A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose

Or not always

While checking out 1stDibs today I found this diamond rose brooch in platinum with approximately 13 carats in total diamond weight....(note:  the diamonds are typically measured in the mountings and that is why the carat weight is an estimation)

Hmm...interesting....
Except for an additional leaf,  lo and behold, it looks surprisingly similar to this diamond rose brooch, also in platinum, from Beladora.com

The Beladora brooch has a .75 carat round brilliant diamond in the center and approximately 9.75 carats in total weight....and the brooch is substantial in size which you can see from this photo

But no matter the similarity in quality, design and size, there is a difference between the two...
a $10,000 difference
The one from 1stDibs is priced at $18,000
and the Beladora brooch is priced at $8,550
Make no mistake, I am a fan of 1stDibs...I just don't know who pays those prices...

Busy With Blogging and Beladora Business

Thanks to Jill, I clicked on the Bochic Vintage jewelry sale on Gilt Group and was totally blown away by the prices.  If there is something that is actual 'vintage' about this jewelry, please do enlighten me because it looks to me like it was all manufactured in India yesterday.

These turquoise and diamond earrings, for example, were priced at $4,629 with an original retail price of $14,000.  Yeah, you read that number correctly.  These earrings are described as 14K with a total diamond weight of 3.87 carats.  (people: note here that these are Indian rose cut diamonds...not D flawless goods and perhaps the color is enhanced in the photo because these diamonds are not high color)

How they justify these prices I just don't know but plenty of Bochic Vintage items have sold on Gilt.

Here is the Beladora alternative:  Turquoise and Diamond (Indian rose cut diamond) earrings in 14K for $2950. Obviously, on these types of earrings the diamond weight is estimated so we conservatively estimate 2.00 carats, there's probably more in actual carat weight. 
All of this makes me wonder, is it the point of sale that matters, rather than the actual merchandise?  Do sites like Gilt merit premium prices?  Anybody have an opinion?

BTW, just to clarify. I am not an affiliate of Beladora.  In other words, I don't earn commissions on Beladora jewelry sales.  If you click through BHB and purchase something using the BHB discount code, I won't earn anything on that sale.

But you can be an affiliate.  You could put a link on your blog with your own individual discount code, for example Jill's code could be Stella or Pseu's code could be Femme.  Then, if any item from Beladora or Beladora2 is sold with your specific discount code, you will get paid a commission on that sale.  All of this could be done without going through Commission Junction or Linkshare.

Do you have friends and contacts who buy estate jewelry? Why don't we put together a trunk show, in your city and invite those lovely people. Belador brings the jewelry and picks up expenses. Do you support a particular non-profit group? Maybe a portion of the proceeds from a trunk show could be donated to the group?  The client would be happy, the non-profit would benefit,  It would be a win-win all around.
Anyone interested?

Oh...and if you aren't already, please become a fan of Beladora on Facebook.

Savvy Shopping - BCBG and Beladora

BCBG printed silk dress on sale for $174 at bcbg.com

Chanel "Coco" Ring for $6950 at Beladora.com

Chanel 'Coco' Earrings for $6950 at Beladora.com

Having been asked to show a little love to BCBG
I found a pretty little print dress at an affordable price at bcbg.com
that will go perfectly with the Chanel 'Coco' jewelry
If the BCBG brand is too ingenue for you, click through to their other brand Hervé Léger

where you can find a classic bandage dress on sale for under $1,000.

Neiman Marcus - Is This Any Way To Market?

I have to say that in terms of marketing Neiman Marcus does just about everything right.
They have the stores, they have the goods and they have the sales staff.

Of course being too busy to go into the store, try on the goods and deal with the sales staff
I ordered this evening gown off of the Neiman Marcus website for the VRG gala.

On the website they had only one left in a size 4 and I snapped it up. I'd never bought an eveing gown online before but since I've worn Carmen Marc Valvo dresses in the past, I assumed it would fit. As it turns out the gown was cut a little large and I decided to return it.

Instead of sticking it back in the box and shipping it I decided to quickly pop into Neimans and return it in person and maybe see if there were any other dresses that I absolutely could not live without.

So there I was in the dress department waiting for someone to help me for more than 15 minutes. OK, so what's a little wait. I perused the racks and found a few fancy little cocktail dresses that had my name all over them...and god knows...I have the opportunity to wear fancy little cocktail dresses so often (not) but I am partial to them.

When a saleslady was finally available to help me she told me that because I had purchased the dress online I had to go to the top floor and return the dress to customer service. I was like really?

At any rate I trudged up the escalator with my long gown and returned it and then left the store to go back to my office.

So what's the issue?
If I had been able to return it in the fancy schmancy dress department, chances are that the sales lady would have been able to talk me into buying at least one other dress, and probably three, because there was an awesome sale and as I said before, I wear fancy little cocktail dresses so often, you know because my lifestyle calls for it...(not)
and because I just can't resist them at a good price.

Instead, she didn't didn't get the opportunity to up-sell me and Neiman's missed my business.

I ask you, is this any way to market?

Luxe Biz - Richemont Offers On Net-A-Porter

From National Jeweler
Geneva--Swiss luxury goods conglomerate Richemont Group--owner of longtime high-end stalwarts such as Cartier, Piaget and Van Cleef and Arpels--has made an offer to acquire a relative newcomer to the land of luxe: United Kingdom-based online retailer Net-a-Porter.

Richemont currently holds 33 percent of the issued share capital of Net-a-Porter Limited and says the purchase offer--valued at 350 million pounds or about $534 million-- has the support of both Net-A-Porter's senior management and the founder of the company, Natalie Massenet, who established Net-A-Porter in 2000.

$534 million, wow. Not only did I not know how successful Net-A-Porter was, I didn't realize that it had 600 employees which is a huge number for an internet retail business.

Richemont also sees value in the online market for vintage/pre-owned jewelry, watches and other luxury goods.
The deal would not be Richemont's only alliance with a luxury online retailer. Although its merchandise is independently curated, Portero.com is backed financially by Richemont. Portero deals in certified pre-owned, vintage and collectible merchandise--including handbags, watches, jewelry and accessories--and has been actively pursuing new business with high-end jewelry retailers that are looking for a market for pre-owned luxury timepieces.

So Richemont...have you ever heard of a little business called Beladora?
We're ready to take your call....

Spending Your Cash In A Flash

In my inbox today
a notification of a 2 hour sale at Neiman Marcus.

I am just curious
Does a flash sale (2 hour, 2 day, whatever) tend to make you more likely to make a purchase?

I view these sales by Neimans as manufactured scarcity making you assume that you will have no other time to purchase this item at this price. This isn't Haute Look where they are selling the last of the stock, this is a sale with current merchandise.
Since I'm not an impulse shopper these sales don't appeal to me, but obviously they must appeal to many others or we wouldn't see so many of these flash sale sites out there.

My daughter loves Haute Look, and I'm wondering if these flash sale sites are training a new generation of shoppers to indulge in instant gratification rather than making thoughtful decisions about how they choose to spend their money.

What do you think?

Now I Know Why I Avoid Stores And Shop Online

I went to Ikea yesterday
Now I know why Sweden has the highest rate of suicide

De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum

So these are the hot boots of the season...
who knew?
From the WSJ
The Shoe That Kicked Off a Frenzy
Despite a $1,295 price tag, the Otway boot sparked a craze
The boots in question, which didn't hit stores until September, are called "Otway," and they can fairly be called the "It" boots of the season. Made of supple suede, the cuffed booties are adorned with rows of circular studs and are held up by a four-inch triangular heel.
Those who are still interested in owning them can forget about it. With the exception of a few pairs on eBay, they are out of stock nearly everywhere, despite a $1,295 price tag.

OK...so call me crazy but I'm going on record to say that I think they are hideous for $1295 but they might, and I mean might, be wearable at $295. And didn't we already have boots like these back in the Mid- 1980s?

Right now I'm only interested in what's comfortable on my feet and I'm looking for flat brown boots, not necessarily the OTK kind
Here's what's on sale at Bergdorf Goodman

Prada OTK Boots reduced to $910 from $1300

not exactly a bargain

Michael Kors Fallon Flat Boots $315 reduced from $450
I'm not loving the zipper

Prada riding boots $595 reduced from $850

I'm really liking these but can't I get actual riding boots for less?

Joie OTK boots $315 reduced from $525

I like these but aren't OTK boot going to look so 2009 in 2010?

So the search continues.

But what I certainly won't be searching for are those silly Otway boots.

So not my style

Vintage Value Venture - The Winter Fur Suit

Just because I was boasting about having 90 degree weather for Thanksgiving doesn't mean that I don't miss real winter temperatures....especially when the cold calls for something with a little fur.
Here are my vintage picks for staying chic and warm
and I would wear any one of these suits

1960's Saks Adolphe black wool suit with beaver collar and cuffs
$425 at Vintage Swank
(Wouldn't you offer no more than $275 given other vintage suits online?)

1950's Hart Schaffner Marx nutmeg wool suit with mink collar
$300 at Tresor de Vintage
(Don't you love this Mad Men color and 3/4 sleeves which are perfect for kidd gloves?)

1960's Dan Millstein black wool dress with jacket and white mink collar and hem
$295 at Couture Allure Vintage
(Is it just me or is there something Mrs Santa about this suit?)

1960's Saks red wool suit with mink collar

$95 at Couture Allure Vintage

(seriously, where can you buy a wool anything, let alone a suit for $95?)

1970's Lilli Ann grey knit suit with fox collar

$275 at Couture Allure Vintage

(this fox looks strangely like lynx or coyote in this photo, doesn't it?)

Why would anyone buy new when these gorgeous and reasonably priced vintage pieces

are available online?

Savvy Shopping - Navy Is My Neutral

Years ago I used to wait until I had an important event to attend and then frantically shop until I found just the right outfit. This usually resulted in my finding something trendy and wonderful but at full price...and everyone knows how much I hate to pay retail.

Now, that I know exactly which type of clothes I prefer to wear, based on my taste and understanding of what's flattering to my stout figure, I will purchase clothes whether I have a specific event to wear them to or not....if they are priced right.

Like this charming little dress from Saks for $191.

the right cut

the right color

the right price

and in a neutral color that will match my accessories.

Laundry Dress at Saks Fifth Avenue $191.90

David Webb Stacking Rings in 18K from Beladora.com $3850

Emerald, Sapphire and Green Onyx Tassel Earrings from Beladora.com $1650

Sapphire and Diamond Bangle Bracelet in 18K from Beladora.com $2422

Promiscuous Belle Shoes at Zappos.com $59.00
(promiscuous belle...where did they come up with that name?)

And yes....I would actually wear these Lamboutin look-a-likes and save beaucoup bucks.

Vintage Value Venture - BHB Summer Style

Shrimpton Couture Vintage Prada Dress $150

Beladora.com Christian Dior "Coquine" Yellow Diamond Dangle Earrings in $3250

(retail $8990!!!!!)

Beladora.com Retro Citrine and Ruby Ring $2250

Dorothea's Closet Vintage Blue Print Bag $115

When the weather gets this nice I like to spend my time outdoors...hiking, biking or yes...attempting to play tennis....I spend enough time indoors during the week at my office.

Still, when I'm not being sporty I do need something to wear for those warm nights out on the town.

And why would I spend time inside stores when I can find a vintage outfit like this online?

Bidz.com - It's A Question Of Class

And by class I mean class action suit

Two Class Action Suits Filed Against Bidz.comTwo legal firms, the law offices of Howard G. Smith and Barrack, Rodos & Bacine, have filed separate class-action lawsuits against auction website Bidz.com for securities fraud. On behalf of those who purchased common stock of Bidz.com (BIDZ) between August 13 and November 26, 2007, the two firms allege that Bidz.com inflated the price of its stock by issuing misleading statements that disguised the company's problems. Attorneys for Bidz.com contend that the plaintiff's allegations are without merit, as they are based on a November 2007 report by Citron Research, which has since admitted that it held a short position in Bidz.com stock at the time of the report.

Jewelry Biz - Blue Brilliance and Bogus Bidz

Rare blue diamond sells for record $9.5 million

GENEVA (Reuters) – A flawless vivid blue diamond weighing 7.03 carats sold Tuesday for a record 10.5 million Swiss francs ($9.49 million), the highest price paid per carat for any gemstone at auction, Sotheby's said.
The rectangular-shaped blue stone, the rarest to enter the international market this year, went to an anonymous buyer bidding by telephone after hectic bidding see-sawed between two callers for 15 minutes.

"It is fantastic in this market and shows that these rare things are very much in demand," he said.

The final price includes a commission paid by the buyer to the auction house. The stone sets a record price per carat for any gemstone sold at auction of $1,349,752, Sotheby's said.

"In this general economic environment to see $35 million worth sold in a session shows a lot about the resilience of fine jewels no matter what the climate," Bennett said.
Fresh stones to the market, including coloured diamonds, fetched good prices, the Briton said.

Well that is was Briton said...but the word on the street is that if the market was truly strong that stone would have never been sold at auction, it would have sold privately.

and on the topic of diamonds
The New York Times has this article

Russia Stockpiles Diamonds, Awaiting the Return of Demand

Ah, those crafty Russian diamond dealers....creating a false scarcity to keep prices up.
And all this time I thought that only DeBeers did that!

and....let's not forget this
from JCK
Shareholder Class Action Filed Against Bidz.com
A class action suit has been filed against Bidz.com, on behalf of purchasers of its common stock, charging it and its chief executive with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, a statement from the plaintiff's law firm said.
The complaint alleges that during the class period, defendants issued a series of false and misleading statements intended to project the picture of a financially sound and well-operating company, when, in fact, the company was operating with material deficiencies and undisclosed substantial problems that went to the heart of its business model.
manipulation of financial statements by management
imagine that....
Bidz.com has had a reputation for faking aution results
On November 26, 2007, a Citron Research article identified numerous alleged "red flags" and revealed previously undisclosed material problems with the company, the statement said. Two days later Citron issued a second article that provided additional details, revealing, among other things, that the company allegedly engaged improper business tactics in order to artificially raise the auction price of its products, the statement said. On this news, the Company's stock price dropped from a closing price of $19.94 on Friday, November 23, 2007, to a low of $10.10 on November 28, a loss of nearly 50%.
and more bad news for Bidz
Auction jewelry site Bidz.com announced substantial decreases in both its sales and profits for the first quarter of 2009.
The company’s net income in the three months ended March 31, 2009 was $1.5 million, a decrease of 67.1%.
In addition, sales decreased 49.7% to $31.2 million in the period, from $61.9 million the year before.
ouch!
I've always thought that there was something unsavory about Bidz...let's just say that Amazon they are not.
but they've responded as expected
Bidz Calls Lawsuit "Without Merit"
The statement concludes that Bidz.com believes the plaintiffs' claims are entirely without merit and intends to defend the action vigorously.
OK...if you say so...I'm still not buying from Bidz.com

Playing With Polyvore Beladora2 Style

My first attempt at Polyvore

Better things to follow!

Quote of the Day - "Women Get So Ripped Off!"

Burberry Prorsum Dress at Net a Porter $2995

Yesterday, I was surfing the shopping sites with my main man...

no not my bf...the estate jewelry buyer extraordinaire that I learned all my tricks from.

He and I were checking out what was available online in terms of designer fashions and

we came upon this dress.

His comment "Three Thousand Dollars....Sheesh, women get so ripped off!"

I'd have to say that most of the men that I know would have said the exact same thing.

What do you think. Is this dress...at this price...a ripoff or not?

What would your main man say about this dress?

Would he think that $3000 was a reasonable price?

When Celebrities Design - Padma Lakshmi Going For The Gold

Every year when I go to the jewelry trade show in Las Vegas I'm overwhelmed by the amount of jewelry there is for sale.

The Antique and Estate Jewelry show has everything from vintage parures and tiaras to the latest signed jewelry from Buccellati to Verdura. The Couture and Italian shows have the latest in high end jewelry designs. Then there's JCK and Watches and Gemstones...you can't possibly see it all in a week.

With so much inventory already available for sale I tend to be surprised when some celebrity launches a new jewelry line.

Today, design maven Jill at Stella's Roar posted about the launch of a new jewelry line by model, celebrity chef and reality show host of Top Chef, Padma Lakshmi.

Well Padma is beautiful and brilliant and certainly knows how to capitalize on her celebrity. Like Cindy Crawford or Elle McPhearson, she is now her own brand.

I like the exotic boho Southeast Asian vibe of Padma's designs. And...while most Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern jewelry is 18K or higher karat, by manufacturing in low karat 10K and 14K she has kept the cost down...and that is important with gold hovering around $900.

Padma Lakshmi Jewelry

Ivanka Trump Jewelry


Heidi Klum Jewelry

On one hand there is something that bothers me about all the professionally trained jewelry designers, who truly understand gemology and how to actually create pieces as bench jewelers, but who never get the financial backing, publicity and retail opportunities as celebrity designers.

How many GIA trained designers who are not celebrities could launch a line and get picked up by Bergdorf Goodman?

What do you think about this?

Would you be more likely to purchase jewelry, clothing or accessories because they were "designed" by a celebrity?

Just Looking For A Good Deal

Every year on this day as I send my checks off to the black holes that are the federal and state governments, I wonder if there is a chance in hell that my hard earned money is being well spent.

Am I getting a good deal on my tax dollars?

Obviously, when I read things like

this and this and this

I don't think that I am.

And I'm not alone in thinking that I'm not getting a good deal.

So where do you get a good deal for your money?

Forbes.com reports on Where to Shop for Web Deals

Online retailers benefit from lower overhead. They spend less on real estate, labor and supplies, which means that they can charge less. When traditional retailers began to reduce their inventories back in the spring of 2008, online outlets were able to scoop up the extra goods from manufacturers at bargain prices.

Another advantage to consumers who buy online: quality. Some 80% of the inventory at brick-and-mortar outlets is designed especially for those stores, according to Marshal Cohen, chief retail expert at the NPD Group in Port Washington, N.Y. Often, the items sold in outlets are made from less expensive materials than what's on sale at traditional retailers. That's typically not the case online, where most of the goods are simply overstock.

The Forbes article mentions the usual suspects; Bluefly, Yoox and Overstock

I just can't understand why they didn't mention Beladora.com....

Vintage Value Venture - Posh In Pink

OK, so maybe the weather totally sucks....after a week of gray clouds, cold temperatures and rain....but I can still shop for spring.
Especially when there's a spring sale.

Posh Vintage 1970's Jack Hartley Climbing Rose Maxi Dress $95

Posh Vintage 25% Discount - use code - posh 25

Adorable Pink Sapphire Earrings from Beladora.com in 20K $495

Playing With Polyvore

I don't know what's up this week in my computer world but for some reason mine was en panne yesterday. My bluetooth went down and with a wireless mouse and keyboard...I was stuck.

After an hour spent on the phone this morning with a heavily accented customer support person, I finally got them to agree to send me what I need and hopefully I will be back online tomorrow.

So until the new stuff arrives I'm en vacance chez moi, at least in terms of blogging.



In the meantime...I've been so impressed with the style selections of Jill's Shopstyle "look of the day" posts that I did a search on Polyvore for Beladora and came up with pages and pages of gorgeous ensembles.

This particular one caught my eye....obviously I'm desperately in need of a real vacation and right now a Roman Holiday would suit me just fine.

This is just one of 14 pages of ensembles with vintage jewelry from Beladora on Polyvore...

who knew?

To Shopstyle or Not

I love Shopstyle.

Where else can you go on the net with access to different online vendors to create your own stylebooks with entire looks like these...and no...these aren't my groupings, I've filched them from style maven Jill of Stella's Roar.

So with Shopstyle you can search, create, blog and shop all in one place from hundreds of brands.

Jill's Mediterranean Dreams

Jill's Black and Gold

Jill's Blackamoor Luxe

Jill's Dubai Glamour

A couple of questions...

Vendors on Shopstyle pay a fee if their merchandise if purchased through the site so they have to raise their prices in order to cover that fee.

Would you prefer to buy something online through a shopping aggregator site like Shopstyle which conveniently carries hundreds of brands, and not care about the price or would you prefer to buy from the actual online vendor and pay a lower price per item?

Is convenience or price more important?

Should Beladora be a Shopstyle vendor?