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Welcome to the Deco Belle Inc. Jewelry Blog
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
From sweet, soft lavender as worn by Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas, to intense, regal plum as showcased by winner Sandra Bullock, this winter friendly color has been the standout hue for 2010 Golden Globe® fashion.
 
Image: Fergie, left: AP Photo/Katy Winn, right: REUTERS/Danny Moloshok Image: Leona Lewis, REUTERS/Gus Ruelas  Image: Best Actress winner Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side, left: REUTERS/Mario Anzuon, right: AFP/Timothy A. Clary Image: Jane Krakowski, REUTERS/Danny Moloshok Since ancient times, purple has been associated with royalty, on account of the dye used to produce this rich color being extracted from mollusks and therefore expensive. Deep versions of this hue still emit a luxurious elegance.
Our jewelry collections from around the world feature amethyst gemstone, cubic zirconia (CZ), Murano handcrafted glass, and more. Keywords within our website, by using the search box  at the top right of any page at DecoBelle.com, are purple, amethyst, aubergine, and eggplant. Labels: amethyst, art/lit/film, awards, cz, deco, event, fashion, gemstone, glass, murano, ring, style
by: Deco Belle Inc.
Friday, November 27, 2009
What is the difference between Cubic Zirconia, Moissanite, Crystal, Glass, and Rhinestone?(This is the original article, edited version appears in Bride 9 and Mocha Bride Fall 2009 Magazines) In these recessionista times, shiny, budget friendly alternatives are being sought out in lieu of traditional diamonds for necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and even rings, but what exactly is the difference? Diamonds, the standard in clear, brilliant quality, and luxe jewelery is the bar for all other simulations.  Cubic zirconia (CZ), is the cubic crystalline form of zirconium, a metal. Since only the finest and rarest of diamonds are truly colorless, most having a tinge of yellow or brown, cubic zirconia is a good alternative in clarity as in most cases it can be made entirely colorless, equivalent to a perfect "D" on the Diamond Color grading scale.
 The synthesized material is hard, optically flawless and usually colorless, but may be made in a variety of different colors to simulate gemstones. Due to its low cost, durability, and close visual likeness to diamonds, synthetic cubic zirconia has remained the most economically important competitor for diamonds since 1976 when commercial production first began.
 In 1973, Soviet scientists perfected the technique of creating a CZ gem, which they named the jewel Fianit, but the name was not used outside of the USSR and the Soviets published their findings. Once commercial production began in 1976, annual global production grew to 50 million carats (10 tonnes) by 1980. Contemporary production of cubic zirconia is virtually flawless, whereas most diamonds have some sort of defect. Deco Belle.com carries a wide selection of clear, and simulated gemstone Grade A quality CZ jewelry in our China section.
CZ’s main competition as a synthetic gemstone is the more recently cultivated material, synthetic moissanite (named after its Nobel Prize winning discoverer). When first discovered while examining rock samples from a meteor crater located in Canyon Diablo, Arizona in 1893, moissanite was mistaken for diamonds. Its double facet edges (as opposed to single facet edges of a diamond) and its nearly colorless with a grade range of I-J-K on the Diamond Color Grading scale make it difficult to distinguish from diamonds by the untrained eye. Its impressive properties include comparable index of refraction and better than twice the fire of diamond. It is only slightly less expensive than diamonds due to the difficulty in growing the crystals.  Speaking of crystals, all crystals are glass, but not all glass is crystal. What separates the two? Lead. The significance of lead lies in how the refractive index of the finished product increases, straight out shine! In addition to lead, special cutting and polishing processes are used to give crystal glass even more sparkle.
Crystals are often heavier, more delicate, and more expensive than glass, with the ultimate standard in crystal jewelry being Swarovski Austrian. This brand has more fire and brilliance (by adding 32 percent lead creating a high refraction rate) than any other crystal jewelry on the market. In addition different chemical coatings are added to the crystal surface to enhance color and sparkle. The difference is quite remarkable and affordably priced, much less expensive than jewelry made from precious stones. These lovely crystals can be found in our Paris section at DecoBelle.com
 Glass in its most basic form is molten sand that is combined with various additives and cooled with such celerity that crystal structures have no time to form. There is not much brilliance, or fire on the surface of glass jewelry. The best and highest quality glass is handmade Murano glass from the island of Murano, in Venice, Italy. At DecoBelle.com we have a wide selection of handcrafted Murano glass jewelry.
Glass goes even farther with some rhinestones being made of glass. Other rhinestones (so named as originally the rock crystals were gathered from the river Rhine) are synthetically made of crystal or acrylic. The difference between the crystals and rhinestones is not that clear-cut. Rhinestone has a metal or foil backing to reflect light and make the stone glitter. Crystal, on the other hand, requires no backing and is always made of glass and lead that give the stones extra sparkle and brilliance. For dazzling craft projects, rhinestones are fine, but crystals fare better in jewelry presentation and quality. Labels: cz, gemstone, glass, magazine, millefiori, murano, paris, venice
by: Deco Belle Inc.
Monday, April 20, 2009
 The rarest and most expensive of all precious metals.
A note as to why we would not recommend altering or resizing any rhodium plated jewelry (rings, pendant bails, etc.). In the past, we've been asked by our customers if we suggest resizing rhodium plated jewelry, as we carry an extensive collection of nickel-free, rhodium plated, 925 sterling silver in our Venice Millacreli, Millefiori, Designo, plain silver, and China Cubic Zirconia (CZ, cubic crystalline form of zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) to be exact). In short, no.
 Our original blog article on Rhodium, the metal, provides a background as to the reasons why this is highly prized in jewelry.
Despite being a part of the Platinum family of metals, Rhodium does not tarnish, or oxidize, and has a very high reflectance, optimal qualities in the jewelry market. It is the rarest and most expensive of all precious metals, giving each piece a lustrous, white gold appearance. For this reason, when a piece of jewelry is coated with this (rhodium plating, rhodium finishing, rhodium flashing) it can be thought of as having a seal, or a shell.
 Heating the metal to expand it would break this "shell" and the newly exposed metal skin would not be rhodium plated; therefore, suceptible to tarnishing. The recommended way to enlarge jewelry would be to add metal, not heat it and stretch it. In this case, that new metal would then need to be nickel-free, and rhodium plated as well once the jewelry has been re-sized to the desired size to avoid tarnishing in the portions of the metal that are not rhodium finished.
 Have a jewelry question for Deco Belle? Let us know and we'll do our best to provide insightful information on jewelry care to keep your jewels shining brightly and gleaming. Deco Belle Global Jewelry carries a large selection of rhodium plated jewelry, giving the ultimate in brilliance at an affordable price.Labels: care, cz, rhodium, ring, silver, venice
by: Deco Belle Inc.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
 No sales tax across 50 states! Deco Belle Inc. will foot the bill for California sales tax for the month of April 2009.
Tax free in California, really? Well, technically of course, Californians will pay the sales tax (including the 1% increase that began today, April 1, 2009), but Deco Belle Inc. will pay for the cost difference. This combined with our SALE items, free shipping across the USA, and free gift wrap, is quite a deal!
Non-California residents, and deliveries made outside of the state of California are not subject to sales tax, therefore the other 49 states and our international customers have enjoyed tax free purchases from our store.
 Beginning 04/01/09, California residents, and those purchases delivered to the state of California, will have a 1% increase to current sales tax rates. To offset the migration of out of state sales, we are are doing our part to help keep tax revenue in our state by offering tax free sales in California. Technically of course, sales tax will be paid, as when taxes are due, they are due and there is no way of getting around it, the law is the law. So how can we offer no California sales tax to our residents? We lower the purchase price of each item at our expense so that when sales tax is added, the final total is the same final price that our out of the state and out of the country friends enjoy.
For example: Buying a $10.00 jewelry item will cost $10.00 total for anyone buying outside of California, or having it delivered to any of the other 49 states or country that we ship to. For California residents or shipments sent to California (from a buyer outside of the state) that purchase would normally cost $10.00 plus $0.98 in sales tax, bringing the total to $10.98.
For the month of April, Deco Belle Inc. Global Jewelry will lower the sales price at our own expense to California residents of deliveries to the state of California. In this example of $10.00, the sales price would be lowered to $9.11, we of course will add the sales tax as we are liable for turning this revenue directly over to the state, adding $0.89 for sales tax, bringing the final total to $10.00. Deco Belle Inc. will in fact pay the $0.89 ourselves. Why are we doing this?, to help keep revenue within our state and do our part to boost the local economy.
Are California residents and shipments to Californians (ie customer is purchasing from out of state, but shipping to a California address as a gift) getting a better deal than all of our  out of state and out of the country customers, no, as the final sales price is the same for Californians, out of state, and out of the country. Deco Belle Inc. is paying the difference.
Shop Deco Belle Inc. for beautiful jewelry from around the world, from Venetian Murano hand blown glass, Paris hand-painted enamel, Himalayan gemstone artisan handcrafted, Baltic Amber one-of-a-kind, Oceania shell, CZ high wattage bling at a low price, Art Deco inspired, to USA designed and handmade Gold and 925 Sterling Silver jewelry and more!
| New Items | Bestsellers | Gift Finder | SALE | Shop by Price | Venice glass jewelry |
Labels: amber, customer_service, cz, deco, murano, paris, sale, shell, tax, usa
by: Deco Belle Inc.
Monday, March 2, 2009
 The 81st Annual Academy® awards sparked a fashion trend in these recessionista driven days: The demure stud earring. Sparkly and understated, these small earrings were often paired alone, or with elegantly demure necklaces.
Penelope Cruz wore Chopard diamond stud earrings and a platium and diamond necklace (worth more than $2 million!). Most stunning of all was the vintage 1950 Pierre Balmain dress, the Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Vicky Christina Barcelona showcased. Miss Cruz stated "I found this dress eight years ago and I was saving it for something very special." Special indeed!
Image: Reuters/Lucas Jackson
 Natalie Portman, Image: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni
 Satsuki Mitchell and Daniel Craig, Image: Oscar®
The other fashion trend in the jewelry department, were drop earrings. Most notably Angelina Jolie's Lorraine Schwart's eye-popping $2.5 million Emerald earrings and matching ring.
 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Image: Reuters/Lucas Jackson
 Deco Belle Inc. carries a wide selection of Drop earrings throughout our Global Jewelry website, www.DecoBelle.com The drop earrings to the right are crafted using grade A CZ stones.
We also feature a large selection of grade A Cubic Zirconia nickel-free, rhodium plated, 925 sterling silver stud earrings for high wattage shine at an affordable price. Peruse our CZ earrings, Shop by Price, SALE items, earrings from around the world, New items, Best Sellers, or High Wattage glam Gift Finder page.
We include free gift wrapping on ever order. FREE shipping on qualifying orders, we also ship international to most world locales.
Labels: art/lit/film, awards, cz, deco, event, fashion, rhodium, sterling, vintage
by: Deco Belle Inc.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Unsure of your ring size? Use our Deco Belle Inc. ring sizer chart below to determine which size suits you best:
 To find your ring size, simply follow the steps below:
1. Wrap a piece of string, or strip of paper around the widest part of your finger, most likely the knuckle.
2. Mark the point where the two ends meet.
3. Measure the string or paper along a ruler.
4. Compare your measurement to the chart above.
5. As always with Deco Belle Inc. Global Jewelry, our return policy protects your purchases in the event that a ring does not fit you, or if you are unsatisfied with your purchase for any reason. Customer service is our top priority at Deco Belle Inc.
 Tips:
- Our Murano glass and Designo colored resin band (image to the left) Venetian rings run on the smaller size as the glass and resin is thick and takes up a bit of the inner circumference. Each of these rings are nickel-free, 925 sterling silver, rhodium plated for the ultimate in non-tarnish finish.
 Our glass stone rings that have a 925 sterling silver band as this one on the right, runs standard size.
- Existing rings can also be fitted for accuracy. Consider these factors when sizing a ring: humidity, temperature, water-retention, and excercise.
- Don't measure cold fingers, as often this is when fingers are their smallest circumference. We recommend measuring finger circumference at the end of the day, when they are at their largest diameter.
- Unsure of which ring style to purchase as a gift? Our Gift Finder page makes it easy to select a gift. From High Wattage Glam, Modern Elegance, Rock and Roll, to Vintage Inspired / Romance Lovely styles and everything in between.
Labels: amber, cz, designo, gemstone, gift, glass, millacreli, millefiori, murano, rhodium, ring, silver
by: Deco Belle Inc.
Monday, July 28, 2008
 We've had such a great response to our Art Deco Kimono Fashion blog article, that we are posting a great exhibit for our West Coast customers. Now through October 12, 2008, the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art in Santa Ana, California, is featuring the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World: Guardians of China's First Emperor.
How do you top building the Great Wall of China? Simple, build a city sized mausoleum. The first emperor of China built an entire terra cotta army, over 8,000 warriors, 520 horses, 130 chariots, and various acrobats and musicians to protect him in death. Ch'in Shih Huang Ti is the man who unified China in the 3rd century, B.C. (unification 221 BCE to 211 BCE) by conquering six other feudal states. This monarch is today known as Qin Shi Huang, his warriors are referred to as Qin's Armies
 It is believed that Qin may have buried hundreds of scholars alive in the Great Wall, though there is dispute about the "alive" part, but it is certifiable that he was indeed dead for his own first class funeral.
The remains of the craftsmen working in this tomb to create this vast army for Qin's afterlife, have been found within its confines. A sure way to keep the skilled craftsmen from divulging information about the tomb and the treasures that it housed.
 A vast army of skilled craftsmen was required to build such a grand funerary art city. Construction began in 246 BCE with over 700,000 workers. Studies show that 8 face moulds were most likely used and then clay was added to give each soldier individual features. Once assembled, the intricate features such as facial expressions were added to make each soldier unique. The figures vary in height from 6ft to 6ft-5in, according to their role, the tallest being the generals, and outfitted with uniform and hairstyle according to military rank, complete with color lacquer finish. These terra cotta figures were placed in the pits in precise military formation according to rank and duty.
 A local farmer discovered this archaeological site in 1974 while drilling for a water well. Yours truly has shaken hands with this farmer as he used to have a book signing area inside the pit/museum and purchased his autograph with a book of the warriors. We've been told that he no longer signs autographs or is allowed to take photos.
The majority of this army is still buried in these pits as cleaning and preserving each and every soldier is a very painstaking process, and hopes to keep the tomb intact. Only a portion of the site is currently excavated.
 Visit China for it's fine grade A Cubic Zirconia jewelry without leaving your keyboard. Deco Belle Global Jewelry brings you world jewelry right to your fingertips and delivers to your doorstep free of charge, free shipping in the United States. We have very competitive rates for the rest of the world, we ship worldwide. Labels: art/lit/film, cz, travel
by: Deco Belle Inc.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
 Deco Belle offers this luxe nickel-free Sterling silver elegant design, 21 inch plain and pave CZ link necklace. More luxe collections can be found under the Poland section.
Our CZ jewelry also includes a rhodium plate finish that gives each piece a lustrous reflective appearance. Rhodium comes from the platinum family, it is a precious metal found mostly in South Africa (roughly 80%), while Russia is the second highest exporter of this precious metal.
Rhodium electroplating is used on Deco Belle jewelry as well as others to provide a scratch resistant surface that will resist tarnish, and give a white, reflective appearance. Though many 925 sterling silver jewelry items at Deco Belle include Rhodium plating, this finish is most often found on white gold.
All Deco Belle cubic zirconia jewellery items are also crafted with Grade A quality CZ stones. Deco Belle CZ pieces are always set and never glued on.
Labels: cz, rhodium
by: Deco Belle Inc.
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