Sapphire comes is a variety of colors, which makes this gem among the most versatile birthstones around.  It doesn’t matter what the occasion or overall look that you are trying to achieve, there is a sapphire that can help you achieve it.  Among the different options, the blue sapphire seems to be at the top of most people’s lists, probably because of the rich and intense color that can easily work to compliment outfits in either casual or formal occasions.

You know that the right ring, pendant or set of earrings can make or break an outfit, but it’s also true that the perfect accessory containing a natural gem can completely break your budget – as beautiful and highly desirable as bold and brilliant blue sapphires are, they can also be very expensive.

For fashion conscious shoppers who are on a budget, buying a natural blue sapphire ring or pendant that costs several hundred dollars may not be possible, but just because you don’t have a huge budget for accessories it doesn’t mean that you can’t achieve the perfect look.

Lab created blue sapphire is readily available and every bit as bold and beautiful as naturally mined sapphire, but it is much more affordable for shoppers on a budget.  Lab created blue sapphire is created in a controlled atmosphere, so every single piece is optically flawless and capable of being turned into the most dazzling accessory.  If you are looking for bold, beautiful and intense blue jewelry, you don’t need to spend a fortune – all you need to do is find a jeweler that carries jewelry crafted from lab created blue sapphire.

The Funktional Art line which contains pieces like “Baduwings” and Earwings,” which seem to fit right into the artist’s eclectic style are just part of what’s to come.  Badu remarked in a recent interview with Billboard magazine that she is continuing to work with different designers to come up with new pieces for the line that will match her style and the style of the fans that support her.

There seems to be no shortage of celebrities jumping on the jewelry design bandwagon lately and for jewelry lovers, that is certainly a good thing.  With the help of talented and experienced professions, much of what these celebrity designers are producing is on the cutting edge of fashion and many of them are keeping the costs reasonable by using more affordable resources in their designs like cubic zirconia and other lab created gems.

We all want to be able to look and feel as glamorous as our favorite movie, TV and music personalities when we go out, but there aren’t very many people who are willing or able to spend thousands of dollars on the fashion accessories that we see them wear on the red carpet.  With designs created from high quality lab created gems that are expertly set in fine metals, those of us on a budget can achieve the look of our favorite celebs without having to pay astronomical prices.

Brinkley’s wears seem to have launched at the absolute perfect time – her line includes plenty of color, lots of movement and each and every piece is certainly capable of turning heads.  Christie Brinkley seemed to learn something from her past days in the fashion industry and has managed to stay completely current with today’s trends in her 1st attempt at jewelry design.

As an added bonus for shoppers on a budget, the Uptown Girl has managed to keep the majority of the pieces accessible to even those of us with overly wallets and purses  – with prices as low as forty five dollars, this is certainly a line that has the ability to sell despite the still lagging economy.

Affordability seems to another more recent trend in the fashion and jewelry world, and hopefully it’s not one of the ones that will be short lived.  More and more designers are recognizing that people simply don’t have the money to spend on accessories that they did a few years ago and are responding with excellent low cost efforts that don’t sacrifice quality.

Instead of using natural diamonds, rubies and emeralds, designers are turning to the much more affordable and readily available cubic zirconia and lab created versions of these gems to bring down the costs of their finished products.  Cz lets a designer put together a piece or an entire collection that is just as beautiful as anything with a natural diamond, and still make a profit with a much smaller price tag.  With Cz and other lab created gems, anyone can look like a celebrity or super model, regardless of their line of work.

Sarah did get a bit of help with her naturally inspired leaf designed pendant and earrings from design veteran Susan Fielder, who has helped to create plenty of other amazing pieces for concert tours – including a line for the one of the top rock bands of all time, the Rolling Stones.

Having a jewelry option as a concert keepsake is an incredible idea in terms of versatility, it allows the fans the opportunity to wear memories of the event with them even on occasions where a t-shirt wouldn’t be appropriate – and a well made pendant or pair of earrings will certainly outlast even the most finely stitched cotton shirt.

Once the 2010 Lilith Fair numbers are tallied up and other promoters see the success of the jewelry line designed by Sarah McLachlan and Susan fielder, we’ll probably see plenty quite a few more tours in the future turning to jewelry as a souvenir option for the fans.

With cubic zirconia and other lab created gems there is no limit to the incredible and affordable options that could be offered at concert venues.  Sterling silver and cz rings, bracelets and pendants in all shapes and styles to match the individual tastes of the celebrity onstage – a creative designer could even put together some very high quality replica grillz for concert goers.

With creative design and readily available materials like cubic zirconia, even the most incredible visions can be achieved for affordable prices – so don’t be surprised when you head out to see your favorite band on tour in the coming months if there is more than just hats and t-shirts for sale at souvenir booths.

That’s right folks, the splashes of color that have been sweeping through celebrity engagement rings is going to continue on through the start of 2011 and take hold as a major focal point of rings, earrings and bracelets in the new year.

Of course, the amazing jewels that the celebrities are donning contain natural rubies, emeralds and diamonds which come with some outlandish price tags.  This means that much of what you see advertised as next year’s must have accessory will most likely have a price that is out of your comfort zone, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t keep up with the trends while staying within your budget.

You can have the brightest, most sparkling and most brilliant jewelry imaginable at an affordable price if you find a retailer that stocks pieces crafted from lab created gems.  Colored cubic zirconia and other lab created gems are every bit as beautiful as their naturally mined counterparts and most are just as durable as well – in reality, if you aren’t a professional jeweler the only way you’ll be able to tell the difference between the natural gem and the lab created gem is by the price.

Loose cz and lab gems can be purchased in bulk, often at below wholesale costs, and turned into the hottest styles for the lowest possible cost.  This lets even those fashionistas with the tightest budgets stay current with the latest trends without having to worry about going into debt to do so.

So what sets the Crazy Carats watch apart from other jewel encrusted time pieces?  For starters, the wearer can customize the gems on the face to their liking, or easily change the pattern as the mood strikes them. There is a diamond set in place where the twelve would be in a more pedestrian time piece and in place of the other eleven numbers are a variety of beautiful and brightly colored stones that can be set in three different patterns by the user via a small dial on the side of the watch face.

When the Crazy Carats watch officially becomes available, bracelets will no longer be the only must have accessory for the wrist.  The wonder from Fendi will make watches fun and fashionable again – the only possible downside could be the price tag.  With an estimated cost anywhere between $2500 and $15000, this is an accessory that some people won’t have any choice but to do without.

Maybe once the celebrities have had their chance to show off new Crazy Carats watches on the red carpet and the internet searches begin to go through the roof, some aspiring retailer will get the brilliant idea to replicate this little fashion wonder with some more affordable lab created gems.  A beautiful, customizable timepiece containing cubic zirconia in place of diamonds and colored cz in place of other natural gems would be just as fun and stylish, but would be much more likely to fit into the budgets of the average accessory hunter.

July’s modern birthstone is the ruby and you don’t get a whole lot more bold and brilliant than a perfectly cut, eye catching red ruby.  The only problem is that high quality, naturally mined ruby is pretty hard to come by these days and therefore very expensive.  Rubies can be treated in various ways in an attempt to improve the quality and clarity, but even the lesser grade natural stones that have been died or heated can bring with them a pretty hefty price tag.

If you are planning on buying naturally mined ruby you should take great care to ensure that you are actually getting what you are paying for because this beautiful gem can be treated to improve appearance.  No one wants to find out that they spent top dollar for a flawless natural gem only to find out later that what they actually purchased was a gem of average quality that was treated to appear of higher quality.

One way to ensure that you are getting the very best value is to purchase an optically flawless and inclusion free lab created ruby.  With lab created rubies, you get top quality every single time while at the same time saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars on your purchase.  Owning perfect natural gems would be nice, if you had the money, but if you want to wear the most beautiful and colorful jewelry imaginable this Summer and still have money to spare you might want to look into lab created ruby jewelry.

In jewelry, just as in clothing, things tend to make comebacks after having been tucked away in closets or in attics for years or even decades.  So this recent nod towards vintage rings isn’t something too out of the ordinary,  but the intricacy of the pieces that are gaining renewed popularity among wedding jewelry could make this comeback a little too expensive for most wallets.  Designers seem to really be focusing on time periods where the jewels were not only plentiful, but also intricately carved and set in wonderfully artistic patterns.  This can make the price rise from both the cost of the raw materials and the amount of labor that goes into each individual design.

If you want an exact replica of a Victorian Era ring or a new take on a classic, you can probably expect to pay a premium for the creation, but there is a way that you could have the ring of your dream at a more affordable price.  A jewelry retailer who stocks and creates custom work with cubic zirconia and other lab created gems will be able to produce a perfect recreation of a classic for far less than a retailer who only offers natural diamond creations.  Cz can produce the very same brilliance and beauty of a natural diamond, but due to the fact that there are no issues with supply and demand, the cost of materials is much more reasonable.

You’ve got just about three weeks until Father’s Day and that gives you plenty of time to do some shopping now that you’ve got a notion of what type of gift you are looking for.  You should be able to find the perfect piece of jewelry for a price that you can afford if you look in the right places.

A watch or ring containing natural diamonds or a natural birthstone might be a little bit (or a lot) outside of your budget, but if you look to a retailer that stocks jewelry with cubic zirconia or lab created gems you should have no trouble at all finding the perfect match for your Dad.

The most appropriate piece of jewelry for your Dad will be one that looks good and one that he feels comfortable wearing and it’s tough to rival the look of any piece of jewelry crafted from high quality lab created gems.  You could spend as much as ten times more for a watch or ring containing a natural diamond, but why would you when that diamond is likely to have at least some flaws?  Cubic zirconia is optically flawless and inclusion free, making for some of the most beautiful jewelry that money can buy for a fraction of the cost of a natural diamond.

You can make Father’s Day as special as it should be, without having to go overboard on your budget if you buy Dad some amazing jewelry crafted from affordable and beautiful cz or lab created gems.

If you’re thinking that this is a way to save money, your way off, a lot of these rings are designed for Hollywood celebrities and contain huge natural emeralds, sapphires or rubies that would place the cost at somewhere near outrageous.  It seems as though many celebrity brides or brides-to-be just want the huge rocks on their fingers to be as colorful as they are.

If this trend sounds like something that you want in on, don’t let the price tags of the rings designed for the stars dissuade you.  You can get the most brilliant and beautiful colored cz and lab created gems that will rival any naturally mined gem in terms of appearance for a fraction of the cost.

Lab created emerald, lab created ruby and lab created sapphire are all readily available and very affordable and can be used to create the most stunning and colorful wedding bands or engagement rings that you could imagine.  These optically flawless stones are just as durable as their naturally mined counterparts and in some cases more durable, so the quality of the finished piece should never be an issue.  In fact, the only noticeable difference between the lab created gem ring that you have created for you and a similar one with natural gems worn by a celebrity will be the in price.