Rima Fakih, Miss Michigan 2010 was chosen Miss USA 2010 this evening in Las Vegas, gracing us with our second ever Miss USA winner to receive the crown in our jewelry.

Rima wore a variation of our MINNESOTA design in clear Crystal. Rima's earring feature our chaton pavé, a field of flatback stones covered over again with Swarovski's classic chatons - a round faceted shaped much like the traditional diamond cut. This technique achieves remarkable sparkle & fire. Both sides of the offset diamond drop are fully stoned. Seven strands of luxe beading drop from the diamond, each strand ending in a gorgeous Swarovski briolette crystal pendant.

More congrats to Jessica Hartman, Miss Colorado, and Katie Whittier, Miss Maine, on their respective 3rd & 4th runner-up placings. 

Also, Ashley Strohmeier, Miss Missouri, for her top 10 finish, and Adrielle Churchill (AR), Bethany Gerber (KS), Belinda Wright (NE), and Claire Schreiner (WY), for their top 15 placings. Belinda Wright was also selected as Miss Congeniality 2010.

To all our ladies, we wish you all the best with your next chapters!

     ~s

Coming into the homestretch on Miss USA, and geez, I'm tired! I see crystals when I close my eyes! Dancing in front of me, teasing me.... running towards me, then leaping away, just out of my grasp... Or was that the box I spilled a little while ago....? I know they rolled under there somewhere.....

I had a deja-vu a bit ago, a flashback to when I'd only been making jewelry for a little while. I was in my teens, and it was the 70's.... ouch. When did all that time disappear? There I was, sitting at a similar table - although not nearly as well equipped or supplied - and the sun was rising, as it will be in a couple of hours again. I was tired then, just as I'm exhausted now. Somehow I've always been good under pressure, and in some odd way, thrived on it. Suppose some things are constant, huh?

I remember that early morning so clearly, facing the window in my first apartment, working away with the semi-precious treasures I started this adventure with. Tigereye was fading rapidly into Malachite, and Onyx was looking an awful lot like Rose Quartz. Meanwhile, back in the here-and-now, I just made three left earrings! Yup. Some things never change. Goofy is as goofy does :-)

Did I mention that I truly love what I do? I must, to keep these hours! Even with a hiatus of more than ten years after I first began, jewelry summoned me back to its creative grasp a long time ago. I'm so thankful to be able to spend my time being creative at something I dearly love, and even more thankful that I was somehow pulled into the pageant vortex - it's quite a way here from the ballroom. I feel so honored to be able to contribute to a most important experience for these wonderful young ladies. 

I remember the feeling of a spotlight on me, the performance rush, the incredible adrenaline. And the applause. Those are good memories. Now, I get to add the finishing touches to these young ladies as new spotlights are etched into their memories. Soak in every second, ladies. Don't let a single second escape you. Experience and memory are the greatest treasures.

Back to work....

So..... What's in? What's OUT! What's hot? What's coming?

Hoops. Still hot - big hoops, dangly hoops, multiple hoops, little hoops, hoops in colors hoops in neutrals. This basic has blasted into a huge category - and there's a style that works for every face, every outfit. One caveat: If you're ears aren't sleekly attached to the rest of your, avoid through-the-ear styles.... they'll accentuate that angle, Not good. Go for a dangling hoop instead!

Linear. Stiletto. Skinny. The fashion magazine just love to come up with zingy names to confuse us about a very simple idea. Linear earrings, or whatever you call them are, very simply, a quick drop (pardon the pun....) from point A to point B. From your earlobe down.... as long as you want. They're not absolutely, positively strictly a single piece, or strand, but they DO go straight down. No flaring at the bottom, no digressing with twists and turns. Down they go. As simple as a piece of chain, as complex as  a gourmet spread of beads and colors.... but down they go. They've always been around, but never had  their own name until recently. And of course... they're CLASSIC.

Chandeliers... a few years ago they were all the rage, then this cool shape did a bit of a vanishing act. Guess what? They're ba-ack!!!! Truth is, they never really went away; they just went through a bit of a metamorphosis. So, what exactly is a chandelier, anyway? 

Of course, the name came from exactly where you think - those big wonderful glittery ceiling baubles found in proper ballroom everywhere, and frequently used to great advantage in mystery tales (you know... the huge chandelier comes crashing down and pins the bad guy into helplessness.... fade to credits...) And of course, most of those babies start really little at the top, spread out w-i-d-e, and have LOTS of drippy stuff hanging about. 

Bingo. The "classic" chandelier. I sometimes think that the term "chandelier" as applied to earring design has come to mean any big, drippy style, regardless of it's architecture. That sometimes can make for miscommunications... Sometimes "I really want a chandelier!" actually means, "I really want a big, drippy earring!"

Here's some illustrative examples.... On the left is a classic, architectural chandelier.... Small at the top (whether it be a cluster, a button, or a post or wire), widening quickly into a sort of pie slice shape. On the right, is a "Multi-Drop" - a style that a lot of folks also mistakenly call a chandelier. It lacks the triangular shape, and also the structural foundation that widens it, and maintains it's shape. It's a looser, somewhat less severe, shape.

So which one is classic, which one is trend, which is in, which is out? Both. Neither. All of the above. Thankfully fashion has evolved to the point where not only does your skirt no longer have to be so many inches above or below your knee, but your ears can wear whatever flatters them, and tickles you!

There are of course some considerations to take into account when determining what will look best on you, and work best with your outfit, but that's another post. For now, let's say that it's all good.... and that it does help if we're all speaking the same language!

So... Chandeliers are hot. Linear designs are hot. Hoops are hot. Multi-Drops are hot. Unexpected combinations are hot! The biggest trend, and the best classic fashion statement - as always - is UNIQUE. Remember.... YOU are the work of art. Your jewelry - especially your earrings - are the frame.

What about color? What's hot there, what looks good, what to avoid, what's coming? 

Next time.... next time I'll give you my take on color today!

Don't forget to sparkle!!!!

Nothin' like gettin' out of the gate. The sketches, the photos, the swatches..... Oh my, it's gonna be FUN this year!!!!! This will be the 14th year I've had the privilege of designing the finishing touches for contestants at the Miss USA pageant, and it's our biggest ever - it looks like we'll have our signature on about HALF of the beautiful ladies up there! Wow. I'm tired already :-)

I'm planning lots of new pieces, with a little bit of everything. Styles are definitely everything-goes and whatever-you-love.... what a GREAT time to be in fashion. Or to wear it! Hoops are still hot, drops are always perfect, and chandeliers have turned the fashion corner form "trend" to "classic". Isn't it fabulous to be in a world where bling is always in, and minimalism can take a hike?

Of course, I can't divulge any specifics on this year's gowns, but I CAN tell you that this year there's a wider spectrum than ever! And I love it. Illusion gowns stoned from stem to stern, goddess gowns that flat and drape to make Aphrodite herself proud...... Innovative, architectural designs, and simple, classic, oh-so-female shapes. Color? You name it. I'm seeing colors I don't remember on the USA stage, and it's going to be an incredible rainbow. Note to The Donald: We want an EVENING GOWN poster!! Yeah, you may not get the male vote you do on that swimsuit poster, but wow..... this year it would be glorious!!!!! 

Back to the bench now! I've colors to play with!!!!!

Of course, they've done it again, and they done REAL good on this one. 

The master crystal makers announced two incredible new colors this week - 

Crystal Red Magma and Air Blue Opal, plus a gorgeous new Crystal Pearl shade - PLATINUM.

Crystal Red Magma is a a crystal effect, meaning it is a coloration applied over clear crystal.  The name is perfect: Crystal Red Magma is the vibrant, hot color of molten lava. Shipping to us in early  March, we will have this new color available right away for many of our lines, from *trifles to COUTURE. 

Air Blue Opal is a new addition to the opal collection of soft, rich, shimmery colors that go as well with jeans as cocktail. We're looking to mix it with all the blue shades from Aqua to Dark Indigo for yummy custom palettes.

To check out all the incredible Swarovski shades, click on our  COLOR CHART  link!

We're on Facebook - and so are the new designs we created for the 2009 Miss America Pageant! We were fortunate to be able to work with seven fabulous young ladies this year, and they each looked more beautiful than the next. It was a blast creating individual new pieces for each of them. 

 Come on over to our new Facebook page and check out the new pieces - 

The Stefanie Somers Collection on Facebook

As I'm typing this, it is still Christmas, 2008 - about 3 hours to go until this year's holiday becomes "last Christmas". It's just under the wire for getting this new project off the ground by the end of the year, but it looks like I might make it.

2008 has been a tumultuous year for all of us, by any standards. Many of us were slapped by a hurricane, all of us have been rocked by Wall Street. It even snowed a week or so ago here in Houston... Then today - Christmas - it was a beautiful 70 degrees. For me personally, it's been the first year since my mom passed away last October. Definitely a most unusual year; much of it, unfortunately, not "the best of times".

Lots of good changes on the horizon - our brand new e-commerce site went live this month, and we have a new line shipping in January. Swarovski will have new & exciting toys for us to play with in February, and I can't wait to see what they come up with.

Our website will soon be undergoing a major overhaul, and it's long overdue! With the addition of the e-commerce site, and now our new blog, we have more ways than ever to keep our clients and friends updated on what's happening. We're looking forward to a full and exciting 2009!

As usual, we're winding this year down by preparing new designs for the wonderful young ladies working with us for the Miss America Pageant next month. We have some very cool new pieces debuting, and I'll be showing them off here first.  Details to come, but I gotta beat the clock to midnight here, so I'll be quick...

To all of you, our friends, & our wonderful clients, both new and "veteran" - I thank you for choosing us. To the fabulous state directors we work with in the Miss USA and Miss America systems - thank you for letting us be part of your team. To our friends in the media, heartfelt gratitude for supporting us in our endeavors. To the incredible young woman we will be working with in the coming year... the best is yet to come! To everyone, my wishes for a happy and healthy New Year, and hopefully some smoother sailing ahead for all of us.

See y'all next year!

I miss you, mom.

~s