What to wear to Wimbledon

Soft touches: Matthew Williamson Bridal Collection

Dainty yet dazzling: Vashi.com Diamond Wedding Ring, £259

The Vashi.com team head to the Centre Court to do Wimbledon in style. We’re focusing on nude tones and minimalism, selecting our most delicate looking jewellery to shine in the audience – the trend is called BARELY THERE.

Slim bands and slender hoop earrings, with a light dusting of beautiful diamond sparkle, lend that gentle glimmer to an outfit or natural beauty look. When the sun shines, you’re perfectly shimmery, and if it rains… well, at least you still look fabulous!

Wimbledon Essentials

With Wimbledon in full force, after a good look at the VIP attendees, we felt this trend works wonderfully (Andy Murray would approve!). No matter if you’ve bagged yourself a ticket or you’re watching from home, you can still add diamond jewellery for that celebratory spirit. Cream on cream, classic pearls and a sleek diamond ‘Bow ring’ exude style and sophistication for the most fashionable sporting event of the year.

So tell us – do you dare to dazzle at the Tennis? As always, join us for a chat on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

PS. Inspired? You can shop the gorgeous Tennis diamond bracelets here!

 Classic: Vashi.com 1 carat Tennis diamond bracelet, £2159

A Summer Refresh!

It isn’t just the seasons brightening up for the team at Vashi.com HQ! In fact, our website has a whole new (and much sleeker, if we do say so ourselves) look for Spring/Summer 14!

We’ve launched the new design to make your shopping experience that bit more fabulous. Enjoy a new, interactive homepage that truly draws you in – whether you want to shop ’til you drop, read about our history and craftsmanship or browse the latest celebrity and fashion news on our blog right here, you can navigate freely through a world of diamonds.

Video content lets you discover more about the brand and Founder, Vashi Dominguez. There’s also new navigation menus and a brand new, updated World of Vashi area for you to really sink your teeth into.

Our main category pages, including our acclaimed ‘Create Your Own’ section, have been improved with striking photography and new content for you to enjoy.

We’ve fallen head over heels for the new site and can’t stop checking ourselves out. So it’s the moment of truth – what are your thoughts? Like or LOVE?

Comment below, or join us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. We’ll see you there!

METALLIC CLASH

This one is for the magpies and ‘more is more’ dressers.

Here to show you that fine jewellery doesn’t have to be subtle, Vashi.com bring you METALLIC CLASH, our most recent fashion moodboard. The metallic luxe trend has brought gold, silver and all the metals in between back into the limelight. Not just for mainstream jewels, you can go as far as styling metal-inspired pieces worn head-to-toe! Tired of your go-to white gold bracelet or feel you’ve over worn your yellow gold pendant necklace? Forget about it – it’s time to mix your metals.

Traditionalists say that if your engagement ring is crafted in platinum, your wedding band must be too. Whilst that’s an important tip to remember when choosing bridal sets, you can be far more experimental with occasional jewellery pieces.

 Tangles and Chains blog 

E Online

Breathe life into an old favourite piece, such as classic diamond stud earrings mounted in yellow gold, with an unexpected metal clash. Try a diamond Tennis bracelet in white gold to shimmer elegantly on the wrist or choose a sleek, beautiful ring in precious platinum for a contrasting shine. If you’re fashion forward enough to be rocking a metal-infused piece of clothing (be it a bright gold midi dress reminiscent of Prada AW13 or a shiny silver sequinned boxy tee by Balmain), choose your jewels accordingly. To truly embrace this trend, layer a white gold or platinum diamond pendant necklace over a soft gold thread top or seriously push the fashion boundaries in a flowing silver shift dress and multiple yellow gold bands sprinkled across your fingers.

Julesausborn blog

Next time you’re stuck in a fashion or jewellery rut or simply can’t face wearing that outfit yet again, look to the catwalk and beyond for unanticipated pairings that dazzle to mesmerising effect. By mixing different metal colours, you have a new look entirely and it’s perfectly on trend. Instead of leaving other jewellery to collect dust because it doesn’t match your engagement ring, treat the piece to an outing and enjoy the attention the novelty draws. You’ll be piling on more white gold, yellow gold and platinum designs before you know it.

Start the metallic clash debate by commenting below, or joining us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Keep sparkling!

The BLUE Edit

Nicole Miller AW09 | Coco Rocha editorial | Stella McCartney AW12 and Givenchy AW13 

Feeling blue? Then turn it into the right kind of emotion with this week’s fashion story from Vashi.com. Jeweller to the stars, Vashi Dominguez himself, delves into the deep blue sapphire collection and picks out his faves. With inspiration from the likes of Stella McCartney’s AW12 offering and AW13 at Givenchy, this high-fashion colour doesn’t have to mean sadness. In fact, the shade is associated with harmony, faithfulness and confidence – fitting for bridal jewellery then!

Stella McCartney AW12

If blue mascara or statement cobalt eye-shadow (seen back in 2009 at Nicole Miller) is not for you then it makes far more sense to adorn your fingers with the tone instead. Or ears and chests for that matter… Surely the most famous blue engagement ring of all time has to be Kate Middleton’s, formerly Diana’s. It’s not just Kate that rocks the country’s or possibly the world’s most popular colour though; stars Victoria Beckham, Penelope Cruz and Liz Hurley to name but a few have also chosen the ravishing shade for their own engagement rings.

Huffington Post – Kate Middleton’s famous Ceylon blue sapphire ring 

So what makes blue sapphires so special? And how are they valuable? The hue, saturation and tone (commonly understood as the colour) is what makes the stone so beautiful. The saturation is the vividness or brightness of the hue, the tone is the lightness or darkness of the hue. Still with us? Well, blue sapphires are valued based upon the purity of their primary hue – purple, violet and green can be found as secondary colours in blue sapphires. Surely everyone wants a jewellery piece that evokes the sea and the sky!

Time for Vashi’s top 5…

Diamond and Blue Sapphire Ring in 9k White Gold, £199

“This ring just had to be my number 1 pick as it’s priced at just £199! If that’s not affordable luxury, then I don’t know what is. I love the elegant design which sees a small precious diamond to the side of a statement dazzling blue sapphire. It’s thoroughly chic!”

Diamond and Blue Sapphire Stud Earrings in 18k White Gold, £599

“In at number 2 are these gorgeous diamond and blue sapphire stud earrings. The star-floral hybrid gives a youthful touch and makes this pair truly versatile. Not overly luxe for everyday, yet pull your hair into a sophisticated up-do and voilà, it’s glamour all round.”

 Diamond and Blue Sapphire Ring in 18k White Gold, £799

“Third up is this simply breath-taking double diamond and blue sapphire ring, creating an exuberant polka dot effect. The half eternity ring is suitable for any special occasion whether it’s to say congratulations for a lifetime achievement or simply remind someone how much you love them. Anyway reasons aren’t required – it’s hard enough to resist treating yourself to it!”

Diamond and Blue Sapphire Stud Earrings in 18k White Gold, £999

“I have chosen these diamond and blue sapphire stud earrings for number 4 as the simple oval shape and mix of glittering gems is brilliant to look at. Sure to replace any earrings already in your jewellery box, these are classic and traditional yet with a hint of old-school Hollywood Glam!”

Diamond and Blue Sapphire Pendant in 18k White Gold, £699

“Last but certainly not least, number 5 is the diamond and blue sapphire pendant, finely crafted in 18k white gold. When it’s time to get dressed up, this necklace is bound to add that extra glimmer of wonder. Alternatively, the piece looks super sleek when worn under a collared white shirt in the office – time to impress the colleagues!”

We’re waiting for you over on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. See you there and, remember, stay sparkly!

 

SILVER SHINE

0.33 Carat Diamond Drop Earrings in 9k White Gold, £639

Heavy 6mm D Shape Palladium Wedding Ring, £339

Medium 3mm D Shape Platinum Wedding Ring, £519

Get your high-tech silver fix with this week’s Vashi.com fashion story – SILVER SHINE. Although we have a penchant for the more precious platinum and white gold, silver tones are an ongoing fashion and beauty trend to die for.

Like Balmain’s AW13 offering, the metallic shade is at once luxurious and modern. High-end luxe meets a super-cool aesthetic. Whether a cold, grey palette incorporating blue or warmer, slighty rusty tones such as ‘silver pink’, the colour may be more versatile than you think. A bright metallic nail polish in silver with a futuristic sheen is a wonderfully new way to show off your diamonds with that covetable manicure. If you’ve chosen stunning diamond drop or hoop earrings in silvery shades, then why not experiment with an eye-catching silver beauty look to complement them? Keep it subtle with grey and the slightest of silver metallic shimmer over the lids if you need a day appropriate look or amp up the glam for night with bold, high-shine dewy styles.

Is silver your thing or do you prefer to go gold? Tell us on Facebook and Twitter or join us on Pinterest. Shine on!

Psst… Don’t forget to come back next week for the next gorgeous Vashi.com fashion spread!

Cannes Royalty

WHO WAS THE QUEEN OF CANNES?

Naomi Watts wears £3 million worth of jewellery to Cannes – International Business Times 

Blake Lively wears over £2 million worth of jewellery to Cannes – Hollywood Life 

Nicole Kidman wears £1.5 million worth of jewellery to Cannes – Become Gorgeous

Our very own jeweller to the stars, Vashi Dominguez, names Naomi Watts the Queen of Cannes in our Cannes 2014 retrospective run-down. Wearing a whopping £3 MILLION worth of diamond jewellery, Naomi most certainly tops the list. Seen at the How To Train Your Dragon 2 premiere, the Diana actress chose a striking necklace to offset the asymmetric neckline of her pale blue gown. The signature snake shaped necklace features hundreds of both round and marquise cut diamonds, elegantly held together by a diamond snake head. On the snake’s tail, the necklace also showcases a large 25ct pear cut diamond. Ravishing!

Second is Princess of Cannes, Blake Lively, who was a little way behind wearing in excess of £2 MILLION jewellery pieces. Gossip Girl star Blake wowed at The Captive premiere in a 180ct diamond necklace alongside complementing glamorous stud earrings – ‘Hollywood Glam’ all round!

Star of the Grace of Monaco premiere, Nicole Kidman, comes in third on the red carpet at the opening ceremony. Along with a breathtaking Armani Privé dress covered in diamonds and crystals, Nicole chose stunning diamond creations including beautiful diamond drop earrings featuring 15 marquise cut sparkling diamonds. Vashi.com estimates a carat weight of 3cts totting up Nicole’s jewellery at a grand total of £1.5 MILLION. To her wrist, a magnificent diamond encrusted bracelet evoked grace and elegance.

Adèle Exarchopoulos wears nearly £1 million worth of jewellery to Cannes – Celeb Mafia

Julianne Moore wears £500,000 worth of jewellery to Cannes – Times of India

Marion Cotillard wears in excess of £450,000 worth of jewellery to Cannes – Zimbio 

Missing out on the top 3 but certainly worth a mention are French actress Adèle Exarchopoulos who wore just short of £1 MILLION (£950,000) worth of jewellery at the Chopard Trophy ceremony, followed by Julianne Moore in £500,000 floral diamond earrings at the premiere of Maps To The Stars, and Marion Cotillard in a white gold and diamond choker in excess of £450,000 at the Two Days, One Night premiere. Simply the perfect accessories to flaunt!

Other film and small screen stars including Cate Blanchett, Audrey Tautou, Jessica Chastain and Eva Longoria wore impressively priced jewellery pieces too, with a combined value of just under half a million pounds.

Now lift your jaw off the floor and head over to Vashi.com where you’ll find affordable luxury instead… That’s more like it!

See you over on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for more dazzling diamond news.

Get the Look: May’s Red Carpet Jewels

With the excitement of Cannes Film Festival, plus the TV BAFTAs and the Billboard Music Awards, Vashi.com can’t help but get excited over red carpet jewels! Luckily it’s all too easy to recreate the dazzling looks for less. If you’ve got more dash than cash (and let’s face it, we don’t all have a celebrity budget), we help you pick out the diamond looks worthy of a red carpet appearance. Fabulous jewels aside, you may have to experiment with a new rug at home to feel the full effect!

At Cannes, Kendall was simply dripping in diamonds – huge earrings, a diamond cuff and two large sparklers on her right hand. No one was putting a ring on it so she put on two she said cheekily on Instagram! Closer to home, Laura Whitmore mixed metals with a statement full-finger ring, slimmer gold bands and a dainty diamond Tennis bracelet. Then came JLo who recreated her eye-catching revealing look from days gone by but kept things classy with sophisticated, delicate gold pieces. Time to get shopping…

Kendall Jenner, Cannes (Daily Mail)

Kendall Jenner, Cannes (Instagram)

GET THE LOOK

Square Halo Side Stone Engagement Ring Setting in Platinum (shown with Princess cut diamond), £1399

Princess Cut 0.33 Carat 18k White Gold Diamond Engagement Ring, £799

Round Cut 0.75 Carat Halo Engagement Ring with Side Stones in Platinum, £1899

Laura Whitmore, TV BAFTAs (Mirror)

GET THE LOOK

1.00 Carat Tennis Diamond Bracelet, £2159

Jennifer Lopez, Billboard Awards (Daily Mail)

GET THE LOOK

0.50 Carat 18k Yellow Gold Stud Diamond Earrings, £899

What red carpet jewellery looks are you loving right now? Share them on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Stay sparkly!

Think Pink – from the catwalk to Cannes

Jessica Hart at Cannes 2013 – Indiana Express

Freida Pinto at Cannes 2013 – Daily Mail

Kirsten Dunst at Cannes 2012 – Fashion Mate

Last week we weren’t feeling blue but grey (see here!) so it was time to up the ante with the Vashi.com PINK POWER fashion story. Think pink with your fine jewellery – brightly exuberant pink sapphires or passion-inducing deep rubies. Taking inspiration from Burberry’s SS14 collection, which was itself inspired by a ‘distressed English rose’, we turned to all things pink: pastel peaches, vibrant corals, fuchsia silks, sheer baby pink, neon pink pops, rose pink cottons, shocking pink, dusky pinks, salmon pink lace and all out garish Barbie pink.

With the jam-packed action of Cannes Film Festival kicking off from tomorrow, the timing was perfect to see which gorgeous stars had worked pink on the clashing red carpet at various Cannes events. Model Jessica Hart and actresses Kirsten Dunst and Freida Pinto all looked stunning in pink gowns. Whilst Kirsten wowed in vivid pink slim-fit silk, Jessica chose fabulous nearly-neon flowing pleats, and Freida dazzled in a coral-infused pink dress with gold accents.

Find inspiration in all shades of pink from nature to nightclubs, on the catwalk, the streets, in the garden… It’s not just about splendid gemstone jewellery, it’s about pink hair and eye-shadow too!

Pink summer – Favim

Pink hair as seen on Ginta Lapina – Pinterest 

Pink beauty – lifestylebydanijel

Rainbow pink metallic nails – Pinterest 

Paired with romantic, summery pink sapphire jewellery or seductive, extravagant ruby pieces, your hot pink look is going to shine. Whether head to toe in the light pink trench coat that took over last season or adding pretty hints of the colour with a cerise pink tote bag or bold hot magenta heels, the girliest hue is at once brave yet versatile. What’s more, it suits all skin tones: dark skin can pull off vibrant pinks, bronzed and olive tones can work stand-out shades too, whilst lightly tanned/golden skinned girls should opt for rich pinks, finally beige or fair skins can experiment with bright fruity pinks.

As for sapphires and rubies, they can’t go wrong on any skin tone so be bold and pile on multiple glorious gemstone rings or choose a delicate necklace as the feature to your ladylike look. Draw attention to your pink gem earrings with subtle blush and nude pink lips.

Do you LOVE pink? How do you wear it? And could you ever choose between pink sapphires or rubies? Tell us your pink story, demure or daring, on Facebook and Twitter!

Grey at the Met Ball

‘Shades of grey’ is the latest fashion story from Vashi.com, celebrating all that is achromatic! A look that is actually far from boring, layer up your greys for a modern take on neutrals. A colour that transcends seasons and works for the unpredictable British climate, grey looks perfectly chic worn head-to-toe. Lustrous white gold and precious platinum are the shade’s jewellery partner in crime, whilst luxurious, effervescent diamonds add neutral-coloured sparkle to the sleek hue.

We took note of the stars bringing grey to this week’s prestigious celeb-packed event, the Met Ball. Nicole Richie ditched grey hair (as seen at the Met Ball 2013) in favour of a grey dress. Velvet and sheer panels mixed with a silver sheen, with delicate yet plentiful diamond jewellery adding that all important sparkle. The star looked super on-trend yet timelessly beautiful.

An Ice Queen-inspired, silvery grey gown was chosen by Amy Adams who looked ravishing in her strapless design. The actress brought an otherworldly elegance to the evening.

Naomi Watts took us on an ombre journey with her eye-catching outfit, gently deepening from white to black via a multitude of cool-toned greys. Dramatic drop earrings added another feminine touch to the actress and producer’s wildly successful look.

Last but certainly not least, doing it for the boys was Andrew Garfield. Proving that grey is at once a masculine and feminine colour, he stood out from the rest of the male pack in a multi-tonal tux in black, white and grey. The slim-fit jacket was a quirky style statement in a sea of monochrome.

A-list proof that grey ticks all the boxes, not only on the catwalk and on the street, but from the red carpet too!

Global Grind 

Because I Am Fabulous 

Vogue

Glamour 

What’s your verdict: do you love grey as much as we do and who do you think stole the show at this year’s Met Ball? Tell us on Facebook and Twitter. Don’t forget to join us on Pinterest too – see you there!

GO GOLD

Graduated Diamond Ring in 18k Yellow Gold, £569

People – Amal Alamuddin’s engagement ring from George Clooney 

GO GOLD is the latest fashion story from Vashi.com.

We are dreaming of warm weather, golden sands and sunny beaches. Shimmering fabrics seen across the catwalk this season and glowing skin beauty trends have got us thinking golden. Vashi.com’s yellow gold rings are the ultimate wedding bands, timeless and stunning, yet they also make a stylish statement as trendy stacking rings too. Why not treat yourself and experiment with bright gold nail polish or a subtle shimmering eye shadow?

In the news, People magazine revealed lawyer Amal Alamuddin and actor turned director George Clooney’s engagement. The ring is a stunner! Also embracing our love for all things golden at the moment, the images shows the ring is a canary yellow emerald cut diamond set in a precious platinum band. However, this is only a first glance and future images may reveal otherwise! Tapered with baguette diamonds on either side, our Founder Vashi Dominguez commented to Yahoo! Celebrity that the piece proves a “very classy way to showcase such a hugely impressive rock”. The jewel has set the star back a staggering $600,000! 

Perfectly red carpet ready, the dazzling show-stopper is reminiscent of other celebrity engagement ring designs such as Kim Kardashian’s and Beyoncé’s huge centre diamonds. Indeed, the stunning ring recalls the infamous Krupp diamond worn by Elizabeth Taylor – certainly not a jewel to keep from the limelight. Icon Grace Kelly was also known for her wonderfully enormous diamond engagement ring so George has certainly turned to the greats for inspiration. The loud dazzling statement is sure to make headlines for weeks to come and will certainly cement Amal as a star in the making and trendsetter in her own right. 

Are you head over heels for the A-list gemstone or are you too busy crying that George is off the market!? Join in the celeb gossip on our Facebook and Twitter pages.