There’s no better way to make a statement than to walk into a room, showing off the brilliant luster of a diamond ring.  In the past, clear diamonds have long reigned supreme for being the absolute symbol of timeless elegance.  Recently however, we’ve seen a fascinating, fast-growing popularity of colored diamonds, one of which has gained the most attention, the yellow diamond.  Also called the canary diamond, this stunning stone is the newest face on the jewelry scene to hit the red carpet and to grace the pages of numerous high fashion magazines.

Where did this canary craze come from?  Some our favorite celebs were the first to yellow diamonds into the spotlight.  Back in 2008, super model glamazon, Heidi Klum, showed off her 10k oval cut, canary diamond engagement ring to the tabloids.  In 2009, rising country princess, Carrie Underwood, received a reported $150,000 canary diamond engagement ring from her then fiancee, Mike Fisher.  Fast forward to 2011, the Duchess of Cambridge and royal fashionista, Kate Middleton, wore a dazzling pair canary drop earrings to multiple charity events.

Although canary diamonds aren’t chemically pure, you’d be surprised to know that the source of this stone’s shine and color are actually caused by impurities within its own chemical makeup.  Basically, for all of our non-scientists out there, an abnormally high volume of nitrogen atoms alter the clarity of canary diamonds, thus rendering these stones, well, yellow.   Thanks to these fabulous impurities, the reflected light that we see is the gorgeous, bright yellow hue that adds that extra something to your fashion ensemble!

As the canary craze continues to grow, Emitations has you covered with the hottest and latest canary diamond jewelry, inspired by your favorite celebrities.  Discover the perfect yellow diamond ring, necklace or bracelet today, only at Emitations.

Do you have a crazy or hilarious Valentine’s story? Ever received an outrageous gift on that special day? Maybe you’ve received an unsual marriage proposal or even gone on a hilarious quadruple blind date!

Forget the cliché box of chocolates and flowers this Feb 14th and share your Valentine’s tale with us for a chance to win a fun heart necklace loaded with love! The three best stories will win.

Winning prize: our gorgeous Faith’s Silver Tone Heart Tag Necklace http://www.emitations.com/silverheartnecklacefaithsm.html

Here’s how to enter:
* Simply reply to this blog posting or post your story on our Facebook wall: http://http://www.facebook.com/emitations. Pictures, poems and songs are welcome, the more creative the better!
* Team Emitations will choose their top 5 favorite stories. Those stories will then be posted on the Emitations Facebook wall where fans will vote and determine the three winners.
* All Valentine’s Story submissions must be sent in by February 12 at 11:59pm PST. All three winners will be chosen and announced on our blog and FB on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2012.

Whether you imagine yourself gazing into the sunset at the top of the Eiffel Tower with that special someone or strolling along that same romantic trail in Central Park, we’ve all dreamed about our fantasy marriage proposal!

Tell us your dream proposal! Emitations is giving three lucky winners the chance to win their very own Trista’s Clear Princess Cut Ring! We’d love to hear your creative, romantic, or even funny dream proposals. The more creativity, the better!

The Prize: Trista’s Clear Princess Cut Ring http://www.emitations.com/tr25capeprcu.html

Here’s how to enter:
* Simply reply to this blog posting or post your story on our Facebook wall: http://http://www.facebook.com/emitations. Pictures, poems and songs are welcome, the more creative the better!
* Team Emitations will choose their top 5 favorite stories. Those stories will then be posted on the Emitations Facebook wall where fans will vote and determine the three winners.
* All Valentine’s Story submissions must be sent in by February 12 at 11:59pm PST. All three winners will be chosen and announced on our blog and FB on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2012.

Top Ten Celebrity Jewelry Trends of 2011

1. Oversized Stone Necklaces
2. Old Fashioned Feathered Earrings
3. Classic Matching Jewelry Sets
4. Bold Bangles
5. Beaded Dangle Earrings
6. Contemporary, Edgy Bracelets
7. Classic Drop Earrings
8. Chunky Bracelets
9. Vintage Style Earrings
10. Thick Gold Chained Necklaces

As we draw closer 2012, we can’t forget all the fabulous celebrity looks and styles from 2011! This past week, ArcaMax counted down its Top Ten Celebrity Jewelry Trends of 2011. This list of hot, signature trends was inspired by celebrities from Penelope Cruz to Rihanna. Let’s take a dazzling trip down celeb memory lane and see which styles made the cut!

One style that stood out from the rest featured big and bold jewelry pieces. Red carpet regulars like Eva Mendez, Tyra Banks and Kim Kardashian were named on this list for having such bold, audacious accessories. Pop star Rihanna also made the list for that famous chunky gold chain necklace she was seen wearing during a special live performance on the Today Show. You can get Rihanna’s bold, signature look for less with Terran’s Chain Link Necklace and Earring Set!

Let’s not forget the classic elegance that we love to see our celebrities show off. Vintage style jewelry was another signature celebrity jewelry trend from 2011. Of course, we’ve seen the paparazzi snap photos of obvious glam goddesses like actress Penelope Cruz rocking classic drop earrings. However, vintage style jewelry is definitely making a surprising comeback with our favorite young starlets, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, wearing vintage earrings! Snag Taylor Swift’s vintage style with our Kyrie’s CZ Dangle Earrings!

Well, there you have it, the celebrity jewelry highlights of 2011. We, at Emitations, are very excited for all the signature celeb looks that we’ll see in 2012!

If you’ve flipped through the pages of today’s hottest fashion magazines season after season, you’ve probably seen the many exquisite jewelry pieces by world renowned jeweler to the stars, Fred Leighton.  Fred Leighton is responsible for creating some of the most elegant pieces, combining fashion forward style with antique jewels from the 18^th, 19^th, and 20^th centuries.

Celebrities are constantly showing off Leighton’s jewelry on photo shoots, as well as at the latest red carpet events.  Just in this month alone, Leighton’s stunning jewelry pieces have been spotted on Hollywood’s hottest stars!  Sex & the City actress Sarah Jessica Parker adorned her look with a shimmering piece from Leighton at a recent Friend’s in Deed Gala in New York City.  Photographers snapped photos of young actress Evan Rachel Wood rocking signature Fred Leighton stunners as well at the New York City film premiere for Idles March.

Fred Leighton’s jewelry has graced the pages of Vogue, InStyle, Allure just to name a few and was also seen on the silver screen when Meryl Streep’s character wore a $100,000 necklace of his in the Devil Wears Prada.

Emitations wants you to know that you can still rock Fred Leighton style, without the celebrity price!  Try our pear drop cabochon earrings or an antique style necklace for your next A-List look.

A fast growing number of fashionistas are falling in love with rhodium electroplated jewelry. So what’s so great about this rhodium electroplating? For those of us who aren’t used to wearing a white lab coat and safety goggles, here’s the run down on rhodium electroplating for jewelry. Rhodium itself is a member of the platinum metal family and is extremely resistant to most acidic and corrosive substances. When it comes to jewelry, a rhodium coating is placed onto metal jewelry through an electroplating process. So if you’re planning on wearing that favorite ring or bracelet of yours, this electroplating will help keep your bling protected, shiny, and fabulous.

If you’re thinking about whether to rock an uncoated silver ring versus a rhodium electroplated ring, there are some pros and cons when it comes to the amount of reflectivity and luster to expect from both choices. On one hand, the uncoated silver ring will reflect just a tad more light than the electroplated ring. On the other hand, the rhodium electroplated ring will maintain its absolutely brilliant shine for a longer period of time. In fact, stays bright and shiny under almost all atmospheric conditions. What does this mean for you? This means that you’ll still rock the same amount of glam whether you’re trekking through the Amazon jungle or hiking in the piercing cold Swiss Alps.

It’s good to remember that rhodium electroplating is very flexible and nearly weightless, so it won’t hide any imperfections on the jewelry surface below the coating. That’s why Emitations makes sure that our hottest, top selling rings are thoroughly polished before undergoing the electroplating process. Rhodium electroplating is a fabulous and affordable alternative to old fashioned silver, but keep in mind that it won’t last forever. Its nearly weightless and super thin properties still make electroplating vulnerable to eventual tarnishing. That’s why it’s best to find rhodium electroplated jewelry with a thicker plating, somewhere in the neighbor of .10 to .15 microns of thickness.

Fashionistas, look no further.  Check out our entire selection of rhodium electroplated sterling silver jewelry today!

Congrats to our lucky winner: Otis B! Emitations would like to thank everyone for participating in this contest! We loved all of your responses. Check out our entire selection of Celebrity Rings today!

Love Kim’s out-of-this-world stunner?  Can’t resist the incredible unique design of Jennifer Aniston’s ring?  Want a bit of royalty with Kate’s romantic sapphire bauble? Now here’s the chance to win your very own iconic engagement ring from your favorite celebrity!  All you have to do is tell us what is your favorite celebrity engagement ring and why.

Here are the steps for entering:

1. Be creative – tell us with a poem, pictures, or your own story of what makes this ring so special and why you must have it.

2. Email your answer along with any picture attachments to info@emitations.com.  You may also submit your answers on our Facebook page as well.

3. Be sure to mention your ring size within your reply.

4. The best answer will win their favorite ring, with one winner per ring.

5. Contest ends October 16, and the winner will be posted on the blog as well as Facebook on Oct 17.

Good luck, and start creating. The sky is the limit!

You may have heard the term brass based on our site, but what is it?  This term is often used to describe our gold toned jewelry within our rings, necklaces, earrings, and charms.  Brass is often used for gold tone jewelry for its nice clean shiny finish as well its ability to be able to mold into anything!  This metal is very malleable and takes to many intricate designs.

So when you see brass-based or gold toned jewelry on our site, it is brass – our favorite gold imitation jewelry metal that gives you the look of gold for much much less.  Check out our collection of gold toned jewelry today.  Only from Emitations.

You may have thought of this question upon coming on to our site, as we are one of the number one sites for diamond look-a-like jewelry. Though both cubic zirconia and diamonds have similar properties and almost look exactly alike, there are some minute properties between the flawless man made CZ and the notorious diamond mineral we all know and love.

Color: One of the first differences between CZs and diamonds is in the color. Jewelers can tell quickly if a stone is a CZ by noticing the colorful flashes of light the CZ emits as it reflects light. A diamond, on the other hand, usually flashes colorless light – know as ‘white’ flashes of light . So if a stone has colorful flashes of light it is probably a CZ as it has a higher dispersion of prismatic light.

Since CZs are manmade they are typically flawless. Because of this they are pure white and therefore void of any color. Diamonds on the other hand typically have minute flaws and have tints of either yellow or brown. Diamonds that are colorless naturally are nearly impossible to find and are extremely rare.

Cut: Typically, CZ’s are cut and polished differently to make them more brilliant in shine. The difference in cut is visible only under close inspection.

Hardness: CZ’s are harder than most gemstones, yet are not as hard as diamonds! On the MOHS Scale of Hardness, CZs are rated 8.5 whereas diamonds are the hardest possible material with a rating of 10 out of 10.

Weight: A CZ usually weighs about 1.7 times more than a diamond that is the same size.

Thermal Conductivity: Compared to diamonds, CZs can’t take the heat. Placed next to a jewelry torch, diamonds will be unharmed whereas CZs will be damaged when in contact. Diamonds are one of the most efficient thermal conductors, exceeding copper.

Price: Though all of the above differences listed above are physical and usually need trained eye or tools to find these characteristics, the main difference between CZs and diamonds is in the price. CZs depend on the size, product, and setting but are usually under $100 – especially on our site. Diamonds on the other hand sell for thousands and even millions! So yes, there are some differences, but really is it worth it? Get the look you want for less with cubic zirconia by checking out our collection of Top Rated Jewelry, CZ Rings, CZ Necklaces, CZ Bracelets, and CZ Earrings. Only at Emitations.

Congrats to our lucky winner: Buffi Hinkermiller! Emitations would like to thank everyone for participating in this contest! We want to thank you all for sharing your personal stories with us and hope that you continue to participate in our contests in the future. Check out our entire selection of engravable rings to give your next gift that extra special something!

When was the last time someone did something nice for you?  Whether you’ve had a friend help you move into a new apartment, had a dear family lend a listening ear during a trying time or simply had a stranger return a lost wallet, Emitations wants to give you the chance to give back to someone that has done something great for you.  We want to hear your story!

Two winners will get to send that special someone a stunning ring, with a personal engraved message of their choice. This is just our way of helping you tell that person how much you really appreciate them.  The ring will arrive enclosed in a special gift box, along with a personalized signed, hand written thank you card with your sincere words.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Tell us about a time someone has really gone out of their way to help you and how it made you feel.  We want to know why you want to give that person a special present.
2. Submit your story by replying to the Emitations Blog page or leave it as a comment on our Emitations Facebook page.
3. Let us know what message you’d like us to engrave onto the ring (ten characters max).

The two winners’ will decide who will receive these beautifully engraved, personalized rings and Emitations will deliver them to the recipient on behalf of our winners; our way of spreading a little more love around.  Share your story with us by October 2^nd, 2011.  Winners will be announced on October 3, 2011.