What was so glorious about the old days, you might ask? To me, as a twenty-something, the richness of history, the fact that what I’m wearing had a past life and I am giving it some kind of a second chance, means a great deal to me. I like feeling connected to, and even part of, people’s stories who have gone before me. This is actually the very reason why jewelry is such a magical thing to us here at Lewis. Not only are we crazy about the beauty and craftsmanship of the items we see and carry, but we also love to literally hold and help take care of important parts of people’s lives. Think about it: how many wedding and engagement rings have you held in your lifetime? We have serviced and sold thousands. Speaking for the entire Lewis staff, I can say truthfully that we truly feel priveleged to be with people as they choose their rings, “push presents”, anniversary gifts, birthday presents, etc. Sorry to get so sappy! This post is actually about today’s release of the Great Gatsby (!!). Baz Lurhman has out done himself, and I can tell just by the trailer! The absolutely decadant portrayal of the Jazz Age is so outrageous- just in that short clip! I cannot wait to see the entire film! Check out some stills from the film-

Look at Miss Carey Mulligan! She looks exquisite, and those jewels! From head to hem she is decked out in diamonds and pearls.

The resurgance for classic styles and re-vamped patterns and motifs has been all over the runway.

Check out these pieces from Mikimoto!

Carey also wears earrings in the film that look exactly like these!

Double-strand pearl bracelet and pearl ring with diamonds? Yes, please.

This MontBlanc positively screams “Great Gatsby” to me.

This Kwiat ring is one of my favorite pieces in the store right now. It is GORGEOUS.

This is a photograph from Vogue, and it stops me in my tracks every time I look at it. Carey has managed to look the absolute epitome of the ideal woman of the 20′s, hasn’t she? She is gorgeous. I noticed her tassel necklace and thought of something I’d seen recently…

Look familiar? David Yurman has made some beautiful Gatsby-inspired pieces, too!

Check out the rock on her finger! And that bracelet…

Daisy knows how to style herself! I love this stacked look.

Tarah’s Must Have It Tip: I have made a pact to wait and see the movie with friends, so until then I will be watching the trailer obssessively! If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, take a look here!

Photo Credits

The cast on the steps: http://resideinlondon.com/out-of-office/great-gatsby-harrods-cocktail-bar/#.UX7pao4oO24

The cast seated at the table: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG8958028/The-Great-Gatsby-Meet-Carey-Mulligans-diamond-clad-Daisy-Buchanan.html

Carey at the gate and Carey vs. runway model: http://www.theempressofdress.com/2013/04/15/the-great-gatsby-influence-in-fashion/

In honor of the opening of Oz, the Great and Powerful, I have dedicated this week’s blog post to some of our most favorite gems: diamonds, emeralds, and rubies!

Here are the leading actresses in the film. Did you see their interviews in InStyle?

I’m really looking forward to seeing the costumes and jewelry! Until then, I’ve made photo collages of the jewelry we would dress each witch in.

The lovely Mila Kunis is playing Theodora, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. We have chosen to dress her in rubies and diamonds because of her mysterious character. Is that cocktail ring in the upper right not gorgeous?

Glinda the Good Witch was always one of my favorite characters in the Wizard of Oz, and Michelle Williams seems a perfect fit to play such a sweet, bubbly character. Diamonds obviously suit her- she is girly, kind, and pure.

Also, I found this necklace that I think is perfect for Glinda- don’t you? Bubbles!

Rachel Weisz is one of my favorite actresses of all time, so watching her play a mean character is going to be hard for me! Being the leading nemesis of the movie, her look rests solely on gorgeous, seductive emerald green. You may recognize the earrings from other posts of mine on our Twitter or Facebook pages- I’m obssessed! They are sliced emeralds, so you can see all the veins running through the stones!

Which witch are you? Leave me a comment! I love to hear from you, and I always check and respond to commenters!

Tarah’s Must Have It Tip: Do you Vine? Follow us on the Vine app and see clips of what’s going on at Lewis! Enjoy these Oz-themed Vines I created this week:

Follow your yellow brick road to Lewis!
http://t.co/WuG1nVtWhV

Welcome to Emerald City: Lewis!
http://vine.co/v/bHYU0dOaJJI 

The Twitterin’ Fools

Boy, did we have fun last night at Casa Lewis! Wendy and I went to work on Twitter all through the red carpet entrances and the award ceremony, and we became what Wendy has coyly termed “Twitterin’ fools.”
The talent gathered in the Dolby center last night was electric it seemed, even from our seats in Houston, TX. It is always such a fun thing to see artists come together, to see their connections, passion, and celebrate their hard work. We definitely came away with highlights and disasters as we watched the procession of fashionistas and fashion unfortunates. Take a look!

Charlize. Is there a more beautiful woman on the red carpet when she’s on it? The woman personifies poise and channels a sort of rockstar elegance that absolutely mystifies me.

She wore gorgeous, massive diamond stud earrings and this fabulously delicate and intricate diamond bracelet. Stylistically, I love that she knows how to complement her body so well. Simple but powerful elements work together to create a flawless look- letting her face and figure take center stage.

Catherine Zeta-Jones. Does she age? She looked amazing! And her earrings especially caught my attention. That kind of organic shape and clustered stone design is hot in earrings right now, and these were perfect for her!

Jennifer Aniston played it safe last night. Would you agree? She always looks beautiful, she just is that, but everyone in the house groaned that we would have liked to have seen her take some risks last night. At least wear an updo!

Her jewelry choices were so beautiful. We spotted a lot of vintage-looking pieces- white gold and diamonds antiqued to look like old Hollywood is still among us.

Naomi Watts is so beautiful in this amazing silver dress! Wendy went gaga over the neckline. It was a risk – a bit futuristic – but it was so successful because it complemented her personal beauty.

Amanda Seyfried. She is a walking, breathing fairy tale princess. She always looks effortlessly feminine. Take a look at her squiggly diamond earrings! I am still researching them for a future post. I thought they were an interesting choice!

Anne Hathaway! What always takes me aback when I see her is her eyes. She sparkles from the inside out! Last night she was definitely glowing. I was not a real fan of her dress, to be honest, but I do enjoy looking at that necklace! Are those lacey, diamond-studded snowflake shapes? Be still my beating heart.

Jennifer Lawrence. I waited and waited for her, and when I saw her I was not let down! She looked amazing in her dress, and jewelry! Look at those HUGE diamond drop earrings she’s wore!

Hands-down, our glamour winner of the night on the red carpet was Jessica Chastain. She exudes classic Hollywood here, and we can’t resist the vintage appeal! She looked stunning.

As for the men, who can resist Bradley Cooper? Those eyes are something else, aren’t they?

And, of course, THE man, Hugh Jackman. He is beautiful, and a gentleman! When poor Jennifer Lawrence fell on her way up the stairs I saw him reach out to help her up. What a man.

This brings me to my burning question for you all: Who did the necklace down the back better? I know what I think… How about you?

Tarah’s Must Have It Tip: I leave you with this gorgeous song sung by Scarlett Johansson, accompanied by Jamie Bell on the violin for the documentary Chasing Ice. Only a genius could make icebergs steal my heart.

Photo Credits:

Beyonce’s outfit was spectacular to me, but I am a sucker for strong silouettes and mod designs! Her bold cuffs reminded me of the stacked bracelets Michelle Obama wore at the swearing-in ceremony for President Obama. While the bodice of her outit is assymetrical in its coloring, those cuffs create a strong, contrasting balance that is very appealing.

These gorgous JudeFrances cuffs were here with us at the show last Friday, and I immediately thought of them when I saw Beyonce’s intricate cuffs! A little rock ‘n roll, but very clean and romantic.

Was Carrie not amazing? Her butterfly dress was incredible, but I love what she chose to make her entrance in. She looks like the star she is in this elegant floor-length gown with black lace and beaded overlay. Wowzers.  And what about that diamond necklace? It is the perfect finish for this look.

We have some beautiful diamond pieces at Lewis, including this 15ct. diamond necklace and diamond bracelet. I’ve said it before and I will say it again:

OK, for the record, you don’t think dear Florence of Florence and the Machine looked like a dinosaur, do you? I heard that many were comparing this electric emerald, futuristic masterpiece to a triceratop! People, by now we should be excitedly anticipating Florence’s dramatic, risk-taking  taste! I loved this dress on her, and I will give you two reasons why. Number one, emerald is the color of the year, and green looks FANTASTIC on red heads. Secondly, the reptilian appeal reminded me of the year of the snake. The way the dress curves to her and then suddenly drapes and moves with her from the high slit on the leg is so beautiful. Her jewelry for the night was a beautiful layering of cocktail rings.

The dangle earrings here are some of my favorites at Lewis right now. They are sliced emeralds in diamond bezel settings, and the organic texture on the inside of the stones is just beautiful. These rings have also caught my eye! They are closer in color to the Pantone version of emerald. Aren’t they pretty?

JLo, goddess-looking woman she is, made a tragic mistake in her choice of dress, in my opinion. However, I do enjoy her preference for stacking rings and bracelets. I loved the huge diamond studs she wore, too!

Here is my rendition of JLo’s look. I loved that she wore diamond eternity bands side by side, so I did the same here, along with the other strong ring and 2ct. diamond studs. Diamond studs are effortless chic.

All around the store almost every day (it seems), I’ve heard someone (AKA, Wendy) sing “THIS GIRL IS ON FYYYYY-AAAAHHHH!” What a song, and what a lady Alicia Keys is. I definitely fell for the earrings she wore. I love how the metal seems to be floating over the surface of the oval pieces of onyx. They are playful and sculpture-like, which I love!

When I saw this picture I thought of these David Yurman pieces instantly. They also have the rough-looking cut onyx encased by metal with pave work. The wrapped look is so unique. My favorites are the stud earrings and the pendant, which is actually pretty large.

The sweetheart look of the night goes to Rihanna in her fiery dress and long locks. Although she looked like a Bahamian princess, her iconic edgy/alternative style showed through her stacked cocktail rings. She even wore a ring right above her knuckle- a look I’ve seen on Pinterest boards but not yet on a star of her calibre. I have to confess: I love that look.

I had so much fun rounding up these pieces from John Hardy and the Lewis Collection to show you, especially wearing them in the left frame the way Rihanna did. The Lewis collection now has some new pieces, including these multi-row diamond rings in yellow, rose, and white gold in the right and bottom pictures. I love how uneven they are!

Most agreed that while Faith Hill’s cocktail dress was pretty but not really attention-grabbing, her HUGE diamond PINKY RING (ahem) had me reeling for a second when she put her hand in the E!’s Mani Cam.

Look at this monster! I love it.

I’ve been inspired. Think I could get away with this?

Tarah’s Must Have It Tip: The Grammy’s reminded me how important it is for us to take time to celebrate our lives. Whether there are accomplishments or failures, or no reason at all, acknowledging our lives and the lives of others with beauty is vital to us humans. We need it, and it is good for us. What are some ways you celebrate life? Leave me a comment, I would love to know!

Photo Credits:

http://www.gossipcop.com/ for pictures of Carrie Underwood and Beyonce.
http://www.eonline.com for an up-close picture of Jennifer Lopez.
http://style.mtv.com for the picture of Ms. Lopez’s whole look and rings.
http://www.latimes.com/ for the photos of Rihanna and Florence.
http://www.nationaljeweler.com/nj/special-reports/fashion/grammys-2013/sr-detail?id=30337 for the lovely photo of Rihanna and her platinum and ruby ring.
http://www.theboot.com/photos/2013-grammys-red-carpet-pictures/5630854/ for the gorgeous picture of Faith Hill and husband Tim McGraw

Tarah’s Must Have It Tip: Want to make it easy on your guy? I have the perfect solution, actually. No really, it’s brilliant. We made a check-list for you to fill out of what you would like, and you simply leave it on the coffee table, by his bedside, or tape it to his steering wheel (he’ll already be in the car- he’ll be two steps ahead without even knowing!). Sometimes knowing what you’re going to get before you get it is even more fun than a surprise! Come in for the checklist and browse, or download the checklist here: Make It Easy For Him

Anne Hathaway takes my breath away- the lady can work anything! From short, short hair to playing with sillouhettes and layers, she is by far my favorite of the night for her sheer pizzaz (to quote Miss Prescott from Funny Face)! Although her look was classic, I found her combination absolutely intriguing. Check out the way Anne took a que from her gown and layered her diamond bands and glitzy bracelets! (PS. Love the mani!)

This SAG Award winner also wore Kwiat diamond studs, so you know I am crazy about those! Lewis has proudly carried Kwiat for years now, and it is a gorgeous line. I especially love its intricate, art deco designs.

Jennifer Lawrence has definitely caught my attention this year with her striking choice of roles and fashion. For a lady who is so young (22) and so outside of the box in her raw, edgy performances, she has been choosing classic, flawless looks. She looked gorgeous last night in a midnight blue Dior Couture gown and diamond necklace, studs, and chunky ring. You can never go wrong with diamonds, am I right, ladies?

Her drop diamond necklace is so classic, and really complements the overall vintage appeal of her look.

Last – but certainly not least! – Amanda Seyfried literally made my jaw drop! This woman is already gorgeous, but last night she embodied glamour from head to toe, and her necklace choice was no exception. I am a lover of unique looks and exploring your own aesthetic, and I loved this bold, plunging necklace that she wore.

Let’s get a close-up, shall we?

This necklace is stunning: the diamond-studded chain, the intricate, lacey, diamond-embedded design around that exemplary chunk of what looks to be aquamarine…what is not to love? It reminds me of the designs of Robert Wander that we carried when he was still designing. I daresay that it makes the entire look. Superb.

From the first to the last, the red carpet is always a fun watch! Cannot WAIT to see what is being prepared for the Oscars!

Tarah’s Must Have It Tip: Has anyone else noticed this major art deco fashion trend re-emerging? Every time I see it I think of the Great Gatsby (out in May!), and, in my opinion, that movie can’t come out quickly enough! I have devoted an entire board of the Lewis Pinterest to this fashion trend. Take a look at it! http://pinterest.com/lewisUSA/ 

Photo Credits

1. http://news.instyle.com/2013/01/27/anne-hathaway-nail-art-sag-awards/

2. http://www.reellifewithjane.com/2013/01/sag-awards-2013-anne-hathaway-wins-best-supporting-actress-for-les-miserables/

3. http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/blogs/daily-beauty-reporter/2013/01/best-beauty-looks-2013-sags.html

4. http://www.thehob.org/

5. http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/sag-awards-2013-necklaces-on-the-red-carpet#slide=58096171

6.www.redcarpet-fashionawards.com

What a beautiful night! We loved watching the Golden Globes this year, and we especially enjoyed watching the red carpet! Here are the ladies that stood out to us.

1. Zooey Deschanel wore gorgeous pearls from Kwiat with her spicy, retro Oscar de la Renta gown. I love the way she sticks to classics and yet somehow modernizes them. Out of all the gowns of the evening, this was by far my favorite. It’s Scarlett O’hara meets Tarah.

2. Helen Mirren rocked these black, gold, and diamond earrings! The details and color palette of her gown were stunning; she never fails to stay true to her aesthetic, and I love to watch her because of that!

3. Diamonds were everywhere on the red carpet, but Jessica Alba took our breaths away with this pairing of a feminine coral pink dress and a brilliant, lace-like diamond necklace from Harry Winston. She looked like a princess.

4. Jennifer Lawrence looked radiant in her coral gown and drop diamond earrings! Before the Hunger Games, I had never heard of her. What an amazing actress, and what style! We loved it!

Here is the wearable red carpet versionof her earrings! These white gold and diamond beauties are from Roberto Coin. Aren’t they gorgeous?

5. Luminous Nicole Kidman looked so striking in this Alexander McQueen gown, and we loved the art deco accents! Great Gatsby is on the horizon, and I am so excited about it!

6. Taylor Swift’s deep plum gown complements her eyes and coloring so well! I am a sucker for her earrings. I love the colors and the mixing of stones. As Rachel Zoe says, I die.

As you know, Lewis carries Roberto Coin, and what a stunning line it is! I’ve long been infatuated with these amazing, almost sculptural pieces. Taylor’s earrings reminded me of these! Aren’t they unique?

7. Last but definitely not least, Naomi Watts commanded attention in this amazing gown by Zac Posen. The almost rust red made her eyes pop! And, of course, I loved that she chose diamond drop earrings!

Tarah’s Must Have It Tip: I recently heard a sweet client telling one of our associates that her mother would save her jewelry and only wear it on special occasions. Our client chooses to do the opposite of her mother, though, and wears her jewelry every day. Like our client, I believe jewelry should be fun and enjoyed! My tip for this post is to enjoy what you wear, and wear your fancy more often because life is too short to not enjoy what you have. Treat every day like a red carpet event because here’s the deal, ladies- your life IS a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. There’s only one of you, and there will always only be one of you. Enjoy your things, and celebrate your life!

Photo credits:
1: http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/goldenglobes/photos/0,,20661257_20663792_21265027,00.html
2-6: http://www.fashionbloginc.com/golden-globes-2013-best-dressed/
7: http://photos.denverpost.com/2013/01/13/photos-who-theyre-wearing-golden-globes-2013/#30

This year we also started a weekly “vlog” (video blog) on YouTube which focuses on jewelry maintenance, basic operations, fashion trends, and Lewis’ upcoming events. Last week, Slade Lewis and David Steele were our first  hosts, and they talked about the Watch Talk event! This week’s video will star yours truly (cross your fingers for me!), but I can’t tell you what it will be about. Anticipation is key, folks.

As with every new year, I wrote down some of my same new year resolutions. Do you do that, too? I think what we all struggle with is motivation, in the end. Excitement over my lofty list of goals literally only lasts me a couple hours, and then I look at my day planner and my plans seem impossible! For the first time ever, Lewis is offering daily special offers to help motivate you to accomplish your 2013 goals! I announced the first offer this morning via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and for the next nine days I will post daily on our pages, so stay tuned! Today’s special is for those who are looking to slim down: a free ring sizing with any purchase!

Tarah’s Must Have It Tip:
Do you tweet, Instagram, pin, or get on Facebook often? So do we! Follow us so you can get the inside look at what’s inspiring us, special offers, Lewis news, upcoming events and more!

https://twitter.com/lewis_usa

http://instagram.com/lewisusa/

https://www.facebook.com/LewisUSA

http://pinterest.com/lewisusa/

Tarah’s Must Have It Tip: You don’t want to miss this amazing event! Come out and learn more about your timepiece from an expert!

Our CW21 certified watchmaker, David, is one of our biggest sources of pride. He and I had a chat to discuss what Lewis’ greatest assets are in the watch department. As someone with 23 years of experience, David is very impressed with our state-of-the-art camera system that allows him to show and explain repairs to clients, authenticate watches, and give some nervous clients a chance to relax as they watch him repair their timepiece from the comfort of one of our private showrooms. He does not know of any other retailer who has this level of technology in their store!

The watch shop itself is advanced in more ways than the camera system! It was specially designed to be pressurized by positive air-flow, which sucks all the dust particles out of the room— if the sticky floor mats when you walk in don’t catch it first! David also explained that the good relationships with the brands we carry have given us unique advantages. We were given specialized tool kits from Breitling and A. Lange that will enhance our services for those watchlines.

Tarah’s Must Have It Tip: Do you have a tech savvy person on your Christmas list? We just got something for them to geek out over! This G-Shock has a Bluetooth 4.0 connection that allows the wearer to sync their 5 and 4s iPhones so that the watch alerts the wearer about incoming calls, emails, and security!