Our Guide to the Perfect Mother’s Day Gift
With Mother’s Day right around the corner (mark your calendars for May 12th), we have compiled some of our favorite ways to customize the perfect gift for mom. With a little inspirational help from us and the ability to customize, your friends at Gemvara are here to help you create a gift that mom will cherish forever.
Create by Color
Choose birthstones of the children to create an extra special gift for mom, or customize in mom’s favorite hues to make her gift sparkle.
Check her Jewelry Box
The best way to get to know your mom’s jewelry is by checking it out yourself. If she prefers smooth, clean lines, our curated selection of simply stated pieces could be the right fit. Is her taste more intricate? If so, our delicately detailed pieces will dazzle her.
Capture a Memory
A sentimental memory of the vacation at the beach or a person close to her heart can be captured through our charms or initial pendants and any memory can last forever when her gift is custom made.
April Birthstone: Diamonds in Black & White
If ever there was a birthstone to put a gleam in our eyes, diamond is it! The April birthstone is the ultimate precious gem and also makes for a show-stopping birthday gift. Generally, the name conjures up images of a simple, sparkly white stone, but with Gemvara there are creative ways to customize a diamond piece with your choice of the “little black dress” of gems, black diamond, or classic white with a finishing touch in your choice of 9 metals. Below are some of our best-selling and most gift-able pieces, customized and poised to be the best birthday present ever.
The Written in the Stars Ring is one of our best sellers and it is no surprise – a great stack-able ring and a style that is perfect for everyday wear. Customizing the piece in black diamond with rose gold creates a nice juxtaposition of edginess and warmth.
There is now a way to achieve harmony and balance with diamonds (who would have thought?) with our Yin Yang Pendant. Choose both black diamond and white diamond to create a look that is on trend and allows for the best of both diamond worlds.
The Two Hearts Ring is a unique piece that is the definition of simplicity, and customizing in the April birthstone brings extra meaning. It’s a true stunner in diamond and yellow gold.
Shades of Spring
Longer days, melting snow and the sight of blooming buds means one thing, spring has (finally) sprung! Time to start thinking of how to brighten your ensemble. And the best place to start with a pop of color- your jewelry collection. Gemvara offers stunning stones to customize in your favorite color of spring with shades ranging from playful pinks to bright blues.
We combined the biggest trends for spring 2013 with hues for the season, customizing our favorite pieces, which are sure bring the wardrobe into full bloom.
Stripe Style: Pinstripe Eternity Band
Jess – Merchandising
I love that stripes are everywhere for this spring and it is truly a trend you can dress up or down. The Pinstripe Eternity Band in London Blue Topaz and Aquamarine is one of my favorite pieces and perfectly captures the trend in lovely blue hues.
Fantastic Florals: The Brilliant Lotus Ring
Callie – Director of Merchandising
The Brilliant Lotus Ring customized in Tanzanite, Diamond and Rose Gold is one of our best selling pieces and is a true show – stopper. Totally on point for the floral trend of spring, and for me the more diamonds, the better! A definite add to my wish list.
Perfect Pastel: The Tahlia Ring
Melissa – Social Marketing
It wouldn’t be spring without pops of pastel and I am so happy they are here to stay! My dream piece, the Tahlia Ring customized in pink sapphire and tanzanite, truly sparkles. I love that it is a classic three stone ring with a modern twist.
How to Wear Your Claddagh Ring
Full of tradition and symbolism, the Claddagh Ring is a piece of jewelry worn for generations. The detailed design features two hands clasping a heart, topped with a crown and is said to symbolize love, friendship, and loyalty. Claddagh Rings have been worn and passed down for centuries as friendship rings, promise rings, and even for engagements and weddings.
What most find interesting is in the way it’s worn. Depending on the hand and the direction of the heart, the Claddagh Ring often conveys the status of one’s relationship. How would you wear yours?
March Birthstone: Aquamarine
There is a certain amount of jealousy towards March babies and their coveted gemstone, aquamarine, and it is no surprise. The gem is an exceptional stone with a delicate, water-like blue hue and is most often free from inclusions, leaving nothing but perfect clarity that radiates even under the softest light. That quality alone has made aquamarine one of the most sought-after stones at Gemvara.
But perhaps the most alluring characteristic of the stone is the lore behind its pristine hue. Derived from the Latin word for “seawater,” aquamarine has been part of the tradition of the sea for thousands of years. In his book Gemstones, Edward Gübelin poetically notes that the stone was thought to ensure seafarers a safe return home, and “round the ship of marital fortune, it weaves ribbons of faithfulness. The aquamarine is the gemstone of all young people and all those who have remained young at heart.”
With a captivation of aquamarine and a dream of warmer climates, we were inspired to create pieces evoking crystal-clear water, glittering waves and all things sea and sun. Just a few happy (and tropical?) thoughts to get us through the end of winter.
Paradise at Sea: The Quintessence Ring, in emerald, sapphire and aquamarine was inspired by the pop of green from the palm tree and the mix of the light blue sea and deep blue sky.
Crashing Waves:You can almost hear the sound of crashing waves on a perfect summer day with the Ariadne Band customized in aquamarine and a sunny yellow gold.
Relaxation on the Beach: Taking in the scenic view while sitting on a pristine white beach chair sounds perfect right now and the Matilda Ring in aquamarine, sapphire and topaz is quite the vista as well.
Red Carpet Inspiration: Annabel Tollman’s Celebrity-Inspired Creations
Awards season is in full force and wrapping up with tonight’s Oscars. Celebrity stylist Annabel Tollman has been quite busy dressing some of the biggest celebrities for their red carpet moment. Annabel took some time to pick a few of her favorite red carpet looks from this season and use their fashion to inspire some gorgeous Gemvara pieces.
Photo Credit: ifashiontimes.net
Photo Credit: blog.northjersey.com
Photo Credit: usmagazine.com
Celebrity Style: Halo Engagement
A stunning engagement ring style, the halo is a remarkable setting characterized by a center stone encircled by smaller gemstones, which enhances and extends the look of the center stone. Gemvara takes the style and maximizes its beauty by offering the ability to customize the center, halo and band accents in up to 29 gemstone selections along with your choice of precious metals. (Can someone say “dazzling”?). With some incredible new arrivals expanding our handcrafted halo engagement ring selection, we were inspired by the ultimate in celebrity engagements for this alluring style. So no matter your personality, be it subtly chic or larger than life, our halos offer an aesthetic for every type.
Photo Credits: peoplestylewatch.com, instyle.com, fashionindie.com
Demure yet Distinct – Natalie Portman
Portman’s halo engagement style reflects a romantic, “vintage” feel with a round cut stone and double halo styling. It inspired us to create the same sentiment in our new style, the Eloise Ring. Customizing with rose gold evokes a feeling of a bygone era.
Pretty in Pink – Mariah Carey
There is no way anyone could miss Carey’s 15-plus carat stunner. An emerald cut in a light shade of pink perfectly reflects the diva’s over-the-top style and we had fun creating a similar look with our Olivia Ring in pink sapphire and pink tourmaline (and think Mariah would approve).
Timeless Tradition – Kate Middleton
Royal Family heirloom? Check. A serious sapphire? Check. Timelessness and tradition at its finest? Always. Kate Middleton’s halo engagement ring could arguably be the best celebrity engagement ring ever, and our Princess Kate Ring in blue sapphire, diamond and platinum brings a sigh every time we hit the “done customizing” button.
Love stories, custom made: Shawn & Molly
There’s always excitement around the Gemvara hallways when a Gemvara box arrives, but last week was even more momentous when one of our very own got engaged! Molly’s desk quickly filled with onlookers dying to hear about the proposal and see the ring (a custom-ordered Cecilia Ring in diamond and yellow gold, shown here with a 1-carat stone).
The Proposal
Shawn and Molly were friends and college classmates before they began to date, finding a shared passion for skiing on a trip to Stowe, VT. Six years later, they returned to Stowe for a weekend with friends. The weather wasn’t on their side for skiing, but Shawn excitedly woke Molly up for a snowy hike. Molly wasn’t exactly enthused about the windy, icy trek, but the prospect of the sun gleaming off the fresh snow was enough to get her up and dressed. Bundled up, Shawn and Molly hiked up to the top of the hill where Shawn got down on one knee, dug through the layers of coats and sweaters keeping him warm, and presented Molly with “the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen in my life.” Shawn asked Molly to marry him… and it was a yes! Later, Shawn revealed to Molly that he woke her for that morning hike so she could enjoy the entire first day of being engaged, instead of just a night.
The Ring
As you might imagine, surprising a Gemvara employee with a ring from Gemvara.com can be a tricky matter. Luckily, Molly had previously gushed to fiancé Shawn about our Head of Customer Care, Stacey Scott and her casual, insider rapport with customers. When the time was right, Shawn knew exactly who to call with his top-secret plans. Through many phone calls and covert meetings (he was leery of email or texts in case Molly would see it), Shawn was able to create the stunning diamond engagement ring that Molly now can’t take her eyes off of. Molly’s ring is the Cecilia Ring in yellow gold with a sparkly center diamond with a diamond band. Shawn collaborated with Stacey and chose a custom size center stone, hand-selected by our expert jewelers – the Cecelia Ring comes in 1.2 and 3-carat versions on the website that can be customized with your choice of gemstones and metals. “I’ve always loved clean, simple and classic jewelry and when I joined the Gemvara team, this ring was instantly my favorite on the site,” Molly told us. As every piece of Gemvara jewelry is custom-made to order, the couple had not seen the ring in person beforehand but were thrilled with what they received.
“The diamond’s polish and cut are incredible. Both Shawn and I were blown away by the quality of the ring and couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”
From all of us at Gemvara, congratulations Molly and Shawn on your engagement and many happy years to come!
Romantic Inspiration, Annabel Tollman’s Valentine’s Creations
Stylist Annabel Tollman has worked with celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and Mariah Carey, so who better to share romantically-inspired gift ideas for Valentine’s Day? From earrings with delicate details to modern pendants that spell “LOVE”, explore Annabel’s ideas to create the perfect Valentine’s Day gift.
Emerald, Pantone’s Color of the Year 2013: How to Get Inspired
From red carpet to runway, the rich hue of emerald has always been a popular choice among starlets and designers. Now with Pantone (THE color authority) announcing emerald as 2013’s Color of the Year, expect to see this verdant shade making appearances everywhere. A striking tone, the emerald is one of four gemstones defined as “precious” and belongs to an elite list, which includes diamond, ruby, and sapphire. It’s hard to argue the exquisite quality of the color, but incorporating the hue into your wardrobe can also be a bit intimidating. Drawing on inspiration from industry trends in fashion, home décor, and beauty, we’ve come up with tips to navigate this beautifully bold color.
THE ACCENT: Inspiration from Fashion
Adding an accent of emerald to a LBD with a sequined clutch or satin heels creates an eye catching ensemble. Similarly, customizing a piece with emerald as an accent stone allows for a hint of the color and turns heads as shown in our Alyssa Ring.
SHADES OF GREEN: Inspiration from Home Décor
Think of emerald as a jumping-off point to explore other green shades for the home. A bold green wall might not work for most décor, but a softer green can create a calm and rejuvenating space and is neutral enough to compliment almost any aesthetic. Choosing a lighter green stone like green amethyst creates the same effect.
JUST GO FOR IT: Inspiration from Beauty
Notice me nails in a metallic emerald shade is for the person who isn’t afraid to make the color front and center (at least for a few days). Take the same daring approach with a brilliant solitaire emerald in a modern style.
How will you be inspired by 2013′s Color of the Year?
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