Astley Clarke for Best Luxury Brand Online

Like my previous post, this one also features on more splurge-worthy jewelry. Astley Clarke is a British luxury brand that centers around beautiful jewelry. Even from looking on the site for no more than ten seconds I was already enamored with many of the pieces. Astley Clarke has long-term investment, fine jewelry created by over 40 of the world’s leading designers. While their pieces are eye-catching, you won’t be finding any cheap costume jewelry on this site. They use only the most exquisite gemstones and precious metals. What’s also great is that they have a speedy delivery service, even if you are outside of the UK! Their jewelry is organized into three categories: contemporary jewelry, designer jewelry, and fine jewelry. Astley Clarke’s contemporary jewelry section is filled with stunning pieces that are stylish and trendy, yet still made beautifully. The designer jewelry section has pieces from designers from all over the world. And finally the fine jewelry section has the most luxurious pieces. All in all every single piece of jewelry on Astley Clarke.com are worthy of drooling over.

So it’s no wonder that Astley Clarke.com won the Walpole award for “Best Luxury Brand Online”. The Walpole awards took place on November 16, 2009 in London, which honors brands that have excelled in seven different categories including luxury, design, online, international, overseas and emerging talent. This year the awards were judged by Nathalie Massenet of Net-a-Porter, Brent Hoberman of MyDeco.com, Guy Salter of Walpole, Erik Wachtmeister of A Small World, Martin Bartle of 270 Degrees and Peter Fitzgerald of Google. Definitely a worthy panel of judges that all decided Astley Clarke.com fit the “Best Luxury Brand Online” category best, even with other admirable contestants like Mulberry and Louis Vuitton in the running.

Astley Clarke.com recently re-launched their website to better fit their company’s mission which is “to make Fine Designer Jewellery a more creative and imaginative category for a new generation of luxury consumer.” From looking through their jewellery pieces it’s not hard to see why they are worthy of recognition.

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Fine Jewelry Splurge

While we're all for fashion jewelry, especially with this sort of economy, jewelry can also be one of those items that you splurge on and keep with you forever. Personally I only have one or two pieces that are like this, but it was well worth the investment. My favorite is a simple, gold necklace with a small, dangling charm. It’s perfect for when I need an understated piece of jewelry to go with my outfit.

If you are like me and tend to stick to more cheap, fashion jewelry because it has more fun, unique pieces, it can be a little harder to find a piece you would like to splurge on. But not to worry, it just takes some more time to find stores like these. One fine jewelry store site I came across is Compton & Woodhouse. They do feature many classic jewelry pieces (ie: studs, charm bracelets, etc) but they also carry a very good selection of pieces that jump out. Their fine jewellery section has a lot of options to browse through. The prices are also pretty reasonable. There are not any pieces I looked at where I literally gasped just from the price (which happens quite often these days, trust me). The prices are shown in euros, but there is a currency conveter on every page for easiness. If you are looking for pretty, long-lasting items of jewelry for a good price, definitely check out Compton & Woodhouse.

I spent a good amount of time looking through the site since there are so many options! Plus, everything kept grabbing my eye. But here are a few of my favorite jewelry pieces. (Prices are approximates).

Celtic Love Diamond Bracelet, $200

A perfect everyday gold bracelet, yet the intricate design keeps it from looking just like any other bracelet.

Protective Garnet Earrings, $177
Scarlett Fire Earrings, $162

While I usually wouldn't give a second glance to these stones, the gold lining embracing them just made them extra special. And the perfect girly earrings, the Scarlett Fire earrings are a great pop of color.

Rose Cameo Ring, $340
Shiva Necklace, $126

Vintage looking rings have been all the rage recently, but unlike the others, this piece is sure to last you a lifetime. And while the Shiva necklace isn't a typical jewelry item you'd see in most fine jewelry stores, it's definitely something you won't see on anyone else.

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6 Fab Finds from Forever 21

No one can ignore that our economy is still down and many of us are still faced with empty wallets. Yet we don't want to give up shopping! This has inspired a new post idea we will be doing once or twice a month. We will be bringing you fabulous new arrivals at your favorite budget friendly stores! And of course we had to start off with the trendy, inexpensive store renowned for this: Forever 21.

1) Hello Kitty Jewel Bow Tee, $15.80
A girly graphic tee, perfect for layering under a tough, leather jacket.

2) Fur Collar Coat, $42.80
Look totally glam in a double breasted coat in a bright color with a faux fur collar.

3) Rhinestone Studded Clutch, $9.80
A faux leather clutch that's perfect for a night out.

4) Antique Chains Bracelet, $4.80
Be unique and mix two metals in this chunky chain bracelet.

5) Belted Sweater Top, $11.50
A simple, but flattering top that looks great on everyone and comes in a variety of fun colors.

6) Sequin Knit Mini, $22.80
Be sparkly and comfy in this trendy, body conscious skirt.

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