Quality and Style

Vintage Cultured Pearl Cluster Earrings in 14K from Beladora2.com $395.00

Wendy B is on a roll this week with

Get Smart about Quality

complete with quotes from smart girls like me!

And Privilege is posting about pearls and asking the style question

Can you wear a simple pearl strand with a simple pearl stud?

with some vintage cultured pearl jewelry from Beladora2.com

Don't miss these posts!

Vintage Value Venture - A Plethora of Pearls

It has been a plethora of pearls at BeladoraII this week

especially with a call for "Mad Men" style vintage pearl jewelry

for a cover shoot for a major magazine this week

shot by a major photographer (yeah, you know who she is)

Not necessarily "Mad Men" but more my style

some vintage cultured pearl pieces

Vintage Cultured Pearl and Fire Opal Brooch in 14K

Cultured Pearl Bracelet in 18K

Vintage Retro Cultured Pearl Ring in 18K

Vintage Cultured Pearl Tree of Life Charm Bracelet in 14K

I think that they are a lot more fun than the classic single strand

don't you?

Jewelry Biz - A Tale of Two Cities, Akron and Geneva

Jewelry has the distinction of being one of the few luxury goods that has both a high end and a low end, in the way that a private jet does not. The high end of course is the private client and auction business and the low end is the retail chain store business like Zales and Kay Jewelers.

On the high end:
I really don't know how to describe the high end other than tremendous.
Take this month's Sotheby's Geneva Magnificent Jewelry Auction for example

Magnificent Jewels of Important Historical Provenance
& Rare Coloured Diamonds Soar at Sotheby’s Geneva,
Bringing CHF 37,011,375 ($36,682,714, €24,553,028)

Magnificent Vivid Green Diamond Sells for CHF 3,106,500 ($3,078,914, €2,060,825),

a New World Auction Record Price Per Carat for a Vivid Green Diamond--

--The Roxburghe Rubies Bring the Unprecedented Sum of CHF 5,821,000, ($5,769,309, €3,861,602),
A World Record Price for a Ruby Suite—

Since extraordinary jewels are bringing extraordinary prices

The Wall Street Journal asks

Diamonds: An Investor's Best Friend?

They are rare, beautiful, valuable and a girl's best friend but traditionally diamonds haven't really been considered an asset class in their own right.
Diamonds do not have the "safe haven" status of gold, and their prices are more volatile than the precious metal. While spot gold has gained around 25% in value this year, diamond prices have fallen by at least 10%, in line with the poor performance of the luxury industry, according to U.S.-based IDEX Online Diamond Prices, which tracks global asking prices for polished diamonds.

While respected authorities in the jewelry business advise against buying diamonds for investments
David Bennett, Geneva-based chairman of jewelry for Europe and the Middle East at Sotheby's, says: "Like art, we would not advise someone to buy diamonds for investment purposes. People should buy diamonds for the joy of wearing them."
we've still got
the growing demand for tangible assets and portfolio diversification has led to the launch of a number of diamond investment funds this year, which believe they can achieve double-digit returns for investors.

Have a few extra dollars in your bank account?
Here are some investment options:
KPR Capital launched a Cayman Islands-domiciled open-ended investment diamond fund with a minimum buy in of $250,000.
Alfa Capital, the Russian investment group, launched a diamond investment fund with a minimum investment of €1m and an estimated yield of 15% to 17%.
Emotional Assets Fund was launched, investing in a number of assets from fine art and rare stamps to diamonds and diamond jewelry. The fund is targeting a growth rate of 15% per annum with a minimum investment of £100,000.
Dazzling Capital, a London-based company investing directly in period jewelry, also opened its doors this month, co-founded by former Christie's auctioneer Humphrey Butler.
The company, which accepts a minimum investment of £10,000 with an estimated return on investment of 11%

Names like Emotional Assets Fund and Dazzling Capital certainly sound contrived
especially when we know that white diamonds are not rare, they are scarce due to controlled distribution, yet returns have gone up because sales at the high end are off the charts.
But given that diamonds will bring an 11-15% return, why would you buy into a fund when you can just buy actual diamonds and get the pleasure of wearing your investment?

I'm dubious about buying diamonds, individually or in funds, unless they are rare and colored (fancy) "If you want to buy diamonds for investment purposes, they should be big and fancy (colorful)," says Holly Midwinter-Porter, a gemologist at U.K. jeweler Boodles. "Red and green are the rarest, and unlike white, man-made diamonds, are finite as they are only found in one or two areas in the world." She says returns on rare diamonds can enjoy double digit growth a year, and their portability makes them more appealing than gold or art to some investors. And if you are looking for a big red diamond I have one for sale.

But I do think that buying period diamond jewelry, like the emerald set in this photo, is an intriguing investment.

Another option for investors is the vintage diamond jewelry market -- considered capable of more lucrative returns because of the added value of provenance. Mr. Butler brokered a $4.5 million deal with the Louvre in 2004 for an antique emerald and diamond necklace and ear rings by Nitot, presented as a wedding present by Emperor Napoleon to his second empress, Marie Louise of Austria. The owners had bought it for a fraction of the sale price 10 years before.

With fine vintage jewelry, intrinsic value + provenance = return on investment.

So I will be interested to see the results of tomorrows Sotheby's London sale of

Romonov Heirlooms: The Lost Inheritance of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna

On the low end:

Jewelers Hope Holidays Sparkle

After last year's horrendous holiday season, and the subsequent some 1,500 retail jewelry stores that went out of business, the big corporate chains such as Kay Jewelers and Zales are hoping for an increase in same store sales due to less overall competition.

Akron Ohio based Signet, which owns Kay and Jared, sees the demise in the industry as an opportunity. "Our balance sheet puts us in a stronger position competitively," Terry Burman, chief executive of Signet Jewelers Ltd., said in an interview.

In the current quarter, which includes the holidays, Wall Street analysts estimates Signet will post a 2% increase in sales at stores open at least a year. Last year, Signet's fourth quarter sales slumped 16% in the U.S. and 9% in the U.K.

I certainly hope that the analysts are correct given

The holiday season is crucial for jewelry chains, many of which record the majority of their sales and up to 100 percent of their profit in the period. Signet, for instance, books 40% of its sales and 70% of its profit in November, December and January, with the bulk of its sales coming in the last two weeks of December.

and

For the fiscal third-quarter ended Oct. 31, Signet, the largest chain jeweler in North America, posted a loss of $7 million, or eight cents a share, compared with a year-earlier loss of loss of $15.1 million, or 18 cents a share. Results for the company's latest quarter included a $5 million benefit from a change in U.S. vacation policy.

While I can afford an investment in Signet or Zales (versus a diamond fund)

Shares of Zale were up 10%, or 47 cents, to $4.40, while Signet shares were off 56 cents, at $26.32, both in 4 p.m. trading Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange.
I'd still rather not invest in any retail jewelry business that caters to the low end.

My money is on fine vintage jewelry because that is what savvy consumers buy.

And my last word on the subject

London based estate jeweler Humphrey Butler, yes he of Dazzling Capital and the Napoleonic Emeralds, is selling the same set of Tiffany diamond bird brooches for $10,500

that Beladora.com is selling for $5950.

So even in the vintage estate jewelry market it pays to be discerning when making any purchase.

OMG! Beladora2.com Giveaway on Radar Online!

OMG...giveaways all over the web!!!!

Yesterday I told you about the jewelry case at Privilege
and, silly me, my post reminded me that this week, there is a givaway at Radar Online too.

You may be asking why these two multi-gemstone necklaces from Beladora2.com are being given away on Radar, instead of on BHB.
Well, Radar is a leading celebrity gossip and style website
with 4 million hits a month, can I repeat that, 4 million hits a month!
and BHB is only my personal blog with my silly little musings
and as much as I would like my traffic to be in the millions per month...sadly it isn't.

Vintage Value Venture - Seeing Red

Let's see what we've got here

one color, vintage, affordable, Beladora estate jewelry and comfortable shoes

This is my perfect Fall outfit for the office

Go ahead Corporette...beat this is you can

Vintage Patullo Red Brocade Dress with Jacket from Tresor Vintage $200
Nice bow and cuff details

Vintage 1940s Cobra Bag from Vintage Skins $185

Bruno Magli Red Shoes from Zappos $178

Vintage Mid-Century Gemstone Bird Brooch from Beladora.com $3650

Vintage 1980s Gemstone Earrings from Beladora.com $2850

XOXO Gossip Girl

Danielle of Gem Gossip - Seriously, how adorable is this girl?

Every once in a while one of my fellow bloggers ferrets us out at our top secret Beladora HQ, and this week I was thrilled to have Danielle, the Gem Gossip Girl stop by with her beau Scott. Danielle has a passion for jewelry and blogs about everything from which celebrity to wearing what, to period jewelry, to jewelry design motifs.

Not only does Danielle write about all things sparkly, she has created her own line of charity bracelets that benefit the Rutherford County PAWS organization for pet adoption and welfare service.

So, I suggest that you check out her blog for all things bling-y.

Also...her enterprising beau Scott is part of the brain trust behind

Valore Books, the ultimate online resource for buying used college textbooks.

For anyone who has a required college course with a syllabus of $100 books, you will want to shop at Valore.

Labor Day Weekend Look

While Sher was enticing younger men with her new Francis dress

and Jill was causing trouble in her Shrimpton Couture bijoux

I was keeping it casual with some of my favorite weekend accessories

Handmade Open Gold Work Lapis Butterfly Ring in 18K

Rhonda Faber Green Hammered Gold Hoops with Diamond Detail


Lapis and Malachite Long Chain Necklace with Hammered Gold Beads in 18K

Indian Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald Bangles in 20K
(The Jill Bangles)

and my new favorite accessory

Electra Amsterdam Bike

Labor Day Weekend already

So much for summer...

Got Gold?

From the Telegraph.co.uk
UN wants new global currency to replace dollar

The dollar should be replaced with a global currency, the United Nations has said, proposing the biggest overhaul of the world's monetary system since the Second World War.
In a radical report, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has said the system of currencies and capital rules which binds the world economy is not working properly, and was largely responsible for the financial and economic crises.
It added that the present system, under which the dollar acts as the world's reserve currency , should be subject to a wholesale reconsideration.

With this happening to the dollar it's not much of a surprise that gold is going up

Gold Rallies to 18-Month High on Dollar’s Weakness, Inflation




Sept. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Gold rose to the highest price since March 2008, passing $1,000 an ounce

Looking for the positive spin on all of this...
the rise in gold prices makes newly manufactured jewelry more expensive
which of course makes vintage estate jewelry an even better value

Just thought I'd mention it

Beverly Hills Bangles

This one is for boho glam girl Jill!

Trio of Indian bangles with rubies, sapphires and emeralds posing on Rodeo Drive

soon to be on Beladora.com

Vintage Value Venture - Forties Fever

I adore the Forties inspired outfits featured in this month's Vogue
And as much as I loved the looks, I wasn't thrilled with the prices
So here's my vintage alternative

Vintage 1940s Belted Black Dress from Vintageswank for $265
Vintage 1940s Retro Diamond Ring From Beladora2.com $2250

1940s Inspired Black T-Strap Shoes from Fleuvog $89

(Hat tip to Karen for Fleuvog my new favorite)

Add a great pair of kid gloves and a hat

and you're ready to go party with the Deep Glamour Girls

Savvy Shopping - Totally Turquoise

Great minds seem to be thinking alike this week about how the scale and proportion of jewelry can affect you overall look.

First blogger and image consultant, Imogen Lamport, just posted

How a large necklace can make your bust look smaller

(not that I think that anyone should try to make their bust look smaller...my philosophy is that if you've got it going in that department...flaunt it!)

Then today my favorite client stopped by my office today and very thoughtfully gifted me this fascinating book which explains how the right piece of jewelry is as important to an overall look as the right hairstyle.

Jewelry Savvy From Amazon.com

For me style has been just an intuitive thing. I've always tended to know what specific jewelry looks flattering on my clients in terms of scale, style, color and texture, but I've never really sat down and analysed why certain pieces fit certain clients.

Well this book explains it all in terms of very specific criteria such as facial shape, neck length, body type and cut of clothes. Plus it is full of all kinds of general info on jewelry and savvy tips. So I can't wait to read it!

And...here's my own savvy tip for you.

Buy this vintage turquoise necklace in sterling silver from Beladora2.com for 20% off with this discount code

BHB123

and wear it with a sexy vee neckline!

Vintage Turquoise Necklace in Sterling Silver from Beladora2.com