To receive a ‘Hallmark’ items of precious metal must undergo tests carried out by the ‘Assay’ office. This is done to ascertain if the object’s content of precious metal meets the standard requirements of purity.

Forms of marking precious metal objects were around from the Byzantine period in the early part of the first millennium A.D. However, it was under the rule of king Edward I of England, known as ‘Longshanks' due to his size, that hallmarking was first established.

The term ‘Hallmark' comes from ‘Mark of the Hall of Goldsmiths’ in London, who in 1327 were the first official ‘Assay’ hallmarking office decreed by parliament to control the standard of precious metals circulating in the British Isles. To this day they still operate one of four authorized assay offices in Britain.

Before items made of precious metals such as silver, gold or platinum are stamped with an ‘Assay’s’ hallmark they undergo rigorous testing to prove whether or not the metal purity measures up to the established standards. In fact, the word ‘Assay’ is derived from the French word meaning to test, trail or examine.

The basic method of assaying, also known as the 'Cupellation' process, was first introduced by the ancient Egyptians. The process starts when a small sample of silver is removed from the object to be tested, which is then carefully weighed and measured. The sample of silver is then placed in a ‘Cupel’, a small receptacle made of bone ash, along with a small quantity of lead. This is then placed in a furnace and heated to a high temperature with a draught of air flowing over it. The lead and any other base metals contained in the silver sample are either oxidized or absorbed into the ‘Cupel', leaving only the pure silver behind.

The remains of the silver are then weighed and measured and compared to the initial weight of the sample. The ‘Cupellation’ process is the most accurate method for determining metal purity and is the standard technique practiced today. Upon meeting the required standards of sterling silver the item of sterling is stamped with the appropriate hallmark.

Until quite recently, most Hallmarks were ‘Struck' using steel punches. The punches are produced in various proportions, appropriate for petite pieces of jewelry to hefty items of silver ware. Punches are made in straight shanks for normal punching with a hammer, or ring shanks used with a press to mark rings.

The trouble with traditional punching is that the procedure can misshape the form of the jewelry, resulting in the article having to be reworked after hallmarking is completed. For this reason, unfinished items of jewelry are often sent to the assay office where cuts-offs are taken and tested from the articles before hallmarking is executed.

Today, a new method of marking is being employed using laser technology, which burns the hallmark on to the jewelry, something which is especially valuable for delicate items which would otherwise be damaged by the traditional technique of punching. This procedure of hallmarking uses high power lasers to dissolve material from the metal surface. There are two methods of laser marking, 2D and 3D, 2 dimensional marking, which burns the outline of the hallmarks into the object, while 3 dimensional marking simulates the traditional punching.

Often the hallmark is made up of several elements including: the type of metal, the maker and the year of the marking. In 1999 a new format of English hallmarking on objects of sterling silver was initiated consisting of a maker’s mark, the assay office insignia and a 925 symbol. Optional extra marks are the ‘Lion Passant’, the UK sign of sterling silver, and the date letter stamp.

The standardizing of the date letter sequence, shared by all four remaining assay offices in Birmingham, Edinburgh, London and Sheffield, were introduced to bring the UK system closer in line with other European Union standards. However, the problem remains that many countries throughout the world have different standards and specifications that vary considerably, making it difficult for one country to accept another's hallmarking as equivalent to its own.

With the advent of globalization, ‘Free trade’ and the Internet, finding the problematic solution to the standardization of world hallmarking has become increasingly important. In 1972, the EFTA (European Fair Trade Association) consisting of Austria, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom held the ‘Vienna Convention,’ where the first European hallmarking laws for precious metals were put into force.

The convention enables specially designated assay offices throughout member countries of the EFTA to apply, after testing, a common control mark to articles of precious metals including sterling silver in accordance with the Convention. The articles bearing the Convention marks, called CCM: Common Control Marks, are accepted without further testing or marking by the assay office of any destination country that is an EFTA member.

Although this system is not worldwide as yet, Denmark, Ireland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands have since joined the Convention. And Bahrain, France, Israel, Lithuania, Poland, Spain and several Eastern European countries have shown an interest in the Convention and are preparing for application.

Are your tired of dull jewelry with no lustre? When was the last time your jewelry stood out more than your dress? Settling for second best?
These questions and many others, are the reasons why your jewelry collection doesn't get the attention it deserves. A fabulous Platinum 3 Sided Diamond Eternity Band or a glorious 14k White Gold Necklace With Multi Circle Diamond Pendant Center, is what your collection needs.
When looking for quality Diamonds whether they be loose diamonds or even wholesale diamonds, there are a few hard an fast buying rules that you should really know.
The best place to start to find your self a good diamond, would be to explore what is known as the four C's. Loosely, what this means is colour, clarity, cut and carat weight. These factors contribute to the beauty and value of a diamond. So whether you are looking for a ring, necklace or even a bracelet, you are sure to get the very best deal.
Color - Contrary to popular belief the diamond is not truly colorless. The colorless diamond or sometimes called the white diamond, is what other stones are compared with. The diamond is defined by a grade, starting at (d-e-f) which is colorless going up to (s-t-u-v-w-x-y-z) which is a tinted diamond, usually yellow and is visible to your naked eye.
Irradiation and heat treatment - can turn a brown and yellow diamond into a colored beauty, this color is usually permanent and more effective then older techniques that were once used. A naturally colored diamond is very expensive and should come with a certificate!!
The grade of a diamond affects it's price, but it is not the only quality of a diamond you should look for...
Clarity- This term is used to describe the clearness of the diamond, to find yourself a rock with perfect clarity is rare and expensive. It tells you whether your diamond has flaws present or if they are absent. The categories your diamond could fall into are:
(F) Flawless - no internal or external inclusions.
(IF) Internally Flawless - no internal inclusions, slight external inclusions.
(vvs1 &vvs2) which mean very, very slightly included.
(vs1 & vs2) which is very slightly included.
(SI1 & SI2) which is slightly included and (I1 & I2) and these are inclusions that are obvious. This is something which even the best of jewelers can have trouble with and it can have an effect on the...
Cut - This tells us about the shape and proportions of a diamond, The cut of a diamond is essential to its beauty. But if the cut is poor, even if the color and clarity are superb, the diamond will lack that famous sparkle they are known for..
Carat - This tells you how much your diamond weighs.
(ct) is the weight of a single stone.
(ct TW) this refers to the total weight of multiple stones.
(points) refer to the carat definition for a smaller diamond.
There are 100 points in a carat, so 0.05 carat stone would be 5 points (1/5 carat) and 0.25 carat stone would be 25 points (1/4 carat).
Once you have the diamond you want, you can make it look bigger than it really is!
Here are a few techniques to purchase a gemstone that looks bigger than its real carat and weight:
Go for a fancy shape - these diamonds usually look larger than round ones of the same weight, especially elongated shapes such as the oval, marquise and pear.
Try a pave setting - this setting looks like a continuous surface of diamonds, but is really only made up of small diamonds set alongside each other into little holes, their surfaces nearly level with the setting. Tiny beads are made from the surrounding metal to hold the diamonds in place. So what happens is that it becomes difficult to distinguish one stone from another, making you think the wedding ring has larger stones than it really does!
How about an illusion setting? - The diamond is mounted to a mirror-like plate before it is set into the band, making it seem larger, with more brilliance. The only downside is that repair can be a little difficult.
What about a Bezel Set Diamond? - a diamond in a bezel setting, the stone is encircled by a rim. White gold or platinum will work and enhance a white diamond, making it appear bigger. A bezel setting in yellow gold can throw a yellowish tint onto the diamond.
Now you have an insight into the jargon and styles you find when buying a diamond, searching for the best possible diamond for the budget you have should be a piece of cake or even a carat!

Once the preserve of the 'way out punk rocker' society piercing has entered main street culture as a fashionable and glamour enhancing addition to today's beauty aids.

What you need to think about.

Unlike tattoos which are difficult to remove without leaving a scar, piercing need not be permanent.

Providing care is taken to keep the hole clean and free from infection it can close up without leaving an unsightly scar should you decide it no longer suits you.

Of all the parts of the body the eye area provides the most noticeable and dramatic area for piercing. Choice of jewelry will depend on the type of piercing you opt for but there are a wide variety of designs and metals available.

Piercing, as you can imagine, is not pain free and great care must be taken during the healing process and that will take six to eight weeks.

The degree of pain is not excessive and can be compared to a prolonged injection, so much will depend on your tolerance but most people report that they had no significant problem.

Some people experience bleeding during and after piercing and others do not bleed at all, it all depends on you. It is important to think carefully about the effect you want to achieve with your piecing and the first consideration is the location.

Piercing through the outside corner of the eyebrow is popular and also becoming fashionable is on the cheek just below the outside corner of the eye and that can look great with jeweled studs and dramatic make up around the piercing.

Horizontal piercing immediately above the eyebrow is also a good alternative and perhaps a little more extreme is piercing through the bridge of the nose.

You must also decide on whether you want a ring or barbell inserted when the piercing is carried out, don't worry the salon carrying out the procedure will have a choice.

Getting It Done.

Find a salon that has a licensed and experienced piercer and the premises look clean and well run.

Check out that all the equipment is correctly sterilized after each use and that only new packaged hollow needles are used once and then disposed of.

The piercing technician should wear new latex gloves straight out of the packaging so keep your eyes open and be aware that the procedures are being adhered to.

Before booking your appointment it is worth watching other clients being pierced and a reputable salon will have no objection to you having a look.

Warning - severe communicable diseases can be transmitted through unsterilized or previously used equipment.

For your appointment wear clothes that do not have to be pulled up over your head so you can avoid the possibility of catching on your new jewellery, that could be painful! Keep your hair off your face.

Just before the start and during the procedure try to relax by taking deep breaths and stay as calm as you can.

Shimla-the queen of all hill stations,is one of the most popular hill stations in India.Its well developed facilities, easy accessibility and many other attractions makes it the most sought after hill resort in India.It is surrounded by pine, cedar, oak and rhododendron forests,in the lower Himalyan ranges.Shimla is favourite amongst all type of people,be it honeymooners,families, youngsters & old people.Most of the people comes to the sylvan heights to spend some time in the lap of hills & to enjoy the pleasures of natural bounties out there.

Main Tourist attractions in Shimla-

The Ridge- This is the best place in Shimla,where one can spend many hours in a day,basking in the warmth of the lazy sun.This place experiences a mixed crowd of young and the old,having a stroll or talking against the backdrop of the glittering peaks.

Lakkad Bazaar- This place,popularly known as the world of wooden marvels lies right below the ridge.This market offers a wide variety of items carved out of wood.One can get anything from key chains, walking sticks, massagers, toys and jewellery boxes to sailor's wheels, planters and stationary holders.One can pick a plenty of things for friends and relatives, without flattening your wallets.

St Michael’s Cathedral- This cathedral was Once considered to be the Michael's Cathedral is a stained-glass masterpiece. It is masterpiece of stained-glass.It is a place that makes you learn the qualities of Hope, Faith, Patience and Humility.

Institute of Advanced Studies- Orginally,this institute was the Viceregal Lodge,built in in 1888,it is a perfect example of a magnificent English Renaissance grey-stone edifice set admist beautiful gardens and lawns. The grounds of this place are open for visitors only on Sundays,otherwise the is by ticket.

Organizations around the world has been realizing the cultural diversity within organization is not a negative aspect, rather can facilitate organizational stalk for glory (Papers4you.com, 2006). However it is not an easy task to manage employees with different cultural backgrounds. Nevertheless there are many policy guidelines that can make task easy.

On a broader perspective, cultural diversity can be manage through communicating (creating awareness among all employees about diverse values of peers through communication), cultivating ( facilitating acknowledgement, support and encouragement of any employee’ success by all other workers), and capitalizing (linking diversity to every business process and strategy such as succession planning, reengineering, employee development, performance management and review, and reward systems) strategies ( Cascio, 1995).

There are many different innovative ways that organizations have adopted to manage diversity. For instance Tabra Incorporation, a small manufacturer of jewellery and accessories in California comprised of modest workforce is composition of Third World immigrants from Cambodia, China, El Salvador, Ethiopia, India, Laos, Mexico, Thailand, Tibet Vietnam and other nations. To acknowledge importance of their cultural association, at least 10-12 different flags are always hanged from the ceiling of its main production facility which represents the countries of origin of the employees. The owner’s view point is ‘I would like for this to be a little United Nations everybody getting along and appreciating each other’s culture instead of just tolerating it’. (Bhatia & Chaudary, 2003)

If cultural diversity can be managed effectively, there is a potential to use diverse workforce for organizational benefits. Cox and Balke (1991) asserts that multi-culturism is directly linked to organizational success as

Effectively managed multi culture companies have cost effective competitive edge

It helps in promoting minority friendly reputation among prospective employees

Diverse cultural corporations help to get better customers which has a variety of people

Diverse group of employees are perceived to be more creative and efficient in problem solving as compared to homogenous group

Ability to manage cultural diversity increases adaptability and flexibility of an organization to environmental changes.

Many organizational examples can be taken in this regard. In Australia, for instance, Hotel Nikko in Sydney has unique edge that staff members in direct guest contact areas speak a total of 34 different languages. Similarly Qantas Flight Catering has sixty-six nationalities on staff, with various overseas-born chefs. So dedicated diverse ‘ethnic’ kitchens gave Qantas a huge competitive edge that offers food based on customer’s ethnic taste and requirements. Moreover Don’s Smallgoods through literacy, language and cultural trainings increased cross-cultural communication and increased profits while lowering costs at the same time. Similarly The Cheesecake Factory had put special effort to understand Japanese quality and packaging culture as Asian employees assist management to understand Asian tastes so that they can target exports to Asia (Nankervis et al, 2002)

Hence the discussion suggests that it is imperative to realize that cultural diversity should be taken as a tool for better organizational progress rather than a managerial problem and if effectively managed, it can be a key to gain competitive edge and success

The most breathtaking things in the lives of women are jewelry. No one could possibly explain satisfactorily, as to why women love jewelry so much. But, what no one can deny is, this one passion has single handedly made jewelry a big industry which generates an official demand for over 3000 tons of gold, worth $55 billions. Diamonds score another $50 billion figure with USA purchasing more than a quarter of it.

Historically, men and women have gone mad over gold and diamonds which can be tracked easily by tracking wars. Today, jewelry has many occasions and parts to adorn your body, thanks to innovative and revolutionary designing and manufacturing aided by sophisticated computers.

Jewelry Making
Common precious metals used in jewelry making are gold, silver and platinum. It is generally gold alloy which is used and the purity thus varies from 10K to 22K. While for platinum it is 900K to 950K. Silver ornaments are made from sterling silver.

Gemstones boost up the beauty and value of jewelry. All stones, diamonds, sapphires, rubies and the whole host of them are very popularly used all over the world with same fervor. Synthesized stones and semi precious stones are also equally popular as these provide unbeatably appealing looks.

Jewelry designing is a big industry which still has retained the same charm as olden times even with the onslaught of technology driven young kids. Jewelry design software makes things look so easy that with a few clicks you can design or redesign and preview your jewelry.

Where Do You Want To Wear Them
You have ornaments for whole body and occasions; so the question is where you don’t want to wear. Jewelry is available for head to toes to genitals and occasions like marriage to prayer to mourning; some are piercing types and some are just wearable. But the big question is whether all these are genuine.

Man wearing silver jewelry like chain, cross or even bracelet is not so uncommon now days as it was sometime back. Those days are over, when wearing any kind of jewelry by man was looked as girly. Nowadays for man, Silver Jewelry can be a perfect way of showing others that you have your own distinct way of fashion sense. Wearing a cool artistic silver chain or a cross can really make you star attraction of any party and it shows that you like to stand out of the league. Always remember that you may have a pleasant personality but it’s going to be what you wear, which will count first.

There are certain factors like being cheap, easy to handle as compared to gold and getting customized, which makes silver jewelry popular among today’s man. The best thing about silver jewelry is that you can wear them as casual wear unlike other costly metal wear. You can wear them while on beach, or playing some outdoor game or at some meeting.

The cost of silver Jewelry for man can vary a lot as it depend on factors like how much artistic work has been done on it, what kind of finishing it has and whether it’s having any other costlier metal or gem in it. But still you can get a good ear ring or chain for around $20 to $50.

The most popular silver items among man are chain, rings and crosses. After that we can count earrings, bracelets and some other jewelry. It’s advisable to not to buy silver jewelry from online stores but find a shop in your town, as the looks can be highly deceptive from what you see online and what the actual jewelry is. If you have a friend who knows a thing or two about jewelry than take him with you.

Measuring 16 mm dia and 2.6 mm thick, 13.56 MHz RFID Tag guarantees accurate traceability and quick inventory checks of jewelry, from manufacturers to retailers. When tag is attached to item, it cannot be removed without deactivating it, making it impossible to remove tag and place it on different item without leaving electronic or physical evidence of tampering.

Granges, Switzerland, January 31, 2006 - Sokymat SA, the world's leading supplier of RFID transponders, announces the launch of a next-generation RFID tag designed specifically for the jewelry industry. Sokymat, in collaboration with The Jewellery Store dmcc (TJS), a Dubai-based service provider to jewelry wholesalers and retailers, has developed a tag that guarantees accurate traceability and quick inventory checks of jewelry, from the manufacturers to the retailers. The RFID transponder is also the key that allows TJS to offer its unique consignment and jewelry services to retailers.

The new 13.56 MHz RFID tag has a diameter of just 16mm and a thickness of 2.6mm, and has a specific patent-pending feature for tamper evidence. When the tag is attached to the item, it cannot be removed without deactivating it. It is therefore impossible to remove the tag and place it on a different item without leaving electronic or physical evidence of tampering.

The two companies have been collaborating since 2004, when TJS entrusted Sokymat with developing and supplying a customized RFID product for their needs as service providers to the jewelry industry. This project led to a patented RFID transponder design and successful real world pilot tests, and finally to a full-scale roll out with over one million RFID tags.

TJS, a Dubai Metals and Commodities Centre (DMCC) free zone company, offers jewelry wholesalers and retailers a unique solution based on Sokymat's tamper evident RFID tags. The tag allows TJS to guarantee traceability and accurate inventory across the supply chain. With greater accountability for stock, TJS and its partners will offer technology services that will enable enhanced financing and more cost effective insurance solutions to retail and wholesale partners. Retailers can also use the RFID technology to quickly and easily carry out inventory checks in their stores using RFID scanners.

Philippe Held, Industry & Logistics Product Manager, Sokymat, comments, "It was a very challenging project right from the start. The first challenge was meeting the customer's wishes in terms of time to market, catching up on the delay caused by unsuccessful attempts by other tag vendors to meet the project's stringent requirements. The second challenge lay in meeting the actual technical specifications required of the tag: a tamper evident feature, small dimensions, good reading performance and ability to withstand all handling and cleaning process to which jewelry is subjected. I am very proud to say that Sokymat successfully met both challenges with a unique 13.56 MHz tag design."

Gabriel Nasser, TJS Information Technology Director, explains: "Such an ambitious and challenging project requires equally ambitious and professional partners. Sokymat was selected from among a dozen or so tag manufacturers and was easily ahead of its closest competitor. As our partner, Sokymat was initially able to meet our needs and will be able to fulfill our long-term goals. We've made a considerable investment in this large order for one million tags so that we achieve a cost per tag that is acceptable. Our customers cannot obtain such a tag from any other vendor."

About The Jewellery Store dmcc

The Jewellery Store dmcc (TJS) offers revolutionary new services to the jewelry industry. The company was founded by four leading players in 2002 to explore more efficient means of financing, and in particular to investigate the potential of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to provide improved assurance to the location, authenticity and ownership of jewelry.

The technology has progressed from proof-of-concept to pilot using real clients and real retail spaces and is now offered to customers in the industry. TJS has unique patent pending technology, specifically tuned to the solution.

The founding partners are Yusuf Nonoo Jewellery, Damas Jewellery LLC, Deepu Jewellers LLC and Standard Bank Plc. Each partner brings a depth of experience in jewelry wholesaling, retail, bullion and finance.

Luis Bunuel, the director who launched her into the international stratosphere with his Belle De Jour, described her thus: "As beautiful as death, as seductive as sin and as cold as virtue."

Catherine Deneuve wears a beige cashmere jumper and pencil skirt but, at 62, her tights are fishnets. Her face retains an extraordinary clarity.

"Yes, your face changes," she sniffs with French insouciance, "but whatever age you get to, you are still dealing with the same bones."

She is in London as the face of MAC's Icon makeup range. Iconic status is perhaps too easily granted nowadays but Miss Deneuve, like Miss Bacall and Miss Loren, is part of a league the like of which the modern generation seems unable to produce.

Deneuve was muse to Yves Saint Laurent and joined him on the catwalk for his final show in 2002. She still wears the label while making sure she is au fait with younger designers. Miuccia Prada says: "It is so rare to find someone who embodies magic, and Catherine does it so gracefully that she becomes an icon for everyone."

Deneuve possesses the rare allure that fascinates men and women equally. "I am not a threat to women," she says, "because I like women, and men I handle with a sense of humour. Making an unexpected or inappropriate joke can break down barriers. Flirting, whatever age you are, is often about laughing."

Deneuve was born in wartime Paris, the third of four daughters. Her older sister, Francoise Dorleac, preceded her into acting and was a promising star until she was killed in a car crash in 1967.

Making her screen debut at 13, Deneuve cornered her market in icy blondeness from 1965, when she played a beautician driven to murder by her sexual cravings in Roman Polanski's Repulsion, followed by the 1967 Belle De Jour, in which she played an unhappy housewife who whiles away her afternoons working in a brothel.

The father of her oldest child Christian, now 42, (she later had a daughter, Chiara, now 33, with Marcello Mastroianni) was French director Roger Vadim, who married Brigitte Bardot pre-Deneuve and Jane Fonda later. She was born a brunette, but Vadim, who left Bardot for Deneuve when the latter was only 17, had a preference for blondes and, "yes, I dyed my hair for a man", she sighs, "but I knew it looked good".

The only man she actually married was David Bailey. From 1965 until 1972 she lived with the photographer in London and retains a fondness for the city.

Now Deneuve spends a great deal of her time at her house in Normandy, where she is a committed gardener. "I always wear jewels when I garden. But you shouldn't really notice when a woman is wearing jewels." Nonetheless, the heavy sapphire on her right hand keeps winking at me.

Even when gardening, she wears makeup. "I always wear a good base and maybe a little kohl."

What is it like to grow older? "I spent my youth trying to prove I could act," she says. "And you don't notice yourself changing. Suddenly, poof ! You see you look different. In America it is hard to get work after 40. For me, I noticed a change later than that; probably at around 50. But the Europeans have a more admiring attitude to maturity - we are more civilised."

Your wedding is not just a celebration of your love; it is also a way to thank the special people in your life. Wedding favors, in particular, are the expression of that gratitude. It says “thank you for being there”—and also, is a token of affection.

That’s why couples should give as much thought to their wedding favors as they do to any other detail in the wedding. Why give something boring and generic, which will only end up gathering dust in the corner of a closet? Make it special, make it beautiful, and make it unique—something that, when seen, will make them remember you and your wedding.

You’ll find many unique ideas for wedding favors. Here are just things to consider as you choose from the selection:

* Follow your wedding theme. Did you have a beach wedding? A little glass jar with sand and shells can be used as a paperweight. Add a romantic quote or a verse from a poem with a sea theme, and you have something appropriate and practical. Dried flowers pinned against a refrigerator magnet make a lovely garden wedding favor, while a Medieval themed wedding can have chocolate coins in a velvet pouch.

* Be nostalgic. Dress up a photo frame with a couple portrait, or a CD with your favorite music. Even an ordinary box, useful for odds and ends like paperclips or jewellery, becomes a touching wedding favor if it’s filled with potpourri and a personal note from the couple thanking the guest for “sweet memories”.

* Give something useful, but dainty. What about a champagne charm with a heart (to “toast” your new life), with a note that says that you hope that your guest will have many days as happy as this wedding is for you? A sachet with potpourri, to put into the closet, can also carry the scent of the flowers in your bouquet. These are things that they won’t buy for themselves, but will definitely appreciate—while carrying the theme of your wedding.

* Think “sweets”. Chocolates and candies are always a welcome souvenir, and can be wrapped to reflect the theme of your wedding. If you have a very elegant evening wedding, try rum balls in a small gold box; or if you have a seaside wedding, give chocolates shaped like sea shells. You can even ask some suppliers to form your monogram into a chocolate, or have chocolate handpainted to look like little bouquets of flowers.

* Even “ordinary” wedding favors become extra special if they’re presented properly. Try grouping your wedding favors to become part of the table centerpiece. For example, little boxes of chocolate, arranged in a tier, can add to the beauty of the reception area. Or, you can have chocolate rosebuds inserted into your regular floral centerpiece—now that’s a “sweet” discovery!

There are so many unique wedding favors that the problem isn’t what to give, but which one to give. And with the large variety, there’s bound to be one that fits into your budget and theme.

Take a close look at what some of the A and B list actors are wearing. Whether it’s in the movies or off-screen, actors are beginning to wear the odd bit of mens’ jewellery. If you’ve seen the Bond movies, you may have spotted Pierce Brosnan wearing an enviously smart and sporty Omega Seamaster model on three occasions, the last being in Tomorrow Never Dies.

Mens’ watches still command influence. Men think about watches and like to talk about watch redeeming features. Men care about watches doing interesting things. In fact, watches are the only types of mens’ jewellery that have relished the fashion highs and endured the lows.

More recently however, mens’ jewellery has seen a renaissance. Bracelets, pendants and rings are just some of the other types of mens’ jewellery available for men to wear. Now, a new generation of young, urban metrosexuals are apparently comfortable enough with revealing their feminine side to wear a pendant or a pair of earrings.

Men’s jewellery still represents a fraction of overall jewellery sales. But the bold MTV bling look has helped sell diamond-faced watches as well as large diamond earrings.

Mass market jewellery retailers have cottoned on to this trend and are in a race to get actors to endorse their wide range of mens’ jewellery. Tiffany had quietly expanded its usual watch and cufflink collections to include silver pendants, rings and bracelets.

When photos of Brad Pitt appeared in magazines, showing the actor wearing a silver pendant and cufflinks for the movie Oceans Twelve, men were out looking to buy “Brad Pitt” pieces. Similarly, Orlando Bloom has been photographed wearing mens’ jewellery on magazine covers and the actor Johnny Depp is known to wear a leather bracelet. George Clooney has also been seen wearing jewellery in a very understated, confident way.

It’s not surprising then that jewellery retailers will work the celebrity circuit in any possible way. At this year’s Cannes festival, there was a desperate race to dress film stars with exquisite dresses, footwear and jewellery. The jeweller Chopard hired the entire floor of the Majestic hotel devoted to a heavily guarded treasure suite in an effort to entice celebrities to borrow some of their jewels for the occasion. Also new pieces were flown in daily from Geneva for actors to borrow.

Award shows and fashion shows are becoming all important showcase arenas for jewellery retailers. Competition between jewellery makers is increasing as the market for jewellery and mens’ jewellery expands with the growth of economies in Asia and the US.