All That Glitters...

January 2005 Issue #005

Get the lowdown on the latest trends in engagement rings, celebrity gossip, Golden Globes glamor, gifts and much more...

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The holiday season is over and we are now into the exciting awards season, with the Golden Globes presented last week. Read our review of the best fashions and jewels on the red carpet. We've also got all the goss on the latest make-ups and break-ups in Tinseltown as well as the special gift we promised you on the website.

Contents:

1. The best fashion and jewelry on the red carpet at the 2006 Golden Globes.

2. Make-ups and break-ups in Tinseltown.

3. The latest 2006 trends in engagement rings.

4. Special FREE gift for "All That Glitters" subscribers.

The best fashion and jewelry on the red carpet at the 2006 Golden Globes.

This year's outfits were another very ho-hum lot with almost every celebrity playing it safe in figure hugging couturier numbers, but diamonds remained a top choice for most attendees on the red carpet.

• Retro is making a comeback, with Natalie Portman and Reese Witherspoon both in vintage Chanel. Also on show were retro jewels, with Renee Zellweger in a vintage Van Cleef and Arpels diamond cuff bracelet. In fact, whether retro or modern, many of the starlets featured large diamond cuffs. Another hot favorite was the crystal-encrusted Swarovski clutch purse - oh so chic!.
• Chandelier earrings and diamond drops were once again a favorite, but we also saw many examples of large ball-like and beaded earrings, some set with gemstones and others more subdued. Reese Witherspoon's earrings were a lovely example, three staggered globes on each that glittered ever so slightly when she turned her head.

  Other attendees went for bigger earring looks with diamond drop earrings, particularly those fashioned in teardrops or circles. Winner Felicity Huffman, nominee Marcia Cross, nominee Michelle Williams and presenter Queen Latifah all opted for this look.

• Mary-Louise Parker wore a long lariat-like necklace, delicate but showy. Several other women wore lariats of varying lengths, but necklaces in general were in short supply.
• Diamond brooches also made their red-carpet comeback this year, showing up in presenter Mariah Carey's hair, fastened on the waist of Natalie Portman's dress and pinned to the back of Renee Zellweger's gown.

If there was a diamond look that really took your fancy, I can guarantee you that as you read this, our favorite fashion jeweler Emitations will be coming up with copies that will dazzle you at a fraction of the price of the real thing.

And while we're on the subject of Emitations, I recently indulged myself with a circle of princess-cut stones set as an eternity ring and fashioned on a style worn by Queen Latifah recently. I can't begin to tell you how delighted I was with my purchase - not only did my daintily gift boxed jewelry arrive within a couple of days, it was everything I'd dreamed it would be and I defy anybody (other than a qualified jeweler, of course!) to whisper that it isn't the real thing. And best of all, Emitations are having one of their big sales at the moment, so make sure you check them out.

Make-ups and break-ups in Tinseltown

• The holiday season was full of surprises with the biggest of all probably being the news that we all had guessed anyhow - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are definitely an item, and not only that, they are expecting a baby. Now tell us something we didn't know!

  Rumor has it that Brad Pitt was spotted shopping in Beverly Hills for a vintage Cartier engagement ring for the mom-to-be, however the couple insists there is no truth in the rumors they are planning a Valentine's Day wedding.

• Of course, Paris (yes, THAT Paris!) continued to hog the spotlight with various announcements about the plight of the 24-carat canary yellow engagement ring her ex, the other Paris, gave her. It seems she's loathe to give it back and is quoted as saying, "Paris says I can keep the engagement ring. He says I earned it." Various gossip columns have suggested she will be auctioning it via eBay with the proceeds going to Katrina victims, but to date that simply hasn't happened.

  If you're not already addicted to eBay (like I am!), I suggest you click on this link and browse around. I promise you that once you discover all the delights - often at ridiculously low prices - eBay has to offer, you'll be hooked too!

• The paparazzi were out in force when Nicole Kidman recently attended a gala evening to honor fellow Aussie Rupert Murdoch in New York. All eyes were on the big sparkler on her left ring finger. US Weekly Magazine believes the ring is from Keith Urban, another fellow Aussie who has become a country singing star in the US. The couple has been keeping their romance under wraps since it began last summer. Reports say the ring is a 3-stone 4-carat diamond number with one massive emerald cut center stone and is believed to be worth about $100K.

  Despite the ring, the actor has not confirmed whether she is engaged.

• Rapper Eminem remarried his ex-wife Kim earlier this month with a celebration for 800 guests in Rochester, Michigan, included rappers 50 Cent and best man Proof from D-12. The newlyweds, who have a ten-year-old daughter, first married in 1999 but divorced after two years.

  The rapper and his new wife are planning a honeymoon for later this year. Let's hope love is lovelier the second time around for these two.

• Home Alone star Macauley Culkin and his longtime girlfriend Mila Kunis are reportedly shopping for an engagement ring after deciding to wed. The couple, who started dating in 2002, were spotted checking out rings at a number of Beverly Hills jewelers, according to American publication In Touch, and friends claim they're planning to wed this year.

  A source says: "Mila's looking for a ring that's unique and may even opt for a ruby instead of a diamond." Culkin, 25, was previously married to actress Rachel Miner, but the union lasted just two years. They divorced in 2000.

• Anyone who loves Matt Damon, the American actor and Academy award-winning screenwriter, knows that Matt is from Boston. However, when he and Luciana Bozan (previously known as Luciana Barroso) decided to get married earlier last month, they chose New York City for their wedding ceremony - not Boston or Cambridge, where Damon was raised. On December 9th, 2005, Damon, 35 and the Argentine-born Bozan, 29, exchanged vows in front of Bozan's seven year-old daughter, Alexia, and Manhattan's Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

  The civil ceremony took place in New York City's City Hall.

2006 Engagement ring trends

What’s hot right now in diamond engagement rings?

One of the hottest looks in engagement rings now is the revival of antique cut diamonds, such as the cushion-cut. This is also known as the "pillow cut" and it’s the kind of engagement diamond worn famously by singer Leann Rimes. Very popular a century ago, cushion-cut diamonds have rounded corners and larger facets to increase their brilliance under candlelight. Although this cut isn't as fiery as a round or princess cuts, it has a lovely romantic and classic look.

How about size? Is bigger better these days?

That certainly seems to be the trend. Traditional one carat solitaire diamonds have grown to three, four carats, and beyond. Rimes’ engagement diamond, for example, is 5 carats. This bold trend really took off several years ago when Catherine Zeta-Jones sported her 10-carat antique diamond engagement ring from Michael Douglas, reminding us of the year Liz Taylor stunned the world with the famous Taylor-Burton diamond.

Styling trends

In keeping with antique diamond cuts, vintage-inspired designs continue to drive engagement ring fashion trends. Everyone still remembers Madonna’s beautiful Edwardian-style engagement ring, with its classic hand-engraved scroll work. One vintage style that is extremely popular this wedding season is the filigree engagement ring. Filigree is the ornamental work of fine gold or platinum that’s carefully crafted into an openwork design. It’s an art form that can be traced all the way back to 3rd century Greek jewelry. During the 1930s, platinum and 18K white gold filigree engagement rings were among the most sought after rings in both America and Europe.

Today’s jewelry designers have brought back the romanticism of this age-old art, taking elegance and sophistication to a whole new level. Enhanced with geometric patterns, floral cutwork, and milgrained edges ( which lend the appearance of fine antique embroidery ), these new filigree rings capture the breezy elegance and femininity so often found in today’s young brides.

Why the continued fascination with vintage styles?

A beautiful thing about vintage styles is that they match perfectly with not only antique diamond cuts, but also the round brilliant cut ( the most popular of all diamond cuts ), and fancy cuts, such as heart. They also are often dazzling enhanced by pavé diamonds set to form a halo around the center stone, symbolizing love’s unbroken eternal commitment between future newlyweds. An added benefit is that pavé diamonds make it difficult to distinguish individual stones, so the setting makes admirers believe the piece has more ( and larger ) diamonds than it truly does. Pavé set diamonds are also used to enhance the band and frequently are handcrafted into the shoulders of a split shank to give it a shimmering radiance and stunning look.

If you'd like to view antique and vintage style engagement rings online, simply go to Mondera.com, Inc., our favorite online jewelry store.

Your Free E-book : Wonderful Wedding Favors and Wedding Gifts

As a special gift to all new and existing subscribers of "All That Glitters" we've arranged for you to have a FREE copy of "Wonderful Wedding Favors and Wedding Gifts".

This book is packed with gorgeous favors and gifts you can make yourself, for that very personal touch. And your guests will have a memorable keepsake to treasure for ever.

To download your copy, simply go to : http://www.engagement-rings-guide.com/ebook.html. (Please don't give this address away to non-subscribers). This e-book is in PDF format, so you will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat on your computer to download it. If you don't have a copy of Acrobat, we've provided a link to download it on the page for you.

We hope you enjoy this special treat.

That's all for this edition of "All That Glitters..." Please remember, if you enjoy reading this newsletter, the greatest compliment you can give me is "paying it forward" and sending it on to your friends, family and colleagues.

If you have any questions, or any comments you'd like to make about the newsletter or the website, please feel free to contact me at alexis@engagement-rings-guide.com. I'd be delighted to hear from you.

Remember, spring is just around the corner. . .