Most of us have succumbed to the siren call of jewelry, whether dime store pretties or diamond-encrusted delights. The result for many of us is an overabundance of baubles, bangles and beads. But much of it probably sits in the jewelry box instead of being worn because it was bought on impulse, doesn’t harmonize with the rest of your jewelry or somehow doesn’t quite work. That is the result of not understanding the importance of creating a well-thought-out jewelry wardrobe that suits your style, supports the image you want to convey, and makes you look and feel great.

Image consultant/jewelry designer Cynthia A. Sliwa and third generation jeweler/jewelry industry insider Caroline Stanley feel that with a bit of “jewelry savvy,” anyone can have an exceptional jewelry wardrobe. Covering what they call “everything people should know about jewelry but probably have never been taught,” they have written Jewelry Savvy: What Every Jewelry Wearer Should Know (©2007, www. jewelrysavvybook. com, $19.99). From how to choose jewelry that flatters, to creative methods of recycling jewelry that no longer delights, the book illustrates and explains elements that many never consider.

Did you know:

• Jewelry can (and should!) be worn strategically to draw attention where you want the viewer’s eye to go.

• The most important item of jewelry to wear is earrings, because they bring attention to the wearer’s face.

• The optimal size of pearls or beads relates to the size of a wearer’s features, not the overall size of her body (or the size of her wallet).

• In choosing earrings, look not only at the shape of your face and the size of your ears, but also consider your nose, your neck and your jawline.

• If you have several watches, when you put ones you aren’t wearing into a drawer or jewelry box pull out their stems (to the setting position). This stops the watch and saves the battery for future wear.

• While it seems like common sense for a full-figured woman not to wear necklaces or bracelets that dig into the skin, it may come as a surprise that long, linear earrings are not flattering if you have a wide face.

This is just a sampling of the helpful and fun advice Sliwa and Stanley share in their book. “We take an individualized approach to jewelry,” says Sliwa. “We emphasize flattering each wearer based on principles of image consulting. For many readers, Jewelry Savvy will provide an exciting new perspective on jewelry and how it presents opportunities for self-expression.”

Stanley explains, “Jewelry Savvy looks at jewelry in a different way – combining a book about jewelry with knowledge about wearing jewelry as well as tips for purchasing and maintaining jewelry.” Following an introduction to the basic categories of jewelry (earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc.), Jewelry Savvy looks at the physical features of the wearer that should be taken into consideration when choosing jewelry. The book explains why it is important to take into account personality, facial features, personal color palette and even body type when choosing jewelry. The result: adornment that is a treat to the eye and is in harmony with the wearer.

The book’s primer on metals, gemstones (with specific chapters on diamonds and pearls) and costume jewelry offers good basic information that will keep jewelry junkies from being overwhelmed by overzealous sales people. There are also chapters on jewelry for men and brides-to-be. Tips on how to acquire pieces you really want, recommendations on the proper care, maintenance, storage, and safekeeping of various types of jewelry, and ideas for creatively recycling jewelry are all part of this useful guide.

Written to appeal to those who are just beginning their jewelry collections as well as those who already have a jewelry wardrobe, Jewelry Savvy is a wonderful resource. Armed with new insights and knowledge, even impulse buys will turn out to be favorite pieces you will wear again and again with confidence.

Jewelry Savvy
What Every Jewelry Wearer Should Know
by Cynthia A. Sliwa and Caroline Stanley
224 pages • 8” x 10” • 70+ b&w photographs • 65+ line illustrations
List of Jewelry Trade Organizations and Auction Houses • Bibliography
Web sites of interest • Glossary
ISBN: 978-0-9703407-5-7 • $19.99 trade paperback
Publication date: September 2007
Published by Jewels on Jewels, Inc.
Available at bookstores and online or visit www.jewelrysavvybook.com