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We all know that vodka can make a pretty mean cocktail, but does it have other uses?  Yes, indeed.  My knowledeable college daughter has informed me that you can use vodka to disinfect and clean all sorts of items, including your jewelry.

The process is simple.  Just pour enough vodka into a small bowl so that the piece will be completely covered when you place it into the solution.   Let the jewelry sit for 30-45 seconds.  Use a small, soft bristled brush to remove any dirt or build up of oils, and then rinse under warm water to remove the vodka.  Finally, polish the piece of jewelry with a soft cloth such as a piece of a cotton T shirt.  That's all there is to it.

If the jewelry has rhinestones in it, don't immerse it in the solution.  Instead, dip a Q tip into the vodka and use it to gently clean the rhinestones and back of the piece of jewelry.

The left over vodka doesn't need to go to waste.  You can clean many other things in the same solution - disinfect your razor, clean your eye glasses, even remove lipstick from clothing.  When that is done, throw the left over vodka into the laundry to freshen up the load. 

But the number one use?  To make a screwdriver, of course.  (I don't think I'd use the left over for this...make one first!)

The Oscars are over for another year.  Readers of my blog know that I like to see a red carpet event where the jewelry has at least some prominence.  Most of them seem to focus on the gowns, with very little jewelry, other than diamond earrings and big bracelets, used for accessories.

Last night's ceremony was no exception. If anything, the dresses seemed even less adorned than usual.  Some notable exceptions were Jessica Simpson, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson, who all had dazzling brooches which accented their gowns in interesting ways - perhaps some of Michelle Obama's influence?

Juliette Binoche also showed up in strands of pearls, in a sort of flapper look and Helen Mirren had a lovely diamond necklace and earring set.  The earrings of the night award, in my opinion, went to Carey Mulligan for her almost shoulder touching design. 

Here are my favorite highlights:

Photo credit:  Getty Images

Haute Couture jewelers in Paris recently unveiled a collection of 20 fabulous necklaces, inspired by the performances of the Dance Troupe - The Cirque du Soleil.  All 20 pieces were purchased by Guy Laliberté, founder of the troupe, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the group.

Anyone who has seen a performance by the Cirque du Soleil, knows how flamboyant it can be.  It is easy to see why the necklaces would have been inspired by the group.

The collection will also be on display at the Montreal Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art in an exhibit called Inspiria. It will be on Display from April 1, to August 29, 2010.  Here are a few photos to show how fabulous the collection is.

Photo credit:  The Luxe Chronicles

Michelle Obama's fondness for vintage jewelry brooches is well documented.  She has many of them, and often wears them in unique and unusual ways.  Her latest brooch is a real dazzler!

Mrs. Obama recently spoke to a crowd of several hundred at the annual meeting of the School Nutrition Association in Washington, D.C, as part of her current campaign on childhood obesity.

She wore a hot pink dress with folded detail at the neckline.  Accessorizing the dress perfectly was this lovely Schreiner brooch, purchased at Ikram's in Chicago.  I like the way she accented the pleating of the dress with the careful placement of the brooch.

Schreiner is one of the most collectible of all vintage jewelry designers from the mid 1900s.  The design are appreciated for their unusual combination of color and the use of quality stones.  One trademark of Schreiner is the use of reverse settings of rhinestones with the point of the rhinestone facing up instead of towards the back of the brooch.

What do you think of her latest brooch?

Photo Credit:  Getty Images

One has only to open a newspaper, or watch the news on TV to know that the economy is first and foremost on the minds of the population today.  Retailers are reporting downturns in sales and unemployment hovers around 10%.   I found it interesting to discover that the Miami University Art Museum has a series of exhibits for spring 2010 which focuses on luxury, consumption and excess in our society.

The museum has three exhibits running - all showcasing the same topic, but the one of most interest to me is called  Adornment and Excess:  Jewelry in the 21st Century which opened on January 21 and will run until July 10, 2010.

Jewelry is a natural baromet of what is valued by our society at certain times.    The contemporary jewelry featured in this exhibit challenges and delights the viewers and gives them much to contemplate about excess.  It offers a visual framework for considering questions of sustainability, responsibility, material recycling, ethical consumption, decadence and, of course, the jewelry itself.

Artists featured in the exhibit are many and include Opulent Project, Francesca Vitali, Boris Bally and Kathy Buzzlewicz.  The necklace shown here, by Kathy Buszkiewicz, is called Duchess and is a good example of big festoon necklaces that are all the rage right now. 


Photo courtesy of Miami University of Art Museum.

If you will happen to be in the Netherlands next month, then the European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht will be a real treat for you.  This fair is one of the leading art and antiques fairs in Europe.

Givoanni Corvaja will be presenting a range of jewelry which was inspired by the Greek tale of Jason and the Golden Fleece.

There will be four pieces exhibited - a fur cuff, a ring of gold fleece, a circular brooch, and a furry egg-shaped pendant.  These pieces, as well as a fabulous head piece, make up Mr. Corvaja’s “Golden Fleece Collection.”

Corvaja is well known for his intricate and fine gold jewelry styles such as the bracelet shown here, which is made up with very fine 18K gold wires.

Visitors to the European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht will be able to see this exhibit and many others between March 12th and 21st 2010.

JCK Online hosts the Jeweler's Choice Contest every year and the voting recently ended for this year's contest.  The votes are being tallied and the finalists will be announced soon.

The contest is the first industry design competition to harness the Internet and allow retailers to vote for their favorite designs.  There were 18 different categories to cover all types of jewelry and also four different price points - from under $2500 to over $10,000.

There were my favorite entries in the ring, necklace and bracelet categories.  You can view all the jewelry entries on this page of the JCK site.

Historian and Art Director, Hayden Peters, recently spoke with Collector's weekly and discussed hair jewelry and spoke about how mourning jewelry differs from sentimental jewelry.

Hayden is based in Australia and has a website called The Art of Mourning where he discusses mourning, memorial and sentimental jewellery, funeralia and art.

In the interview, Mr Peters talks about his personal collection of mourning jewelry and discusses the elements of hair jewelry, mourning jewelry, and other types of sentimental jewelry, as well as cultural influences which are reflected in both types.  The interview is very comprehensive and gives a lot of information about this area of collecting.

Collectors or mourning jewelry look for Victorian pieces which originated in the UK, so I found it interesting when Hayden talked about how prevalent mourning jewelry is in antique stores in countries like Czechoslovakia.

For more information about hair jewelry you can read the whole interview with Hayden Peters at Collector's weekly.

Photo courtesy http://artofmourning.com

My favorite UK auction house has another jewelry auction coming up soon.  This one is an auction of costume and silver jewelry as well as some novelties.  The auction, by Fellows and Sons, will take place in Birmingham, England on Monday 1st March 2010.

This auction catalogue features some wonderful designs and I didn't have to look far to find some of my favorites:  a lovely amethyst rhinestone and pearl brooch, a wonderful green brooch which is part of a mini collection and my best choice:  a circular Victorian hair jewelry memorial pendant.

If you won't be in the UK, you can register to bid online, or just grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the auction catalogue.