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Welcome to the Deco Belle Inc. Jewelry Blog
Monday, November 15, 2010
 Deco Belle Inc. jewelry is featured once more in an editorial photo shoot. Our magazine debut over a year ago, featured Paris handmade jewelry as well with brilliant Swarovski Austrian crystal, pearl, and hand-painted enamel jewelry that is from our Catherine Popesco collection, made in France.
 The editorial images, feature Rock Crystal necklace, Rock Crystal faceted earrings, and Elegant Crystal bracelet, that is available in both crystal clear and champagne. These Swarovski Austrian crystal earrings are also featured on our magazine debut, cover no less!
The photos include only Deco Belle Inc. jewelry, and were photographed by our friend Gene Kosoy of gkweddings.com, and are published on our blog with permission.
  Our Catherine Popesco jewelry includes a certificate of authenticity, custom organza gift bag, and story card detailing how the intricate jewelry is handmade. As with all of our Deco Belle shipments, the order is gift wrapped in our chocolate brown jewelry boxes and tied with our teale gift ribbon, perfect for gift giving, or a gift for the self.
Free shipping on all USA orders of $30 or more, international orders incur shipping charges respective to the destination country. We have many satisfied customers all around the world.
Labels: bracelet, crystal, earrings, magazine, necklace, paris
by: Deco Belle Inc.
 Our latest editorial photo shoot features Paris handmade jewelry with hand-painted enamel jewelry that is from our Catherine Popesco collection, made in France. Also pictured are Shiva Eye double-sided, completely intact, pendants.
Photographs courtesy Gene Kosoy of gkweddings.com, used with permission.
Our Shiva Eye shell jewelry as illustrated below features only intact, double-sided shells. Natural Shiva Eyes are like genuine pearls as they are made up of calcium carbonate and care should be taken not to clean this jewelry in an ultra-sonic jewelry cleaner, nor using a treated jewelry cloth on the surface of the Shiva Eye (nor pearl) shell as the chemicals in the jewelry cloth could react with the calcium carbonate. For more jewelry care tips, please see our articles on the subject.
 This Shiva Eye pendant can be worn with the spiral front, or the clouded back, both are beautiful, and the significance of this can be read on our description of how the Shiva Eye is formed in the shell. The image above also features our hand-painted enamel and 14kt Gold plated Catherine Popesco of La Vie Parisienne earrings.
All of our Catherine Popesco jewellery is gift wrapped with certificate of authenticity, custom organza gift bag, and story card of how the intricate jewelry is handcrafted.
 As with all of our Deco Belle shipments, the order is gift wrapped in our chocolate brown jewelry  boxes and tied with our teale gift ribbon, perfect for gift giving, or a gift for the self.
Free shipping on all USA orders of $30 or more, international orders incur shipping charges respective to the destination country. See what our international and USA customers say about us.
Labels: care, earrings, gift, magazine, necklace, paris, shell, silver
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.
 Jewelry Care (as published in Bride 9 and Mocha Bride Magazines)
To protect jewelry from scratching or tarnishing, we recommend storing jewelry items in either airtight plastic bags or soft jewelry boxes, armoires, or travel rolls (pictured left as closed). Airtight plastic jewelry (included free in every item order at DecoBelle.com) bags also prevent jewelry from scratching together or becoming entangled.
Platinum, gold, rhodium plated, and silver jewelry have anti-tarnishing qualities directly related to their metallic make-up. The higher platinum percentage allows for a higher tarnish resistance, the same is true for silver, especially when silver is marked “nickel-free”, which provides another degree of non-tarnishing qualities. In gold, the higher the carat count, the less tarnishing will occur. Rhodium is the rarest and most expensive of all precious metals, therefore most rhodium jewelry is only rhodium plated, this providing the ultimate in an anti-tarnish finish. Labels: care, gold, magazine, rhodium, silver, travel
by: Deco Belle Inc.
 Etiquette: Gifts for the Bridal Party
To thank her bridal party for all of their support and participation in her dream wedding, a bride may want to consider the following gifts: jewelry, jewelry cases, and personalized stationary.The bride chose the colors, style of dress, and overall theme for her bridal party, thus a nice thank you gift is in order. The groom cannot go wrong with engraved anything for his party, flasks, glasses, multi-purpose knives, cufflinks, money clips, and the ever popular pen set.
 Jewelry is the most popular gift for a bridal party. Preferably the gift can be presented before the wedding to be used in both the main event and beyond. Formality of dress is the key factor, as well as colors and styles. Many brides choose jewelry (necklaces, earrings, or bracelets) in different colors and designs of a similar style, customized for every bridesmaid in her party whom all are wearing the same color dresses.
If the entire wedding party is wearing the same dress style, jewelry may follow suit, though this does not allow for a personalized (if albeit glamorous) gift. To customize for each bridesmaid, tailor each jewelry item with consideration to formality, does this bridesmaid like bold and eye-catching designs, colors, large versus small sizes, or a more subdued classic preference. Also which item would each bridesmaid wear most, someone with non-pierced ears would better appreciate a necklace or a bracelet, or some ladies may prefer necklaces over bracelets and the like.
 Another hot trend in bridal party gift giving is jewelry and cosmetics cases. These items can be both useful while traveling and in the comfort of home. This is not as personal a gift as jewelry itself, but colors, and styles may be customized for each party. Many of these cases can even be monogrammed to personalize the gift.
In our times of electronic communication domination, heartfelt written notes are a lovely touch. Personalized stationary is a very thoughtful gift and definitely customizable to each bridesmaid in the bridal party. It may be enough to turn the most die hard texter/e-mailer into a letter writer.Labels: accessories, culture, event, gift, magazine, travel
by: Deco Belle Inc.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
 Since ruffles, tulle, and flowers are the Fall 2009 wedding trends (our bestseller page features the latest popular items), lace filigree jewelry is a perfect pairing to complete this look. Lace provides a delicate, vintage feel.
When elegant beading and intricate dress decoration take center stage in this rustic charm trend, jewelry should be simple, and on a small scale to balance the entire look. Browns, creams, grays, gold, crimson, and deeply rich aubergine shades can give a pop of color in the form of colored gemstones, CZ, or crystal jewelry. Pearls are also a hot trend as the lovely off-white color is perfect for fall. Have any questions or seeking jewelry advice from Deco Belle? Send us an e-mail with your "Ask Deco Belle" questions, and it may be featured in a blog.
Labels: art/lit/film, fashion, magazine, paris
by: Deco Belle Inc.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
 Our very first magazine debut! Deco Belle Inc. is represented on both the cover of this summer's Mocha Bride Magazine, throughout the magazine pictorials, and in our original article: Summer Trends
Our Paris Gold collection of earrings were mostly represented throughout the photo shoots. Namely the Rock Crystal faceted, Duchess Victorian bow Pearl, Jenevieve Art Deco inspired, and Aubrey Pearl long earrings.    The entirety of our Summer 2009 trends article can be found below in our jewelry blog. We are writing new articles for the Fall 2009 issue, stay tuned for updates.Labels: art/lit/film, beauty, culture, deco, event, fashion, magazine, paris, usa, vintage
by: Deco Belle Inc.
 Original article as submitted by Deco Belle for Mocha Bride Magazine Summer 2009:
 As Eartha Kitt sang 1962, “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend”. But today, crystals and pearls are too! Bring on the bling in clear crystal, or colored gemstones, and cubic zirconia (CZ). Save a considerable sum while being in style for a summer wedding. Rhinestones are out of style, as Swarovski crystals offer fire and brilliance at a low price, with a luxe look.
 Vibrant colors are hot on the catwalks for this season. These intense hues of aqua, lapis, coral, lemon, peach and hot pink are rainbow bright now! Intense blue and aqua jewelry can definitely take care of the adage: Something Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue. Colorful crystals and CZ set in gold or silver offer a dramatic statement for modern gowns, and a striking accent for strapless or skinny-strap dresses.
Dramatic upswept hair lends very well to another hot trend this year, the demure stud earring.
 Studs, or button earrings, are feminine and traditional, and are always in good taste. Larger stud earrings have a vintage charm. The 2009 Oscars showcased this trend as well as the other IT shape for this year: the drop earring. From Michelle Obama (the First Lady is also a major stud earring trendsetter, since official portrait to European visit) to Angelina Jolie, drop earrings, are all the rage.
 A dramatic turn from these trends is lace filigree; it’s the new, old thing. Lace is delicate, darling, and delightful, and makes any dress complete with that traditional, romantic look.
Also, collar or statement necklaces are in right now; be sure to pair with small earrings that grant the focus to the grand necklace.
 Bridesmaids are generally allowed more color, and more drama with both dress choices and accessories. Our global jewelry store at Deco Belle Inc. has often honored requests to send duplicates of certain jewelry items for a bridal party, as the bride often gifts her bridesmaids jewelry that they can use in the wedding, and if it’s fabulous enough, to be worn at various occasions.
Whether you want to accessorize glamour, romance, or modern, there are various ways to implement the spring and summer 2009 trends in your wedding. Wishing you the best on your special day, I hope that these tips will help you stay stylish, without breaking the bank.
-Deco Belle
Deco Belle Inc. Global Jewelry
Labels: accessories, art/lit/film, beauty, culture, deco, event, fashion, gemstone, holidays, magazine, paris, usa, vintage
by: Deco Belle Inc.
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