It's cool to spend lots of money on fancy electronic gadgets but it's totally not cool to spend several minutes fishing around for a remote control to (gasp) actually have to get up off the couch in order to turn them on manually. Of course The Clapper could do the trick but who needs such a startling way to adjust the mood when you could have this gold (that's one of the last places you thought you'd see bling, isn't it?) electricity switch by Tobias Wong. Put it wherever you want (it works wirelessly) and you'll be having lights, music, and whatever else whenever and where ever you want -- no fumbling required. $150

As it turns out, Saudi Arabia may have not one of the world's most lucrative resources (duh, oil) but two. Recent prospectors have set their sights on Saudi Arabian sands to dig for gold in addition to other precious metals. The first commercial prospector allowed to set up mines in Saudi Arabia is Ma'aden, which has already invested $5.5 billion in equipment and development costs. When it comes to digging for financial rewards, who knew sand could be so fertile?

[via Fortune]

Magniflex has had a 22k gold-thread mattress set in its inventory of luxury sleep offerings for people for awhile now (about 2 years) but it's hardly been their best seller so it seems they're trying out a different market: dogs.

While the original mattress (for humans) costs between $24,000 - $30,000 depending on the size, the doggie-version will be significantly less expensive at only $1,000 - $3,000. Gold Pet Mattresses, which will soon be available in a variety of shapes and sizes, were inspired when a customer requested one for her Maltese.

I have a Maltese, but she does NOT have a Gold Pet Mattress. And that's okay with me.


Via Book of Joe

Last week marked the annual JA NY Summer Jewelry Show in New York and the news for most jewelers isn't good. While the upper end of the market (pieces over $20,000 continues to stay afloat) the middle o the market has eroded. Like we have seen with handbags, clothing and other luxury goods, the sharp spending decrease by the "aspirational" customer who generally spends $1,000 to $10,000, is having a huge impact on the market.

This particularly effects some of the big branded designer jewelry. An article in WWD notes that retailers have reported that customers are back to being concerned about what the piece is made of (which stones and metals) rather than being focused on a brand name. Many are seeking what they believe is a safe investment such as gold or diamonds.

Some brands are increasing their upscale lines as a way of staying afloat. One brand, Faraone Mennella whose gold earrings shown at right sell for $1,420 at Neiman Marcus, is now aiming higher with items like a $110,000 diamond cuff to be featured in Saks Fifth Avenue's holiday catalog. Other jewelers are taking the opposite approach such as Daniel K., which has until now sold exclusively diamonds and platinum but recently launched their lower priced Prêt-á-Porter line that features pavé diamonds and other gemstones set in gold (see our gallery of their pieces below).

One of the biggest trends in the last few years, the self purchase of jewelry by women, seems also to be shifting. The WWD article quotes Katey Brunini, founder of K. Brunini who says that the self-purchase has pretty much dropped out and many of her sales are now gifts. The gifts may be what continues to keep the market afloat in the U.S. because although the market is changing there will always be gift occasions that call for jewelry.

Sparkly and golden, this handbag is sure to make you feel like a rockstar as you make your entrance at whatever event you take it to. It's the Metallic Bracelet Bag from Roberto Cavalli and it's really a two-for-one handbag and bracelet. It features gold metallic leather with a gold bangle bracelet that can either dangle off the bag or dangle on your wrist. It has a clasp closure on the top and a shiny leopard print lining. This is the kind of bag that will make you feel beautiful no matter what kind of day you're having! $1,165

The blog Jewelry Insider hit upon a great item that combines jewels and chocolate -- perfection! A Swiss chocolate company, Cocoa Gourmet, has created what its calls its "Royal Collection," which features 12 chocolates made with safe-to-eat gold or silver, or sprinkled with diamonds. Priced at $1,250, the collection has four 22-carat gold chocolates, four pure silver chocolates and four sweet diamond pieces. There's also a $520 Gemstone Collection. Lovely, and an unusual gift idea, but I'm not convinced that ingesting metal is such a hot idea, though I guess if you have dental work you're ingesting it all the time ... Order here, if you're braver than I. Free worldwide shipping!

The designs from EV Jewelry's Masterpiece collection are meant to have a look that harkens back to ancient cultures and a time when jewelry had both aesthetic and spiritual meanings. EV Jewelry was founded in 2006 by master craftsmen Elias Vayas and Dimitri Mitsukos and each museum quality piece is designed, cast and set by hand. The Masterpiece collection features a variety of distinctive pieces, shown here on model Yamila Riaz. The ring is the Fteros which is an 18K yellow gold ring with webbed brown enameling and a large 35 carat citrine. This piece sells for $12,000.

On her wrist is the Cleopatra bracelet. The bracelet was inspired by scrolls dating back to the era of queen Cleopatra's reign. The gold surface is hand chiseled and the piece features a diamond-covered connecting lock which is set on either end with rubies.It sells for $65,000.

Simply good sounds more like a slogan for a food company but it's the motto of Hellmuth jewelry. Founded by Gert Hellmuth in 1983 and based in Pforzheim, Germany, the company makes a wide variety of pieces including bridal jewelry and large statement pieces. Celebrities who've worn Hellmuth include Aisha Tyler, Ali Larter and Britney Spear who wore a Hellmuth ring during her performance at the VMAs last year. Many of the Hellmuth designs incorporate crocodile or snake patterns but in a very abstract way that gives the pieces a luxe feel.

Walking through the room at the JCK Luxury show in Las Vegas was a dizzying experience, diamonds and gemstones glittering behind glass in every direction. In a situation like that beauty can become a blur but the designs of Henry Dunay immediately caught my eye. Henry Dunay has had a long career in the jewelry business. He started as an apprentice at the age of 14 in New York and has spent over 50 years in the jewelry business, launching Henry Dunay Designs back in 1965. Since then he was won dozens of awards for his designs (including being named the world's best jewelry designer by the Robb Report in 2000 and 2001) and his pieces have appeared in countless magazine spreads. Last year marked the publication of his coffee table book, "Henry Dunay A Precious Life."

Dunay creates both one-of-a-kind pieces as well as collection of earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings which are sold at stores including Bergdorf Goodman. The gallery below is just a small sample of his designs which have a organic sculptural quality that makes them distinctive. Dunay also uses a finish on his gold called the Sabi finish which which is a hand-textured soft finish that he sometimes combines with a high-gloss finish for contrast. The designs are highly collectible and often fetch high prices at auctions and estate sales. The gallery below shows just a sample of this talented man's work.

Jewelry designer Emily Amey takes her inspiration from nature's small wonders. A sprig of seaweed becomes a delicate necklace, the tendril of a vine coils to form a slim bangle, the tentacles of a squid are reimagined as dramatic hoop earrings under her keen eye. She designs in both gold and silver, using found beachglass in ethereal shades of blue-green as adornment. One of her biggest inspirations from the aquatic world is the lace-like seafan, whose image is shown in the three pieces above.

If you've stopped buying the bling, you are far from alone. The World Gold Council reports that gold jewelry demand decreased 21 percent in the first quarter of 2008 compared to the same period in 2007. This was the lowest quarterly level since 1993. The rise in gold prices as wells as the economy were key factors. The demand for gold jewelry in the U.S. decreased as did the demand in Italy, the U.K., India, Japan and many key countries in the Middle East including Saudi Arabia. Where is the demand up? China's gold demand increased 15 percent, Russia also experienced a healthy increase as did Egypt. It is expected that the second quarter of 2008 will also likely be fairly grim for gold demand.

On Friday, Women's Wear Daily released a sneak peek of Chanel fall 2008 beauty color collection and I have to wonder if the recent spike in gold prices were an inspiration to Peter Phillips, the new creative director of makeup. The collection will come out in July and will be followed in October by Philips' holiday collection. Phillips tells WWD that he choose gold because of the warm metallic colors used in Coco Chanel's apartment on Rue Cambon.

The collection includes Gold Fiction, the nail polish for $30; Facettes D'Or, a loose powder with a golden glow for $56; Gold Light Glossimer lip gloss, $26; Rouge Hydrabase lipstick shades in copper, plum and coral for $27 each, and a quad eye shadow palette with gold, coffee, ivory and dark green eye colors for $56. In a time of economic turmoil will women want to to wear gold on their fingers and toes? Chanel is hoping the new gold nail polish is the next Vamp or Black Satin but it seems an awfully opulent color for an uncertain time.

We've seen jewelry lines that feature Hello Kitty and Tweety, now the childhood icon Barbie is getting in on the act with Barbie Rocks, a new collection by Layna and Alan Friedman. The new collection, which launches this month features pink diamonds, precious and semi-precious colored stones and rare metals. Both Mattel and Layna and Alan Friedman will donate a portion of the proceeds from each item in the Barbie™ Rocks by Layna and Alan Friedman collection to the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation.

The first collection is the Silhouette collection that shows the classic ponytail, long eyelashes and ski-jump nose profile. It features two necklace styles: the "Luxe" Barbie™ Pendant and Barbie™ DogTag, in 18K white, yellow or rose gold, with white or black diamonds or yellow or pink sapphires; and the "Classic," which is done in sterling silver. The Barbie bracelets are available in sterling silver with 18K rose gold charms. The jewelry collection is currently bing sold at the Alan Friedman boutique in Beverly Hills and online with pieces ranging from $185 to $15,000.

This idea is tremendous, jewelry designer Joan Horning has created a jewelry line where 100% of the profits on each piece go to the purchaser's charity of choice. The Joan B. Hornig Foundation provides support for registered charitable organizations throughout the world. Purchasers are able to direct the donation to a charity of their choice, in their honor. Sales have generated contributions to over 200 different organizations around the world. The designs include gold and silver earrings, bracelets and necklaces. You can also tell the world how you feel with the black lucite bracelet shown above which sells for $245.

Daphna Simon, an Israeli-based designer and artist, is making her American debut sharing her love of nature with her new collection, 'Untamed Jewels', at West Hollywood's Roseark. Her gorgeous 18K gold interpretations of both animals and the natural environment are stunning. The three-dimensional jewelry is meant to interact with the wearer, completing its representation of the grizzly bear, leopard or other chosen character. Whether you are looking for earrings, bangles, necklaces or rings, Daphna's distinctive style is bound to speak to you.