this rush to color-up is a reflection of the nightly news. He explained to reporters at his candy-colored Spring/Summer 2008 show, that his prescription for a population fretting over the war, the economy and the election was to put them in something 'delicious.'

Most of us though, aren’t going to be too confident leaving the house dressed head-to-toe in daffodil yellow or hot-pink and according to the experts, we shouldn’t run to buy neon green burqa any time soon. Mixing colors with neutrals is the way to go, adding strong splashes of the neon lights to tan-hued prints.

For fail-safe splash of color, simply dress up a print or floral blocked shift dress or skirt with a colorful necklace and ring.

Now that’s what I call Gemalicious.