Handmade, each bracelet unique. Black onyx. Silver charms vary – bullet, budda, blessing goddess, mayan calendar, peace. $200. To purchase: info@styleseendaily.com

A combination of fashion and fantasy, the Minnie Mawi collection is fun and chic.

Introducing Minnie Mawi, a limited- time collaboration between London-based costume jewelry company Mawi and Disney Couture in celebration of the Disney icon Minnie Mouse. The collection blends Mawi’s contemporary style with Disney Couture’s signature whimsical touch and hit stores this Fall to retailers including Shopbop.com and Disney retail locations worldwide.  Prices range from roughly $160 to $250.  The line features gold plated rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces.

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Leuer’s mission statement is to provide artistic fashion forward jewelry that is affordable and accessible.

Leuer, founded  by Ashley Gordon in Summer 2011, is a jewelry line that features a mixture of elegant but edgy necklaces, rings,earrings and bracelets. The jewelry pieces themselves are very striking and fashion forward and are perfect for the female who wants to stand out.

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Glee Star Lea Michele attended a luncheon for Michael Kors in Los Angeles, wearing jewelry by Melinda Maria. The Pod Pave Ring was the perfect finishing touch to her little pink dress. When wearing a bold color like Lea it’s crucial to pair it with accessories that are small and  feature neutral colors and shapes.

Melinda Maria Pod Pave Ring – Platinum Plated with White Diamond Cz – $85

I’m sure you are aware.  Gold is at the highest it’s been in years.  And it’s STILL going up, up, up.  As of August 6, 2011 gold is at more than $1600 per ounce ($1648.80 according to Bloomberg).  So it’s definitely time to look through your jewelry boxes and see if there is any gold you are ready to hawk.

To check the current price of gold, click here.

Educate yourself. Make sure you know the price.

Now let me walk you through the process on how to sell it.  Yes we’ve seen the cheesy local commercials saying you can send your gold to them and they will send you a price — but doesn’t that seem odd?

Like just send them the gold and hope they get the weight right?  This is too risky to me.  Plus, the commercials scare me.

Really MC Hammer, gold pants? See my fellow SSD followers scary, right?

Or we’ve seen the signs around town “We Buy Gold” at jewelry stores in malls to pawn shops on side streets.  Ok, so that seems a tad easier as you can take the gold to them and watch them weigh it in person.  But even that seems a little questionable.

Mmm...rent in 90210 seems like that would be high and cut into my gold profit...

Sure they’ll give you a fair price, but will it be the BEST price?  Keep in mind they have prime rent and other expenses they need to cover.  So I don’t recommend that either.

The Los Angeles Jewelry Mart.

So, what about the jewelry mart?  For some it may be down the block and a no brainer, but for others it may seem like a bit of a drive.  But take it from a girl who learned it from a girl (SSD Co Founder Erica), the jewelry mart is the place to go to hawk your gold.

Here’s how to do it.  First, and most importantly, take a friend with you. DO NOT GO BUY YOURSELF no matter how much or how little gold you are taking to sell.  Thieves know that people go to the jewelry mart with either cash in their pockets or jewelry and walk out with either jewelry or cash.  So don’t be a target.  Bring a friend and have  a cross body bag with your items in it.  OK, now that I gave the respectful and appropriate parental disclaimer, let’s move onto making the money.

Make sure you take a buddy and wear a cross body bag when going to the jewelry mart.

So now you have your buddy and the proper bag, this is what you do:

Take your gold to three nice jewelers in the jewelry mart to get priced.  You will tell them that you are taking it to a few places as well so they know you mean business.  Then, you give them the gold to appraise, you ask them how much it is weighed in at (write that down), you ask them what types of gold you have (so you know for sure your stuff is real and an ex didn’t try to put one over on you), you ask them the price, say thank you, and you’ll be right back.

Get your gold appraised by 3 different sellers.

Chances are, each place will give a different price.  In my experience the price is a few hundred dollars difference!   One guy thought my white gold was something else and did not price that in.  Hence, another reason why you want to get three estimates.  The estimates shouldn’t take longer than a few minutes each.  If the person tells you to come back and they’ll keep the jewelry and do it later, say no thank you, it’s now or never.

Once you find the person with the best price, and who gives the nicest vibe, sell them your gold and you will walk out with cash in your hand.

Cash for gold. Turn that ex's jewelry with now bad vibes associated with it into a good experience yet again by getting cash in your pocket. Holla!

Also, if you are looking to buy gold the jewelry mart is also a great place to go.  Gold prices are so high that people are wanting to sell gold, not buy it.  So the jewelers are having to slash prices to make some money.

Good luck with the gold rush.  Let us know how it goes!

Make the most of the season with some of Style Seen Daily’s favorite summer time technologies. Wether  you spend your summer days biking, beaching or barbecuing, keep your summer swag up with one of these cool gadgets.

Beat the glare with NewerTech NuVue Anti-Glare Screen Protector.

The NewerTech NuVue Anti-Glare Screen Protector for iPad reduces eye-strain in the sun for easier magazine or book reading while on vacation.  Its Anti-Glare static cling film provides clearer iPad viewing by reducing both glare and smudges with no “rainbow effect,” like other conventional anti-glare shields.  It is custom-designed to fit the iPad perfectly with a peel-and-stick easy install that won’t create air bubbles like adhesive-based screen protectors. Available here

iGrill is the world’s first wireless meat thermometer for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch via long range Bluetooth (over 200 feet) and App-enabled connection.iGrill from iDevices turns your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into your own personal sous-chef,enabling you to multitask between your grill or oven and guests with the peace of mind that your food is perfectly cooked, at target temperature and safe for consumption. Available here

The iBike Dash CC cycling computer from Velocomp is a light-weight wireless bicycle computer system that turns any iPhone or iPod touch into your own personal fitness trainer. It enhances the cycling experience in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before to take advantage of the summer to get into shape! Available here

Photo Credit: Shopconfederacy.com

When you think of the next  ’it spot’ for fashion, SilverLake California probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind. Sure it has its fair share of urban LA culture, and a handful of amazing artists residing there,  but up until what will soon be 3 years ago, there was a vacancy of fashion on the east side. One that not just anybody could fill.

Confederacy Store Front. credit: Styleseendaily.com

That is where  Celebrity Stylist, Llaria Urbinati and her partner Danny Masterson came in and decided it was time for this side of town to come alive in the wold of fashion. Confederacy (named after the book ‘Confederacy of Dunces’), a 5,000 square foot space, which originally included womens’ and mens’ ready-to-wear departments, accessories, a wide array of books, and a complete gallery space, became the brainchild of them both, and soon found critical success from its peers.

We sat down with Ilaria to discuss the birth of Confederacy; “Originally Danny and I got together and wanted to be on the ‘east side’, because we wanted something to fill the void that was over there” Illaria said, “we were originally going to do a small store, since I was a buyer for Los Angeles boutique ‘Satin’ at the time, but since it was such a big demand, we found this 5000 sq ft space that would become a ‘one stop shop’ for art shows, book, and clothes.”

The space designed by Ben Shulman and Mariah O’brien Interiors was inspired by everything classic americana. With 16-foot ceilings, refurbished brick walls, center courtyard and vintage wooden fixtures, its provides a place for people to come and just ‘hang out’. “Since I’m European, I have always had a fascination with Classic Americana aesthetics, ‘old timey’, industrial even, very New York” Ilaria says, when asked where her vision for the space came from. With similar vibes and ambiance of stores in Nashville, and other urban cities, a lot of the focus is on all American comfort, the store has a 16ft leather couch centered in the ‘Shoe living room’, the invitation is clearly one to come and soak it all in.

Shoe Living Room

The Attention to detail and customer service also seperates Confederacy from other shopping establishments. With its roots in styling, the understanding that complete service extends beyond finding the correct size, and a ringing up a sale is evident.  The old school customer service provided includes one-on-one consulting, ‘The Tea Room’ for private fittings, free valet parking, and a long list of details that normally go unnoticed, right down to every last ribbon on the final packaging.  A row of vintage phone booths that double as dressing rooms have functional phone dials that connect you with the front desk, so customers can ask for a different size without having to leave their space.

At the turn of the year, Confederacy became exclusively a mens store. “The space evolved because it became such a strong focal point. It organically began to become a guys guy place to come and get ‘decked out’” Ilaria says. Styling some of hollywoods biggest leading men like Bradley Cooper, Chris Pine, and Chris Evans its no doubt that guys flock the store to get their hands on the amazing selection of lines carried. Among them, Simon Spurr, J Lindenberg, Band of Outsiders, and vintage Kelly Cole.  Also exclusive to Confederacy is  Albert Hammen Jr, which Ilaria Co-designs. ”LA doesnt really have too many cool men’s stores, this makes it a little more fun”

Fun is an understatement when it comes to Conderacy, hosting some of LA’s most talked about events; including art shows and fashion parties. “We’re different from your typical LA fashion party, ours aren’t snobby, its just a bunch of good looking, well dressed  people who get drunk and have a really good time.” Showcasing current brands and top clients is a great asset to the entire establishment, it creates an aura of  comfort and luxury all at once, while reflecting the passion that both Ilaria and Danny put into their work.

“Three years in October… It feels like I’ve been here for ever!” Illaria says, but in fact, it has only been three short years, and so much has happened and has been accomplished, that the future of Confederacy isn’t looking anywhere but up. “A lot of talk and thought has been given into a menswear line, but only with time, we’re  excited for more collaborations with designers, and more in store shops.”
With the converting of Confederacy into an all mens store, the  opportunity to team up with designer Rebecca Minkoff, for an in-store shop presented itself, what once was the womenswear section in the front of store has been transformed into a great space for the Minkoff collection to be showcased and sold.

Rebecca Minkoff store front

“We also haven’t given up on the idea of an in-store cafe!” Ilaria joked, “the only thing that we dont serve yet is food. With every other venture that the store has going on, I don’t doubt that eventually that too will become reality, nothing would complete the amazing ‘Confederacy Package’ like a small nonfat vanilla latté and a biscotti. We try to make it have a little more of an intellectual vibe, LA is so vapid most of the time, its always JUST about fashion. The idea of the store is that there is more to it you know? something a little more layered.”

Visit  ShopConfederacy, RebeccaMinkoff and follow the store on twitter @Confederacybtq.

Bow ties made a serious splash this season becoming one of the top evening wear accessories for men. Fashion forward men and woman alike will agree that being on trend is important, but when a trend becomes as mainstream as the traditional bow tie has it’s time for a new avant garde design. Meet Los Angeles based designer Victor Becerill of The Low Bow. He’s broken the boundaries of the traditional silk bow tie, catching the eye of celebrities like Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and Drew Barrymore.

Designer Victor Becerril inside the Low Bow Showroom

By attaching one of a kind, hand crafted bow ties  to a sterling silver necklace Victor has made it acceptable for both men and woman to hang their bow low.  Style Seen Daily checked out  The Low Bow Showroom for an exclusive sneak peek at his line of hanging bow ties.

Low Bows are the perfect addition to your wardrobe and are currently available in 9 eye catching styles with new designs arriving daily. Get your Low Bow at www.thelowbow.com

For the traditionalist craving a twist, Low Bow's come in a variety of solid colors and prints.

Scott Riffe, Feather Extension Specialist. Photo Credit: SSD

Scott Riffe is a hair stylist and feather extension specialist who also makes feather earrings.  He loves feathers because “the way feathers move is sexy, like hair” and “no two feathers are alike, every feather is different.”  And to prove he didn’t just jump on the feather craze, that really want bonkers once American Idol judge and living legend rock star Steven Tyler added feather extentions to his hair, he also owns a parrot as his pet, has a few feather tattoos AND grew up with his Dad being an avid bird lover.

Scott Riffe, Feather Extension Specialist. Photo Credit: SSD

He is one of the few guys in the country who works with feathers on this scale.  Because of the current popularity with feathers, good feathers are hard to come by.  Riffe gets his feathers from Colorado, Wyoming and Florida.  Fred Segal and Wasteland are a few places who carry Scott’s feather earrings.

Scott Riffe Feather Earrings.

His feather earrings sell from $10 to $60 for each one — and Scott says you can wear just one or two.  For more information, check out his website: www.scottriffehairstylist.com

Similar:

http://www.styleseendaily.com/2011/06/trend-alert-feather-hair-extensions/

Miranda Lambert on her Wedding day Wearing Karen Lidner Jewelry

On May 14th, 2011, country music sensations Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton ‘Tied the Knot.’ Miranda Lambert wore a handmade one-of Karen Linder Designs necklace.  The freshwater pearl and vintage rhinestone tangle necklace consists of rare c.1940′s 3-D pave sterling bird brooch and several baguette c 1950′s necklaces woven amongst cream pearls.

Miranda Lambert's Custom Karen Lindner's Wedding Necklace.

Suggested retail price for this one of a kind necklace:  $2500.

Karen Lindner’s designs were seen throughout the entire wedding, including the bridesmaids and both Miranda and Blake’s Mothers. Each piece was carefully selected to fit with the esthetic of the Texan wedding.

Here is video of Miranda’s jewelry:

“Seeing the wedding photos of the entire group, the mothers, and the pictures of Miranda at the reception, all in Karen Lindner Designs, was an unforgettable moment for me in my career and one the I will never forget” stated Karen Lindner.