Fennell says costume jewellery allows for boundary-breaking

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Master jeweller, Theo Fennell, has said that costume jewellery has served to embolden people into pushing the boundaries of what they are prepared to wear. 

In an interview with Professional Jeweller trade magazine, on the eve of the launch of his Show Off! jewellery exhibition, the master craftsman said the rising popularity of costume jewellery is raising the profile of jewels as works of art.

Costume jewellery has allowed people to be braver and explore new options and boundaries," he explained in the interview, while being quick to emphasise that size and boldness alone do not qualify something as a piece of art jewellery.

Art jewellery has to have some resonance and enough thought to change the way its wearer thinks, even a little bit," he explained. "The whole worth is in the concept, artistry and craftsmanship. Those decorative jewellers who came so brilliantly close to genius, rarely used particularly grand or expensive stones. The wonder was in the use of colour and concept and craftsmanship."

Fennell said the era of brands and beads in modern jewellery - where quantity has eclipsed quality in many people's minds, and the name is paramount - will fade away. He explained that people have already started returning to putting a premium on design and craftsmanship, above all else.

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Stars sport alternative rings on wedding finger

Celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston and Britney Spears have been seen sporting rings on their wedding fingers, but the jury is out on whether they are engagement rings due to their unusual style.


Former Friends star Jennifer Aniston has been pictured wearing a chunky gold ring on her wedding finger. It has sparked rumours that she may be set to wed her latest boyfriend, Justin Theroux. However, the ring was described by one writer in the Daily Mail as resembling “a street fighter's knuckle duster rather than a bride-to-be's precious ring.”


When she was engaged to fellow actor Brad Pitt, Aniston wore an elegant £300,000 diamond swirl ring. She has not necessarily ruled out marrying again, though. When asked back in 2008 if she would ever marry again, she told People magazine, “I honestly don't know. I'm not against it. Maybe, sure.” She was dating singer John Mayer at the time.

Singer Britney Spears has also been seen wearing a non-traditional ring on her wedding finger. The flower-shaped ring she has been sporting has led to speculation that she may be engaged to marry boyfriend Jason Trawick. If she were to wed again, it would be Britney’s third marriage.

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  marrying

Her Catwalk has done a fantastic article on Jean Joaillerie which is very interesting as it tells you about the designer - Jan Roberts.  Jan launched her first collection of statement stylish jewellery in November 2010 and has gained a great following for her products.  The products are beautiful handmade pieces of jewellery to wear as the mood takes you.  Wear them on ripped jeans, on a crisp white shirt, on a bikini - the limitation is your imagination.  Here is the article.

http://blog.hercatwalk.com/inspiration-board/jean-joaillerie

The Perfect Engagement Ring

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Sir Paul spends £395,000 on perfect ring for fiancée When music legend Sir Paul McCartney proposed to his new fiancée last week he demonstrated that - 

despite having been burned in the past - all you need is love… and apparently an enormous engagement ring. 

The Beatles star got down on one knee for the third 

time to ask his long-term girlfriend, American heiress,  Nancy Shevell, to marry, presenting her with a 

unique art deco-style engagement ring. 

The piece of ultra-high-end designer jewellery is said to be worth £395,000, with the bulk of the value 

being in the rare, round main diamond,thought to be 

in excess of five carats. The platinum setting also 

features strips of black onyx along the sides. 

Sir Paul worked closely with famed jeweller, Neil Lane, to design the piece, stating that he wanted to create 

something "truly exceptional". 

"It has a beautiful vintage feel to it," Lane told People magazine. "Very romantic, elegant and glamorous but with a bit of cool glitz and rock and roll."

Sir Paul proved that his disastrous wedding to Heather Mills has not put him off true love, and it appears that his new bride could not be more different to his second wife. Nancy is said to be adored by Sir Paul's children and, 

as the daughter of a freight and shipping billionaire who has in the past been described as "richer than God", is 

certainly not in it for the money.

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Let Hotjoolz bring Jean Joaillerie to your door!

We are very excited with this collaboration and totally love the concept of Jean Joaillerie -   beautiful eco-friendly statement pieces of jewellery to use to suit the wearer’s mood and imagination.  The pieces are very ingeniously designed so that they can be attached to a garment or to a handbag, beachwear, keyring, or even used as a hair accessory.  View the beautiful collection Jean-Joaillerie Collection.

In addition Jean Joaillerie has just launched a new collection with larger pieces fashioned to be worn as necklaces, a demi-belt, on laptop covers.  So add a bit of glamour to enhance a pair of leggings or jeans – especially the ripped kind, or to add a bit of interest to a crisp white shirt or bikini, bling up a little black dress or simply add a bit of sparkle to a black handbag clutch – just let your imagination go wild!

Here are some of the pieces and suggestions on how to wear them.

Middletons kept wedding jewellery choices close to home

Kate Middleton kept her jewellery choice for her big day on Friday close to home, wearing earrings made by the wife of an MP from the Middleton family’s home county of Berkshire.

The earrings – which featured a diamond-set oak leaf and pavé-set diamond acorn from the family’s new crest – were made by bespoke designer jewellery makers, Robinson Pelham. One of the co-founders of the company, Zoe Benyon, is the wife of Tory MP for Newbury, Richard Benyon.

The company received a commission for the jewellery from Carole and Michael Middleton, who wanted Kate – now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge – to wear her own family jewellery on the auspicious occasion.

The Benyons are close neighbours and friends of the Middleton family. Their link was emphasised by the fact that not only Kate’s jewellery, but the items worn by Carole and sister, Pippa, on the big day, were provided by Robinson Pelham. Pippa wore floral-look diamond earrings with her well-received dress, while Carole’s pendant and earrings came from the same stock.

And not to think the gentlemen were forgotten about either: Michael and Kate’s 23-year-old brother, James, were both kitted out with gold suit pins from the same company as well.

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