I was completely captivated by the works of Suzanne Donegan, the creator behind Mannin. I admire her use of carefully curated objects within her jewelry line and emphasis on heritage. Below are some charms from Mannin, available at Broken English. Love the watch fob and the unique gemstones used.

With collections named Sea, Petal, Rain, Bone and Forest, you can only imagine how varied and beautifully organic Kristin Hanson's designs are. Kristin studied under master goldsmith Harold O'Connor and furthered her career over in Florence, Italy by attending the Alchimia School of Contemporary Jewelry. Now based in New York, Kristin not only has a line of amazing fine jewelry but she has also opened her own school for aspiring jewelry artisans in 2006. The Kristin Hanson Fine Jewelry School brings together those passionate to learn the craft of jewelry-making from all parts of the world, with Kristin's personal desire of having everyone who leaves having created their own line of jewelry.  Here are some of my favorite pieces from Kristin's collections:

The Layla ring, from the Petal collection, features this bright Burmese ruby and 18k yellow gold petals. I can tell that this is one of those rings that looks even more amazing on. It even has that elongated look, which I love. Price: $17500

The shape of these rings are so unique, and once you know that they are from the Sea collection, you can guess what the inspiration for the design is--a sea urchin! Able to be customized in whichever color gold you prefer, yellow, white or rose, all in 18k. The diamond in the center of the urchin design can also be customized based on shape and color. The brown diamonds with the yellow gold look stunning! Prices vary from $11187 to $14916

From the Forest collection, this ring is called the "Eye of the Storm." It is done in 18k yellow gold, diamonds and a pear shaped Emerald. I like how bold the design is, while having a delicate, double hoop shank. Price: $8200

46664 is the global awareness campaign that bears Nelson Mandela’s prison number. It was originally launched to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and the focus has expanded to include Nelson Mandela's broader humanitarian work.

Referred to by fans as "The South African Bracelet for Hope", 46664 Bangles are made from pure copper and the precious metals of silver, gold and platinum. Each bangle bracelet has its own unique serial number that allows the owner to register their Bangle and receive a letter of thanks.

Register at: www.46664.com/bangle. Every bangle is also engraved with a digital imprint of Nelson Mandela's hand.

This year's Oscars night was spent on Twitter, tweeting live with some fellow jewelry bloggers.  I was anticipating some great jewelry with every celebrity that walked the red carpet, while my sister was eager to find worst/best dressed of the night over at FNL.  It was truly fashion vs. jewelry at our house.  All in all, I found that Oscars 2010 was all about the small, intricate earrings and bold, statement-making (often stacked) bracelet trends.  I predicted before that this year's biggest jewelry trend would be bold bracelets--but it was the post I did three days before the Oscars, featuring Chanel's tattoo bracelets which ended up actually being on the red carpet!  Here are my favorite Oscars' jewelry looks, with my absolute favorite being Mariska Hargitay.

Closeup of Mariska Hargitay's bold stack of bracelets.  Each compliments the other so well!  Love how the sapphires tie in to the dress color.

Sarah Jessica Parker's bold bracelets--can you spot the Chanel bracelet tattoos? The jewels provided by Fred Leighton include: a 1950's diamond swirl bracelet, in platinum, a cognac diamond flexible bracelet in 18k gold, a rose-cut diamond bracelet in platinum, and a sapphire and diamond wave bangle bracelet in 18k gold.

Amanda Seyfried had a nice stack on her right wrist--all of which were designed by Lorraine Schwartz. Brown, Champagne and Mint Diamond Geometric bracelets, 250 carats total!

Lastly, Maggie Gyllenhaal doing the bold bracelet trend. She makes a statement without stacking--simply one 1920s platinum and diamond bracelet featuring a gorgeous cabochon emerald, and sapphires from Fred Leighton. Her other wrist had another Fred Leighton bracelet that was circa 1940s and done in 18k yellow gold. She shows here how you can easily mix platinum and yellow gold.

Yes, Jewelry is a Luxury

But what if it has become your only necessity?

{photo of ring in second picture from the top is from Dior Fine Jewelry and I am obsessed!}

Never have I ever been a fan of Renee Zellweger...until just this one day, with this one jewelry look.  I really like the "between the finger" ring she is wearing, most likely designed by Van Cleef & Arpels.  The two bracelets look antique, maybe from the 60s or 70s.  Do you like this jewelry look?  

The bracelets seen on Louise Brooks are very distinct, all done in diamonds and having a very large width. Bracelets like these are often done with a repeating design done layered on top of one another. This is even done sometimes up to four layers--creating a very thick bracelet!  Louise Brooks was an actress in the 1920s, a true flapper girl.  Love her style and the long earrings are something else!

This 18k white gold bracelet is ornately designed with round and baguette cut diamonds--700 total! That makes 15 carats all together. Although this is a modern piece, from 1990, it looks like something Louise Brooks has on from the 1920s. Price: $28900 from Ross-Simons Estate Collection.

An original piece circa 1925-1935 is this flashy diamond bracelet that totals 20 carats! It is done in platinum and measures 3/4" wide. The very center of the bracelet features an impressive 1.5 carat European cut diamond. Price: $58000 from Lang Antiques. This is a gorgeous line bracelet featuring some crisp diamonds--all European cut, totaling 12 carats. Whether this bracelet is stacked or worn alone, it will definitely stand out. It is circa 1920, from Single Stone featured at 1stdibs. Price: $44000

The latest photography I did for Walton's Antique Jewelry, located in Franklin, Tennessee. These latest acquisitions are some amazing pieces, especially the Art Deco diamond rings. I used some old photographs from WWII and an original gun from WWII (the name slips me at the moment).  And how about that 3 carat diamond ring?  So amazing!  It is photographed on a vintage roulette wheel.  

Walton's Antique Jewelry

410 Main Street

Franklin, Tennessee

Oh...my....God. Rachel Zoe seen here arriving at a fashion show over in Milan wearing some gorgeous rings. Her diamond engagement is a gorgeous emerald cut, which looks great with an even larger emerald cut pinkish stone ring. Would love to know more details about these pieces.

image via Stockholm StreetStyle