The September Issue: Ashley Olsen Jewelry Trendsetting

Ashley Olsen graces the cover of the September issue of Marie Claire for 2009. If you’ve picked up your copy, as I have, you will get to read a great interview and see some amazing pictures. It is insightful to read how extremely effortless she makes her everyday clothing out to be–yet how crazily aware fashion gurus and fashion bloggers are about her. Ashley seems like a treasure hunter, like myself–describing a few pieces of jewelry and art as found in pawnshops in NYC and bazaars in Istanbul.

Caption of above picture: “TRENDSETTER: Always one step ahead of the fashion curve, Ashley wore her rings high on her fingers.” Below are two pieces that quite resemble what Ashley Olsen is wearing above. And yes, I too believe rings worn high on fingers will be popular.

If you already have a gold beaded, long chain you can give it a new twist by knotting it like so. If not, Karen Karch has designed this fluid, sparkly choice. This necklace is 50 inches long, and because it was hand-made, knotted between each bead, it can be styled, draped and twisted any way you want. Done in 18k yellow gold and priced at $9500.

Ashley Olsen wore a ring on the top portion of her finger–very unconventional and “so-her.” Sarah Davida is designing rings with this exact style in mind. Each is custom made to fit you, as well as personalized with words, initials or small sayings. I think the Olsen twins would fall in love with the Davida Cuff Ring, and you will too. You get a 10k yellow gold cuff ring for only $140-147 or a silver version for $42-49. Check out the website for ordering information.

How to Decipher Gold Markings

Those of you who are interested in treasure hunting on your own might need to know what the gold hallmark stamps mean.  It may be confusing at first, but this quick guide will help you out.  The first essential you need to invest in is a jeweler’s loupe–a 30 x 21 mm is what I use.  This will allow you to get an up-and-close look at the stones (to look for any chips or at the clarity) and the prongs (hopefully they are not worn).  Next, check out the hallmark.  The guide below will help you decipher what that stamp means:

• 375   =   9k
• 417   =   10k
• 583   =   14k 
• 585   =   14k
• 750   =   18k
• 834   =   20k
• 875   =   21k
• 917   =   22k

The 3-digit number hallmark is stamped on a piece of jewelry of European origin.  Above are the North American equivalents.  Some hallmarks that indicate that gold is not real, not pure are: 10kGF (meaning gold filled), 18k HGP or 18k HGE (meaning heavy gold plate/electroplate).

Above are some of the regional markings for several European nations.

Statue of David; Gold Gold Gold

A gold rush has come over me.  With all these commercials convincing viewers to “sell your old gold jewelry” I think we should also be investing in gold as well.  Not like the big bars of solid gold, I mean gold jewelry!  Big, chunky pieces.  Some of the best gold jewelry I own is from my grandparents.  They would bring back gorgeous pieces from their trips to Italy for my sisters and I.  We would get so excited to see what treasures they’d find.

Photography by ALisha

Above is an 18k yellow gold oval link bracelet from one of my grandparents’ trips overseas, given to my sister. Its our favorite keepsake. Now that my grandparents are older, they don’t really go to Italy as much, so we treasure our gold Italian jewelry even more. Below are a few finds that remind me of some of the pieces we treasure.

Greek key is a design that will never go out of style. What better way to capture this classic design than by wearing it around your finger. This ring is a steal at $265…that’s only a dollar a day for a year! From Ross-Simons.

Another classic motif is the fleur de lis. These 18k gold earwires are one-of-a-kind! Designed by Dana David, they remind me of Europe in so many ways.

A lot of the Italian jewelry my grandparents would bring back had enameling on it. This bracelet has green enamel outlining the ends. It is a vintage piece from the 1830s and can be found at Fay Cullen for $3900. The etched detailing is remarkable!

How about some gold bracelets?

Stack ‘em high!  A trend that is pretty glamorous, is happening right now.  Gold and diamonds are the perfect combination for a glittery wristful.

The picture above could act as inspiration–here are some gold bracelets for you guys to check out.

This chunky 18k gold and diamond bracelet is actually a vintage piece from Dover Jewelry. It is priced at $12500, so you can see that this trend comes with a price. I could see this bracelet being passed down through generations, and well worth the pricetag.

This bracelet has an interesting bamboo link look to it. The diamonds add some glam to an otherwise organic bracelet. The designer is Henry Dunay, and can be found at Neiman Marcus.

Gold Palace has always been a favorite of mine. Their bangles made in India, usually are made of 22k gold. Make sure you click on the help section to figure out your correct size of bangle–standard inches are not used. This one is actually a baby bangle, but would probably fit me since I have such tiny wrists!