Save the World with Jewelry!

PortiaJewelry.com launched an environmental campaign! A portion of the proceeds of all green colored jewelry and all of the proceeds of promotional items will be donated to environmental causes. These items will be made available throughout the website and will also be featured as a collection under Save the World, located in the main menu on PortiaJewelry.com. Look out for the Save the World with Jewelry logo, shown in the detail pages for all jewelry that qualify for this campaign!

Portia Jewelry has committed to giving two percent of proceeds on all qualifying jewelry and the total proceeds for all promotional items annually, to help support environmental issues, such as global warming. We realize that this is an urgent issue, and we feel that it is most often overlooked or ignored because many of us feel that we can't make a difference. It is shocking to see how easily we ignore these issues so, we want to join the "march" in hopes that our customers will also realize that the little things we can do will make an enormous difference. Most people are not aware of how much money they can save in their energy bills, gas expenses, water bills and so much more by making small changes!

The team at PortiaJewelry.com has begun to make small changes both as a business and in our personal lives. Some of these efforts include changing all of our lighting to compact fluorescent bulbs and ensuring that all electronics are turned off at the end of the day. Not only do we recycle all paper, plastics, metals and other items, but we are also making an effort to perform in-house recycling by using scrap paper instead of sticky note pads. We are now sending ink toners to get recycled. We have switched to tissue paper as opposed to bubble wrap and wouldn't dare use styrofoam! We realized we were already using energy efficient computers and printers and will make sure to continue to do so! In our personal efforts, we have checked are cars to make sure that the tires have sufficient air in them as well as many other small efforts. Below is a list of things we can all do! This list comes from the stopglobalwarming.org website. Please visit this very informative site to learn how to help. Make sure to join the "march" at stopglobalwarming.org

Help Global Warming!

Use compact fluorescent bulbs

Buy energy efficient electronics

Keep your tires inflated

Change your car air filter

Run dishwashers only when full

Use recycled paper

Adjust thermostats- bundle up!

Change & clean AC filters

Take shorter showers

Drive fuel efficient cars

Don't idle your car

Recycle at home

Plant a tree

Insulate your water heater

Weatherize your home

Use a push mower

Air dry clothes

Use cloth bags to shop

Unplug unused electronics

Giving the Gift of Jewelry...

The holidays mean so much too so many. It means good-eating, cozy decorations, happy children and spending quality time with family and friends. The holidays are a time for all to reflect on the year that has so quickly gone by and most importantly, it allows us to show our appreciation to the ones we love by giving them a special gift. Fortunately, we have many people to show our appreciations too but that also means finding the perfect and most sincere gift for too many! It is undeniably stressful until the day that gift is opened and the smile on your recipients face makes it all worthwhile!

PortiaJewelry.com will try to help you along the way! Consider some of the following when locating the perfect gift for your grandmother, mother, sister, wife, girlfriend or any other spectacular women in your life.

Consider her style and personality: Perhaps she is ultra conservative or just loves simplicity. If this is the case you should opt for a simple one-stone cz pendant, petite sterling silver stud earrings or go with pearl jewelry. If she likes to get glammed up for a trip to the grocery store, you can be a bit more bold and daring with an oversized cocktail ring or glitzy panther necklace!

Consider her favorite color: This should be an easy one! Every girl has her favorite color or you can safely go by her birthstone! You can easily locate jewelry by color in Portia's jewelry collections by color. Pinks, purples and ruby red can be found under fiery flush, aquamarine, sapphire blue and baby blue can be found under cerulean hues, canary yellow and fiery orange jewelry can be located under citrus keen, shades of green and peridot can be found under green gluttony, smoky black and grey jewelry can be located under smoked sway. To view more color collections, click here!

Is she high fashion? Snag jewels that were showcased in top fashion magazines like Glamour, Essence and People. Choose an enamel bangle from Glamour's November issue or hot jeweled-toned cocktail rings from the December issue or the peacock necklace and crystal threaded necklace featured in Essence. You can also visit Portia's Celebrity Picks section to give her jewelry worn by her favorite celebrity. You'll find Angelina Jolie's canary princess earrings, Britney Spears' silver sword necklace and Rihanna's adorned heart hoops to just mention a few! Click to view more Celebrity Picks!

Symbolism: Portia Jewelry offers many pendant necklaces to reflect her sweet side, her sexy side, her urban side and her religious side. Does she love fairies and butterflies? A good luck clove pendant or ivory horn necklace may be just right for someone who feels a little luck by their side is needed at this time. Perhaps a high-top sneaker pendant, handcuff bracelet or dog tag necklace would help with her self expression when wearing a uniform to school everyday. Lastly, holidays mean religion to most and the gift of a Cross Necklace or Star of David would be most appropriate and will surely be treasured by your loved ones.

Shopping for Costume Jewelry Rings

Rings serve many purposes and can hold deep meanings. Promise rings serve as a long term assurance between sweethearts and lovers. Engagement rings serve as a pledge to marriage and wedding bands represent a lifetime commitment.

A ring compared to most other types of jewelry seem to also hold more importance when given as a gift from say, mother to daughter, grandmother to granddaughter or friend to friend.

A cocktail ring can enhance an evening gown, cocktail dress or your everyday working attire. Many women will even tell you that their hands seem to automatically move more elegantly when they have on a stunning ring.

Costume jewelry and sterling silver jewelry has evolved tremendously in the last few years and cocktail rings have grown in demand. Bold, bright and glitzy rings are not just worn by the rich and famous. Designer styles are inspiring costume jewelry and sterling silver jewelry manufacturers to step up their product lines, the materials they use and the styles they produce.

There are obvious cons to buying costume jewelry rings. The most prominent of all being, how long will it last? I'm sure most consumers would love to see an expiration date on the costume jewelry they purchase! Another con is skin discoloration. Chemical reactions from metals used to craft costume jewelry rings can sometimes leave a black or greenish-black discoloration on your skin, which can most often be rubbed off. Besides the obvious "pro" of being able to wear the latest styles in rings without breaking the bank, there are ways to prolong the life of your jewelry and avoid the "cons" just mentioned!

Storage is crucial. The absolute best place to store your costume jewelry ring is in a zip lock bag. Make sure your ring is dry though! Do not store your ring right after you've washed your hands or were perspiring. Moisture is public enemy #1 for costume jewelry rings. You should remove your ring when in direct contact with water, lotion, perfume and any other types of cosmetics.

Now, if you have a tendency to get that greenish-black ring around your finger from costume rings, there are two things you want to look out for when shopping. First, silver rings that have been plated in rhodium will provide a barrier from the underlying metals that create this reaction with your skin. The second thing to look out for when shopping for gold costume rings is to make sure that they were created using gold over a sterling silver base. Normally, these rings will be stamped with a sterling silver marking (e.g. SS925, 925 etc.).

At PortiaJewelry.com you will see a variety of costume jewelry rings and each description will tell you exactly what the ring was crafted out of. Many of Portia's silver rings are sterling silver and rhodium plated. Many of Portia's gold costume rings are created with gold over sterling silver. Don't be afraid to get that gold or silver tone ring you've been eyeing even though it is not made of sterling silver! With proper storage, our favorite being zip locks, and avoiding moisture, you can wear all costume jewelry rings without fear. Best of all, with the low cost of costume rings you can sport all different designs and colors to coordinate with all your outfits!

New trends- 2008 Spring Trends- Milan & New York Fashion Weeks

Seems like designers really took in mind the beauty of a woman’s figura when putting together their new designs for Spring 2008. Milan Fashion Week 2007 continues and New York ended, as we all know. So many things kept me interested, which surprised me, considering most of the color palette. Neutrals and Black & White were the staples, the “base colors”, at the big player’s shows such as Vera, Calvin, Emporio Armani, Cavalli, Bottega and even D&G.

I think because these garments seem a lot more realistic and appealing for the “average” woman, it really did make it a lot more interesting. Plus, each designer added splashes of color to their neutral bases. D&G added blue and Gucci added yellow to their black & white arrangements and then pink to what seemed like the same black & white arrangements.

You can stop squinting! Those blinding gold and silver metallics have been tamed a bit. These light metallics were seen in blue-grey, white, crème, camel, and subtle gold and were pleasant to my eye. With the exception of Prada, who blinded me and made me a bit dizzy with confusing patterns and ugly plaids, the tone was mellow- dramatic.

Ok, enough about colors! Going back to what interested me about this season’s shows is really how these fashions would appeal beyond the runway shows and their loyal followers. In both New York and Milan, loose layers and form fitted silhouettes were most complimenting and ultra polished. Designers such as Bottega Veneta offered many classic looks with a 40’s- 50’s vibe. Roberto Cavalli stirred much excitement in me with silk/satin long dresses that displayed oversized flowers just at the bottom in vibrant hues. Designers also kept short cocktail dresses sexy with an almost lingerie look but still kept it rich and classy.

Biggest accessories, everywhere to be seen, were belts & hats! Belts seen were big, small, metal, fabric and just about any form and size. Hats were big and floppy and also military and structured. I am sad to once again say that jewelry was minimal at the shows! =( But I am determined to sift and search and bring forth the latest designs very soon! You can view comparable jewelry from the runways of Fall/Winter 2007 though!

Designer Cheat Sheets:
D&G:
-Neutral bases with splashes of blue and camel leather
-Waist-defining belts
-Ruffles on skirts and shirt trimmings

Bottega Veneta:
-Neutrals (beige), heather-grey
-Form fittings & classic silhouettes- 40’s & 50’s inspirations
-Conservative neck lines
-Light camel leather accessories (gloves and bags)
-Fabric matching belts
-Light metallics

Emporio Armani:
-Neutral bases (tan)
-Black & white bases
-Black & white checkerboard patterns
-Light metallics in heather grey, tan and white
-Rich shiny & silky fabrics
-Loose fitting and light layers
-Fitted blazer jackets
-Waist- defining belts
-Metallic pastel pearl or beaded necklaces
-Big black bead necklaces
-Long drop dangling earrings
-Wide metallic leather band bracelets in black and crème

Gucci:
-Black & white bases with splashes of bright yellow
-Black & white bases with splashes of pink
-Short strapless cocktail dresses
-Lots of folding fabric
-Pockets on almost every cocktail dress and gown
-Light colored plaid fabrics
-Waist-defining belts

Roberto Cavalli:
-Neutral bases and grey-blue
-Light neutral metallics
-Ruffles
-Light and flowing layers
-Long silk dresses with oversized floral prints
-Thin gold layered necklaces with small natural stone pendants
-Thin gold bangle bracelets
-Peasant style fabric patterns
-Things most of us would like to forget about from the 70’s & 80’s!!!

Prada:
-Used colors! (plum, dark sage, red)
-Bold fabrics (plaids)
-Thick trimming
-Light layers in rich fabrics
-Light knit “jump suits”
-Strong gold metallics paired with plaid
-Choker necklaces

Stronger than she looks...

I have to say that I was stunned along with many others, I'm sure, when I first saw this photo of a woman by the name of Isabelle Caro. According to thisislondon.co.uk, Caro wanted to show young people how dangerous this illness is.

This is unbelievably brave and I do hope that women and men both young and old, who are probably on the road to this devastating disease or are encountering it in some way, maybe with someone else they know, will look at this as a strong wake-up call.

We know that fashion isn't the only cause for this disease and many people who don't follow fashion or watch the runway shows in Milan have anorexia and other eating disorders. ANYWAY, these billboards got the job done, as far as getting some attention. The campaign was paid for by Flash & Partners, an Italian clothing company and the photographer- Oliviero Toscani.

Learn more about Anorexia: National Eating Disorders Association

Top Trends for Fall that actually "stuck"!

Season after season the great fashion editors of the world bring forth the hidden treasures of fashion week. Big, Big…Secrets!

And usually what we hear or read about or see in Spring for Fall and Fall for Spring adjusts a bit by the time the season to wear it arrives. What celebs do with “it” changes the market, what China does with “it” changes the market and best of all, what we, the public do with "it" MAKES the market.

History has shown we’ve dropped certain trends because they just didn’t work or because they were just too ridiculous! So, I’ve put together some trends for THIS season that have seem to stick and of course, since I am jewelry obsessed, you can click on the links below to view comparable jewelry that’s available and inexpensive!

You can view the whole report by clicking/ copy & pasting this link:

The 2007-08 Fall/Winter Fashion Trend Report


Berry Colors, Winter Whites, opaque tights and Metallics

-Purple Shades of purple, fuchsia and berry reds were seen on almost every runway! These deep hues were accurately balanced out with winter's standard neutrals. Adding this splash of color to part of your outfit or with a piece of jewelry can bring a lost brightness we all seem to misplace with the drop of the thermometer! Gulf Blue or Pink Parfait Earrings

-Alpine & Winter Whites A rich and "clean" staple in winter fashion can certainly be said for winter whites. Designer's added fun alpine twists with penguin knits and sexy accessories to add a needed contrast. Shiney Snake Skin Leather Wrapped Bangles

-Metallics Seems to be a staple in every season, however designer's deepened its tone. Deep metallic silver, bronzy gold and patent blacks were everywhere to be seen. A fabric better to be seen on jackets, footwear, handbags and jewelry. Metallic Leather Wrapped Bangles

Long Gloves, Plaids and Studs

-Gloves One of this season's hottest trends! Gloves, short and long, were seen practically everywhere! Long gloves seem to be perfect for those three-quarter sleeve jackets and coats. Black patent and customary leather seem to be most chosen. We love it when designers actually choose a trend that works for its season! Faceted Black Stone Earrings in Silver

-Plaids Every season has its greatest hit and we think designer's struck gold with this one! They looked past the military cuts and school girl uniforms and transformed plaid into sexy and tough urban wear. Black Chain Bangle

-Studs Studs are not only worthy of your footwear and handbags, designers utilized these hot accents on dresses, jewelry and outerwear. Rainbow Tuscany Cocktail Ring in Gold

Cinched Waists, Knits and High-Collar Turtle Necks

-Cinched Waists Last season bubble skirts were corrected with wide waist-band belts. This year waist cinchers are applied over more flattering cuts. Show off your curves with this great look!

Pink and Gold Graduating Hoops

-Knits Designers showcased an array of heavy and bold knits. We opted to show you these! Knit sweater dresses are great for both day and evening wear. Dress them up with glitzy jewels, silky stockings or your favorite party stilettos! Knit scarves were also hugely publicized in neutrals and deep jewel tones. Black in Gold Hoop Earrings

-High Collars & Turtlenecks Designers jazzed up ordinary turtlenecks with bold gold necklaces. Rich jewel tones and strong shades in black, bronze and silver grey. Seems the higher and thicker the better, at least we'll all stay warm and still look great! Candy Colored Leather Wrapped Bangles

Coming Soon!

Portia Jewelry is expanding its take on celebrity fashion & designer fashion news! This new blog is being created in response to all the positive feedback we've received from PortiaJewelry.com's Seasonal Fashion Reports & it's Celebrity Picks section. We truly hope our customers and passing visitors will contribute, comment, yell, scream and praise with us!

Not only will we post the latest trends in both Hollywood and the runways, but we will also make sure that Portia's Blog contains useful information! So make sure to add this blog to your favorites because Portia will be bloggin' soon!

Just a hint of what's to come...

• Keeping up with trends
• Ways to look great on the tightest of budgets
• Jewelry information (caring for your sterling silver & costume pieces)
• Hints & Tips on everything fashion related
• Updates on PortiaJewelry.com (Sales, Promotions & New Arrivals)

Want to be an author?! Contribute to this blog! Email isabel@portiajewelry.com