The Look That’s “In” for the Holidays -- Big, Bold and Lots of Gold

(ARA) - Gasoline prices are through the roof, interest rates are rising, and there’s a general state of unrest in the world; yet in the land of opportunity, people are spending money like it’s going out of style.
According to the Italian association for luxury designers, Altagamma, sales of high-end goods -- including electronics, clothing and jewelry -- surged 24.5 percent in the United States during the first six months of this year. Perhaps people are thinking ‘I’ve worked hard, I’ve done well, and I’m going to indulge myself.’ Whatever the reason, analysts call the return of splurge spending a sign that consumer confidence is up. Way up, in fact! It hit a two-year high in July.

“We’re definitely seeing signs of the trend in the jewelry industry,” says Marsha Bryant, senior buyer of gold and platinum for ShopNBC. “I just returned from the Vicenza gold show in Italy where the pieces highlighted were elegant, almost decadent. There was a lot of weight to them.”

A far cry from the minimalist trend that was in play just a year ago. Pick up any fashion magazine and you’ll see the models wearing big, bold gold necklaces, cuff and bangle bracelets, and long, dangling or hoop earrings. These pieces are being crafted in exotic locales such as Italy, Turkey, South America and Asia. But you don’t have to travel the world to find the world’s finest pieces. “At ShopNBC, we’ve assembled what I think is one of the best collections of fine gold and gemstone jewelry at unbelievably low prices, all in one place,” says Bryant.

Take, for example, the Etruscan Teardrop necklace and matching earrings offered exclusively by ShopNBC. The pair was recently featured in 18 Karati Magazine -- one of the world’s premiere fashion and jewelry trade publications -- for its master craftsmanship.

Bryant says Michael’s Anniversary bracelet from the Eighteen Karat Elegance Collection is the epitome of style for the person who wants luxury -- plus something different from what everyone else is wearing. The bracelet features three strands of ribbed yellow gold links and polished white gold links with a designer fold over safety clasp. The Online jewelry store also has an exclusive double square grumetta necklace with matching bracelet designed by Italian jewelry designer Stefano.

“When wearing these pieces, you can walk into a room and make a statement without ever having to say a word,” says Bryant, who expects the collection she has helped assemble to do extremely well not only with holiday shoppers, but people who want to give themselves a treat this holiday season.

And according to a recent Time Style and Design Cover Story, if you treat yourself to a big, bold gold piece today, you’ll be making a good investment because the “look” is here to stay.

To see the jewelry mentioned in this article and other pieces available through ShopNBC, log on to www.shopnbc.com, click on the link that says “Jewelry” then scroll down to “Gold Day.”