Earrings

Fine jewelry trends change at a glacial pace. After all, who wants to sink hundreds or even thousands of dollars into something that will look dated next season? No one in his right mind. So jewelry designers, retailers and manufacturers have to work harder to generate excitement about their bangles, baubles and bright shiny things. One of the newest -- and biggest -- trends is diamond rings worn by single women on their right hands. "It's saying that on your right hand you can wear a ring of power," says Ken Hash, jewelry buyer at Smyth Jewelers in Timonium.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Susan Green calls the Williamsburg Inn a "unique jewel." But it was her own gems - a pair of quarter-size earrings - that stood out as the vice president of Colonial Williamsburg's hotel division paid tribute to the five-star hotel on its 60th anniversary recently.If Green swept floors or mowed the grass, she could lose her job for wearing earrings bigger than a dime.Big jewelry, long beards and false eyelashes are among the casualties of the Colonial Williamsburg's latest effort to polish the image of its hotels.

What's a gala without sparkle? Holidays call for shiny chandeliers, polished silver and rooms washed with a glow. Dressing up to the occasion calls for added shimmer -- a dress with the sheen of precious metal, jewelry that dances with the light fantastic, and beauty that is brushed to a gloss.It's time to look at the world through magic crystals.Styling by Pascale Lemaire. Hair by Warren Lewis and makeup by Eric Spearman/Zoli Illusions. Modeled by Heather Vale and Ursula Buchtman/3 West.

Spring energizes; puts ideas into motion. The fashion idea this season is polish -- the way we were before casual dressing took its toll. Designers have rediscovered the glamour decades when a woman's turnout required constant vigilance and frequent touch-ups with lipstick, comb and compact. Those were times when an amusing hat was as essential as charm and wit, and gloves were a social necessity.Life is faster now, but frankly feminine suits with a fit; shaped dresses; dressmaker details, and movie-star slink have a way of creating the illusion that time stands still for style.

NEW YORK -- Steve Morris and Linda Dougan, a couple from Woodstock, N.Y., design a jaunty line of lightweight sterling silver and copper animals, hearts, stars and moons on earrings, bracelets and pendants under the name "Morgan." Their styles go well with biker boots and jeans.At the other extreme is Roxanne Assoulin, a Manhattan designer, who shows neck, wrist and ear gear featuring materials ranging from silver and gold to hand-blown glass, wood and leather. If someone suggests her designs look Chanel-inspired, she won't disagree.

Today's brides have an energy that allows for no simpering o coyness. They're doers and movers. In all likelihood, they chart their wedding in the moments allowed them between a busy career, an exercise schedule and an active community life. They cherish tradition, but on that important day when they are the focus of attention they may tweak protocol and make their grand getaway in unconventional mode. Just a way to remind the party that marriage should be a romantic adventure.SHOPPING GUIDECover and Page 6 -- Gown, $2,700, and headpiece, $550, by Richard Glassglow at Robinson's Bridal & Formal Wear.

The ceremonies that mark the transitions in our lives are set apart by the effort and care we take to print them in memory. At a wedding, every blossom and leaf that will grace the tables is considered. Music is selected from strains that will forever evoke the moment. Food and drink are lavished upon the well-wishers in a spirit of generosity that will long be remembered.The bride may choose to outshine the decorations and flowers, or to keep her look as simple and quiet as the language of her centuries-old marriage vows.

Carbonated drinks were served in drugstores before they were bottled and sold at grocery stores. The drinks originally were promoted as medicinal, but by 1900, they were marketed as delicious.Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola, Hires, Moxie and a few other brands were popular in the early 1900s. Each company advertised with calendars, tin trays, mugs, dispensers and small paper giveaways.Collectors now search for old and new carbonated-drink advertising pieces.This year, an old Hires syrup dispenser set a record when it sold for $106,700.

Pile it all on, or take it all off. When it comes to costume jewelry, those are the contradictory messages from, say, Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld of the more-is-more school and from Giorgio Armani and Calvin Klein, who team up on the minimalist side.Taking it off is easy. Piling it on takes some doing. To wear three and four necklaces, three bracelets and a wristwatch all at once takes courage, says Camille Scifo, consultant to the costume jewelry industry."But if clothes are simply cut and come in just one or two colors -- not an exaggerated plaid or print -- an assemblage of jewelry will look chic and smart, even in an office situation," she adds.