If your birthday is in the month of June, your Zodiac stone is the pearl!

Pearls are formed in certain mollusks when an irritant enters the shell. In order to protect its soft tissue, the mollusk coats the irritant in layers of nacre, more commonly known as mother-of-pearl.

Gem-quality natural pearls are extremely rare. Most of the pearls on today’s market are cultured. Pre-formed beads are inserted into pearl oysters. The oysters coat the beads with a few layers of nacre, hence achieving the look of a pearl, but with much more consistency than in nature.

Pearls are well-known as gemstones; most fashionistas worth their salt own at least one pearl necklace, be it natural, cultured, or even faux.

A strand of pearls became a trademark for First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, a leading trendsetter of her day. Pearl necklaces have since then become representative of classic taste and style.

Pearls are a hallmark of class. There’s just something about pearls that make them so simple, yet graceful and elegant, too. It’s because of their understated beauty that they are so timeless.

But pearls are also versatile. Many women wear strands of pearls and pearl necklaces to cocktail parties, but, lately, they’ve also been cropping up as chunky cuffs, cocktail rings, and even body piercings. My sister likes to wear a faux pearl necklace with a brightly-colored polo t-shirt – with the collar popped, of course.

Pearls are fairly delicate and must be taken care of diligently. They are soft and may scratch, so they’re best stored in soft cloths. They are also extremely porous, so care must be taken not to get them wet.

The ladies of June are much like their birthstone: classy, beautiful, and precious. So happy birthday to all you pearls out there! Keep on shining!

Simply, Yet Elegantly,
Olivia

Welcome to WooMeOver University, or WooU. As much as we think that jewelry and gemstones are fun to talk about, we also think that there’s something to be said for educating ourselves about them so that we actually know what we’re talking about.

So, let’s start with what I think is the quintessential gemstone: the diamond.

They say that “diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” but I sometimes think that men know more about diamonds than women do. After all, men are the ones who have to buy the engagement rings.

Regardless, every girl should still know how to at least evaluate a diamond, so here’s a review of diamond basics.

A diamond is basically a form of carbon. It is the hardest naturally-occurring mineral on earth. This makes it valuable for industrial purposes, but it’s more commonly known in its gemstone form.

And that brings us to the infamous Five Cs: the criteria by which all diamonds are measured.

Carat
The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. A carat is 200 milligrams. Since all diamonds have the same atomic structure, its weight measure is also its mass measure.

Clarity

Almost all diamonds have internal defects, called inclusions. Inclusions can be foreign materials in a diamond, or even another diamond structure within a diamond. They can also be tiny cracks, which make the diamond appear whitish or cloudy.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has a system to grade clarity, which is based on a trained professional’s evaluation of the diamond under 10x magnification. Clarity is graded on a scale from flawless (negligible inclusions) to imperfect (many inclusions).

Color
A perfect diamond should be completely transparent. But chemical impurities and structural defects in a diamond’s crystal lattice can give a diamond the appearance of color.

The GIA has a system to grade color, from D (colorless) to Z (bright yellow).

But just because a diamond is colored doesn’t mean that it’s less valuable. In fact, yellow diamonds with a Z rating are rare and, therefore, more expensive. Pink and blue diamonds are also highly desirable.

Cut
A diamond needs to be shaped and polished in order to achieve its full potential as a gemstone. When light hits a diamond, the way it’s cut can either reflect lots of light, making it look brilliant, or absorb it, making it look dark.

Cut is not to be confused with shape. While cut refers to the reflective quality of the gem, the shape has no real bearing on how brilliant a gemstone looks; it’s just a matter of personal style and preference. Different shapes include round, princess, emerald, and heart.

Certificate
The best way to make sure that your diamond is of high quality, authenticity, and integrity is to make sure that it’s certified by a major independent gemological laboratory (like the GIA).

Hopefully, that fills you in all the basics a girl should know about her diamonds. But, as for getting a man to buy you one… well, that would require a different article.

Brilliantly,
Olivia

The fashion world is abuzz with talk about the fashions from Sex and the City: the Movie. Since the inception of the television series, Carrie Bradshaw’s name has become synonymous with fashion and good taste. Every self-respecting fashionista worth her salt has been scrutinizing production stills since filming began.

Now, many of us love to keep up with the fashions of the style elite. We daydream about being Carrie Bradshaw, about being flawlessly adorned from head to toe. But we eventually have to face reality.

The reality is that most of us cannot afford to wear a different designer outfit every day, a closet full of Manolo Blahniks, or pajamas that cost more than the laptop that is my livelihood.

I don’t even dare to think about the cost of the jewels. Names like Nicolas Ghesquiére for Balenciaga, Philip Crangi for Vera Wang, and Cartier were scattered all over VOGUE magazine’s feature on the fashions from the film.

Thankfully, Emitations.com has found a solution for this problem. They’ve searched high and low for affordable alternatives to the luxury gems that Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha wear in the movie.

Take, for example, this cuff set that Carrie wears in a staged photo shoot for VOGUE magazine. The actual pieces she’s wearing are worth thousands. Emitations’ finds weigh in at just over $300. That’s a pretty tempting bargain; even Carrie Bradshaw would be hard pressed to disagree.

In a world where fashion sense is such a valuable commodity, the true luxury is not in being able to afford designer jewels. No, it is enough of a luxury to live in a place where one can look like a million bucks – without spending it.

Frugally,
Olivia

When your last name is Picasso, everyone expects you to be creative.

Paloma Picasso comes from a family of the famous: her mother, artist Francoise Gilot; her stepfather, Dr. Jonas Salk, who discovered the polio vaccine; and, of course, her father, renowned artist Pablo Picasso.

It must have been difficult for young Paloma to find her own identity as an artist and designer while growing up in her famous parents’ shadows.

But she has done it, and with style.

She got her start as a costume designer in Paris. Some rhinestone necklaces she crafted out of flea market castoffs caused a stir in critical circles. This led to her designing for Yves Saint Laurent, which garnered more critical acclaim for Paloma.

And that brings us to Tiffany.

Paloma began designing for Tiffany in 1980, and has continued to produce evocative pieces ever since. Reinventing classics has become her hallmark.

Her Loving Hearts collection is vastly popular. I confess that I own a Loving Hearts necklace that has outlasted my relationship with the man who gave it to me. Paloma Picasso can take something as simple as a heart and show just how beautiful it can be.

I’m also a great fan of her Sugar Stacks – a veritable candy shop of colors. The design’s genius is in its simplicity; the gems seem to shine all the more brilliantly because the design doesn’t get in the way. The colors are so vivid that I almost want to taste them!

Paloma Picasso’s collaboration with Tiffany can only be described as a work of art. She has a flair for jewelry design all her own. And I think her father – what’s his name again? – would be proud.

Sweetly,
Olivia