Are you SIRIUS?

Have you been listening to Sirius Satellite radio? Yes, that was me on the Martha Stewart Living Radio show. The 'Living Today' show has a great lineup of fashion and lifestyle news and it was great to be asked to speak and take questions about jewelry trends.

Kerry Nolan is the host, and I went down to 6th Avenue near 49th St. in Manhattan to work at the Sirius studio. I haven't been in a state-of-the-art radio studio before, it was quite impressive and very well organized. So was our host, Kerry. She was warm and welcoming and prepared, while we were on the air she had robertachiarella.com on monitors to refer to the items we were talking about.

We talked about current trends including large statements necklaces like the People StyleWatch featured Chunky Necklace. Everyone agreed how great they are to wear but can be heavy. I discussed how popular they've become now that I am using alternate materials like resin, which save weight but give the look of heavier polished stones. The Chunky Necklace has sold like hotcakes because it is light and priced right.



The Chunky Necklace- 2 colors available

Other new trends that help large pieces look great include personalizing the necklace with colored cords to make your own jewelry newer and jazzier. Hey, it's Martha Stewart Living, a place where it is cool and fun to be 'craft-y' and update some things you already own to get a fresh look from a piece you already own. Radio gives you the chance to explain and discuss jewelry in a different way than television. The show is longer, there are less breaks and you don't need layers of makeup! I loved it. You should check out this show whenever you can and I hope they ask me back!

After the show I went back to work to get ready for our newest feature in People StyleWatch. We've got three pieces in the September issue, and of course the magazine has a great promotion. With their Promo Code you can get 20% off Sophia's Earrings. These modern sparklers are made with Crystalized Swarovski Elements and are simply beautiful. Perfect for fall, they are now in stock and ready to ship. Another super StyleWatch feature is Roberta's Favorite Ring.



Roberta's Favorite



Named because this 50 karat zircon really is, you can get it in beautiful black, hematite or clear. It's a knockout and affordable at only $58 (before the promo code, but two and get free shipping!). The magazine is out this week, so don't take my word for it- go out to your newsstand and buy a copy. Ciao!

A picture's worth a thousand words

People in my family know that it takes a lot to make me speechless,but when I opened up the April issue of ALLURE- I was overwhelmed by this beautiful photo. This Moonstone Bracelet was featured with a beautiful model wearing them! There's an interesting story behind this item, is made with vintage Swarovski stones that date from the 1950's. On a visit to our factory in Providence, RI we always wander around the storage rooms and other nooks and crannies. The jewelry factory has been in the owners family for many, many years and they've accumulated a few stones that were never used by designers, or ordered because they were too nice to pass up, but nobody designed the right setting for them. Well, I saw these crystals and knew that they'd make a great bracelet.



Moonstone Bracelets

They were expensive back in the '50's  but they're worth it, being of the highest quality and in perfect condition (sitting in a padded box for over 40 years. Like diamonds, they certainly just get more beautiful with age. It turns out there were enough to make bracelets in 4 colors, we decided to use a hinged bangle so it would fit right, and made the drawings and prototype so the amazing artisans in Rhode Island could turn them into the beauties you see here. They are obviously available in limited quantities, we're not gonna get these stones again so if you want this beauty, now's the time. Of course we'll ship them free and I'm sure you'll love them as much as the Allure editors did.

checkerboard necklace- $58

You know, even though I have been designing for a while I still get very emotional when I see my work in a magazine. It is such an honor to be picked, here in New York magazine editors have dozens of designers to choose from, they can walk down Fifth or Madison Avenue and see a hundred bracelets in shop windows on the way to get coffee. So, when they called and asked to borrow a couple for this photo shoot, and featured us with a credit, I needed more than coffee!

Dorothy

The other thing you've got to see is the new RC2 Escape Collection. These are going to be the hottest things as the weather is heating up! Look at the necklaces, they are beautiful, and in both gold and silver so you can choose your favorite look. We've got many affordable pieces, one of my favorites is the Dorothy earring, amazingly priced at $28 and available in 3 colors.

Of course we've got a promo code, just type in ESCAPE10 on our new shopping cart and any one item will be reduced by $10! For orders over $75 we ship free, too. Many of these pieces were inspired by the trend, or craze that's going around the fashion world of using these lucite-like resins, they are shiny, easy to take care of and the colors are just brilliant. Enjoy! Ciao.

It's in the bag!

Where have I been? No new blog entries? Is everything OK? Did you hear about Elizabeth Taylor?

These are some emails we got the last week or so, and it's due to the fact that our website, http://www.robertachiarella.com/ has started to introduce some new features. Now, some might not get excited about this, but around here it is cause for joy! We've got a new shopping cart, and life is good.

What does this mean to us and our customers? Finally we can offer multiple promotions at the same time, promo codes have their own little box and once you enter it the site will instantly tell you if it's good or not, and also calculate your savings. If it's on sale, or even free, the price will show up as such right away.

Screen Shot of the new cart, sign up today!

The shopping cart is the heart of a good website, and now you'll be able to create your user ID and your own password, you can store your payment info if you wish so you can buy any time you like even if you don't have your credit card handy.

Gift wrapping, messages, even buying a gift card will be easy as pie, and you will always see your actual total right there when you are ready to press the button. If you've qualified for Free Shipping, it'll say so right there and your shipping price will drop to $0 (for US customers). Of course it's a secure site, the symbol is at the bottom and it is tested daily to make sure we are all safe. So far, people have found it easier and better than ever to buy from us, and we're happy the feedback is so good.

Taylor bib necklace, only $68

So, if you ever needed to try this out, now is good. We've got some great features, our People StyleWatch promotion is still going on and we've got reduced prices on the resin jewelry featured in Redbook and Real Simple Magazines.

The Taylor Bib Necklace is hot this week, and now that it's featured at $68,  lots of people want this beautiful piece for their spring wardrobe.

When I put that one up on the site, we were watching the news of Elizabeth Taylors death, and it made me shiver.

She was one of my all time favorites, she could be serious, she could be funny, she was always beautiful. Hollywood lost a great star this week but we've got so many great films to remember her by. I can't imagine what it was to have been her, described as 'too beautiful' to be taken seriously as an actress. Like so many really cool people, she was haunted by paparazzi and denounced by the vatican. A funny lady, she was asked about who'd play her and here's her twitter response: "No one is going to play Elizabeth Taylor, but Elizabeth Taylor herself. Not at least until I'm dead, and at the moment I'm having too much fun being alive...and I plan on staying that way. Happiness to all."


She was known as a kind and genuinely nice person, her generosity to charity, especially HIV/Aids is well known and greatly appreciated. Later in life, Elizabeth Taylor became a social activist and a longtime friend and supporter of Michael Jackson. We found this picture of her and offer a very similar necklace on the website. I've renamed it the 'Dame Elizabeth' in her honor. Buy one, and let me know if you like the new shopping cart features. Godspeed, Elizabeth. Ciao!