What Wedding Ring Will Kim Kardashian Choose?

With just a few days to go before what some people are calling the "Next Royal Wedding," many are wondering what Kim Kardashian's wedding ring will look like. One thing you can count on is it will be big. She will need a ring that will counterbalance the 20.5 carat diamond engagement ring Kris Humphries gave her, which, if you will remember, is counterbalancing her huge ass. If I was Kim, I would move that giant diamond to my right hand, and get a wide diamond band or a large eternity ring set with emerald cut diamonds for my left hand. I understand she occasionally wears a CZ version of her engagement ring for security reasons, so why not have real diamonds that you can wear all the time as a great looking wedding band? She may also want to consider a thin platinum band to wear while she cleans the house and does the dishes. This type of band is perfect for engraving inside, however, it shouldn't be engraved too deeply as there are big questions as to how long this marriage is going to last.

There are rumors that the ring is the same one she had when engaged to Reggie Bush back in 2009, or that Kim bought the ring herself, or even that celebrity station "E" purchased the ring in return for the rights to televise her wedding. Look at the photos below and decide for yourself whether or not this was her Reggie ring. Either she really, really likes this design and had it duplicated, or it's the same ring. 

I'm really not so interested in watching the Kardashian-Humphries wedding on TV. I couldn't wait to get up at four in the morning and watch along with my sister as the "Real Royal Wedding" of Kate Middleton and Prince William took place this past spring. Maybe it's the vacuous, reality nonsense that make up the Kardashian persona, versus the centuries of history, legacy, drama and intrigue the royals own, that make Kim's the less than compelling wedding to watch. 

I'm fascinated about why Kim Kardashian and her fembot family of fame vampires are one of the most often Google'd names, only to find most people bash them big time in the comments section. The three sisters together, along with their bossy cow mother and the creepiest version of Bruce Jenner to date, are the hilt of annoyance to most people, but we continue to be interested and they continue to make a fortune as a result.  

All I know is if you Google "famous for nothing," Kim Kardashian comes up. 

You’re Going On Your First Job Interview…What Should You Wear (or Not Wear)

This is a Don't......  
unless you work at the MAC counter.

The first thing you should do is make sure all visible tattoos are covered; hopefully, you don’t have any on your face. The second thing to do is remove your nose ring, your lip ring, your chin ring, your eyebrow ring, your tongue ring, your ear cartilage ring, your nipple ring, your hoo-ha ring; just remove all your head and body jewelry before you meet the HR representative. The key is to not make noise as you move. You know what--don’t even wear earrings, just to be safe.

If you are interviewing anywhere remotely connected to the corporate arena, please do the following to put together an easy universal look that will work for most job interviews: purchase the best black or navy suit you can afford (pants or skirt - it doesn't matter), along with a tailored blouse or top (white is best) as well as black shoes with a reasonable heel - nothing hoochy mamma. If you're wearing pants, don’t forget a nice belt with a silver buckle--nothing with chains, sheriff badges, antlers or sequins on it--just a plain silver buckle…kind of like the Pilgrims but smaller.  You can wear pantyhose, or not; however, if you're wearing a skirt be sure to shave and moisturize your legs. I'll never forget the woman I once interviewed for a sales job who didn't wear stockings and had not shaved her legs. I couldn't stop looking at her caveman leg stubble. She was unforgettable...and not in a good way.  

Splurge and get a manicure. Ask to have your nails cut shorter. Get Essie’s Limo-Scene on your nails.  It’s pale pink, natural looking, and looks like a French manicure but lasts longer. I hope you already know you shouldn’t have talons. Check your nose for boogers and your teeth for spinach. Sounds silly, but it's mortifying to make these discoveries after the interview is over.

Your make-up should be simple as well: no Joker-Mouth lipstick. Just a little foundation, a small amount of blush, and mascara. Chanel makes a nice lip gloss, #87, that's a pale pink. Put this on after you've used Lancôme's "Ideal" lip liner and it defines your face but looks natural.

If your hair is long make sure you've had a recent cut and be sure to get a touch up if your roots are showing. This is not the time for weasel nest hair – no Amy Winehouse (RIP) or Lily Munster do's. Get a bob if your hair is on the shorter side, or wear a ponytail if it’s longer…the simpler the better.

Lagos Caviar Fluted Bracelet $395

Lagos Caviar Luxe Bracelet $395

Lagos Caviar Bracelet $395

Lagos Caviar Bar Bracelet $395

Now…down to the jewelry. In this case, it’s much better to underdress than overdo. Maybe a silver bracelet, like one of the Lagos Caviar bracelets. There are four designs, and they are relatively inexpensive and extremely wearable at all times, even after your interview. You should wear a watch on your other wrist. I know the younger generation uses their cell phones to tell time, but guess what: you’re killing the watch business. Please buy a nice watch. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but a watch on one’s wrist has been a style standard for eons. If I were living in the Stone Age, I would have strapped a sundial on my arm – that’s how important I feel a watch is. Plus, it’s considered rude to take out your cell phone anytime during the interview process; it’s much easier to look at a watch instead, and your interviewer won't think you're checking your messages. As a matter of fact, be sure to turn your cell phone off. Now, go look for that watch you got as a graduation gift and see if it still works.

If you promise to remove all hardware, you could wear pearl studs, diamond studs, or small silver or gold hoops in your ears if you have them. If you don’t have a discreet earring, don’t wear any. This is not the time for your Gypsy La Straga or Jersey Shore jewelry. Go small or not at all.  

This is a Do - almost everywhere.

All this being said, if you are interviewing outside of the corporate world, you could ramp it up a notch or two, but don’t go crazy. Once you have the job, check out the people who have the job you aspire to. Their appearance can give you an idea of what’s acceptable and what’s not. Remember that boring saying, “first impressions count”?  Guess what...they still do.  

 

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston…Jewels, Gems, and Treasures and...Mary Todd Lincoln

Mary Todd, 1847.

I just had to write about poor Mary Todd Lincoln. Misunderstood, misrepresented, and overextended on her personal budgets, she was not unlike a few of the customers I’ve known over the years. By far, the majority of people I deal with are very responsible about the money they spend with me. Let’s face it, people don’t need what I sell. I sell luxury items that are usually the first thing to go when things get tough…or so you would think. For some, it's impossible to let go of the image of prosperity. They’re just not comfortable enough with themselves to stop the kind of spending that is putting them in jeopardy with either their spouse who sees things differently, or a budget that can’t sustain this kind of spending…for whatever reason.

Mary Todd Lincoln was a person who came from wealth and prominence and wound up marrying an older, more common man. Later, she came under a most painful type of scrutiny by the entire United States population while experiencing intense personal disaster. Was it really such a crime to buy drapes that were never hung or to purchase too much  china for the White House? Just read up on Nancy Reagan for a modern version of this kind of First Lady.

Mary Todd was born in 1818 to a privileged, influential and aristocratic family whose ancestors had a distinguished record in the American Revolution. She was more educated than most women of her time, and some felt this may have given her the confidence to speak her opinions openly, something that women did not do a great deal of at this time. She was smart, ambitious and very interested in politics, and she took an active role in promoting her husband’s political career. "Lincoln had great respect for her judgment and never took an important step without consulting her," recalled Emilie Todd Helm, Mary’s half-sister. Mary viewed her extravagant redecoration of the White House and money spent on her wardrobe as a necessary expense in order to earn respect for her husband and the Union, while others saw it as gross consumption during a time of restraint and strife.

Mrs. Lincoln was probably one of the first women to find solace in retail therapy. Just imagine if you were in her shoes: she lost half-brothers in the Civil War, three of her four children died, she suffered from a severe head injury in a carriage accident, and then her husband was shot in the head as she sat next to him. After all of this, her surviving son had her committed, and she later suffered a spinal cord injury in a fall. As if this wasn't enough for one person to handle, she eventually fell on hard financial times and stood by and watched as many of her personal belongings were sold off. All this while fighting Congress for the right to a measly widow’s pension. So maybe she went a little cagoots and bought 100 pairs of gloves and never wore them. Good taste is a curse.

She remains a mystery as far as First Ladies go. Was she a feminist fame-seeker, a woman who was used to having nice things, or was she just feeling a little Black Swan now and then?  Many considered her bi-polar. My god, bi-polar people are some of my best customers.

This earring brooch suite is Mary Todd Lincoln's mourning jewelry. Totaling approximately 4.70 carats, the 58 mine cut diamonds color range is J-K with VS-VS1 clarity.  It was part of a large group of Mrs. Lincoln's clothes, jewelry, and furnishings that were offered for sale through Brady & Company of New York City. Mrs. Lincoln fell into dire financial circumstances after the assassination of her husband, Abraham Lincoln. The sale price was listed as $350.00.
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston purchased this suite in 2008 for their current exhibition for $24,150.

 

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston…Jewels, Gems, and Treasures and...Hummingbirds?

Angry Birds

Jewelry lovers must thank the Rita J. and Stanley H. Kaplan Family Foundation (of the Kaplan Learning Center fame) for opening a gallery specifically devoted to the display of jewelry, and for hiring Yvonne Markowitz, the Rita J. Kaplan and Susan B. Kaplan Curator of Jewelry.  We have these people to thank for bringing us examples of some of the more bizarre pieces of jewelry ever known to man.

Entomological and ornithological jewelry was very popular during the mid to late 19^th century and was viewed as one of the ways for women to reconnect with nature as the onset of the industrial age crept up on them.  Women’s magazines encouraged women to skin and mount their own creations, while more intricate and upscale pieces were made by jewelers.  I’m sure you were laying low if you were the family dog during these times. 

So it’s no wonder women of the Victorian era were thought to swoon…they were probably driven insane by the endless sound of flapping hummingbird wings hovering on the sides of their heads.  Oh, they were stuffed you say?  There goes my vision of no earring hardware needed – just birds, endlessly fidgeting, suspended on your lobes.

When I think of gems and pearls, especially earrings, I think of the time it takes to find two perfectly matching stones – in size, color and quality.  Just think about finding perfectly matching hummingbirds.  I’ve seen less than ten in my lifetime, let alone enough birds to make a matching pair of earrings and brooch.  And think of the poor taxidermist who had to stuff these things.  I guess it’s pretty amazing what you can do with eyebrow tweezers and a cotton ball.  This suite of jewelry gives a whole new meaning to Angry Birds.

Brooch in gold with foliate design and mounted head of hummingbirds with ruby eyes and gold beak; matching earrings.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston…Jewels, Gems, and Treasures - Ancient to Modern

Ka-Ka-Ching for Ba-Ba Bling at the Museum

My sister--you know the one with that Queen doll--is in Boston this week with her husband.  He is a retired Army colonel who works in the Pentagon and is in Boston this week taking a senior management course at the JFK School of Government at Harvard. She is tagging along as extra baggage but took on a special assignment on behalf of gemsaboutjewels.  She stopped by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston to check out “Jewels, Gems and Treasures – Ancient to Modern” which started July 19, 2011 and runs until November 25, 2012.  The 11,000  piece jewelry collection features pieces that span ancient Egyptian times to the 21st century in America.  It seems as though museums all over the country are starting to catch on to this new and interesting equation:

Jewelry + Gems + Story = Big $$$$ to museums featuring same old thing.

As I discussed in my earlier blog post, “Why Do People Wear Jewelry?” we learned that jewelry gets most people (especially women) really, really excited. It may boost our egos to think how great we’re going to look in it, or maybe it's the chance to wear something expensive and flaunt it in front of our friends. Or perhaps it's just the investment value. Over all these years, noted jewelry icons like Wilma Flintstone, Cleopatra and Elizabeth Taylor have steered the course, and they can’t be wrong.

The first piece we’ll look at is an important ancient Egyptian broadcollar that was uncovered during a museum expedition in 1913. This was during a time when long-dead, undisturbed little Egyptian people were being dug up all over the place from their cat pee smell tombs because Egyptomania was the rage.  Actually taken from the mummified body of Ptah-Shepses Impy, an official of King Pepy II, the collar was made from gold, turquoise, lapis lazuli and hundreds of small blue glazed steatite (soapstone) beads. The collar was important because some of the original beadwork survived, and it was studied by conservators who were able to reconstruct the collar in the same manner as the ancients. Because of this, it served as a model for the reconstruction of other broadcollars.

Wesekh Broadcollar - Egyptian

2246–2152 B.C.

6 7/8" x 6 7/8" x 1"

Zara Phillips Wears the Meander Tiara

Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips, (1981-), pierced-tongue daughter of Princess Anne, Princess Royal, (1950-) was married July 30, 2011 in Scotland to Michael James Tindall, (1978-), an English rugby player who plays for Gloucester Rugby.  Not quite the too-doo of the April wedding of Prince William and clothes hanger Kate Middleton, this brawny and sports minded bride and groom will live a more casual lifestyle.  No honeymoon for them as they are both off to prior sporting commitments, Phillips in career as a show-jumper, and Tindall due back at his England rugby training camp on Monday.

Phillips chose to wear her mother’s tiara, The Meander, which was given to Princess Anne by her mother, Queen Elizabeth in 1972.  The Meander is well known because Anne has worn it time and time again as if it was the only piece of jewelry she ever owned.  The tiara is made from platinum and features a center brilliant cut diamond surrounded by a laurel wreath motif.  The sides of the tiara feature a Greek key design with a floral scroll component on each side.  Originally owned by Princess Alice of Battenberg, (1885-1969), later Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark, mother of Prince Phillip.  Alice gave the tiara to her daughter in law, Queen Elizabeth as a wedding gift…as if she needed it.  But you know how it sometimes is with mother in law gifts…the Queen has never been seen in public wearing this particular tiara.  Not unlike the sequined sweatshirt from the Stone Harbor collection I received from my mother in law.

Princess Alice of Battenburg, mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

A young Princess Anne wearing The Meander.

  

An older Princess Anne wearing The Meander...again. 

Annie and Granny.  When we were little girls, my sister and I had Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret dolls.  Of course, my sister had the Queen doll.

I'm 50 - My tiara thanks you Spanx.

 A more recent photo and she's still wearing it.  
I am now calling this the Groundhog Day Tiara because it keeps coming back the next day.

Zara and her father, Mark Phillips, former husband of Princess Anne.  In August 1985 Phillips fathered a daughter as a result of an extramarital affair.  He was confirmed as the father as a result of DNA testing during a paternity suit in 1991.  Phillips and Anne divorced in 1992.

 

Zara in The Meander and her Stewart Parvin dress.  He is a favorite of the Queen.  What every young girl wants, her Grandmother's dress designer to make her wedding dress.

From some angles he's very handsome...and from others he looks like that guy from Goonies.

 

She is getting a gaunt.  Even the size 0’s are hanging off her.

Nothing that a little Round-Up can’t help.

I thought these girls were being coached.  
Next time, they must get more than the shoes right.   

Excuse Me...Did You Know Your Jewelry Is Dirty? This Is What You Should Do

Everybody wears their jewelry in different ways.  Some people are lucky enough to have a ton of it and cycle through their many favorites, so most of what they own doesn’t show much wear.  Others have only a few pieces and wear them all the time, including to bed, in the shower and even during sexy time.  Sorry, but this type of wear eventually causes stink vibrations to emanate off your jewelry that others can sense.   Some women pride themselves on wearing a particular pendant every day.  “I NEVER take this off”, she brags.  Well, guess what?  Every time you shower with that thing on, soapy skin-flaked water falls down on it and clogs up every prong, and dirt filled crusty layers coat the stone as if you were cultivating your own pearl...and I can see it from where I'm standing.  I feel a Rosann Rosannadanna skit coming on to fully describe how gross it is to wear something constantly and never clean it.  It’s OK to wear your favorites over and over again as long as you clean them from time to time… and here are some tips on what you need to buy to keep your baubles looking their best, and how to do it.  It’s not hard, just invest in the following…

Polishing Cloth - a really good one.  Not the little ones that come along with your jewelry purchase, they are worthless.  You need an industrial strength polishing cloth, like the kind you would use to clean your silverware or your Grandmother’s antique sterling silver teapot.  Sabrina Silver makes a good one and it’s available at Amazon for $6.99.  This cloth is large (12” x 15”), and can be used on silver and gold and does a great job.  It is double sided with the inside used for removing tarnish and dirt and the outside for polishing when you’re done.  You can feel the abrasive material on the inside – that’s the side to use for the first cleaning.  As you clean your jewelry, the cloth will turn black.  This is not entirely your personal schoovatch coming off, but rather tarnish and oxidation as well.  You can continue to use these cloths for a very long time (save your manicure and use rubber gloves while polishing).  Do not wash the cloth.  When you can’t feel the abrasive any longer it’s time to throw it away and buy a new one.   

Dish Soap, Hot Water and Baby Toothbrush – if you have silver, gold, or silver and gold jewelry that has lost its shine because it’s picked up your body oils after a lot of wear, just make a mixture of liquid dish soap (I like Dawn because it cuts grease-even ours) and hot water.  Dip your jewelry and let it soak for about 5-10 minutes and then use a soft baby toothbrush to clean in between any grooves.  Place your soapy jewelry in a strainer and rinse under hot tap water.  Pour the wet jewelry out on a few paper towels to air dry.  After it’s dry, use your polishing cloth to finish it off.  Your jewelry should sparkle and feel very clean.  It’s good to do this a few times if you are wearing your jewelry a lot, especially during the summer.  Body oils and creams, perspiration and perfume cling to the metals and form a film.  If you wonder why you’re getting zits on the side of your face or on your chest, it’s probably because your earrings or pendants are dirty, so for God’s sake, clean them once in a while.  

You can use this method to clean your diamond jewelry as well as your color stones.  If your jewelry has a stone that is accessible and you can see the entire thing from the underside of your ring, you can actually use this process to clean it.  Just use your little brush to clean under the stone and rinse as usual.  Use a Q-tip to dry the underside of the stone.  If your ring is closed underneath and you can’t see the stone, you may have to have it professionally refurbished.  Check with the store where you purchased your jewelry to see if they provide this service.

Baby Shampoo - You can actually use a very mild shampoo (like baby shampoo) to clean very dirty pearls.  Place your pearls in knee high pantyhose if you can find one anywhere (who wears them anymore?)  Slowly swish your pearls back and forth through the sudsy water.  Swish back and forth in clear water to rinse off the soap and lay them out on a few layers of paper towel to air dry.  Check the silk thread used to string your pearls.  If you see lots of space between the pearls, you may need to have them re-strung.  Ask your local jeweler if they do this or if they can recommend someone who does.  Remember to treat your pearls right – they should be the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off.  Wipe them gently with a soft cotton cloth when you take them off each time and they won’t get so gross again.  This is another good reason to rip your husband’s underwear off his body– they make the best rags.

FYI - I’m not a big fan of ultra-sonic cleaners in the hands of people that don't know what they can do.  Ever since I witnessed an emerald disintegrate in one, I’m afraid of them.  There isn’t much you can’t clean with a strong detergent, a mild detergent, hot water and a toothbrush, and this way, you won’t destroy any of your jewelry in the process.