If your birthday is in August, then your birthstone is the peridot!

Peridot is a brilliant green gem. It’s often confused with emeralds, but you can tell the difference by the shade of green. Emeralds tend to be a deeper hue, while peridots are lighter and have fewer inclusions.

Peridot is a gem quality version of the mineral olivine (so named for its olive hue). One of the best things about peridot is that much of it is mined right here in the United States!

This gemstone gets its green from the combination of iron and magnesium. The color of peridot can range from yellow to brown, depending on the ration of iron to magnesium. But the common peridot that we know and love is mostly green.

Peridot is a great choice for those with summer birthdays! Unlike emerald, which is a much heavier tone, peridot is a light green that adds a subtle glimmer of summer to an ensemble. Peridot can perfectly set off your summer tan, enhancing the golden tones of summer skin.

With that said, here are three ways to wear peridot:

Affordable Accent

Macy’s Sterling Silver Peridot and Diamond Bracelet, $50.15 at macys.com

This simple — yet elegant — bracelet, is delicate and pretty enough to wear to a garden party, but casual enough to wear to a summer barbecue. And at the sale price, you’ll have enough left over to buy a new summer frock to go with it!

Peridot has a hardness of about 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale, so it can scratch. This means that you should probably wear something else to a beach party. But I recommend that you get all of your beach parties out of the way in July so that you can spend August showing off your peridot!

The Investment Piece

Rebecca Large Bronze Ring with Peridot Stone, $575 at nordstrom.com

Don’t think of it as jewelry; think of it as an investment. This cocktail ring makes a statement: it says, “I was born in August, and I’m beautiful!”

It’s another versatile piece that will go just as well with jeans and a t-shirt as it will with a sleek cocktail dress.

But the best part about this ring is that, while certain pieces may go out of style, your birthday will never change. That means that it will always be appropriate for you to wear this ring!

Living in Luxury

David Yurman Petite Albion Peridot Necklace, $2,150 at neimanmarcus.com

It’s your birthday. You deserve a little luxury.

And nothing screams “LUXURY!” like a peridot surrounded by pavé diamonds, suspended on a yellow gold box-chain.

Most of us will only own a few status pieces like this one in our lifetimes. So why not make it a piece that also showcases the month in which you were born?

You August Peridots out there are fresh-faced and light-hearted. Keep your friends green with envy — because you’re green with peridot!

Going Green,
Olivia

Garnets.

That’s what was on my mind when I took a day trip to Prague on my recent visit to the Czech Republic.

In my pre-trip research, I’d discovered that the Czech Republic was noted for its fine pyrope garnets. I was bound and determined to bring one back as a souvenir.

This did not prove as easy as I’d originally anticipated.

I didn’t think it would be that hard. After all, there were granát (Czech for “garnet”) dealers on every corner in Prague. The prices I saw were fairly reasonable; anywhere from 1500 to 1700 CZK (about $100-$115 USD)for a good-sized ring.

But a Czech friend gave me a tip: she said that garnets might be cheaper in Kladno. Many of the shops in Prague take advantage of the fact that many tourists are looking for garnets and are willing to pay whatever price they’re charged. She advised me to wait and look in Kladno.

Well, I got back to Kladno and began hunting down jewelry shops in the “walking zone” (an area with shops and restaurants where cars aren’t allowed). To my dismay, I found that many of the stores did not carry garnets. The stores that did had a very limited selection, and the pieces were even more expensive than they had been in Prague!

I had a sinking feeling that I might have to return to the US with ringless fingers.

But that’s when I walked into my last stop of the day: Klenoty Aurum.

The Klenoty Aurum jewelry store in Kladno’s walking zone.

The word “klenoty” simply means “jeweler” in Czech. This store had a GREAT selection of Czech garnets! It was an oasis of garnets in a garnet-poor walking zone. They had everything from earrings to pendants and, of course, rings galore!

Klenoty Aurum’s jewelry selection — including many garnet pieces!

After looking at several rings, I narrowed down my choices. Despite my limited Czech, the shopkeeper was able to communicate the prices (including some significant discounts!) to me. I finally decided on three rings: one for my sister, one for a friend, and one for yours truly!

The store manager was very helpful.

Klenoty Aurum also sells other jewelry, including fine watches. In fact, the company is known for being the first to sell Ebel watches in the Czech Republic.

As for me, I’m just happy with my pretty, new ring.

My new garnet ring.

So if you’re ever in Kladno, looking for garnets, be sure to hit up Klenoty Aurum! And for more on garnets, wait for January, when we’ll highlight garnets as that month’s birthstone!

Seeing Red (in a good way!),
Olivia

Meet Marketa Hrabêtová. This sixteen-year-old Kladno native was born and raised in the Czech Republic. Her love of jewelry began when she was very young and has blossomed into a passion.

Marketa Hrabêtová, Jewelry Enthusiast

I met Marketa at an English camp. She was in my advanced English class. I first noticed that she had a jewelry fetish when we took a break on our first day of class. She left with the rest of the students to stretch, get a snack, chat with her friends. When she came back, I noticed that she had changed her earrings.

By the end of that first day, she had changed her earrings four times.

She told me that, by the end of the eight-day camp, her earlobes began to bleed because she had changed her earrings so often.

I knew that I had found a kindred spirit in Marketa. After the camp was over, we were able to spend lots of time together. Before I left the Czech Republic, I was able to sit down and have dinner with Marketa at her house. She was kind enough to show me her jewelry collection.

Marketa’s jewelry collection.

Marketa’s older sister lives in Prague. However, a few months prior, she was living in Paris, France. Marketa went to visit her there and discovered a bead shop. After five hours in that shop, she had the materials and tools that she needed to begin making her own earrings.

Even as an amateur, Marketa has a sense of style. She likes big, chunky earrings. She loves the color orange, which is super-hot this season. She likes pieces that play up her youthfulness — she wears bold earrings because she can.

Marketa’s three favorite pieces.

Her three favorite pieces are all orange. She also loves earrings more than necklaces or bracelets (although she owns plenty of those, too). She likes fun jewelry, whimsical accents. She bought the orange/lemon earrings in Prague, and she made the other two pieces with materials that she bought in France.

She taught herself how to make jewelry. There was no one to teach her how to do it, so she figured it out on her own. Because she’s still new to the jewelry-making scene, she hasn’t found any stores in Kladno that can supply her with more materials, but she’s eager to make discoveries.

(By the way, Marketa, if you’re reading this, let me know as soon as you find a store that sells some good Czech glass beads. Joanna at Just Me Jewelry is dying to find out about them!)

Marketa’s “special occasion” earrings.

As many of us do, Marketa has special pieces that she reserves for special occasions. If she were to attend a wedding or other special occasion, she says that she would wear either her black and silver bead earrings or her silver dangly earrings because “they go with everything, and they’re simple.” Despite her love for bold pieces, she knows that, on special occasions, a little goes a long way.

Marketa’s very first necklace.

As for pieces with special significance, she still owns the first necklace she ever received as a gift. Her late father gave it to her when she was only four years old. I’m sure that he didn’t know what he was starting with that gift, but he created a jewelry-loving machine!

I loved meeting Marketa in the Czech Republic. I’m so glad that she was gracious enough to invite me over for tea to see her jewelry collection. And for all you Woobies out there: keep showing your style and we may do a Woobie Profile on you!

Your Kindred Spirit,
Olivia

Ahoj (pronounced “ahoy”) from the Czech Republic!

Olivia is on location in Prague this week, and the jewelry scene in the Czech Republic is hot!

There are jewelry vendors everywhere, selling everything from everyday pieces to traditional Czech jewelry! I counted at least seven vendors on the Charles Bridge alone.

A vendor on the Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic.

Czech Glass Earrings on the Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic.

Traditional Czech Black Glass Jewelry near Prague Castle, Prague, Czech Republic.

Information about traditional Czech jewelry near Prague Castle, Prague, Czech Republic.

There was also a plethora of stores selling high-quality Czech (or “Bohemian”) garnets. I counted more than ten in Prague before I finally gave up counting them all.

A jewelry store selling high-quality Czech garnet jewelry in Prague, Czech Republic.

A selection of garnet rings in Prague, Czech Republic.

Even though garnets are the most well-known gemstone in the Czech Republic, many stores also sold beautiful amber pieces, as well.

Amber necklaces at a jewelry store in Prague, Czech Republic.

There are also many more well-known jewelry retailers in Prague, including Swarovski.

The Swarovski store in Prague, Czech Republic.

I’m still considering the pieces I want to bring home with me. I got a tip that Czech garnets are much cheaper in Kladno and other cities that don’t attract as many tourists. Once I make my final purchases, of course I’ll share them with you!

I’ll also be posting about a new friend I made during my stay. Marketa Hrabetova is even crazier about jewelry than I am!

In the meantime, na shledano to you all!

Keeping Things in Czech,
Olivia

If your birthday is in July, then your Zodiac stone is the ruby!

Many people know that the diamond is the hardest substance on earth, but few people are aware that the ruby is the second hardest naturally occurring gemstone.

Rubies range in color from pink to blood red. They get their color from the element chromium. All natural rubies contain imperfections such as color impurities and infractions. There are various ways of cleaning up these imperfections – usually by heating the ruby and then cutting it.

When people think of rubies, the first thing to come to mind is The Wizard of Oz and Dorothy’s ruby slippers. But, much like the film, rubies are just as much for grown-ups as for kids.

Rubies tend to bring drama to a look. A single ruby surrounded by diamonds immediately draws the eye. A blood-red ruby pendant with a classic LBD (little black dress, for those of you whose fashion savvy is limited to jewelry) makes a statement – a classic beauty with a wild side.

Since rubies have such a bold hue, try using them to accent an understated outfit. In addition to a ruby pendant with the LBD, a silver cuff with a ruby inset would be a great complement to a crisp, white suit or a simple shift dress. Ruby earrings are a great way to take a simple black pencil skirt and a classic white blouse from simple to sophisticated. And a ruby brooch shaped like a ladybug would bring some style and character to even the simplest twinset.

You July Rubies out there are true gems! Keep your dramatic flair; keep wearing your hearts on your sleeves – and on your ears and your necks and your fingers.

Dramatically,
Olivia

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

When people make significant investments, they know that, in order to get the best return on that investment, they have to protect them. That’s why we get oil changes, redecorate our living rooms, and read our financial statements.

Why should we treat our favorite jewelry any differently?

Many women own expensive jewelry. Most married women at least have a wedding band and an engagement ring to think about. And even we single gals can’t afford to be cavalier about our accessories.

So what can we do to protect our investments?

• Get a jewelry box. When your jewelry is all thrown together, earring backs can scratch pearls, diamonds can scratch gold, and so on.
• Store easily damaged pieces in cloth or plastic bags. Pearls are particularly vulnerable to scratches, and plastic bags can hinder tarnishing.
• Store jewelry away from sunlight and humidity. Light can cause gems to fade over time, while moisture can corrode metals.
• Store beaded necklaces flat. Don’t hang them; the silk or nylon strings holding them together will stretch out over time.
• Clean gemstones regularly. Most gems can be cleaned in a solution of mild liquid detergent and water and buffed with a soft-bristled brush. Dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.
• Never wear jewelry while applying cosmetics or hair products. Chemicals could collect on your jewelry, resulting in build-up or even chemical corrosion.
• Never wear jewelry while exercising. Not only can sweat and oils harm your gems, but if your jewelry snags on a piece of equipment or clothing, it can harm you.

With proper care, your favorite pieces will give you back more than your money’s worth. If you take care of them, they will take care of you.

Lookin’ Out for You,

Olivia