I got an email the other day from the the director of Jewelers for Children. He told me that we had raised over $16,000 in donations for their organization from our watch battery donation project. Since 2004, we have not charged for watch batteries. In leau of payment, we ask for a donation for Jewelers for Children.

Since 1999, they have distributed more than $40 million to charities that benefit children. In that time, they helped grant 1,300 wishes through the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, assisted 5,500 children in foster care through the CASA Association, and helped more than 150,000 women in Africa deliver HIV-free babies through the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. More than 1,000 children have received care at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital because of their efforts.

This offer has been well recieved by our customers who like to know that their donations go to such great causes! On behalf of Krombholz Jewelers, I would like to thank our generous customers!

Blogger, Shannan Boyer was kind enough to spend some time with us and answer our normal battery of questions.

She also came into the store and choose jewelry for a feature case that is on display for the month of May.

Click here for the full interview!

This past weekend we had fashion stylist and blogger, Ashlee Mello, amellostyle.com come to our store and style a feature case for our sales floor. Ashlee is a part of our fashion advisory board that we started the beginning of this year. The jewelry she picked for her feature case ranged from Victorian to modern. Many her selection were from our vintage jewelry collection. She was excited to include some of our house "JLYD" jewels paired with some of their antique counterparts.

As a part of our visit we asked Ashlee some questions about her perspective on fashion and what she is seeing in Cincinnati. Here is her interview:

What current fine jewelry fashions do you like? I really love he growing variety of rose gold options now available. It's the perfect metal to partner with all colors in your wardrobe. Plus, it's the perfect color for wearing more than one shade of the precious metal if you want to mix and match.

Are you seeing this fashion on the street of Cincinnati? Definitely! Especially with the Spring color palates of neutrals, blushes and pastels in most women's wardrobes-it's the perfect way to add a touch of femininity.

What clothing styles and accessories go with this fashion? Anything really. I personally love how the soft rose color can dainty up a strong piece of jewelry like a cuff or bold chain bracelet. The color is just so feminine and airy. Try pairing a necklace with a mint green dress or bracelets with a baby blue blouse. The color combination is so dreamy.

What is currently your favorite color(s)? I'm very much crushing on Pantone's Cab~ret (Pantone 18-2140) from their Spring color report. Since the color of the year is Tangerine Tango (Pantone 17-1463), I've been probably having too much fun partnering the two together for an electric pink and orange color combination that screams summer! And of course, adding rose gold accessories-especially my stackable rings!

What are your favorite sources for fashions (i.e magazines/ blogs/ websites)? I'm fairly addicted to Women's Wear Daily-I read the newspaper on a regular basis at work and am constantly perusing their website. (I've even got the digital content app for my iPad.) Style.com is a HUGE go to for me, especially in my career life. I am on that website daily. I also love seeing what my fellow Cincinnati style bloggers have to say about trends and their personal spins on them. Two of my favorites are Tamia of www.thestylesample.com and Marsha + Brock of www.cincystyleedit.com. All of these ladies are beyond!

Do you have a favorite jewelry designer? This last year I've actually been on the hunt for fresh designers. One of my friends introduced me to October Anniversary. I love the eccentricity of their earlier collections. I'm also a sucker for timeless masters like Cartier.

Who is your current favorite fashion icon and what influence are they having on you? Such a tough question-there have just been and still are so many talented figures in the industry, it's hard to choose just one. However, if I have to label anyone an icon, it would probably be Cristobal Balenciaga. His career began at the House of Dior in the same time of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel and their careers shaped the world of haute couture. Dior referred to him as "the master of us all" and after their time together, Balenciaga moved on to his own design house and gifted the fashion world many infamous proteges: Oscar de la Renta, Andre Courreges, Emanual Ungaro, and Hubert de Givenchy. The Balenciaga legacy has always been a well-tailored line full of color and their semi avant garde pieces are simply timeless.

 An Interview with bloggers Folk and Feather

I had a great chat with the fashion bloggers that go by Folk and Feather.

Co-bloggers Betsy Wecker and Becki Young have a great spirit and a wonderful following of fashionista around the country. Here are notes from our conversation.

What current fine jewelry fashions do you like? I'm always drawn to chunky jewelry, so it's nice to see cuffs, cocktail rings and big, layered necklaces continuing to trend.  I also love to see organic materials like agate, wood and leather incorporated into pieces.

Are you seeing this fashion on the street of Cincinnati? Cincinnati's fashion zeitgeist has long erred on the side of conservativeness, so you tend to see people wearing more delicate, conventional pieces.  But depending on where you are in the city, you'll definitely sense an edgier, more eclectic vibe.

What clothing styles and accessories go with this fashion?  Anything, really. It all depends on the look you're going for.  Both Becki and I are huge fans of mixing conservative, "sweet" elements with slightly tougher ones (e.g. lace with metal, leather with diamonds). Also, if you're wearing bolder jewelry, keep the rest of your look more understated. For most people, it's important to let either the accessories OR the outfit make the statement, not both.

What is currently your favorite color(s)? As far as metals go, we run the gamut from gold to rose gold to the occasional silver and pewter.  It really all depends on the piece.  For spring, pastels are super hot--we love canary yellow, peach and seafoam green.

What are your favorite sources for fashions (i.e magazines/ blogs/ websites)? The main source of inspiration for Folk & Feather came from reading other fashion blogs, most notably personal style (Fashiontoast, Cupcakes & Cashmere, the Glamourai) and street style (the Sartorialist, Garance Dore) blogs.  I also read Vogue and Nylon cover-to-cover.

Do you have a favorite jewelry designer? Neither of us are at the point in our lives where we can afford fine jewelry, but we love Givenchy and David Yurman.

Who is your current favorite fashion icon and what influence are they having on you? I don't have an icon in particular; rather, I draw my inspiration from street style--from the things everyday people are wearing.  I work downtown, and I'm often blown away by the creativity and unique character I see in the personal style of everyday Cincinnatians.

Stop by Krombholz Jewelers and check out the feature case that they styled from our jewelry! I think you will enjoy their aesthetic!!! Make sure to also check out their blog at http://folkandfeather.tumblr.com

Interview with Style Edit

·         What current fine jewelry fashions do you like? Style Edit: Jewelry has become more delicate, but still with a vintage style. Think jewelry made from lace. The red carpet jewels are featuring one statement piece rather than big jewels everywhere. Daytime jewels are still bolder and layered, but dressy jewelry is smaller and finer.

·         Are you seeing this fashion on the street of Cincinnati? Style Edit: White metal is still dominant even though yellow, rose and mixed metals are popular in other bigger markets.

·         What clothing styles and accessories go with this fashion? Style Edit: Lace is a component of a lot of the fashions. We are also seeing a lot of hair accessories like hairbands and jewelry pinned into woman’s hair.

·         What is currently your favorite color(s)? Style Edit: Metal colors we love gold and the combination of black and gold. We love bright colors including tangerine and coral.

·         What are your favorite sources for fashions (i.e magazines/ blogs/ websites)? Style Edit: we love http://www.theglamourai.com/. As far as a magazine, we like InStyle and Elle

·         Do you have a favorite jewelry designer? Style Edit: House of Harlow 1960 http://hoh1960.com/

is our favorite. This brand is created by Nicole Richie. We particularly like the geometric styles. We also like Tiffany’s and Simon G in fine jewelry.

·         Who is your current favorite fashion icon and what influence are they having on you? Style Edit: We don’t have one specific person, besides perhaps Audrey Hepburn, but the ones that have caught our attention recently are Miranda Kerr, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba, The Olsen Twins,  Rachel Bilson and Rachel Zoe.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

January 13th, 2012

Last night was the finale of the long running and highly successful television show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The show contacted Krombholz Jewelers in October to ask if we would be will to make wedding ring for a family that had a life changing experience during the tornado that hit Joplin, MO. earlier this year.

This is a picture of Natalie Gonzales-Ely who is showing off her new ring on her wedding day.

Below is her story that was published on the Extreme Makeover website.

Having both been divorced, Natalie and Scott didn't think they would remarry. But when the tornado took their home, they changed their minds. Before moving to Joplin, Natalie once saw a special about earthquakes. She learned that putting a bicycle helmet on your child's head could save his/her life. When the tornado hit, the family huddled in their bathtub, with Scott on top holding on to a mattress and Augie wearing a bicycle helmet. The roof flew off. Scott was picked up off the family and thrown back down in the bathroom. A toilet from the second bathroom flew through the air and hit Augie. The bicycle helmet he was wearing shattered to pieces but saved Augie's life.

Natalie was pelted with debris while trying to protect her son, severely hurting her back. While up in the air, Scott watched his family. It was at this moment that he realized, if they all survived, he wanted to marry Natalie and become a legal stepfather to Augie. When the wind started to calm down, Natalie realized they were in the eye of the tornado and their house was gone. Realizing they wouldn't survive the second wave, Natalie and her family rushed over to a drainage ditch to find cover. Watching Scott carrying her son with his good arm (the other suffering a compound fracture), Natalie knew Scott would be her husband. They survived the tornado, broken and without a home. Scott proposed to Natalie a few weeks later. And while on vacation, the team flies Natalie's older son, Joshua, in to so that he can give his mom away at a wedding that take place with the families new neighbors watching on.

The new home feature a giant message on the wall in the kitchen. It reads: It's the love of a family that turns a house into a home. There's a safe room that will keep them safe in the event of another emergency. Scott loves the house, but the thing he loves even more is the fact that Joplin will rebuild and the people will move on.

I just updated our web gallery with lots of images of the jewels we designed and created over the holiday.

Click this image to take a look!

Film star, Nikki Reed, wed in yellow gold

It has been a long time coming! The return of yellow gold back to bridal jewelry. Yellow gold has been the "go to" metal in fashion jewels along with its step sister, rose gold, for the last 5 years. White metals have clung to bridal with all of its might. Well, I think yellow might be beginning to break through. I have produced two yellow gold engagement rings in the last month!

Here is the article printed in JQ magazine about the Tacori designed rings.

Twilight star Nikki Reed and American Idol’s Paul McDonald recently wed in true celebrity fashion: in an intimate vineyard ceremony with the bride sparkling in Tacori diamonds from head to toe.

In addition to the yellow gold Tacori wedding bands the couple exchanged, Reed wore a platinum and yellow gold Tacori engagement ring she co-designed with the Tacori design team. The engagement ring features more than three carats of Tacori Diamonds. The bride then topped off her ensemble with Tacori diamond earrings and a bracelet.

But, that’s not all. In addition to the actual jewelry she wore, Reed also donned a one-of-a-kind “Diamond Dress” created exclusively for her by Tacori. The gown featured more than 120 carats of Tacori Diamonds and is valued at more than $1 million. The jeweled elements for the dress were handcrafted at Tacori’s design studio in California.

Elizabeth Taylor Jewelry Auction

Christie's auction house will sell the complete jewelry collection of film star, Elizabeth Taylor in New York on Dec. 13-14, 2011.

 Here is a video of some highlights for this auction

Film Star. Humanitarian. Fashion Icon. Elizabeth Taylor's legacy will be celebrated in a landmark series of events, exhibitions and auctions this Fall at Christie's. Here, see some of the highlights from her legendary collection of jewels, couture, fine and decorative art, and memorabilia.

Why buy estate jewelry?

By Brad Price, curator of the vintage jewelry collection at Krombholz Jewelers

Call it nostalgia or call it character, there is a romantic aspect of estate jewelry that makes it sought out all over the world.  Krombholz Jewelers is no different; charmed by the thoughts of all of the wonderful occasions the jewels have marked as well as the many events these pieces of jewelry have witnessed.

There are many reasons to buy estate jewelry.  One of these reasons is estate jewelry often represent a great value and offer a collector or jewelry fan the opportunity to acquire something very unique.

A majority of estate jewelry Krombholz purchases or consigns is priced below today’s market value, so the savings can be significant. Also, the craftsmanship and quality in many of the estate jewels are no longer affordable to produce and in some instances the techniques are no longer practiced or available at any price.

Krombholz being a company that specializes in custom made one of a kind jewelry; the fact that with many estate pieces you are often getting that same, special uniqueness that you can’t find in chain stores is something they understand.

We often hear people commenting that some of the jewelry in our estate case “doesn’t look old enough to be estate”.  There are a few key terms to sort out.  Estate jewelry is a polite term for any jewelry that was originally owned by someone else.  Antique jewelry, strictly speaking, is applied to jewelry that is at least 100 years old. Third term you will often hear is Vintage.  We use the term vintage to describe jewelry that posses appealing design elements of a certain time period, such as Edwardian, or art deco.

So whether it is antique, vintage or estate, these pieces of jewelry offer an amazing opportunity to possess a unique accessory at a favorable value!

Would you like the opportunity to learn more and see some incredible examples of antique, estate and vintage jewelry? Come to the Krombholz Jewelers Antique Jewelry Event on October 7^th and 8^th. For more information, call the store at 513-891-1930 or go to krombholzjewelers.com.