EYE CANDY BEAUTIFUL

Gerard Yocsa

Follow us this season on our calorie free journey of the latest eye candy accessories that’s slim on the hips, great for the neckline, and deliciously appetizing to others.   Imagine dressing in style with little effort, and more importantly, without spending thousands to constantly update your wardrobe each season.  How many of us already own that fabulous garment which has been unkindly tossed into the far recess of a closet never to be seen again?  Whether the garment was discarded due to over wear and sheer boredom or, heavens, we made a purchase on a day when the fashion police weren't  around to stop us, we’ve  hated it from day one.  Sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it?

Versace

For years we’ve been told over and over again that “classic clothes never go out of style.”  In my opinion, this statement is not totally true.  Using today’s vernacular, one’s wardrobe might need a fashion face lift.  With the economic downturn and less money to toss aside and buy new it takes a bit of creativity to add new life to a few tired favorites.  No surgery is needed ladies. Learn to accessorize.  What is needed for that fashion uplift you may already own?  It is wise to purchase each season a few select pieces and continually add to your collection. Designer accessories are not inexpensive and looking for discount sales is important.  However, in the long run, because of the high quality and workmanship of these signature pieces, these items can become good investments and collectibles at the same time that you are enjoying wearing them.  Example, Versace, Christian Dior, Lagerfeld  belts, Tiffany, Cartier, Hermes and Picasso scarves.  Judith Leiber, Kenneth Jay Lane and Lalique handbags are wonderful additions that will guarantee you will always be in style.   

Paloma Picasso

                                                                

Chanel

                  














Throughout the centuries, the fashion chic inherently understood the basic principles of dress. State of the economy and mood of the people dictated style of the day.  The relaxed mood of the 60’s with the Beatles, mini skirts and First Lady Jacqueline  Kennedy created an easier style of dress that was both comfortable and elegant in design.  A string of pearls over a simple a-line dress became an American icon.  On the other hand one of the most important designers of the 20th century was French born Coco Chanel whose modernist philosophy, mens-wear inspired fashions, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her among the top 100 designers throughout the world. Coco Chanel is famous for her flamboyant use of accessories by combining faux pearls, gold-plated chains and colorful gripoix glass stones. Chanel was certainly a diva of her time possessing a keen natural fashion sensibility that remains unparalleled.  The name  of Coco Chanel is synonymous with elegance, class and good taste.

Gerard Yosca

Collecting and wearing vintage costume jewelry and designer clothing continues to be a passion on a global scale.  The demand for designer luxury goods has never been hotter and consumers must become astute when purchasing these goods because of the huge illegal black market in the U.S. which markets fake luxury designer goods.  Know who you are purchasing from and ask questions.  Authentic  designer jewelry, Earrings, handbags, scarves, etc., remain fashion stables and affordable. This all became possible in the early1960’s when several European designers departed from their couture private line to market porte-à-porte and the public's demand appears eternal

Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld

From the time of the Pharaohs, jewelry often was lavish. The Egyptian women adorned their arms with slithering snake arm cuffs and bracelets studded with natural gemstones. The Greeks and Romans embellished their necklines in gold and beaded bib necklaces and crescent shaped collars. The emergence of Christianity influenced the Medieval Era followed by the birth of the Renaissance and Baroque period lead generations to follow and be inspired by this rich fashion legacy.  Post war period mid 40’s and early 50’s saw the emergence of European  designers who drew this wealth of glitter & gold.. The history of fashion and design clearly reflects that, throughout the centuries, women have loved ornamentation and dressing to feeling beautiful.   Apparently this desire for beauty must be an inherited trait and part of a women’s DNA.  I call it a fashion gene. I realize that this gene remains undiscovered by scientific community and completely misunderstood by men.  However, just ask a women, why she bought something and she would usually reply,  "because it made me feel beautiful."

Lalique Paris

Cartier Santos
                          

Season's Greetings To All.

The holiday season is a time of love, birth and family.  Let’s celebrate by being beautiful in spirit to one another throughout the coming year.

Thank You for helping to make Melange-Art a success over the past 5 years.  We could not have done it without your support.   

Linda Sweeney

Melange-Art

http://www.melange-art.com

Take an additional 20% off all jewelry including Tiffany and Cartier watches staring Nov. 25th through Dec. 15th. Just mention that you received this holiday mailing via Twitter,  eBlog or the Newsletter when you place your order or call us.    

Note: Adjustment wil be made after order has been placed and submitted.  We will follow-up within 24 hours with a corrected invoice ready for payment that reflects the new sale price.       

                                            

                                               

                              

JEWELERS OF THE STARS

The evolution of costume jewelry design over the centuries has been an important and exciting journey to watch for many.  Especially if you are among the myriad numbers of women who are passionate jewelry collectors. The 20th century brought about major changes in jewelry manufacturing and design along with the discovery of hundreds of different gemstones, the perfection of the cubic zirconia (CZ), and the new plating processes have open the doors to new designers worldwide.

Who’s on the world’s best list of designers.   The king, of course, is Kenneth Jay lane, along with Nolan Miller, Joan Rivers, Ivana Trump, Robert Tacori, Victoria Wieck, David Yurman and John Hardy among just a few of many with famous and noble followings.

 Robert Tacori and Victoria Wieck have been working with real gemstones and precious metals for decades. Only after CZs and gold and platinum plating processes became perfected did they enter into the fashion jewelry industry  Many others soon followed bring more affordable costume jewelry pieces to market via QVC and HSN and other major marketing venues.

Let’s begin with the king of fabulous faux jewelry:

Kenneth Jay Lane

Say fashion jewelry to any Hollywood star and two names will immediately spring to mind: Nolan Miller and Kenneth Jay Lane. Beginning as a shoe designer for Christian Dior, Lane used his free time to design his first love - jewelry. He eventually talked Saks Fifth Avenue into trying a few of his pieces and was delighted to discover he was an instant hit. Lane has created designs for first ladies like Jacquelyn Kennedy and Barbara Bush, as well as for Hollywood stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn. But his designs are just as respected by the younger stars of today. Kenneth Jay Lane is one of only a select few of fashion jewelry designers whose work draws even higher bids on the secondary jewelry market. Some of his brooches have been sold at Christie’s for hundreds of dollars.

Nolan Miller:

Nolan Miller is equally well known and loved amongst the stars. He holds the distinction of being highly popular on both the big and small screens. Probably best known for his work on ABC’s hit prime time soap, “Dynasty,” Miller, much like Lane, spans decades of popularity. Unlike Lane, however, Miller never strayed from his haute couture roots. He remains a designer of the stars. However, when he found it difficult to find jewels that matched the quality of his clothes, it seemed only natural that he would cross over into that realm and opened a shop in Hollywood Hills and became the jewels of the stars.  A decade later he partnered withQVC bring his luxury costume line around the globe. 

Robert Tacori 

is also a name known among the wealth and jet setters.  This elegant jewelry line combines platinum and diamonds in some of the most innovative designs ever made. Tacori’s jewelry is often modeled by the biggest stars as they walk down the red carpet each year.  Beauty, elegance, and grace is thy name TACORI.  

Robert Tacori’s “Epiphany” line embraced realistic simulated gemstones in ruby red, blue sapphire, yellow diamonds and sparkling green emerald colored crystals.  All at a mere fraction of the real thing making his jewels affordable to many.

Victoria Wieck

Renowned Beverly Hills designer, Victoria Wieck entered into the fashion jewelry market about a decade ago designing one-of-a-kind architectural jewelry pieces for people all over the world of means.  Her luxury jewelry were unique pieces embedded with diamonds and gemstones.  Victoria’s pieces retail for hundreds of dollars designing for a client base of the wealthy.   Soon Wieck desired to market her stunning architecturally creations to a broader market wishing to dress like a star and partnered with HSN shopping network.   Today, Victoria Wieck’s designs are available in sterling silver, gold plate, vermeil and studded with CZ stones that sparkle like the real thing.  She is known for her unparalleled pave innovations and creation of the imitation champagne and chocolate diamonds.   

Joseph Espisito

Joseph Espisito’s unique designs, using sterling silver and natural gems like tigereye, turquoise, and coral (to name just a few) have been valued by women all over the world for decades. From bold modern takes on art deco pieces to Native American inspired jewelry surrounded with the glamour of modern day CZ’s, Espisito’s work is both striking and highly collectible. Jewelry design runs in the Espisito family, with Joe’s wife and daughter offering their own unique points of view and also sharing their very favorite designs. Nolan Miller

Joan Rivers

A name known around the world for her comic works, Joan has always had a passion for Victorian and Russian inspired jewelry.  Rivers started dallying in jewelry design as a sideline while she was still actively busy in standup comedy.  Little did she know that this jewelry passion would eventually grow into a million-dollar industry. Today Joan designs and re-creates some of the most beautiful fashion jewelry available in the world today taking more time away from her stage career.  Using the almost lost art forms of hand enameling and plique au jour, Rivers has managed to recapture the spirit of days gone by. Her Victorian flowers and Russian eggs, as well as her innovative watches, are collected by women in more than thirty countries.   Joan became the Diva of QVC launching her into stardom .

Suzanne Somers

Suzanne Somers claims she got into the jewelry business because her beloved husband, while wonderful in more ways than she can count, wasn’t one for buying her jewelry. However, just like the rest of us women, she liked pretty, shiny trinkets. So she thought to herself, “why not design them myself?” What followed became a juggernaut for the feisty blonde. Her trillion-shaped bracelet quickly became the highest selling piece of jewelry in Home Shopping Network’s history, outselling virtually everything within her line and everyone else’s. It even launched imitations from several different designer colleagues including that of Nolan Miller. Working with CZs, crystals, and simulated stones, Somers has a real affinity for modernizing Oriental and Native American pieces by putting her own unique stamp on them. 

Heidi Daus

With more than 25 years in jewelry design, Heidi Daus brings her love for vintage inspired jewelry to life in a dramatically modern way. Her love of exotic gems as well as colored imitation gemstones and crystals has led her into a remarkable niche in the jewelry industry. Mixing unusual colors together and daring to pair faceted and opaque stones within the same piece, Daus designs some of the most spectacular jewelry the world has ever seen. Drawing upon elements of the Victorian, Baroque, Art Deco, and Art Nouveau eras, Daus  contemporary designs reach the more modern worman but her work that remains true to the period. Heidi Daus designs combines classic beauty, elegant and grace with vivid colorful gem disbursements, and shapes.  Her jewelry has the look and quality of time for the next generation.

Nicky Butler

Much like Daus, Nicky Butler has carved out his own special place within the jewelry industry. Working primarily in sterling silver and unusual stones like moonstone, turquoise, and chalcedony as well as with precious gems like peridot, garnet, and amethyst, Butler’s work is also easily recognizable. Using a lot of cabochon-cut gems and beads, as well as faceted stones, he sets his work into unusual shapes and forms. While some of his work is reminiscent of Native American style jewelry, other pieces are totally his point of view alone. Big and bold describes Butler’s work, which runs from nature-inspired to religious icons. Butler’s work is available online, through various boutiques, and on HSN.

Through this extraordinary evolution of jewelry design and creation of new gemstones, today’s women have lots of buying options ranging from very expensive to discount store pricing.   These talented designers opened their hearts and expanded their own wealth by bringing an exciting  fashion life style of jewels to those Americans want to be one of the rich and famous, even if it is just for an evening.  Isn't it wonderful!!

Visit our shop for your jewelry needs. 

 http://www.melange-art.com

SPIRITUAL PROPERTIES OF TURQUOISE

Native American jewelry which has been around since the mid 1800's has always featured turquois gemstones in their design. Native artisan also used Coral, Onyx, Mother of Pearl, Tiger's eye, Lapis and Jade in their creations not only for their metaphysical but intrinsic beauty as well.

Generally, Native American jewelry featurd sterling or silver settings, athough brass, mixed metals and gold washes also adorned their designs. However, today the most popular and commonly used metal is sterling.   Both men and women's enjoy the magnificant qualities and richness of of turquoise jewelry.



Fantastic Southwest jewelry can be found throughout the United States with a majority of the turquoise being produced being made in the western states especially here in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.  Although, many readers may not know  that Iran produces some of the highest quality of turquoise in the world today; however, Arizona turquoise maintains it high rating and continues to be very collectible   

Many talented artists belong to the Native American tribes.  Some of the most beautiful jewelry is hand-made   by the Navajo, Zuni and Hopi tribes.  Each tribe's designs and patterns are unique to their tribe.  Once you become an experienced collection the differences between them are easily discernable 

Turquoise however did not come of age until the Europeans came to the west and brought with them silver and methods to work with this beautiful metal. Outside the North American continent, the history of turquoise goes back even further. It in fact goes back to nearly 4000 BC to ancient Egyptians who mined the stone in the Sinai. Ancient Persia was also famous for its turquoise mines, although the Egyptian sources pre-date the Persian sites by several centuries.

The metaphysical qualities of turquoise is one of self-awareness. It is said to be a stone of truth symbolizing a time to be honest with yourself. It is a spiritual stone where it is believed the much will be gained when you become still, and see yourself as your truly are thereby finding success and prosperity in life.

The richness of the Tiger's Eye gem stone encourages a passion for life and enhances your willpower and drives your will for success. It promotes not only clarity of intention, boosts self esteem, and gives courage, determination, and strength. 

Another stone often married in Native American design is red coral which is thought to possess healing properties vary depending on the color of the coral. Coral colors include black for male fertility and pink for female fertilit. Deep red coral aids conception, mother-child bonding and nourishing the blood stream and skeletal system.  I find it interesting the symbolic natures of gemstones.  The beautiful Lapis lazuli is a gorgeous deep blue gemstone with varying matrix patterning.  It offers mental reasoning and objectivity assisting the clearing of emotional baggage. It also can be used as a focusing tool for meditation and dream analysis.  Lapis is widely used by the Native American Indians in bead making and used often in intricate inlay designs. 

The United States is the largest producer of turquoise in the world today. Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado are the primary producers in the US. Iran produces turquoise of the highest quality in the world today, although specimens from Arizona are also highly rated. Other less significant producers of turquoise include Australia, China, Chile, and Peru.

Buyers should be aware that an alarming trend is the recent cheap and fake imitations that have entered the market.  Plastic colors, synthetic treatments deteriorate the quality of turquoise. Such imitations are done in a manner that it is difficult to separate the real from the fake. 


It is important not to be fooled. One should purchase only from authentic dealers who specialize in Native American and Southwest jewelry.  It may be safest to purchase vintage and Native American pawn jewelry if you wish to have pieces that are not stabilized.  This  stabilized process is very commonly found in today's contemporary or modern pieces because turquoise and similar stones are fragile and the resin used adds protective qualities to the setting without changing its properties.  

In summation, It is believed that Navajos began working with turquoise after returning from the "Long Walk" to and from Fort Sumner, New Mexico in 1868. Aside from its ornamental value, turquoise is especially important to the Navajo people and other tribes because of its religious significance and its representation of a well-being in an individual . . . .  isn't that ancient prayer one of all mankind, notwithstanding race or color . . . . peace in one's heart?


Visit our shop for the holidays. 

http://www.melange-art.com

LOVE OF PEARLS

Since the 13th and 14th Century pearl jewelry was the sign of royalty, aristocracy and wealth. With the changing fashion, pearl became so popular that cultivated pearls have been introduced to meet the crying demand for this precious element. Although the cultured pearls have replaced the natural pearls in jewels, the demand for ornaments crafted with pearl have never diminished and remain a symbol of unblemished perfection.  A fragment of the first pearl was  found in the sarcophagus of A persian princess who died in 520BC.  It is currently displayed in the Louvre.   The Latin word for pearl literally means "unique" therefore no two pearls are identical.

Pearl fashion, style and taste over the years has evolved.  Pearls  are no longer a symbol of wealth available to only a few.  The concept of pearls & aristocry changed in both meaning and form. form.  In the 30's  Coco Chanel began combing gems and pearls to accessorize her highly fashionable clothing line.  Coco loved wearing jewelry since she was a child.  It was her belief the jewelry should be worn to adorn and not to display wealth.  Chanel costume pearls were bigger in scale and designed in fashion shades consisting of multiple rows. The
Romanov jewels given to her by the Grand Duke Dimitri of Russia, gave her ideas to create long gilt chains with Baroque crosses creation of the artifical glass pearl.  

Thanks to Coco Chanel and other European fashion designers of her time who were all fascinated with the Renaissance and Byzantine periods  pearls became a new fashion statements for the people from any walk of life irrespective of their age and socioeconomic status.  A pearls beauty is only enhanced further when showcased in a gold or platinum settings.  The soft hues of pearls are utterly feminine and when combined with other gemstones, and especially diamonds the look is sheer elegance.






Purchasing the real thing:

One does not need to be an expert when purchasing pearls, however certain critical aspects should be considered before buying as with any fine piece of jewelry. 

Type: Review, evaluate and determine the type of pearl that you prefer.   The types of pearls include freshwater and saltwater pearls. They vary largely in terms of their luster, texture and shapes. Although the freshwater pearls are available with wide range of colors and shapes, they are not as glittery as saltwater pearls. Therefore, the shapes, color and glitter of the pearl can highly affect its overall look. 

Quality:  No matter how beautifully designed your setting maybe, it is the pear's quality that will make the jewelry piece exceptional. Luster, texture, shapes and sizes are the features that decide the quality of them.

Design:  Once a high quality pearl or pearls have been selected, the main factor to consider is the actual design.  Jewlery design is personal.  It can create a total new look or image and best yet it can enhance your own innate personality.  Pearl are no longer worn just for special ocassions and do not define age.  Todays ornamental pearls as well as yesterdays vintage pearls by renowned fashion designers Chanel, Valentino, Givenchy ($300 to $1,500) are worn on and off the runway with models wearing the latest pair of designer jeans heavily layered with chunky colored beads and chains or modeling a chanel style crop  jacket and short skirt.  Pearls are the perfect accessory to refreshen last years wardrobe or a new sensation. Whether you can afford the finest Mikimoto perarls ($2,000 to $8,000) or you've fallen in love with a chunky Anne Klein or Swarovsky Pearl & Crystal necklace ($50 to $200)  vintage pearl costume jewelry is here to stay.  PS. Don't forget your local thrift store, too. ($3.00 - $12.00). 


http://www.melange-art.com


Some of the jewlery featured in this article are available Karl Lagerfeld (Lower Right); Ugo Correani (Middle Right - SOLD);  Yves Saint Laurent (Top Right)