Jewelry news makers we haven't heard much from lately are making big headlines this week.
First, The King of Bling - Jacob The Jeweler - is out of prison - working his way back from his reduced sentence at a Halfway-house. And Chris Aire, aka: The Ice Man, cometh to a runway in Beverly Hills to launch his new jewelry line, The Hollywood Collection.
A motley crue of Hollywood stars came out to support the bling-meister yesterday at the Beverly Hills Hotel, including Adrian Brody, Jermaine Jackson, a few of Diana Ross's offspring and the event's host, Cedric The Entertainer.
But the main event was the carat count on the catwalk as stunning bib necklaces, icy dog tags and bold statement earrings brought Aire's "Hollywood Collection" to life.
So what makes this line stand apart? All of the product is sourced from Aire's homeland, Nigeria. "The purpose of my partnership with the Nigeria Ministry of Mines and Steel is to bring attention to the vast and largely untapped gold and gemstone resources in Nigeria, which I hope will stimulate investments and create jobs to provide additional revenue sources for the country," Aire said in a media release. "All of the materials in my collection were mined adhering to the highest standard of world labor laws."
The pieces are crafted in white, yellow and red gold and feature a rainbow of gemstone colors - from emeralds and sapphires to amethysts and tourmaline. Prices range from $500 to as high as $45,000.
While there are signs of Aire's blingy hip hop past (he is credited as the first to capitalize on the urban jewelry market), diamond dog tags are for the most part replaced by red carpet-ready statement necklaces and icy cuffs in this latest offering.
Does this mean the urban landscape of million-dollar grills, huge icy pendants and walnut-sized diamond studs has faded into jewelry history? Or will the bling be back as soon as Lil' Wayne gets out of the big house? Thoughts?
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