Valentine’s Day Jewellery Ideas

If you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day gift that will last longer than the customary flowers and chocolates, then well-chosen jewellery is a wonderfully thoughtful gift.

What I love about jewellery is that it’s so much more than just a pretty piece of shiny metal, sculpted into an attractive design.  Jewellery can carry memories.  Perhaps of a particular event or location, maybe of the person who gave it to you or possibly the many wonderful times you’ve had when wearing it.  Jewellery really can put a smile on your face over and over again!

Need some help in choosing just the right jewellery gift?  Here are some ideas for the classic, funky and elegant ladies in your life!  If you’re still stuck just give us a call and we will be happy to give you some tailored suggestions for that special someone.

Classic Valentine’s Jewellery

This wonderful ‘open-hearted’ silver necklace is something she can wear with almost every outfit.  I love this definition of ‘open-hearted’: “It’s about being authentic, complete in ourselves, genuine, sincere, honest and giving.” Well, what’s better than giving (or receiving!) this authentic and honest piece of Sterling Silver jewellery? It’s a simple, clean-lined, beautiful heart on a smooth snake chain. The chain passes through a loop at the back, which allows the heart to look like it’s almost floating.

Funky Valetine’s Jewellery

This wonderfully substantial silver heart necklace is certainly a statement piece! Large and lovely, the heart has a texture something like you get when you’ve scrunched up a silver chocolate wrapper, then straightened it out again. Ahhh, simple things can please us all!

Elegant Valentine’s Jewellery

With its clean and crisp design this lovely silver heart bangle is a must have with it’s lovely little pillow heart charm.  Looks as great with jeans as it does with a cocktail dress, so easy to wear, again and again!

Elbows & Pushchairs; The Weapons of Choice!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So the Christmas shopping madness has begun and I popped into town last weekend to pick up a few pressies (ended up getting acupuncture instead, but that’s another story!).  I have to admit I do so much shopping online I was quite taken aback at how busy the shops were.  Everyone seemed to be in such a rush, and manners had clearly been left at home with elbows and pushchairs being the weapons of choice!

Why would anyone choose to trudge through the slush, to then be volleyed around in over heated shops when you can do it all from the comfort of your own home?

Or work apparently, I read a survey the other day that suggests the majority of us shop online at work, the t-break has now been exchanged for an i-break so I’m told.

So in an effort to make your lives easier here’s some lovely gift ideas to get your Christmas shopping started.

Ok, so how about something for the kids, like these funky little charm necklaces.  For the girls we have a princess tiara and Murano glass hearts.

For the boys there is a shark and skull & crossbones.  And, totally unisex, we have gorgeous little tags with ‘friend, ‘cool’, ‘happy’ and ‘fun’ inscribed on them; a lovely gift to give their friends perhaps?  I love the funky denim covered box the jewellery comes with, perfect to keep their jewellery safe or for hiding their pocket money in!

Click here to see the full ‘Cool Beans’ for kid’s collection.

Next, your mother, or his!  Delicate & light these wonderful pure silk scarves are handmade with hand dyed silk.

So versatile as they’re light enough to wear indoors to add a splash or colour to an outfit but also warm enough to keep out the winter chill, without the bulk.  There are so many gorgeous colours to choose from, there must be one to suit!

What about you?  You’re probably the one running around organising everyone else, or it that just me?  I think we all deserve a little treat at this time of year and everyone needs a little sparkle in their lives.

So treat yourself to a pair of fabulous little Swarovski crystal stud earrings. Small and delicate enough to pop on whilst you’re running around the supermarket but special enough to wear for your girls night out!  These come in 16 colours, so there’s sure to be a pair to match every outfit.

Don’t worry, we offer a ‘No Quibble’ FREE returns service* with all gifts being purchased up to Christmas eligible for return up to 7th January 2011.  Or just buy gift vouchers and let them make their own choice!

Well that’s a few presents ticked of your list!

*excludes earrings for hygiene reasons.

Capture the Romance of Paris…

…with this limited edition collection; the latest creation from the design studio at belong.

These unique pieces of handmade jewellery feature mother-of-pearl buttons from Paris with suede, semi-precious gemstones, Swarovski crystal and Sterling Silver.

“I love these buttons as they remind me of the wonderful weekend in Paris when we found this amazing vintage button shop.  I just couldn’t help myself; I was like a kid in a sweetie shop!  Et voila! The ‘Paris Café’ collection.” Dawn

Designed to sit snug against the skin, each piece features the fabulous, but gloriously simple adjustable ‘belong silver slider’* that makes getting the perfect fit effortless.

Available in three delectable colour ways, I love the the ‘Spice’ mix with its shimmering shades of orange, rich plum, chestnut and floral painted buttons, wood, Swarovski crystal and Sterling Silver.

Also available in the ‘Romance’ mix with mother-of-pearl buttons, suede, freshwater Pearls, black Onyx and Sterling Silver.  Plus the ‘Peacock’ mix with its blend of sky blue, cobalt and lime, highlighted by pieces of Turquoise and Serpentine.

*Small but perfectly formed, our Sterling Silver belong ‘slider’ allows the necklace to be worn at any length from approx 14″ – 32″, and to slip over the head comfortably, without the need for any other fastenings. Easy!

Be unique, be individual, wear your imagination…belong!

p.s. Get 15% OFF belong jewellery!  Just enter ‘BUTTONSW’ in the coupon box at the checkout.  Valid until 30th November 2010.  Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

I advocate colour, and lots of it!

Vogue calls it the ‘dressing-up box’ trend, I think it looks rather like you’ve run into the fabric section of John Lewis and dressed yourself in it – but whatever you call, it makes me smile!

I love the clashing colours and patterns that only a supremely flamboyant person could carry off and Camila Batmanghelidjh, founder of the Kids Co charity, certainly pulls off this look with panache!

It’s so refreshing to see some wonderful vibrant colours in the winter palette.  Of course there is lots of choice on the high street but so many of us turn to the old trusty blacks, browns and greys when the season turns.

Ok, so black makes us all look slimmer, and that’s all well and good, but is it not just a little depressing sometimes?  So I advocate colour, and lots of it!

Ok, so I’m not suggesting you go for the whole look, unless you want to!  The way to go is multi-coloured jewellery, something to brighten up a winter day and bring a smile to your lips.

The added bonus of multi-coloured jewellery is that one piece of jewellery will go with so many outfits, now that’s value for money, make your jewellery work for you!

Hand strung with over a metre a half of semi precious gemstones this necklace is truly fabulous!  Who would ever have thought of mixing pink Rose Quartz, Citrine, Coral, Crystal, Amethyst, Blue Quartz, Turquoise, Garnet, Black Agate, Carnelian, Smoky Quartz and Freshwater Pearls … we would of course!  Add something unique to an outfit!

Looks superb with greys, rusts, neutrals, browns and black! The added bonus with this necklace is that as it’s made with semi precious you have probably got every healing property you can imagine covered and in one necklace.  So it makes you look good and can make you feel good too!  Maybe that’s why this necklace is called ‘Extreme Pleasure’?!

Brazilian designers, Brazilian men – you just can’t beat them – or perhaps I’m biased!  Anyway….this wonderfully chunky bangle is another amazing piece by Brazilian Designer Resende Sobral.  He creates jewellery using recycled polyester resin, resulting in a totally unique piece of jewellery.

They’re real conversation pieces too, and you can boast about how you’re doing your bit for the environment by wearing something which has been recycled!

Just for fun, these cute little Swarovski earrings are subtle yet stunning, light-catching pieces, oh so versatile.  Using the best (Swarovski) crystals with Sterling Silver – carefully chosen colours clustered together give maximum impact.  Light and easy to wear, they become like good friends to have around for any occasion.

It’s Good to Share…

… and here at Belong we’ve just made it even easier for you!

Look out for the share buttons (see below) located underneath the description for each piece of jewellery.

So what can you do with these cute little buttons?

1. If you like the piece of jewellery you are viewing click the “Like” button to let everyone know!

2. Click the envelope button to email to your friends.

3. Click the “F” button to share this jewellery with your Facebook friends.

4. Click the “T” button to tweet a link to this product.

5. Click the “+” to share this jewellery on any of your other social networking pages.

It’s that easy!   …and there’s more!

You can now write a review of any product that you’ve purchased.

Click the “write a review” button that is located under the product description and past the share buttons – as above.  I know, I would like it to be a little easier to find too, but our site configuration doesn’t allow us to move it.  Never mind, it’s there and ready to use!

We would really love you to share your feedback with other customers, and of course us.  It’s important to us that you leave both positive and negative feedback to help us improve our service and let us know what you think of the jewellery.

Where you see the “read the reviews” button, in place of the “write a review” button, it just means that at least one person has already written a review for this product for you to read.

You can also add your own review by clicking this button and you will be given the “write a review” button to add your own feedback.

So that’s it folks, lets share our thoughts, comments, reviews and links, have fun!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ok, so now to ‘fess up!  Although the “write a review” buttons are now active on all products on our website, the share buttons are a work in progress.

I decided to tell you all about our improvements asap, and once I’ve published this note I will get back to adding the share buttons to each and every one of our hundreds of products, this will take a wee while, but I’m working on it!

So if there is a product you would like to share and there are no buttons yet, just email me (Valerie) and I will bump it up the queue and add it for you there and then!  Can’t say fairer than that!  Gosh!  I’m so full of clichés today!

Wear Purple With Passion this Winter

It’ rich, it’s sumptuous, it’s aubergine (or eggplant, as I read the other day; just doesn’t have the same ring to it I don’t think!!)  Or damson, plum, amethyst or royal velvet, whatever shade you choose, purple is definitely the next big thing this winter.

Purple make up is a must try this season and I can see myself trying a purple smoky eye or a damson nail polish.  I think I’ll have to draw the line at plum lipstick, even if I thought it looked great when I wore it in the 80’s!

The added bonus with purple is it looks great with this season’s other big colour stories, grey and navy, which sums up my outfit today.  Particularly loving my new grey suede fitflop boots, so comfy I’ve barely had them off. Definitely the best buy I’ve made in years – yes, they are that good!

This vibrant royal purple silk scarf is my all time favourite.  I wore mine with a red silk dress and received so many compliments!  It works just as well for a more casual look with your winter knits.

The wonderful thing about silk is that it gives warmth and insulation without the weight or bulk, perfect for those colder days ahead.  Hand woven from hand-spun and hand-dyed Thai Silk, these scarves are something that everybody should have!

Love on a large scale! This gorgeous Sterling Silver filigree heart necklace on damson organza is bang on trend this winter, and probably next, definitely a statement piece.  For best effect wear it fairly up close (and personal) to the neck with your winter maxi dress.

This simple yet stunning purple Amethyst necklace is part of our Wish Upon A charm collection.  Wear it as it comes or add a little sparkle with a gorgeous Swarovski crystal, or perhaps a silver charm, or even another gemstone. What the heck, you can add as much, or a little, as you wish!

That’s the beauty of the Wish Upon A Charm collection; you can create your very own necklace exactly as you choose.  It’s perfect for gift giving as you can create your bespoke necklace by choosing a favourite gemstone, birthstone or colour.  Or you can choose your stones by the healing properties they are believed to possess.

For example, Amethyst is known as the ancient healer of body, mind and spirit. It cleanses, purifies, restructures and renews. It is said to open spiritual and psychic centres, to reduce mental tension and to induce pleasant healing dreams.

Therefore it can be worn to reduce anger, impatience and nightmares. Amethyst helps to prevent over-indulgence and encourages the breaking of bad habits!

For more gorgeous purple jewellery check out our Damson & Amethyst Collection.

Lucky us! We’re featured in the Scotsman magazine ‘ Grown-Up Glamour’ fashion feature!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This gorgeous silver leaf necklace is just so easy to wear.  It works just as well for a Dita Von Teese, vintage glamour, look as it does over a jumper or with a shirt for something more casual, you decide!

Vintage Jewellery; Art Nouveau or Deco?

Art Deco or Art Nouveau, which camp are you in? For me it’s a difficult call, I love both. If I had to pick it would be Art Nouveau, it’s the romance of it all, the soft lines, the flora and fauna motifs, and it reminds me of Paris.

Which is what has inspired me as I’m popping in to see the ‘A La Mode’ Exhibition this weekend. This Parisian fashion illustration exhibition features a series of rare and beautiful early twentieth century Parisian fashion designs from the hugely influential Journal des Dames et des Modes magazine.

Art Nouveau jewellery is often characterised, not only by the design, but also by the materials used. The most popular being Marcasite, black Onyx, Garnet and Amethyst, along with Sterling Silver.

My material du jour is definitely Marcasite with it’s sophisticated and subtle shimmer as it catches the light. I wish so much I had kept all of that Marcasite jewellery my grandmother used to give me (after I’d rummaged though her jewellery box!) when I was a child. If only I’d appreciated it as much then as I do now.

Lately I’ve been wearing our gorgeous vintage Marcasite Leaf design ring and I’ve had so many compliments, unfortunately I don’t think the picture we have of it shows just how lovely it really is. We also have the most beautiful vintage Marcasite leaf earrings and bracelet to complete the set. Simply stunning.

My latest acquisition is this beautiful vintage brooch with its glittering Marcasite set Sterling Silver leaves, and deep red, faceted Garnet. Glam up your clutch bag, your lapel, or your favourite little grey cardigan, you can style it in so many ways, you’ll never tire of it. People tend to love it so much, they come back to buy another for a friend!

For a more laid back look try this Art Nouveau necklace on dove grey suede. Inspired by Art Nouveau patterns, this solid sterling silver disc sits on soft suede that’s adjustable to any length with our small, but perfectly formed, Sterling Silver belong ‘slider’. This allows the necklace to be worn at any length from approx 14″ – 32″, and to slip over the head comfortably, without the need for any other fastenings. Easy! So you can wear it long over your winter knits, short with a shirt, or pretty much anywhere in between, you decide!

Grab yourself a bargain, both pieces of jewellery are in the sale now. Don’t say I’m not good to you! Don’t forget you can still get 15% OFF belong jewellery. Just enter ‘LUXEW’ in the coupon box at checkout. Valid until 10/10/10.

Fashion Fatigue?

If I see one more article telling me that I should be wearing an aviator (or shearling) jacket, a cape or a camel coat this season…..well let’s just say, enough already!

…and it’s all very exciting to hear that I should be wearing my maxi dress (or skirt) with my chunky folksy knit jumper, open toed sandals and scrunched down over the knee socks. I know this is fashion, but seriously, do you know anyone who would wear such an outfit?

New York, London, Milan, Paris; I think I’m having fashion week overload!

Strangely though my fashion fatigue seems to lift when it comes to watching the style wars between Dannii and Cheryl on a Saturday evening. Yes, I admit it, I’m an X factor fan, and I don’t care who knows it!

So what jewellery do I have for you this week? It had to be full on glamour!

Kicking off, one of my favourite necklaces’ that I think Dannii Minogue would love! It’s so sophisticated, classic & timeless! Gorgeously huge pieces of faceted onyx, hand strung with equally beautiful smaller pieces of facted black onyx and black agate. Feel sophisticated – look amazing!

For Cheryl Cole it has to be this gorgeous Veronica Vintage black onyx necklace, it’s darling! This is screen-siren personified!! Veronica Lake would have found this necklace irresistible!

This is one of the most wonderful examples of hand-crafted jewellery using Black Onyx that we have ever commissioned. Many different shapes and sizes of the gem have been brought together beautifully. An absolute dream to wear – don’t forget the matching earrings to feel truly special!

So let’s go for the set and finish off with a gorgeous matching bracelet that will work with both necklacs’. Sheer classic beauty, this wonderful real onyx bracelet can be worn very simply. Team with Swarovski studs in Jet and take over the boardroom or the ballroom – they’ll be hanging on your every word! Or make a statement and wear with this season’s luxe goth look! This bracelet is so versatile and as it’s made to our own design, it’s totally exclusive!

Belong Jewellery “Best Buy” In Scotsman Newspaper

We’re just thrilled to be featured as the “Best Buy” in the Scotsman newspaper!