'Neil Lane Bridal' Tickles Tinseltown

Celebrity jeweler, Neil Lane, never met a Hollywood wedding he didn't bedazzle, so his client list is long and loaded with heavy hitters like Ellen Degeneres, Nicole Richie and the entire Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise.

Last Thursday, the designer celebrated his new, moderately priced bridal collection with Kay Jewelers at a Hollywood fete, and the red carpet was loaded with leading ladies.

The 'cutest couple' award goes to Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, who showed off their Neil Lane wedding bands.

Ashlee Simpson Wentz flashed her 4-carat Neil Lane engagement ring from rocker hubby, Pete Wentz, while confessing of her sister, Jessica, "She is happy, so we are all really happy."


Kristin Davis showed up in black and white diamonds, confessing to reporters that a 3rd SATC movie is 'unlikely'. (Ya think?)



And Eva Longoria Parker stunned in black Gustavo Cadile and loads of diamond ice.


I think the Neil Lane Bridal collection is the perfect way for humble grooms to give a celebrity twist to the bended knee ritual thanks to prices that are hundreds of thousands less than a typical Lane look.

Check out Jewelry.com for more info on the Kay Jewelers/Neil Lane partnership - and check out the vintage-inspired product pics here on kay.com. Yum!

Rare Pink Diamond Sets Auction Record

Hold on to your haute couture, jewelry hounds. One whopper of a diamond just entered the hands of a lucky (and filthy rich) bidder on Tuesday.

A rare, 5-carat pink diamond was auctioned off by Christie's Hong Kong for a record $10.8 million, putting some shine back into the world's rare and large stones market.

The stone, of a "vivid pink" hue and considered near perfect but not quite flawless, triggered brisk bidding with a final price that smashed the previous record set 15 years ago in Geneva for a 19.66-carat stone that sold for $7.4 million. The pink gem's per-carat price of $2.2 million was also the highest ever paid for any diamond at auction, Christie's said.

"No stone has ever been sold for $2 million a carat, we were used to ... a million dollars a carat for colored diamonds but never 2 million," Francois Curiel, Christie's Europe chairman told Reuters. "This is an absolute record that is not going to be broken for a while I believe."

But the famed Wittelsbach Blue Diamond still holds the record as the world's most expensive jewel ever sold at auction, fetching a mere $24 million last year. Just a drop in the proverbial bucket, right?

Pink diamonds have always been coveted by the rich, the famous and we mere mortals alike. Click here to see which celeb dazzled their loved one with a pink diamond engagement ring for the ages - not quite 10 carats, but a keeper nonetheless.

Divas and Diamonds Rock VH1

When VH1 resurrected its Divas Live! concert series after a 5-year hiatus, little did they know that a diva who can’t sing a lick would steal the show.

Host Paula Abdul (gasp!) lip synched her way through her tired catalog of hits in the show’s opening number and proceeded to make (kinda lame) American Idol jabs throughout the entire show – including one directed squarely at her replacement, Ellen DeGeneres.



"All kidding aside," said Abdul, 47. "[I have] nothing but love for Ellen, and I wish you the best of luck and congratulations on your new gig. And call me!" she added. "You gotta call me if you have any Simon problems, 'cause you know, I know him best."

Yeah, I’m sure she’ll get right on that, Paula.

Anywho, the diamonds did do some drippin’ on the red carpet where the real-life divas came out to play. Toni Braxton brought out the big guns in huge drop earrings and cuffs that cost a small fortune.


American Idol Alums, looked lovely in their red carpet wear and bejeweled accessories.

And even Kathy Griffin looked diva-worthy in a sleak white gown with crystal statement pieces. Bravo!


If you missed the show, be sure to watch some of the classy duets online or on demand. No one can match former divas Whitney, Mariah and Cristina in the pipes department (OK, Jennifer Hudson and Kellie Clarkson can) – but it was nice to hear less ‘warbling’ and more harmony singin’ this time around. In my humble opinion

Diamond iPhone Tickled Pink

Pink diamonds have been lighting up celebrity betrothals for years now – from J-Lo’s famous rock back in the Ben days to Portia deRossi’s pink diamond ring bling. But pink ice isn’t just for ring fingers.

The Apple iphone 3GS just got a pink diamond makeover from UK-based Stuart Hughes.

Paris Hilton? Are you listening?

The pink beauty is made from 18ct rose gold and is decorated with 53 pink diamond gems set in the Apple logo to add a little sparkle.

And the cost to add this ‘essential’ accessory to your warchest? Only about $35,575, all told.

If pink diamond jewelry is more your style, check out Jewelry.com's assortment of colored diamond gems -all at prices that are much less than a new luxury coup.

And if you've ever wondered how diamonds get their color, they've got a great education section that tells you all you need to know.