Seems impossible to avoid the Oscar drama, it’s everywhere! Over my morning coffee, I scanned the usual yearly projections of winners and long shots in the New York Times.

Back at my laptop, I saw a blog post entitled “How David Rockwell’s Oscar Set Makes Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin Funnier” by Alissa Walker, that discusses the role of the set and focuses on the Swarovski curtain, appropriately named Crystal.  ” . . . the star of the show is still the 100,000-Swarovski crystal curtain, but 16 additional inches of topaz crystals were added to add a level of smokiness that matched this year’s color scheme.”

Then I read the SheFinds blog,”Oscar Nominees, Take Note: Our No-Fail Guide To Black Tie Dresses” that reviewed some of the past mistaken choices, contrasting them with the hit choices.  Seemed to me that few of the stars wearing the dresses wore much jewelry.

So with all this in mind, I entertained the fantasy of each of the stars wearing Swarovski jewelry — mine of course! — in what would become a blinding television extravaganza.

Earrings seemed to be the thing during the award season Oscar run-ups, so my fantasy features the long-shot, long-necked Emily Blunt, perhaps wearing my Peacock Earrings, woven with vintage Swarovski Atlas stones, contemporary CRYSTALLIZED — Swarovski Elements beads and gold-plated seed beads.

I can easily picture the always-tasteful and regal Helen Mirren in my elegant Queen’s Collar, trimmed with vintage Swarovski beads.

And if filling a neckline is out this year, a large, sparkly bracelet, such as my Double-Sided Cuff, replete with CRYSTALLIZED – Swarovski Elements, would not be amiss, gleaming on the wrist of Sandra Bullock, touted as winner in the best actress category, as she accepts the Oscar.

Not Harry Winston diamonds, but I think these Swarovski pieces are a lot more captivating — don’t you?

This morning over coffee I lingered over the Fashion page in the New York Times, “The Big New Idea Is Modesty” by Cathy Horyn.  I don’t know about “modesty” – the root that word is “mode”  and I was taken by the gorgeous Marchesa dress, a “column of bugle beads” and especially the Anna Sui “wool shift with an embroidered bib neckline”.  Those trends right up my bead alley!

I researched Anna Sui and learned that her collection was inspired by the American Arts and Crafts Movement!  Wow!  I’m all for that.  The accessories shown with her collection were large and chunky, “amazing handcrafted necklaces and brooches incorporating actual tiles from Detroit’s Pewabic Pottery, founded in 1903” (http://www.stylelist.com/2010/02/17/anna-sui-fall-2010-fashion-week-runway-review/).

I fixated on the bib neckline of the wool shift pictured in the Times and thought that the bib piece ought to be separate, so it might be worn again.  I make several bib necklaces and woven collars, any of which might compliment a simple dress and be right in style with the upcoming fall trends.

Which bib necklace would you choose to embellish your simple wool dresses?

After a salad lunch with a jewelry colleague last week on W. 57th Street, I suggested we have “dessert” at Bergdorf Goodman – specifically a leisurely tour through the jewelry department. We were amazed and delighted at what we saw: Statement Necklaces! Bold bracelets and earrings! Huge Chains! Chunky textures! Layers! Triple Strands! Bibs and Collars! Lots of large beads, stones and Swarovski crystals, some prong set, some sewn on and appliquéd with seed beads.

Since both of us are designers of hand woven jewelry, we were interested to see that many jewelers represented in this department are using ribbon ties in place of the usual findings as closures for their necklaces – nothing new actually, but now the silk ribbons were holding up large weighty necklaces and so added an airy femininity to the pieces!

Most of my work is also large and bold, incorporating large, rough-cut stones and natural beads, such as the 19” Ebony and Chalcedony necklace with a modern sterling silver clasp, chunks of chalcedony and ebony beads, three of them with woven “jackets” of chalcedony lozenges. Such a blend of materials and textures works well with any of the new fashion trends in the upcoming season.

My particular passion is for vintage beads and Swarovski crystals, such as the Diorissimo necklace, a bold bib style necklace of vintage Swarovski cabochons that would fill the plunging neckline of any little black dress. Can you see it? 

This Diorissimo necklace is made from cabochons ordered by Dior from Swarovski either before or after World War II — vintage in either case.  I bezeled the stones and created a chain with 14k gold-plated beads.  Very dramatic.

Will you make a bold fashion jewelry statement this fall?