Bernie Madoff Jewelry On The Block

Diamonds, emeralds, pearls and Rolex watches are all being auctioned this weekend in New York, which wouldn't really be news except for the small fact that they all belonged to disgraced billionaire and all-around scumbag, Bernie Madoff.



The auction will feature some 200 items, including a pair of Victorian-era diamond earrings ($20,000 est.), an Edwardian-era diamond and emerald bracelet, a 123-inch strand necklace of Baroque Akoya pearls, and various pricey watches, golf clubs, mink coats, cuff links and the like.

The question remains: Who would want to own this stuff? (The karma...the karma).

Auctioneers hope to bring in well above the $500,000 total which is the sum of the low-estimate of each item, with proceeds going to help the victims of the massive ponzi scheme.


Seems like a drop in the bucket, but here's hoping. Would you guys buy the Madoff loot if you could? Weigh in!

Glamour's Women of the Year Shine Bright

The 2009 Glamour Women of the Year Awards took place last night in New York’s grand Carnegie Hall, and the star power was at full wattage – despite a lack of significant jewelry bling to speak of on the carpet.

Honoree, Rihanna, dazzled in a Stephan Rollande gown and Cartier diamond studs – earning the respect of the crowd and presenter, Iman, for riding the tide of public sentiment after her high-profile beating from former boyfriend Chris Brown. Onwards, girlfriend!

Fellow honoree, Amy Poehler, followed suit in basic diamond studs that didn’t outshine her metallic sheath by Stella McCartney (also honored). And Top Chef’s Padma Lakshmi showed off her baby bump with a little gold glam (most likely from her own jewelry line).

I’m loving the sleek Serena Williams style with heavy bangs and diamond cuffs – and while I prefer a brunette Catherine McPhee, her onyx and diamond deco drops are to die for. Nice work.

The winner for me in the ‘notsomuch’ department had to be Miss Gayle King in a statement necklace that didn’t need her sequined belt’s competition. Less is more when you’ve got such a wow piece taking center stage, right?

For a full album of the evening’s top fashion moments, visit the Jewelry.com Facebook page and weigh in with your rants and raves. And visit the Glamour homepage for a full recap of the evening’s honorees (and there were many worthy women to celebrate).

Katy Perry's Diamond Manicure

Katy Perry may have started a new trend by posting a twitter pic of the diamond manicure she wore to MTV's European Music Awards in Berlin last week. Her tweeps went wild with approval!

I have to say, I was on the fence about the style, but thought about all the fun we jewelry hounds could have with it during holiday season. In fact, manicurists have already been using diamond tools and powder to make our hands sparkle. And some crazy kids (and the dentists who indulge them) are putting diamonds on their TEETH!

Whatever trips your trigger...

I am admittedly late to the whole 'glitter toes' sensation that's taking the pedicure world by storm. You know - the pour glitter on your toes and cover it with acryllic technique that lasts for 2 months? But adding diamonds to the mix takes things to an entirely new level.

Word on the street is Katy's nails are really glittering with (gasp!) rhinestones - -but who am I to judge?

What do you guys think of her look? Would you wear it for a night on the town? Or is it something best left to divas and Vegas residents?

Jewelry Shines at Latin Grammys

From Eva to Alicia the stars brought out the sparkle at last night’s 10th Annual Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas.

The frocks revealed many metallic and one-shoulder looks, but the Latin ladies didn’t shy away from accessorizing with bold choices that are right in line with the statement trend we’re sure to enjoy well into 2010.

We’re talking big dangle earrings:

Statement necklaces:

And diamonds and yellow gold:

Who wore your favorite look? Weigh in here and check out the full album of Latin Grammy fashions on the Jewelry.com Facebook Page. Everybody's doin' it...

MIchelle Obama's Jewelry Statement

Statement necklaces are the perfect way to work that holiday party outfit this season, and I just discovered a fab way to wear them on none other than Michelle Obama.

It's been a while since I've featured our First Lady's fashion choices, but the thorough Mrs. O blog seems to have all that covered for those of us who are curious. That's where I found this great holiday look that Obama wears on the cover of Glamour magazine this month. Jason Wu is credited with the fun and flirty red dress (apparently from Obama's own closest - not a stylist) and the amazing statement necklace is Fenton by Dana Lorenz.

The Fashionista-in Chief has worn Fenton before, but this piece is simply bananas in my book - the ideal inspiration for our own holiday accessory selects. And everyone from department stores and flea markets to high-end boutiques are teeming with statement necklace styles this season after the runways indicated the category was here to stay.

What do you guys think of this look? Classic holiday chic? Or too over-the-top for your taste? Weigh in!

Courteney Cox's Jewelry for a Cause

Celebrity jewelry lines are a dime a dozen these days - from Nicole Richie and Paula Abdul to Tori Spelling and one or five of Bravo's New York Housewives. So it's nice to see celebrities putting their name behind jewelry that actually means something to them aside from dollar signs.

Cougar queen, Courteney Cox and hubby David Arquette are launching a jewelry line to benefit those suffering from a realtively unkown skin condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa or EB.

"There is a beautiful child named Brendon, the son of one of our dear friends, Andrea Pett Joseph, who was born with...EB," Arquette told VOGUE.COM. "We were not aware of the condition until it affected us personally but, of course, once we got to know this incredible child we wanted to do whatever we could to help."

EB is a rare and life-threatening genetic condition which results in the skin developing burn-like wounds, making even simple tasks incredibly difficult. David and Courteney designed the collection with US Jewelry outfit, Satya and used the butterfly motif to symbolize the fragility of the EB childrens' skin.

Pieces range in price from $24 for a silver pendant to $348 for the gold version shown above. Support the cause and get a little bling in return by visiting Satya Jewelry online.

Gowns, Gems and Gaga at the ACE Awards

My favorite fashion category - accessories - was honored by the sartorial elite last night in New York at the annual ACE Awards. And while the honorees ran the gamut from Burberry to Barbie (!?!), it was Lady Gaga who took center stage (surprise) to take her 'Stylemaker of the Year' award. The woman only dresses in accessories, for crikes' sakes.


Gaga was honored by none other than Marc Jacobs, which is appropriate since she wore one of his spring 2010 looks complete with pink bra, double layered panties, fishnets and blonde afro according to one of my fave bloggers, Red Carpet Fashion Awards.

Time was, Betsey Johnson used to be the most colorful character on the red carpet - and she did her best last night in layered chains and her signature Punky Brewster style - but it's just too hard to top blonde afro and doubled panties. Sorry, Bets.


Model Agnyess Deyn and the rest of the fashion world showed up in basic black, inlcuding my favorite little bit from the bash - BASICS Barbie - who wore (what else?) a little black dress. What will they come up with next? The always-enticing 'Fashionable Separates Barbie'? Run, don't walk girls...


Click here for a complete list of the 2009 ACE Award winners. I know you'd be staying up nights wondering.