Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Blue Diamonds Hold The Earth's Secrets

Photo: IFLScience

Full disclosure: I'm not a scientist and I don't want to take credit for the work of others. All I can do is read a bunch of sources, then put some of the facts together so you don't have to read all those sources yourself. The following is a paraphrasing -- the Turner "CliffsNotes" -- from several sources on a subject I love covering ... gemstones and jewelry! In today's blog, let's learn more about blue diamonds!

Photo: The Hope Diamond - Smithsonian
Only 1 out of 200,000 diamonds are blue. Like all other diamonds blue diamonds were formed billions of years ago when the element carbon was exposed to extreme heat and pressure deep in the earth's mantle. Clear (a/k/a white) diamonds are pure carbon. If traces of boron contaminate the carbon during its growth, a blue diamond is created. The industry calls all colored diamonds fancy diamonds.

Photo: MID: Okavango Blue
Scientists are intrigued by the origin of blue diamonds because they hold many of the earth's secrets. Once an enchanting mystery, gemologists now think they understand how these extremely rare blue gemstones came about. It also gives us clues about the evolution of the earth, itself. After the Gemological Institute of America conducted studies using lasers to uncover impurities (minerals) that got trapped inside blue diamonds, the experts started to assemble a picture of how and where blue diamonds were formed.

Photo: Getty - The National
Based on their discoveries, scientists know that blue diamonds were formed much deeper in the earth (below 410 miles) than other diamonds (formed between 90 miles - 125 miles below the earth's surface). It is believed that boron in the ocean floor "was pushed down when plates that make up the Earth's crust collided," making the diamonds appear blue. (According to researchers, boron lets the diamonds "absorb some red light, so the diamonds look blue.")

Getty - The Oppenheimer
Diamond deposits formed very deep within the earth eventually reach the surface by volcanic eruptions.

Now we know how some of the big rare blue gemstones such as the Hope Diamond and Oppenheimer Diamond were born. Billions of years ago Mother Nature had to come together in just the right way to produce them and for humans to find and have them all these years later.

Heart of Eternity
Both blue and white diamonds are graded using the 4 Cs: cut, clarity, color, and carat. But!
 Blue diamonds are so rare and in demand for their beauty, that they tend to cost more per carat than white diamonds. The blue diamonds that become well-known and fetch millions of dollars at auctions invoke excitement and fame because their unique size, color, and clarity are so rare.

Mouawad Blue
As it happens I don't have any blue diamond jewelry. Diamonds are valued for their sparkle and brilliance. Colored gemstones will have less sparkle than white diamonds. Their value is determined by the vividness, tone, and saturation of their color. Vivid blue diamonds are so rare and expensive that we get less for the money than if we buy white (a/k/a clear) diamonds. I have never been tempted to buy blue diamonds because blue diamonds aren't very budget-friendly, and I don't want to spend a lot of money on faint or tiny blue diamonds! I'd rather compromise by buying a commercial-grade sapphire.

The good news is scientists can make blue diamonds in a lab. Laboratory diamonds are grown in an artificial setting that mimics how diamonds grow naturally below the earth's mantle. Lab-grown diamonds are getting better and more plentiful all the time, which is lowering the prices per carat of all diamonds! 
The color of these blue diamond earrings looks enhanced. You never see such dazzling blue diamonds in jewelry display cases! They did, however, inspire me to write the blog. Wouldn't we love to own real blue diamond earrings just like them? Of course we would!:)💙🔵  

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Thursday's Chelsea Boots And More

It was hard to pick only one style to feature!
Thursday is the name of a boot company right up THE SAVVY SHOPPER's alley! It's the type of business I love to introduce to my readers. The boot company offers customers the highest quality handcrafted boots at "honest" -- without a doubt, reasonable prices. There are no cutting corners, customers get the best materials available on every Thursday boot or product made. You'll also find comfort, durability, and versatility in their various styles of boots. What you won't find are boots that are made cheap, have poor craftsmanship, or are overpriced. 

Customers pay honest prices for ridiculously comfortable and well-constructed footwear that is incredibly stylish to boot (I couldn't resist the pun:).

Here's how they do it. Thursday Boot Company was launched as a Kickstart campaign in 2014 by Nolan Walsh and Connor Wilson, raising $275,000. There is no middleman. Thursday reinvests what they save by selling directly to customers and putting profits back into premium materials including full-grain leather, supple glove leather linings, and cork bed midsoles for comfort. After launching, word caught on! The company quickly went from selling 1,000 boots per month to 1,000 boots per week.

After succeeding with an array of the highest-quality and chic boots, Thursday expanded into dress shoes, sneakers, jackets, and accessories. Every piece is thoughtfully designed and meticulously tested to be functional and fashionable. 

These full-grain leather boots were made for pounding the concrete pavements of city streets. They won't fall apart after a few wears, after taking a beating, or by getting wet. Thursday's footwear, jackets, and accessories are made for people who live busy dapper lives. There's no compromise between style, quality, or price. 

If Thursday's child has far to go, you can't go wrong wearing Thursday's Chelsea boots for super cuteness.


You may also enjoy:

Monday, February 26, 2024

Lands' End For Blazers And Tunics

Forget fast fashion, turn to Lands' End for classic pieces you'll keep for years. I have LE wool blazers and cashmere sweaters that will never wear out, as well as, cotton tunics that need to be replaced after about a decade of frequent wear. I also favor LE cotton and linen summer dresses and its spandex swimsuits. LE's price points are higher than Old Navy and Uniqlo, but the promotions are fabulous to lower the costs.

The merchant's blazers and tunics are cut for a woman's body. Oversized if you prefer it, yet fitted to avoid a boxy droop. I also like the practical details of the flattering collar, front buttons, and pockets. 

The fabric is 60% cotton and 40% model.
As it turns out, my mother and I share this👆tunic. It comes in black, navy blue, grey, purple, and white. Of course, we selected black to go with everything. The super soft tunic is perfect as a layering piece in winter, and to pair with leggings and skinny jeans (me) or slightly flared athletic pants (her) in the fall and spring. When we received the order and discovered an ultra-flattering tunic, I started borrowing it.😁 It is cut long to cover the derriere, which makes it versatile and extends the look of your legs. Overall the tunic is roomy yet drapes your hips nicely to avoid swallowing you up. 

A blazer and tunic are a must-have in every woman's wardrobe for a winning casual smart appearance. Both layering pieces are a tad more festive and chic than a sweater to dress up leggings or jeans.

LE brought out its tunic for spring in 100% cotton.
We are very lucky to live in an era that accepts a casual smart look, letting us show up to a great many events both polished and comfortable! We don't have to sacrifice either style or freedom from pain or constraint to look like we care enough and have made the effort to spruce ourselves up to attend a dinner, performance, or work function.

Lands' End is the ideal place to go for classic layering pieces, you'll wear for decades. They're stylish and excellent investments!


You may also enjoy:

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Million Dollar Rubies Sold


Imagine owning massive top-quality rubies! Let's take a look at 2 stones sometimes called the king of gems that were sold in 2023. 

First up is The Sunrise Ruby, a rare Cartier Burmese ruby, set with 2 side diamonds in a platinum ring. Last year it was sold at auction by Christie's from the estate of Austrian billionaire Heidi Horten for $13,055,000, less than predicted due to a bit of controversy that is unrelated to the gemstone's origin. In 2015 Ms. Horten paid $30,300,000 for the ruby. According to Christie's, the price was higher in 2015 due to the back and forth of 2 bidders at the time.

Below👇are different angles of the cushion shape, brilliant cut Sunrise Ruby. It weighs 25.59 carats.

🔺🔻🔺🔻🔻🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺
Mozambique, a country in Southeastern Africa, is emerging as a rich source of premium-quality rubies. Our 2nd gemstone is a Mozambique ruby that fetched $34,800,000 at Sotheby's last year, setting a new record for the price of a ruby. 
Called the Estrela de Fura (Porchugese for Star of Fura) Ruby, at 101 carats uncut, it's both the largest gem-quality ruby ever found, as well as, the highest price ever paid at auction! Cut down to 55.22 carats by gem dealer and cutter Francois Garaude into a cushion shape, this stunning ruby bears remarkable symmetry and balance. It is gigantic, unheated, and clean making it a rare natural ruby. The ruby's pigeon blood color is equal to the celebrated Burmese rubies. Under ultraviolet light, the Estrela de Fura ruby radiates a strong fluorescence. 

In addition to oohing and ahhing, all I can say is a regular person's rubies are very small and flat in comparison!😊

BTW, The Sunrise and Estrela de Fura rubies were acquired by anonymous private collectors. The new owner of Ms. Horten's ruby lives in the Middle East. I always hope these huge ideal gemstones eventually end up in a museum so the public too can see them.

🔺🔻🔺🔻🔻🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺
And now here are jewels for average people like you and me. 😛 

Below👇are smaller, less-perfect rubies from Macy's or Saks. Perhaps not heirloom nuggets, yet they are pretty too, no? Each piece is 1-9/10 carats, a versatile size that can be worn both daily and to galas ... and the cost is more attainable. Remember my motto: First a dreamer, then a realist!




You may also enjoy:

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Stylin' In Lands' End Summer Dresses


Summer, my favorite season, is always on my mind. Lands' End is already selling its summerwear ... and look at all the super cute and practical dresses!

The dresses featured range from 100% cotton to nearly 100% cotton with a touch of spandex. All are machine washable and dryable. I also like the casual smart style of the dresses. Dress them up or down, with a change of shoes and accessories. They can go from afternoon errands to a night out on the town.



This last-bottom dress👇 is really a beach coverup but doubles as a lovely summer dress. The dresses come in multiple colors and patterns. 
My experience with Lands' End cotton dresses is the cotton fabric is substantial and durable. It takes decades to wear the dresses out making them good investments. Plus they go on promotion often!


You may also enjoy:
Save On Summer Fashion Essentials

Sunday, February 4, 2024

Georgous Ruby Jewelry But Small & Pricey

I've had my eye on these Effy rubies and diamonds in 14k rose gold hoops selling on Macy's website for a while because they're classic and gorgeous! I love the rose gold and baguette-cut rubies sandwiched between 2 lines of small round diamonds. But because of the small size of the earrings (mentioned in the reviews) compared to the relatively high price, I don't think we're getting enough for our money even when they go on sale. It isn't the greed of Macy's or Effy (the vendor) in particular that I fault for being so costly. Universally across different retailers, we are now charged more for less than substantial pieces of jewelry. Why?

Lali Jewels (left) and LeVian (right)
Gem-quality rubies (and red gemstones in general) are rarer in nature, therefore rubies tend to cost more per carat than sapphires or diamonds. (Gem-quality emeralds are even rarer so cost more per carat than rubies, sapphires, and diamonds.)

Le Vian (left) and Effy (right)
To be called a ruby the corundum (stone) must be red. Frankly, some of these ruby stones I'm featuring on the blog look more like pink sapphires online, but perhaps they are darker in the retail store? To recite an industry saying, "It's a pink sapphire if you're the buyer and a ruby if you're the seller." Both can be lovely gemstones, just be sure the price matches its color!

The jewelry featured in today's post is beyond cute and so tempting, especially near Valentine's Day. I just can't believe the steep prices of over $1,000 for such slight pieces!😳

Why has dainty jewelry gotten so expensive? One reason is the price of gold is higher so now we're asked to pay through the nose for flimsy pieces of jewelry!

Is it worth it? People must decide for themselves, but if I saved up weeks of salary in exchange for tiny earrings or a thin ring, I'd be disappointed after opening the box regardless of how pretty the design is. Perhaps I'd feel somewhat taken, and clearly, I'd feel I could do more with the money elsewhere.

Macy's in-house brand (left) and Lali Jewels (right)

One way to lower the cost of fine jewelry is to find pieces in 925 sterling silver instead of 14k or 18k gold, suitable for earrings, necklaces, also rings, and bracelets you don't wear daily, i.e., jewelry you don't bang around. Like gold, silver is a precious metal yet softer than gold. I own 2 pairs of earrings (10'' round freshwater pearls and 4-carat lab-grown white sapphires with silver posts. Each durable pair costs under $100.)

Even freshwater pink pearls with tiny marquise-shaped pink tourmaline earrings (below↓) are pricey! Some people love delicate jewelry, but how much are customers willing to pay for it?
Macy's in-house brand (left) and LeVian (right) - all the jewelry is sold on Macy's website
.
Friends, is love ... as in the love of gold jewelry blind? Nowadays are you buying or passing on fine jewelry?🤔


You may also enjoy:

Monday, January 22, 2024

Aspinal The Alternative to Logo Luxury Bags

Full grain leathers - nappa and cow
Welcome to the world of Aspinal of London, where customers can buy top-notch luxury bags or small leather goods without the hype, games, serial price hikes, or ostentatious logos that are becoming disturbing among a few well-known luxury brands. Merchants who don't value their customers are not our friends. Aspinal of London is!

Aspinal offers high caliber leather(s), expert craftsmanship, and attention to detail with extras for your money; and their bags list for $1000s less than the showy logo brands. 

Furthermore, you are provided with excellent and friendly customer care. Just for signing up for emails, you get an instant 10% savings, and periodically there are sales with up to 70% off. Save your Alexander Hamiltons on fine leather goods. Frankly spending them for exclusiveness is a middle-class illusion according to marketers! Luxury houses design special lines not for public sale for their wealthy clients.

Aspinal's fine leather bags are ultra stylish, sturdy, tasteful, and timeless. Does the quilted black bag with gold hardware on the left remind you of a coveted bag that just announced another price increase (of 15.7%)? The Chanel medium double flap bag now sells for $11,850 (up from $10,200) without offering customers any improvements! In fact, numerous customers claim the quality of the double-flap bag has taken a nose-dive and is no longer worth its asking price.

 Not only is the classic Aspiral bag of superior quality, but it also has a few frills such as 4 golden feet to protect the leather. You get more for less money.

If you are looking for a substantial full-grain leather luxury bag, then look no further than Aspinal of London where you find excellence, a fair shake, and outstanding customer service when you walk in the door, as well as, after you purchase your bag. Take a consumer oath: From now on, support brands who work to be your friends!


You may also enjoy:
Launer Is A Handbag Fit For A Queen

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Lalage Beaumont Is An Impressive Brand


Although I don't own Hermès, Chanel, or Dior handbags or apparel, I often come into contact with them by living in Manhattan. I see the bags and clothes on the streets, and I touch and examine the items in the stores. Pursuing is fun! If I were to spend the princely sum I'd be most tempted by a black medium Lady Dior bag with black or gold hardware, and I lean towards Dior's clothing style. I suppose as much as I love playing with couture merchandise, I don't value it enough to buy it. The markup is tremendous and I'm a value shopper.

Unlike its inspiration, the Hermès' Kelly, this bag comes with a crossover strap.

If you don't wish to withdraw multiple Alexander Hamiltons for certain designer labels, yet admire fine textiles and top craftsmanship, there are many comparable brands to consider for less. Lalage Beaumont, a UK fashion and accessory studio, launched in 2004, is one of them. The quality and style of the brand are impeccable. The vibe is "classical elegance" combined with modern sophistication, and there is great attention paid to details.

Before striking out under her own name, Lalage, the company's founder and namesake, designed for famous English fashion houses in the 1980s and 1990s. Today her boutiques and stockists are located in the fashion centers of London and cities around the globe. Collections include business suits, evening wear, and special event attire, as well as, measure to wear tailoring. 

Lalage's pieces are expensive though not outlandish. They are timeless and made with top-notch fabrics, skill, and experience to last a lifetime. The retailer believes in sustainability and offers full-service repairs on handbags and clothing over the lifetime of its wear. You'll have your Lalage forever!

The brand is refined luxury at its best without the flashy logos or hype, contrived exclusivity, or inflated profit margins. Savvy Shoppers never support merchants who mistreat their customers!
In short, Lalage is a quality brand! But ... if you don't require this price point of luxury, I recommend being super selective. Plus, there is nothing wrong with mixing high-end pieces like a tailored blazer, trousers, or coat with lower-end pieces, i.e., everything else! 

Hermès, Chanel, and Dior who? Nowadays we have plenty of choices. Nobody has to go broke to dress well!


You may also enjoy: