I spotted this cool idea over at MSN a while back. Why not display your jewelry as art instead of keeping it locked up in a small box on your dresser?

This particular version is a few manzanita branches in a simple vase and then the tree is decorated with your fine jewelry. You get an interesting display that keeps your jewelry from getting all tangled up, and it’s asy to see what you have to choose from when getting ready for you power day. And think of the possibilities when asking fro “decorations” for your tree!

Never Forget is a fabulous project to pay tribute to our fallen soldiers of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Project Never Forget is offering every family who has lost a soldier in the war one personalized 3-D photo charm. You can submit your request to Project Never Forget by going to their website and filling out the forms. Priority is given to wives and mothers of the fallen soldiers, but additional charms are available.

Friday Freebies are back and we have some great sweepstakes for you this week..

Stating out with Brooks Fine Jewelry is giving away this cool sterling silver Chameleon Cuff slide bracelet with onyx twist-on ends. Just sign up to win a chance in the drawing being held on Feb. 4.

Fancy something in blue? How about a blue diamond pendant? Apples of Gold is giving away a cool 1/2ct blue diamond circle pendant. You should go check it out before the drawing on Feb. 14th.

And finally, Generous Gems is giving away a chance to win a 2.8mm, .15ct Princess Cut Enhanced Yellow _____ . A what? Oh yeah, you need to answer the qustion for your shot at winning. You didn’t expect me to give you the answer did you?

I went out looking for some unique jewelry for our January babies. And I hit on some very cool garnet jewelry for you.

This first piece is from the Antique Jewelry Mall in their Bohemian Garnet jewelry collection. Victorian style designs in blood red garnet always makes for a striking design. There are some Gothic Crosses in there that are simply stunning too.

Morning Glory Jewelry also has some great Bohemian jewelry that I simply love.

And finally, for those of you deep of pocket, we found this collection of antique garnet jewelry over at Lang Antiques. I do love color gemstones.

Happy New Year everyone! It’s been a great year here at Bangles and Brides and we expect even more great things in the next year. And what better way to start the year than by talking about the birthstone for January, Garnet?

Garnet is traditionally thought of as red in color, but can be found in colors ranging from green to pale yellow to firey orange and earth tones. Certain garnets also have the ability to change color, much the same as Alexandrite, when going from natural light to artificial light. So don’t think that just because your birthstone is Garnet you are stuck with a red stone.

Garnet is another of the ancient gems having traditions going back as far as Noah’s Ark and being used as a lantern to guide Noah through the floods. It has come to symbolize truth, grace, faith, sincerity and loyalty. North American Indians used red garnets as bullets, believing they would seek blood and inflict a deadlier wound. Christians believed garnet symbolized Christ’s sacrifice; Islamics believed it illuminated the fourth heaven. Garnets were thought to stop bleeding, cure inflammatory diseases, and smooth discord.

The rich color of the garnet brings passion, productivity, and self-confidence to mind. Red garnet provides protection, gives the wearer’s self-esteem a boost, and provides a calming influence. Wear a garnet for protection from any threat to the body, mind, and spirit.

Who knew that such a simple stone could have so much history tied to it?

Believe it or not, I’ve had quite a few folks come to me and present me with their once white diamond that has now turned a shade of yellow. Even my wife presented me with her F color marquis diamond that had taken on a pale shade of yellow.

Don’t fret. Your diamond did not simply turn color. Each and every instance of this that I have seen have all had the exact same thing in common… well water. Yep, good old fashioned well water that has a high iron content. You know, rust stains. Take your ring to your favorite jeweler and they’ll be able to place it in some “pickling” solution and then clean your diamond to remove the discoloration.

It’s also a very good idea not to wear your ring in the shower or anyplace else it can come into contact with your tap water in order to help prevent it from happening.

Looking for that one of a kind ring? Check out Sevan Bicakci.

Sevan specializes in creating one of a kind works of art featuring unusual stone cuts and incredible detail. His art is seen as a revitalization of Byzantine and Ottoman arts in order to create jewelry that reflects the spirit of Istanbul. While the work uses precious materials in its construction, he likes to mix in lots of other types of materials. This way, the jewelry is not worn solely as a demonstration of the wearer’s ability to afford scarce commodities. It is instead a material manifestation of the artist’s vision.

Sevan was also a winner of the 2007 Tanzanite Foundation’s Celebration of Life Jewelry Design Awards. The ring on the left is his winning entry. I just love the dramatic look to his work. Too bad he doesn’t have a decent website with his work on it.

For the girl that has everything, how about a ring box the reminds her of everything leading up to her ring? Euri Inc. has developed a new ring box, the Euricase. The Euricase comes with a built-in 2 inch LCD display screen that can be loaded with 500 pictures or up to 60 minutes of your favorite videos and can be pre-set to play music when the box is opened and an elegant mood light enhances the look of the ring.

Coming in a variety of colors and metallic finishes, the system operates on a lithium rechargeable battery and files can be transfered to the Euricase from a PC via a USB cable. All for about $100 per box. For more information about the Euricase, visit Euricase.com.

A little more of a traditional elegance than a tech geek? Not to fear, Vivian Alexander has a collection of egg shaped jewelry boxes for her. Also coming in a variety of colors and styles, the Vivian Alexander eggs evoke a Fabergé Egg look without the cost. Available in a stand alone footed version, and a Christmas tree ornament style, the eggs can cost between $250.00 and $300.00 depending on the style.

I like the different color gold alloys being used these days. Especially rose gold. The artists at Dall’avo have taken that great rose gold color and combined it with a stark black ebony. The large links make for a great collection of necklaces and bracelets.

Not sure you want to pay the price for these Italian beauties, expected to be around $8,000, don’t worry, I think this is a hot look and we will be seeing it copied soon.

Blue Zircon, the stone of prosperity, is the more rare version of Zircon which can also be found in colorless, yellow, pink, red, green and more. Zircon is also said to aid in sleep and promote honor and wisdom in its owner. Zircon is also the heaviest of the gemstones. When compared with an equal carat weight of another gemstone it will appear smaller because of this.

Other gems that are acceptable for birthstones in December include Blue Topaz and Turquoise.