Four July 4th Jewelry Ideas

It's almost July 4th again, jewelry hounds - that wholesome American holiday where folks all over this great nation utter the time-honored phrase,

"Hold my beer while I light this."

Sparklers of a different sort are what I'm interested in, so here are a few of my July 4th jewelry thoughts to add a little flare to your fashion.

1. Cocktail Rings

I like the idea of using your jewelry to add that last bit of red, white or blue to the BBQ ensemble - and what better way than with an oversized cocktail ring? Grab a costume piece from the vintage store down the block or shop from a huge selection of gemstone styles.

2. Step Away From The Flag Jewelry

Why not hit the holiday on the nose with a little flag jewelry? Because it's predictable, Mary. That's why. How about a little 'star' power like this instead?

3. Dangle/Disco Earrings

Time to bring out your fireworks-inspired ear wear, ladies. The more they glitter the better.

4. The Star 'Bangled' Banner, anyone?...Anyone?

Finally - the tried-and-true layered bangle look is a great way to add the 'Old Glory' color triumvirate to an all-white ensemble. You've already got 'em in the jewelry box. Time to bring 'em out an layer 'em on - maybe with a splash of gold for good measure?

Ok, jewelry hounds. Time to go get my, 'No, I really DO like potato salad' game face on.

In the meantime, weigh in with some of your favorite July 4th jewels!

Reindeer Games Gone Glam

Breaking news: Rudolph apparently has a nose for the jewelry business.

Jewelry lovers who are hoping for, say, a nice tasteful pair of diamond studs or an inexpensive gemstone piece for the holidays this year might be disappointed to find a lovely pendant made out of that rarest of materials - reindeer dung - under the tree instead.

Yup. Sparkly reindeer-dung necklaces are indeed on sale at an Illinois zoo that hopes to attract the same holiday shoppers who swept up their dung Christmas ornaments last year. The limited-edition Magical Reindeer Gem contains dried, sterilized reindeer droppings -- sprayed with glitter (of course) -- on a beaded chain. They'll be available at the Bloomington zoo's gift shop for $15, or by mail for $20.

Miller Park Zoological Society spokeswoman Susie Ohley told the Chicago Tribune that while 'silly', she estimates the zoo could make as much as $16,500 - a welcome windfall since they lost $200,000 under city budget cuts this year.

Stop 'taking crap' and sell it instead - not a bad business plan.

What do you guys think? Would you wear jewelry made from Dancer's droppings? Or are you strictly a dung-less consumer?

Everlon Earrings Sparkle on Swift

Ok. So maybe I was a little harsh on Taylor Swift yesterday. Despite her penchant for sparkly dresses, the youngster does don some dashing diamonds - diva style.

It was brought to my attention that while she rocked super high-end Lorraine Schwartz gold and pearl drop earrings on the red carpet, she actually wore a pair of diamond Everlon(tm) earrings that we mere mortals can find under our trees this year when she performed her hit 'Fifteen' during the CMA broadcast.


It's not easy to see the earrings in these photos (here is her performance on Youtube that shows them in all their glory), but Zales carries a pair similar to those worn by Swift for only $399.99. In fact, the Everlon jewelry collection (marketed by DeBeers - responsible for the Journey and 'Past, Present' Future' campaigns, among others), will debut a new ad in time for holiday shopping sprees next week - stay tuned.


So Taylor (and her stylists) are ahead of the curve on this one. Maybe I'll post-pone my 'sequintervention', after all.