Jewelry Trends - What's Hot?

This week found the largest jewelry market show in the world happening in Las Vegas. The 17th annual JCK Las Vegas hosted jewelry retailers from 72 countries and a whopping 3,100 manufacturers and suppliers from more than 20 countries. So, what were the trends and topics most discussed?

Jewelry inspired by our new, and wonderfully fashionable, First Lady was a hot item. Her classic pearls and statement necklaces seem to be resonating with a lot of American women. "Green" jewelry and nature inspired themes were also very popular. Russell Simmons spoke to a large group about his initiative to stop the sale of African conflict diamonds, and recycled metal was also at the top of the social agenda. For those of you wondering, we here at Echo are huge supporters of socially conscious buying, and manufacturing processes. We use recycled metals and are happy to source conflict-free diamonds for any of our clients.

What else had people buzzing? Colored stones - especially black diamonds. We are about to launch a fabulous new men's line featuring these hot gems, so stay tuned!

What are you going to be looking for? Email me at alex@echodamour.com and let me know!

New Wedding stuff!

Check out our online store for new wedding ideas! I've noticed some Echo wedding clients using their new monogram designs in tons of creative ways. Here's a gorgeous engagement ring Chad recently designed using the letters A & K - bride and groom's first initials.

They then used their monogram on their save-the-date cards in a cute rubber stamp on the envelope. I love it - and I can't wait to see what else they come up with as their plans progress!

And on to the DIAMONDS!

Ok, so now that we've gotten our layout selected it's time to talk sparkle and bling - the diamonds! The most common design options are an all-over pave, or a cluster in the negative spaces of the monogram.

Here's an example of a pendant using the letters J, C, & M in white gold, using diamonds only as a cluster:

Here's the same design, but with all-over diamonds, and a center cluster:

And, of course, there are times when a metal-only design is requested. We can also use colored stones, and I should have an example using black diamonds to show you soon. The possibilities are virtually endless and the design process is really part of the fun. The client's input is an integral part of creating one-of-a-kind custom jewelry and we love hearing new ideas!

Let me tell you about our process...

Lately, I've been receiving a lot of questions about how we design custom monograms. So, I thought it might be fun to show you guys how we get from A to Z - no pun intended! We start, of course, with the letters to be included in the jewelry. We've utilized couples' initials, children's and grandchildren's names, even the names of pets!

Once the client selects the letters to be included, Chad goes to work. He creates several different layouts for the client to choose from and we prepare a design sheet like the ones below.

Pretty cool, huh? I'm always amazed at how different each design looks, even using the same letters. Once the client selects their layout, we begin discussing stone placement. I'll show you examples of that in my next post - stay tuned!

Fall 2009 Accessory Preview

Vogue's report on all things chic in accessory-land is now online here for those interested. I, for one, will be updating my wardrobe primarily with jewelry, shoes and bags this year - It's a recession-friendly way to stay fashionable without too much investment.

So, what does Vogue love? Major jewelry, freaky shoes and embellished bags - oh my! My favorite piece shown was this magnificent dragon bracelet by Dior Fine Jewelry:

Unfortunately, my grandmother passed her totally irrational superstition that it is unlucky to wear opals, on to me. So, you won't see this as my arm candy - but I'm sure I'll find something else to drool over! Happy shopping, all!

How could I have missed this?

Unbeknownst to me, last week was The National Jewelry Institute's "Sparkle Week"! Oh no - I missed it - and I love, love, LOVE things that sparkle!! Next year I promise to be much more on top of this....

SALE! SALE! SALE!

Yes, it's true! We're having a sale! Woo hoo!!

All single-letter Echo necklaces are 35% off until Mother's Day, May 10th. These are wonderful gifts for Mom, or any spring birthdays that might be on your list. Sterling necklaces are also an affordable, yet personalized and special choice for bridal parties - and you know Echo loves weddings!

Just visit our online shop , or email me at alex@echodamour.com to order.