Hottest Jewelry Trends from the 2013 Emmy's

Here are some of the best jewelry and accessories from the 65th Emmy Awards, which aired Sunday September 22.

I wasn't able to watch the show but the jewelry and accessories look amazing! And as usual, emerald green is the IT color as it takes over the red carpet.

World Wide Wierd: Ke$ha's New Phallic Jewelry Line

I've written a post about the weirdest jewelry found on the internet, but that was before Ke$ha launched her collection, Ke$ha Rose.

The Penis Collection... Click Here

If you're in the market for some penis pendants, then you are in luck! She has provided us with a wide array of earrings, rings and necklaces for those who want to show some love for the body organ. Unfortunately, no signs of vajayjay jewelry at this time, but we mustn't give up hope.


In all honestly, I was rather skeptical of her as a singer and trend-setter, not to mention a jewelry designer but her stuff is not bad! The designs are a cocktail of precious gemstones, skulls, and roses, which is pretty cool. And unlike other singers / actors turned designers, the prices are not outrageously high.

Check out my favorite pieces from her new line, which is a collaboration with American designer, Charles Albert. All the items are available for purchase on www.kesharosebycharlesalbert.com.

Rose Fossil Shark Tooth, Turquoise & Obsidian Arrowhead Adjustable Ring... AED 770

Kesha Rose by Charles Albert Red Rose & Obsidian Skull Necklace... AED 1,650

Kesha Rose by Charles Albert Shimmer Skull & Mother Of Pearl Rose Pendant... AED 660

Wonderland Collection... Click Here

Kesha Rose by Charles Albert Small Blue Shimmer Rose Bracelet...  AED 660

It's your turn: Tell us what you think of the designs and the prices in the comments section below.

BlueNile.com Crushes Brick-and-Mortar Jewelers as More Consumers Head Online for Diamonds

We buy books online. Clothes, shoes, bags and even groceries. But when it comes to big-ticket items, like diamonds, most would cringe at the idea of spending that much cash in cyberspace.

There are so many reasons why you wouldn't purchase a diamond online. One of which is it can be lost or stolen en route to your doorstep. This will then lead to a strenuous dispute between you, the shipping company, the website and the bank or credit card company. Who needs that kind of hassle when you can simply cross the road to your nearest jeweler, purchase the bling you want and be done with it?

Unfortunately, that kind of out-dated thinking has no place in the year 2013, thanks to the efforts of one online diamond jewelry retailer: Blue Nile.

When Blue Nile co-founder Mark Vadon attends jewelry trade shows and conventions, no one wants to meet with him. His co-workers ask him to turn over his name-tag to avoid the nasty stares from diamond retailers and wholesalers.

And that's because what Blue Nile did to diamonds can be compared to what Amazon did to books: they changed an industry which was once thought to be immune to an online hostile takeover.

The website was launched during the dot-com boom of the late 1990's and a decade later became the second largest diamond ring retailer on the web (the first being Tiffany & Co.) In 2012, 4th quarter net sales reached $136 million, up 21% from the previous year. The consequence of their success led the industry to refer to Blue Nile as the "Evil Empire".

They made Internet history in 2007 when a customer bought a $1.7 Million, 10-carat stone with a diameter of a US penny. This proved that their brand is now associated with safety, trust and, best of all, luxury.

So, why are more and more consumers, predominantly males who are popping the question, heading to Blue Nile?

Five reasons:

1. It's cheaper: According to Vadon, engagement rings on Blue Nile are 35% less than the traditional retailers. And that's due to low over-head costs associated with being completely online. Another way they keep costs low is that Vadon gets "his dealers to compete on orders as they come in on a web-based diamond exchange created by Blue Nile."
2. It's Simple: The whole process of purchasing an item from their site takes a few minutes. It's deciding what to choose from the large array of products that takes time. If you aren't satisfied with their designs, you can build your own.
3. No Annoying Sales People: Personally, I find salespeople in traditional shops to be intrusive and over-zealous. Sometimes, when customers say they are "just looking" they really mean it. Shopping online eliminates this nuisance so you can actually enjoy the experience. If you have questions and need a help, simply call their 24-hour hot line.
4. Choices are Endless: The best part of shopping online is the large number of products you can find under one roof. And while it may be overwhelming to some, it's far easier than driving around town trying to look for a ring or necklace.
5. There is a wealth of information: If you want to know anything about 4 C's of diamonds, this is the site you would visit. Not only do they sell jewelry, but they add value to their product by providing great information on how to choose, buy and maintain a diamond. 

I would definitely research this idea further when I am in the market for a diamond but I have two major reservations: 1- what will happen if the diamond is stolen or lost? and 2- How much does the same diamond cost in Dubai?

Once I find the answer to these two questions, I would definitely try them out.

Now, it's your turn: Would you purchase a diamond online if you knew it was cheaper? Have you ever done so? Share your experience with us in the comments section below.

How to Juggle a Day Job and an Online Business (Hint: It Ain't Easy!)

As you may know, I'm a social media manager by day and a small business-owner by night. After long hours maintaining the online presence of some awesome companies, I come back home to an anxious dog who wants to play fetch, a hungry husband, a heap of laundry and, of course, a jewelry collection to update. And, I didn't even start making babies yet!

Operating an online jewelry store in Dubai has proven to be a very challenging yet rewarding experience. The rewarding part is easy: utilizing my social media know-how to market my store and thus adding to my work experience (check!), picking out jewelry based on the latest trends, and making extra cash on the side (check, check!).

But the challenges lie in being able to do all the above and still maintain sanity. I went through a phase where I was losing my mind and I decided to get proactive. The results from implementing the below made me a better employee, business-owner and a wife. But be warned that it is not by any means easy and you will come across days when you want to quit it all, curl up in fetus position and die.

1. Early Bird Gets the Worm
   One thing all mega-millionaires have in common is waking up early. It's simple: the longer you are awake, the more time you have to get sh*t done. I wake up at 6:30 am to feed and play with Charlie, my dog. Then I check my emails to see what my clients are up to (most of them are in the US or Europe and the time difference means emails at 4am).
   
   I then check my jewelry store emails for orders, shipment updates and customer feedback on social media (Customer service is key in this business, as I discussed in this blog post).
   
   Then, I go to work.
2. Get Organized
   All I can say here is God bless Microsoft Outlook. If Outlook didn't have that heaven-sent calendar that syncs to my phone, I would be in deeeeeep trouble. I write my To-Do list for work, business and home before I start my day and color categorize them for efficiency. And I haven't missed a deadline, a customer email or doctor's appointment since.
3. Take Some Time For Yourself
   If you are a workaholic, perfectionist, OCD/Anal Retentive type person, you will have a hard time with this one. I used to be like that until I realized every time I over-worked myself, I wasn't able to make proper business-decisions and I became consumed with negativity. That's why I take days off from blogging, Instagram-ing and updating.
   
   Delegation is so important when running an online store because you physically CAN NOT deal with it all on your own. If nothing urgent, I delegate the work to my sister. My husband helps, my BFFs, my mama. Anyone who asks to help, I take them up on their offer.

Now, it's your turn: How do you maintain a work-life-small business balance? Share your tips with us in the comments section below.

More Bad News from Cannes: 365 Million AED Stolen!

I posted after the Tiffany's robbery last month on how jewelry stores can take simple and smart steps to tighten security at their stores. I guess no one got the memo.

Jewelry retailers need to up their security game as yet another heist in the French Riviera makes international news.

A lone gunmen stole $50 Million worth of diamonds and other gems during an exhibition by jewelry icon Leviev. The robbery happened Sunday at the Carlton Hotel in Nice. Police told CNN the amount could reach $136 Million, as the damage is further assessed. No suspects have been identified thus far as the robber's face was concealed by a hat and scarf.

This is the third Cannes robbery since May, which is devastating. But what's more worrisome is that witnesses say there were guards in lobby but they were, get this, UNARMED! Why the hell wouldn't you arm the security guards?

I find that extremely unprofessional behavior from the hotel and the jeweler. Not to mention a bit fishy... you have millions of dollars worth of bling displayed in hotel lobby (where everyone can come and go) with no security? AND after several heists occurred only a few months before in the same city? Come on, now...

Check out this report from CNN, which is laden with 1950's movie references to make this retarded act seem glamorous.

5 Ways to Deliver Great Customer Service Online

As an owner of a relatively new online jewelry boutique in Dubai, I get asked this question a lot: how do you differentiate yourself from the competition and how do you turn a prospective customer to a loyal one?

The answer is: Customer service!

Gone are the days when you can fool an online customer with a low-quality, expensive product. A scorned shopper will ruin your reputation on all social media outlets, not to mention the expression of wrath to their friends, families and co-workers. If they decide to go the social media route, it will be very hard to remove it when people search for your company.

That's why it's imperative to make the shopping experience as comfortable as humanely possible. One of the ways to do that is to provide them with honest and timely support 24 hours a day.

After a whole lot of research and from my own experience from shopping online religiously, I came up with a list to help my fellow online business owners achieve success in this area.

1. Make Customer Service a Priority
   I know that launching a new site comes with a lot of challenges.The technical stuff is bound to take up most of your time. But this is no excuse to de-prioritize customer questions and concerns. If you have the capital, you can hire someone to do this. If you don't, you need to respond in a timely manner.
   
   I wrote a post about how to discern a reliable website from one that might screw you over when shopping online. One of the tips I include is sending an email to customer service (if a telephone number is not available) prior to the purchase to check the response rate. If 24 hours go by and you haven't heard from them, ditch the site (through out my experience, the biggest names in e-commerce took LONGER to answer my emails than the small, lesser known boutiques.)
   
2. Be Honest
   If you made a mistake, admit to it right away. If delivery time takes longer than expected, communicate that with the customer and apologize for the delay. If they ask a question and you haven't gotten a clue, tell them you will get back to them ASAP and actually get back to them when you do have an answer. Simple transparency will go a long way in putting the customer's mind at ease.
   
   A good tip here is to provide Live Chat on your site to take questions instantly. I found that works best on my site.
   
3. Deliver More than Expected
   Nothing makes my day more than when I receive a little extra something with my order. I once got a pen with the company logo on it. It was a cheap ball-point pen but I still use it I really enjoyed the sentiment. So, I did the same at Lavalier: when a customer makes a purchase I always slip in an extra item.
   
   I also hero my loyal customers by giving them a promotional code to use at check out. 20% off an order will not eat away your margins and your customers will be more inclined to visit the site and, better yet, actually make a purchase.
   
4. Clarity is Key
   The main concerns people have when contacting customer service are either related to shipping or related to returns/exchanges. That's why you need to communicate your shipping and returns policies clearly. It should be included on every page and under every item's description.
   
   A great way to reduce the amount of questions regarding shipping is to provide a tracking number as soon as you get it. Or acknowledge that you received a returned item and you are working on a refund or exchange. 
   
5. Offer Easy Returns
   Increase customer confidence by assuring them that they can simply return the item if it doesn't meet their expectations. Some sites offer a refund, others offer store credit. Some will bare the shipping costs for the returns, others will not. Whatever you decide, it's important to have a return policy. A "this sale is final" attitude will not bode well with the customers.

Now it's your turn! Let us know how you provide great customer service in the comments section below.

Jewelry Inspiration Straight from the Catwalk: Vivienne Westwood 2013

Owning an online jewelry boutique in Dubai takes a lot of work, but what makes it worth my while is checking out jewelry trends from the Middle East and across the world.

That's why I started a new segment called Jewelry Inspiration Straight from the Catwalk. Today, I'll be focusing on the ever-talented and excentric designer Dame Vivienne Westwood.

Westwood catapulted to the limelight when she was the head designer at renowned London hightreet boutique named SEX (owned by Malcom Mclaren, manager of rock band the Sex Pistols.) It was her efforts that brought punk-rock chic into the fashion industry.

Her main inspiration? Biker, fetishists and prostitutes. Thus, she became known the world round as The Queen of Extreme.

Here are my favorite pieces from her Fall 2013 Ready-to-Wear collection.