We've written about Alicia Keys's charity work with Keep A Child Alive before so its no surprise that one of the core pieces in her new jewelry line is devoted to the cause. Keys is launching a new jewelry line, The Barber's Daughters, with jeweler Gisèle Theriault. The collection will be displayed at a pop-up shop at the Collette Blanchard Gallery in New York City on November 23 and 24. The inspirational jewelry line features precious metals inscribed with poetry, prayers and other words.

The special design for Keep A Child Alive is a sterling silver double tablet necklace on an oxidized rope chain features the Gandhi quote which says: "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." The design is inspired by ancient Inukshuk rock sculptures used to alert others they were on the right path. The necklace sells for $295 and Keep A Child Alive receives $100 from each one.

What feels like a follow up to the Van Cleef & Arpels Viscount watch comes the Vicomte collection. This piece is not a wrist watch at all, but a neck-borne timepiece for women. Lovely as a piece of jewelry, the timepiece continues Van Cleef & Arpel's tradition as a maker of beautiful, if not extravagant jewelry timepieces. The piece is part of their Les Jardins collection and looks more like something from 200 years ago than a modern foray into the hearts of luxury lovers. I think the venture is a move toward the special place people have in their hearts for antiquity. If you look closely, you can tell that the dial design almost looks like a fountain of water flowing upwards. This is more or less the theme of the watch, with the "fountain" being made up of a series of large sapphire jewels as well as different cuts of diamonds.

The dial itself is inlaid mother of pearl, and I love the classic styling of the 18k white gold and diamond designs under the 36mm wide watch face. Van Cleef & Arpels calls the piece the Vicomte Watch Pendant Necklace, but I find the name to be rather dull to say out loud. Interestingly, the watch case itself can be detached from the necklace and worn separately. A nice timepiece for the classic lady (or the one in your life).

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is upon us, and David Yurman is celebrating (and supporting) by releasing these lavish pink dog tags for his Women's Tag Collection.

At left is the Pink Rhodonite and Sterling Silver Breast Cancer Dog Tag, which is emblazoned with the DY logo and costs $450. On the right is the extremely sparkly and eye-catching Pave Diamond-Encrusted model, available for $950.

These tags not only show your support for breast cancer victims and research, but they also have a great "I'm a survivor" vibe to them -- the dog tag theme is perfect. Never have pave diamonds looked so courageous.

Naturally, 10 percent of retail sales from these items goes directly to fund the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, so it's the perfect way to show your (actual) support, or to reward a survivor. Click here to purchase from David Yurman.

Candles always set a mood, and soy candles are an earth-friendly luxury. Add to this mix a Diamond Bow Necklace encrusted with 38 diamonds, 2.23 carat total weight, G color, VS clarity, and set in 14-carat white gold, and you have The Ultimate Luxury Candle, a limited-edition candle from Welcome Home Candles. Modeled on Welcome Home's Champagne Noir Soy Candle fragrance, this candle and necklace set was designed exclusively for Welcome Home Candles by Bucci's Jewelry & Design, one of the Philadelphia area's top jewelry designers. Order online, free shipping. $4,995

Montana's Yugo sapphires are a little known American treasure. The cornflower blue stones are only found in remote portions of Montana and are prized for their deep color. Jewelry pieces made using these stones will be auctioned off to benefit Montana's Special Olympics program in an upcoming event. The pieces include a bolo tie worn by Montana's Governor Brian Schweitzer as well as a variety of rings, earrings and pendants. An online auction has already begun and the highest online bid will be the opening bid on items at a live auction as part of the Montana Sports Legends Dinner and Auction on October 3.

The auction item shown above includes a trillion cut Yogo sapphire that is over one carat along with matching earrings featuring sapphires and diamonds set in yellow and white gold. The lot has a total value of $24,000. Online bidding ends September 30.

I've seen a bunch of contests and giveaways on Twitter but this one caught my eye, the chance to win a $1,500 black Akoya pearl necklace. Museum Way Pearls will give away the necklace through a treasure hunt. The company will list pearl-related trivia questions through their Twitter account @MuseumWayPearls and people who send in the correct answers will have a chance to win the necklace. The contest begins August 22 at 10 am EST and ends the same day. The company will accept all entries for 30 minutes after the final question is posted on Twitter then randomly select a winner. A second-place winner will receive a $50 pearl jewelry gift certificate to spend at Museum Way Pearls.

[via National Jeweler]

Fans of American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert can get their hands on a pendant that shows the same design as one of his tattoos. Lambert has teamed up with Pennyroyal Silver on a pendant to benefit MusiCares,the foundation that cares for musicians in trouble. Lambert got an 'Eye of Horus' tattooed on his wrist when he made the top 36 on 'American Idol' and the pendant, at right, bears this symbol. The pendant sells for $150 and comes with a collector's card featuring a sketch of the pendant, a quote and his signature. The pendant is a limited edition of 100 as is another pendant to benefit MusiCares which was designed by Jack Black. Black's pendant, shown at left, also features a unique sketch.

UPDATE: Adam Lambert's pendant is temporarily sold out due to a webstore snafu. Pennyroyal Silver says there are still quite a few Lambert pendants left which will be sold via auction. Follow Pennyroyal Silver on Twitter for more details.

Convertible jewelry hits the high end in this piece from Mikimoto from the Elements of Life: Ocean collection. The Ocean Ripple pendant can be worn three ways. It has an Akoya cultured pearl topped by a .04 carat diamond which can be worn alone or with a white gold ring set with a spectrum of graduated shades of blue sapphires meant to invoke the rippling beauty of the ocean in the sunlight. The sapphire pendant can also be worn separately. The pendant is on a 18" white gold chain. This necklace sell for $4,050.

Most heart jewelry doesn't feature a realistic rendition of a heart but then again most heart jewelry doesn't benefit real hearts. Anna Ruth Henriques' "Mini Heart" pendant is made from sterling silver and molded in the form of a human heart. The tiny heart is on an organic cotton cord and is decorated with 18K gold and ruby accents. It sells for $395 and proceeds benefit Doctors Without Borders, a well-respected organization which provides aid to people who have been unable to get healthcare by traditional means due to war, disasters and other reasons.

Henriques grew in Jamaica and her great-uncle was an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who worked in the Kingston Public Hospital and told her stories of ill people awaiting care. She also got to meet interns from the U.S. who worked in the hospital and realized that programs like these benefit both patients and doctors. The pendant is available online and at Barneys New York.

[via National Jeweler]

At auction over the past six months blue diamonds have been hot. SInce the record-setting sale of the Wittelsbach diamond, more blue diamonds have been seeing strong results on the auction block. Christie's New York Jewels Sale on June 11 will include four blue diamonds. Natural blue diamonds are among the rarest of colored diamonds, getting their blue shading from the introduction of boron into the crystal structure of the stone during its formation. Blue diamonds including the famous Hope diamond belong to the extremely rare Type IIb category of diamonds and are semi-conductors of electricity, the only diamonds with that characteristic. The Christie's sale will offer a superb fancy intense blue pear-shaped internally flawless diamond of 6.29 carats estimated at $3.3 – 5.5 million and a fancy dark gray-blue rectangular-cut diamond ring, SI2 clarity, of 3.28 carats estimated at $250,000-350,000. The showstopper is a diamond pendant necklace that puts two fancy intense blue pear-shaped rose-cut diamonds of 5.01 and 2.03 carats on either side of a fancy intense pink hexagonal-cut diamond of 3.01 carats on a platinum chain. The price hasn't been listed for the piece but it should be the top lot in the auction.

Today's giveaway is your chance to have something in common with this year's crop of American Idol finalists, a Pennyroyal Silver necklace. The Idol contestants met with Tim Foster of Pennyroyal Silver and each singer designed their own custom piece which was turned into a unique necklace. You can check out the designs on the Pennyroyal Silver website.

Pennyroyal has a deep connection with music. The founder, Tim Foster is a music industry dropout-turned jewelry designer. He specializes in limited edition and custom designs created in pure silver and draws inspiration from his passion for music and the seven years he spent working in the marketing department at a major record company. Small wonder then that the names of Tim's designs are loosely drawn from song titles. The limited edition pieces have a rough and handcrafted feel, jewelry with a rock and roll edge.

Today we are giving away the Through The Keyhole Necklace. The pendant is a limited, numbered edition of 1,000 and is made of pure silver. The pendant is two discs and the keyhole disc slides back and forth across the inscribed disc offering a unique window that changes with movement. It is on a 18 inch sterling silver ball chain with sterling silver findings. In honor of Pennyroyal Silver's music affiliation, leave a comment answering the following question: If your bio were a song title, what would it be?

Some other important details:

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before Friday, May,1, 2009 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive the Through the Keyhole necklace valued at $115.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete contest rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

The hottest trend this spring is big bold necklaces and bracelets. But for those whose might not want to spend a lot of money HSN has some affordable options. The Glow by Sheila Fajl line includes large pieces that are light and easy to wear. The Glow by Sheila Fajl circle link bib necklace has interlocking oval links that create the necklace, leading into its bib-style drop. It measures approximately 20"L x 3/8"W and has a lobster claw clasp. The necklace floats gently over your collarbones and creates a pleasing line. Fajl, a former model from Brazil has created pieces that would work well with summer's sundresses and light fabrics. We are giving away one Glow by Sheila Fajl circle link bib necklace. To enter leave a comment below.

Some other important details:

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before Friday, April 24, 2009 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive the Glow by Sheila Fajl Circle Link Bib Necklace valued at $44.95.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete contest rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

While debuting her new bridal gown collection at The Plaza on April 5, during Bridal Fashion Week, designer Anne Bowen (of evening wear fame), revealed a non-traditional, glamorous bridal jewelry collection to complement the elegantly simple aesthetic of her structured gowns.

I was there for the gowns' and jewels' debut, and I agree with Bowen's feeling that it's a nice change to see some drama and color in bridal jewelry. Not all brides wish to wear diamonds or pearls, and with a simple dress, as many of Bowen's are, a pop of color in a dramatic piece of jewelry can be all a bride needs to complete her look and make it her own.

The handmade, 18-karat collection of gemstone and diamond necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and commitment rings are made from bold cuts of rich colored semiprecious and precious stones including peridot, amethyst, blue topaz, citrine, and lemon topaz.

"I think it's time to add a bit of drama to bridal jewelry. The dresses in my collection are structured and modern, and the jewelry is meant to add a special flash of sparkle and color," Bowen says. "My jewelry collection offers brides the opportunity to personalize their look on their wedding day and add a bit of personal style. Because the pieces are so non-traditional, there is no need to put them in storage after the day is done. My hope is for brides to wear the jewelry on their honeymoon, anniversaries and other occasions while reminiscing about that special day."

See the gallery for several pieces from the collection.

Montblanc has created a new necklace for Mother's Day. The "Precious Heart" necklace is rendered in sterling silver with a brilliant, full-cut diamond on the silver heart. A portion of proceeds from sales of the necklace go to Jewelers for Children, a non-profit created by jewelers to benefit children affected by illness, abuse and neglect. The necklace will be available at Montblanc boutiques and select retail jewelry stores in the U.S. and Canada starting on April 20.

Darby Scott, who previously brought us this stunning, $260,000 Green Tourmaline and Diamond Minaudière Clutch, has a jewelry line you've just got to see.

Available at both high end and moderate prices, the Darby Scott Amber Statement Necklace (available on her website in this shade and also a rich "Dark Amber") at right is just $450 -- so you can even wear Darby Scott during the recession. If your tastes tend toward the more expensive, see the gallery below for her decadent $8,800 grey agate and malachite necklaces.

Darby Scott isn't just making fine jewelry and classy purses; keep an eye on DarbyScott.com -- she's going back to clothing, and she's about to launch her new line. We have a feeling we're going to be seeing opulent fabrics and very expensive, glittering details. We would expect no less from Darby Scott!

Check out more of her sparkling, glamorous designs in the chunky style for which we have come to love her below: