JewelryDesigners

Carol Brodie is a jewelry designer who spent eight years as Global Director of Communications for legendary diamond jeweler Harry Winston. She's worked with celebrities like Halle Berry, who wore custom-designed jewels when she won Best Actress in 2001, and she helped create Gwyneth Paltrow's look for her Best Actress Award in 1999 -- lucky jewels!

Brodie is now launching her own jewelry line on HSN called Rarities. The collection features beautiful colored stones, and both small splurge prices and more expensive creations like the eye-catching $799 White Quartzite and Diamond Ring at right. Click through the gallery for more of the gorgeous finds.

"After 20 years of working the red carpet and appearing as the luxury and style expert on countless TV shows, bringing a new line of fine jewelry to HSN is simply a dream come true," says Ms. Brodie, who will be appearing on the channel once per month to plug her diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, amethysts, citrines, and turquoise and onyx stones mounted in gold and sterling silver.

As you can see, all that work with Harry Winston rubbed off -- the results are fabulous. Visit Rarities on HSN to get in on the line before the launch, which will air at 2pm EST on Sunday, June 21.

Winifred Grace may sound like a stodgy name, but designs look like they're straight out of Desperately Seeking Susan.

Winifred Grace Gundeck was born in Miami, and though she now operates out of Chicago, you can see the influence of the ocean in her designs. She started Winifred Grace in 2003 -- but she's been designing with flowers, feathers, ribbons, and beads since age 8.

We especially love the fringed rhinestones, as seen on the Pink Rhinestone and Pearl Fringe Necklace at right. This 17" treasure of clear crystal clusters, pink alabaster Swarovski crystals and rhinestones on an oxidized sterling silver chain with freshwater pearls and 14k gold filled accents is $405, and we're pretty sure that with an 80s tutu and messy hair, you'd look just like Madonna wearing it.

This foxy stuff cleans up nice, too, though. Picture this with a pearl-white dress or the matching bracelet with a couture gown. Check out the gallery for more sophisticated looks such as "draping," and visit Winifred Grace to shop the whole collection!

We already told you about the "Exquisite Antiques from Larkspur & Hawk." Well, 18th/19th century jewelry and fine object expert Emily Satloff has not only curated that exceptional collection, but she has also designed a stunning collection of her own!

Items from Larkspur & Hawk's Original Designs, like the Sophia Ring (right), are inspired by the very pieces she has in her Antiques collection, as well as other items she has encountered in her studies and travels. Perhaps she takes those antiques that are "almost perfect" and creates them perfectly -- something we've all wished we could do ourselves when antique shopping!

Satloff "has skillfully reintroduced the 18th century craft of manipulating the way light passes through gemstones through the use of colored foils - a technique that was favored by European royalty for its dramatic results. Emily selects the perfect stones that are both brilliant in color and translucent in depth, including: pink, amethyst, blue topaz, citrine, rose quartz, white topaz and diamonds."

Ready to see more? Click through our pictures below. These Larkspur & Hawk items are available for purchase by inquiry only -- wholesale prices are available.

Andrea Lucille is an up and coming jewelry designer with an intricate, elegant collection.

Educated at Rhode Island School of Design, Andrea Lucille Shin moved to NYC in 2000 and started Andrea Lucille Designs. "To me," says Andrea, "I reach the epitome of design achievement when my novel artistic concepts elicit reactions of astonishment and intrigue; I know then that I have succeeded."

We are certainly intrigued by this ring from the Willow Collection. This 18k yellow gold is set with white cultured pearls and diamonds with an approximate total weight of 0.15 cts. We love the coral style, which makes it look as though the gold and jewels are just budding out of the ring.

Andrea Lucille Designs range in price from $60 - $6,000, and can be purchased from her website, as well as these stores. See the gallery below for a look at more of her luscious pieces.

Lauren Wolf has a terrific collection of gothic, ocean-inspired jewelry.

After studying jewelry design in coastal Mexico, Wolf moved to Brooklyn, NYC, where she currently lives and works. Her pieces tend to come in darkened silver and also in green gold, making for two price tiers - one in the low hundreds and one in the higher hundreds and low thousands.

At right are the Blackened Silver Palm Frond Earrings with 14k Green Gold Stingray Middle for $984.00. They are perfect for conjuring one's inner sexy sea witch.

Lauren Wolf's goal is "to bring together nature in form and industry in medium; to create jewelry of contrast that both complements and commands attention."

We find her work elegant and refreshingly unusual and daring! Check out some of our favorite designs below and shop Lauren Wolf here.

World renowned Turkish jewelry designer Atelier Minyon is finally in the United States, having opened a classy little shop in Soho, New York City, at 155 Spring Street.

Enchanted by their window, I stopped into their Soho shop one morning last week while they were still spritzing the sparkling glass cases. I was enthralled by the variety I found -- everything from elegant, bejeweled floral brooches to very exotic, bright yellow gold cuffs.

Their jewelry is bold and inventive, while maintaining an elegant, family relic feel. These pieces call up the grandeur of vintage design -- these are the kind of pieces that become heirlooms. Check out some of the exotic and dazzling designs below, and visit the Atelier Minyon website here.

Iradj Moini, a former couture designer for Oscar de la Renta, makes some of the most exquisite and unusual jewelry we've seen this millennium.

As you shop in NYC's Soho neighborhood this holiday season, be sure and stop by the Spring Street boutique (198 Spring, near Sullivan). The boutique has been open since Spring 2007, and feels like an art gallery. You won't believe you're looking at new pieces, released seasonally, and not well-kept relics of the 1920's.

If you're not in NY, you can also browse a number of Iradj Moini's items at Domont Jewelry, a West Hollywood, CA jewelry dealer with an exceptional selection of Iradj Moini on display their website.

Almost every piece is stunning, and worth a look if only for inspiration.

Last week marked the annual JA NY Summer Jewelry Show in New York and the news for most jewelers isn't good. While the upper end of the market (pieces over $20,000 continues to stay afloat) the middle o the market has eroded. Like we have seen with handbags, clothing and other luxury goods, the sharp spending decrease by the "aspirational" customer who generally spends $1,000 to $10,000, is having a huge impact on the market.

This particularly effects some of the big branded designer jewelry. An article in WWD notes that retailers have reported that customers are back to being concerned about what the piece is made of (which stones and metals) rather than being focused on a brand name. Many are seeking what they believe is a safe investment such as gold or diamonds.

Some brands are increasing their upscale lines as a way of staying afloat. One brand, Faraone Mennella whose gold earrings shown at right sell for $1,420 at Neiman Marcus, is now aiming higher with items like a $110,000 diamond cuff to be featured in Saks Fifth Avenue's holiday catalog. Other jewelers are taking the opposite approach such as Daniel K., which has until now sold exclusively diamonds and platinum but recently launched their lower priced Prêt-á-Porter line that features pavé diamonds and other gemstones set in gold (see our gallery of their pieces below).

One of the biggest trends in the last few years, the self purchase of jewelry by women, seems also to be shifting. The WWD article quotes Katey Brunini, founder of K. Brunini who says that the self-purchase has pretty much dropped out and many of her sales are now gifts. The gifts may be what continues to keep the market afloat in the U.S. because although the market is changing there will always be gift occasions that call for jewelry.