"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly
by." --Douglas Adams, science fiction writer (1952-2001)
It's been a few days, but I have a great excuse: my dog ate my blog.
The vet said he should pass it naturally but meanwhile people stare at
his laptop-shaped stomach and wonder why he didn't stick to Alpo.
Seriously, I was in the trenches at the JA show in New York. With over
1,300 exhibitors from around the world, it's one of jewelry's biggest
wholesale shows. The size, glitz and sheer amount of vendors was
staggering. However, for you, dear reader, I, along with my esteemed
colleague Mary Ellen, made the rounds for eight exhausting hours,
sorting through the good, the bad and the terrifyingly gaudy to
uncover the hidden gems and trends for fall. You'll see most in the
coming weeks on our site, MoonRiverPearls.com, but we'll give you a
heads up...we know, after the long sultry summer spent in bathing
suits and sundresses, you're excited to break out the chunky sweaters,
knee-high boots, wool trousers and all the other goodies coming out
for fall. Here's how to accessorize them:
1. Pearls: I know, we're biased, but pearls are still wildly popular.
And I'm not just talking grandma's pearls. While the classics will
always be in, especially with the bridal set and the non-casual
workday set (you poor dears, can't they at least go business casual?),
what's new in pearls is a riot of colors, from pastel pink to lavender
and beyond, and all kinds of shapes, especially baroque, or
asymmetrical pearls, which we saw in unique and beautiful necklaces,
earrings and bracelets, and keshi pearls, those highly lustrous pearls
that are a by-product of the pearl culturing process (keshi means
poppyseed in Japanese). Look for keshis on our site in the future.
2. Turquoise: Mary Ellen and I both thought of turquoise as a summer
staple, but our colleagues assured us that the stone is hot hot hot
and will carry through fall and into winter. It is December's
birthstone after all. We mostly saw huge, chunky, spotted beads of
turquoise in long necklaces, or highly polished, uniform round,
bubblegum-size beads. Colors ranged from a beautiful sky blue to a
Caribbean blue/green.
3. Black. Last year, brown was the new black, but this year, black is
the new black. That's good news, because black jewelry looks
sophisticated and stylish on everyone. From black pearls to black
glass beads to onyx, we saw it all. Layer long, chunky glass bead
necklaces with a shorter, gobstopper-sized mother-of-pearl bead choker
or some gold chains with black pearls to create a unique style.
4. As you've surmised, layered necklaces are still in, and now, too,
are layered bracelets. Layer a few wide cuffs--choose metal, wood or
bejeweled styles that complement your outfit, or stack scads of
bangles...wood, plain metal, or charm. Be sure to add a gemstone or
pearl strand as well to add interest.
5. Finally, some genius has invented clip-on earrings that are
delicate and stylish. Called Ear Pins, they're gorgeous earrings for
non-pierced ears that are a far cry from your great-aunt's heavy lobe-
stretchers. We were so taken with them that we're adding them to our
fall lineup. Stay tuned.
6. Swirl earrings. Called Earspirals, these earrings feature a
freeform spiral of gold around a drop earring. The style is so cool
the designer actually got a patent for them. They require no
uncomfortable backs, but instead twist through the ear. We'll bring
you some styles in the coming weeks.
7. Sterling silver. Duh, you say, sterling silver is always hot. We
agree, but we found some unique pieces that kick sterling's appeal up
a notch. Shaped around different gemstones and various rough-touch man-
made stones that we were particularly taken with, these pieces are not
your run-of-the mill sterling. They feature chunky rocks and beautiful
colors juxtaposed in interesting designs. Rock on!
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