It’s Music Video Monday!

The inspiration for this week’s music selection is the following:

The other day, I was trolling around the mall. I went to Macy’s and, as is my custom, I just had to stop by the jewelry counter. I saw this fabulous cubic zirconia ring that I just had to try on.

After admiring its fabulous sparkle for a while, I discovered to my dismay that, when I stuck that ring on my finger, I really STUCK it on. I pulled and twisted and poked, but I could not get that ring over my knuckle.

Cursing my Aunt Flo and how my joints always swelled up during her monthly visit, I began to panic. What if I couldn’t get it off? Would I have to pay for it? Would it be gross to put my finger in my mouth and pull it off with my teeth? EWWW, how many other girls had gotten into the same predicament and tried to pull a stuck ring off with her teeth? I would never try a ring on in a store again.

Finally, a few minutes and one raw knuckle later, I was able to force that ring over my knuckle and slink out of the store.

I could have saved myself a lot of trouble with these tips for removing a stuck ring:

Elevate your hand.
If you raise your hand above your head, the blood will drain from it, which will reduce any swelling.

Soak your hand in ice water.
Ice water constricts your blood vessels, which also reduces swelling.

Go Greek: spray on the Windex.
I loved how the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding used Windex as a panacea for a variety of ailments. Well, he would have been right in the case of a stuck ring: the slippery formula helps to ease a ring over a swollen joint!

Neosporin.
If your finger is injured, though, Windex could sting. In this case, use an antibiotic ointment with a greasy texture like Neosporin.

If none of these work and your finger starts to turn blue or get numb, it’s time to hit up the ER. Be sure to let the sales staff know what happened, though, so that they don’t think you’re trying to steal the ring. At the ER, they can cut the ring off your finger.

If your finger isn’t getting blue or numb, then I’d save the ER bill and go to a jeweler instead. Many of them have the necessary tools to cut a ring off of a finger. And, while you’re at it, you might as well get it resized.

And the best advice I can give someone in this predicament: if the ring don’t fit, don’t wear it.

Experienced,
Olivia

Can I be honest with you? I’m bored with every single pair of earrings I own.

They’re all so pretty. And trendy. And horribly safe. You see, I’m not the sort of girl who often spends money on a piece of jewelry that I won’t wear every day.

That’s what I love best about this job. It’s actually my job to look for the edgiest pieces — pieces I would hardly dare to purchase for myself! It’s like being paid to window-shop!

So after staring slack-jawed at my earrings for about a half-hour, I roused myself and hopped directly onto the internet to wake up my fashion sensibilities.

And, boy, am I wide awake now!

Mallary Marks Arabesque Hoop Earrings, $7,800 at barneys.com.

I don’t know quite what it is about these Mallary Marks hoop earrings. They’re certainly not like any hoops that I own. I love that the circles are so modern, while the blue opals are so dreamy, giving these earrings an overall ethereal feel.

I can just imagine wearing these beautiful earrings with a simple black tee and jeans, or even with a pure white summer dress (hey, I live in SoCal. It’s already summer here).

At $7,800, it’s not exactly in my price range. I am, after all, a humble blogger. But just looking at these earrings have given me something that money can’t buy: inspiration. After writing mostly about bracelets, necklaces, and rings for the last few weeks, I’m ready to love earrings again.

Revitalized,
Olivia

We Americans live our lives at a breakneck pace. We do everything, see everyone, fill every minute of every day with activities and responsibilities and running around town.

Sometimes you need to stop everything and just focus on what’s important.

That’s what I love about Shamballah Jewels’ Ohm Bracelet.

Shamballah Jewels Ohm Bracelet with Snake Lock, $3,128.97.

Fashioned from leather and gold, the focus of this piece is the ancient Ohm symbol. A pivotal part of many Eastern religions, the sacred Ohm is often repeated again and again in meditation to help clear the mind.

And the snake is an ancient symbol of wisdom in many Eastern religions as well. I love that this bracelet uses this sacred animal to clasp this bracelet to your wrist!

In these hectic times, it’s great to be reminded that, every once in a while, we need to stop and relax.

And breathe.

Clearly,
Olivia

They say it’s a man’s man’s man’s world. But when it comes to jewelry, we mostly see ladies ’round these parts.

That’s what makes Luis Morais’ work so refreshing.

Jewelry Designer Luis Morais.

Born and raised in Londrina, Brazil, Luis is heavily influenced by the spirituality pervading his homeland, but his designs also bear the marks of his extensive travels. He’s been all over the world, studying different cultures.

Luis Morais “Lucky Eight” Bracelet. Inspired by China’s lucky number: eight, not seven.

Morais began designing jewelry when he saw a bracelet in a magazine that caught his fancy. After many unsuccessful attempts to find and purchase the piece, he finally decided to try and make it himself. And I’d say that his last resort was much more successful than he anticipated.

Luis Morais “Seven” Bracelet Set. If you don’t know what your good luck charm is, here is a set of seven to choose from — brought together from different world cultures, to boot.

Luis Morais designs for both men and women. Many of his pieces are actually unisex. They’re a perfect balance of masculine and feminine, yin and yang, darkness and light.

This designer is a veritable wellspring of fresh designs. And I love that something so physical can still appeal to the spiritual side of your sense of style.

Spiritually,
Olivia

I know you’re out there.

You’re like me. You love fashion. You love jewelry. But you generally can’t afford the hautest of couture, so you buy the cheapie imitations and secretly drool over the high-end pieces you see in magazines and on celebrities and on jewelry blogs (*sheepish grin*).

Well, Alexandra Galgano totally feels ya.

She owns and operates Charm & Chain, a Manhattan-based jewelry boutique. Charm & Chain’s goal is to give every woman access to the hottest designers, but without the high retail markups that we’re used to seeing.

Ali is also committed to finding rising stars of the design world and bringing them to the public eye. She searches far and wide for the most talented up-and-coming designers to add to Charm & Chain. Those of you Woobies out there who are talented up-and-coming designers ought to be able to appreciate her dedication to spreading the word for new talent.

And since Charm & Chain offers jewelry from a wide range of price points, you’re sure to find something that you love!

Lazy Livy couldn’t be gladder that there’s someone out there doing the work for her.

Charm & Chain’s guiding principle is that “jewelry is simply art that you wear.” And thanks to their commitment to reasonable markups, everyone can afford to “make a statement.”

Charmed,
Olivia

I should start a new segment called “Music Video Monday.”

Well, today’s blog isn’t really inspired by this vid. Actually, the fashion world was the inspiration, and it just happened to remind me of one of my favorite 80s bands: The Bangles (I’m one of those people who has a song for every occasion).

But I digress. It’s been impossible to ignore the layered, often mismatched armfuls of bangles that the fashion world has been lauding lately. We’ve seen them on the red carpet, on the runway, and even on billboards.

Marc Jacobs Fall 2009 Fashion Show.

In a world that is so often matchy-matchy, it’s nice to see some variety out there. I think it’s a great way to relieve some stress, too. So what if the economy is in a rut? At least our style is still bullish!

Louis Vuitton Spring 2009 ad featuring Madonna.

And our refusal to match is our wordless declaration to the world that “we’re not gonna take it.” It’s a great way to rebel against the difficulty of the times without doing anything drastic like quitting our precious jobs.

And like I said, this trend is everywhere: in the fashion world, in the celebrity world — and even in the real world. Yesterday, my friend Donna the Sales Hound couldn’t wait to show me her arm candy (and I’m not talking about her husband — no offense, Jian).

Inspired by our recent piece on the Oscars featuring Heidi Klum, she didn’t go out and buy a “set” of mismatched bangles. Instead, she simply layered three individual bracelets that she already owned to make her own, unique “set.”

Donna’s inspiration: Heidi Klum at the 2009 Academy Awards.

“I could have worn more,” she explained, “but I felt like three was enough to look right on me.”

I told her that I loved the idea; they looked great.

She grinned, pleased, and then lowered her voice conspiratorially and confessed: “I think so, too.”

Inspired,
Olivia

A lot of things these days seem so processed. From the food we eat to the fuel in the cars we drive, so few things seem complete in their natural state.

Not even jewelry is safe. Gemstones are cut and polished and filled in within an inch of their lives these days.

But just as organic food is on the rise, it looks like organic jewelry is the next big thing.

Diamond in the Rough Solitaire Stack Rings, $5,000 each at bergdorfgoodman.com.

Diamond in the Rough builds their jewelry around uncut, “rough” diamonds. Sad to say, I had never even seen a picture of an uncut diamond until I discovered the diamond in the rough that is Diamond in the Rough. I had no idea that they were so beautiful!

These pieces also boast pavé diamond accents — a wonderful foreshadowing of what most of these rough beauties will eventually become.

And since Diamond in the Rough only uses conflict-free, certified natural rough diamonds, you know that there were no people harmed in the making of this jewelry.

Respect for human life is so in right now.

Naturally,
Olivia

Diamond in the Rough jewelry is available at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.

I talk about the “gold standard” on this blog a lot. It makes for a convenient metaphor and a clever pun all in one.

But I really hit the proverbial jackpot with this metaphor when I talk about the “Gold Coin” that sets the gold standard in the world of jewelry.

Of course, I am talking about the one and only Roberto Coin.

In 1977, Roberto Coin started a company specializing in the production of gold pieces for fine jewelry companies. By 1996, Coin realized that he could launch his own brand with his own unique vision. By 2000, Roberto Coin became the seventh most recognizable fine jewelry brand in the United States and, as of 2002, they’re the third-ranked fine jewelry company and the number one Italian jewelry brand in the world. And they say that the value of gold is steadily rising!

Roberto Coin is firmly rooted in their traditional roots. They began as a company specializing in gold, and gold of all colors still figures prominently in most of their jewelry.

The Roberto Coin Celebrations Collection.

Despite their loyalty to their original vision, they also herald creativity and imagination. I love how inventive their design is — they’re inspired by anything from everyday items to animals!

The Roberto Coin Animalier Collection. Clockwise from top left: Elephant Skin, Giraffe, Unique Pieces, Turtle.

They’re also committed to experimenting with new things — new techniques, new materials, new designs — this three-pronged approach to creation and innovation is what always keeps the brand fresh.

One of the new techniques they’ve developed is called the Cento Diamond. Most diamonds have 57 or 58 facets, but Roberto Coin Cento Diamonds have 100 facets, making them almost twice as brilliant as ordinary diamonds — and, next to a Cento Diamond, any other diamond just look ordinary.

Roberto Coin Cento Diamond Engagement Ring, $15,660 at jrdunn.com.

And most pieces are blessed with the Roberto Coin signature. If you look carefully, you will often find a tiny ruby on the inside of Roberto Coin’s jewelry, where it will be in direct contact with the wearer’s skin. This ruby is as much a part of Roberto Coin’s signature as his name. Rubies have long been thought to have mystical powers to impart peace, long life, health, and happiness.

This is Roberto Coin’s secret blessing to the women lucky enough to own a piece of his jewelry: every time they wear Roberto Coin, they will feel that ruby and know that, somewhere in the world, Roberto Coin himself is wishing them well.

Blessedly,
Olivia

Roberto Coin jewelry can be purchased at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and J.R. Dunn Jewelers.

Here at WooMeOver, we just love gemstones of all shapes, sizes and colors.

But what exactly qualifies as a gemstone?

Well, a gemstone is a rock or some other non-mineral organic material that can be cut and polished to make jewelry or other adornments. Simple as that, right?

Well, within that definition, there are so many nuances and so much evaluation that goes into differentiating between the different values and, more importantly, assigning them a value.

Gemstones are identified by gemologists, geoscientists who have been trained to identify and evaluate gems. They analyze the chemical compositions — what molecules are present in the stone? — and crystal structure — does the gem occur in nature as a cube? An octahedron?

Once the stone is identified as a gem, it’s classified into different groups, species, and varieties.

Within a given group, there might be many species. And within a species, there is even variety! For example, we learned last year that rubies are a variety of the species corundum. We also learned that sapphires are also a variety of corundum! The only difference is the color!

The value of a gemstone is determined by various factors, such as clarity, color, and rarity. There are even some super-rare gems out there that only the experts really know about!

Diamonds are the only gemstone that have a standard grading system to determine their worth. We covered that a while back in the very first “class” at WooMeOver University (“WooU”).

Gemstones used to be called “precious” or “semi-precious stones.” But that terminology has fallen out of usage in recent days because the line between precious and semi-precious has become so blurred. Designers are combining traditionally “precious” gems like diamonds, rubies, and sapphires with other, formerly “semi-precious” gems like peridot or cat’s eye. Some designers even combine precious gems with non-traditional materials like amber or, in Abraxas Rex’s case, even space rocks!

Well, whether you prefer classical jewelry featuring traditional precious stones or today’s ever-widening world of fine jewelry, we think you’ll agree that gemstones are worth their weight in — well, themselves.

Preciously (or semi-preciously, as the case may be),
Olivia

I first discovered Abraxas Rex through their collaboration with Alexander Wang. But since then, I’ve been combing through their website, and I’ve found that their solo work holds its own!

Celebrity fan Rosario Dawson models Abraxas Rex jewelry.

Abraxas Rex was founded by artist/designer Paris Kain, and the company quickly rose in popularity. Inspired by Atlantis and by Abraxas, the Gnostic god of both darkness and light. Their design celebrates the duality of nature that we find in all living things.

Celebrity fan Beyoncé Knowles models Abraxas Rex jewelry.

Abraxas Rex jewelry is uniquely innovative, even in this world full of innovative designers. They are the first fine jewelry company to successfully use a platinum-silver alloy. And if that doesn’t put them on the cutting edge of jewelry design, then this totally does: they are the first fine jewelry company to use stones from both Earth and outer space! Space stones! What’s next? Hoverboards?

Abraxas Rex Herkimer Ring, $8,800 at barneys.com.

Abraxas Rex’s avant garde designs and cutting edge fabrication techniques keep me on the edge of my seat, with bated breath. They’ve proven that they know how to think outside the box — and in some cases, out of this world!

Universally,
Olivia

Abraxas Rex fine jewelry can be purchased at Barneys.