As younger sister to Jessica Simpson, Ashlee Simpson had the potential to be forever overshadowed by her mega-star sibling. However, the petite beauty has so far released 2 successful #1 albums along with having consistent acting roles in film and TV.  Her marriage to emo-pop king Pete Wentz has resulted in both further fame and a son named Bonx Mowgli Simpson-Wentz.

Despite a series of performance blunders including a botched lip-synch incident on MTV and a poorly received half-time show at the 2005 Orange Bowl, Simpson has persevered as a singer and actress. As a testament to her strength, Cosmopolitan magazine chose Ashlee to be the cover model for their February 2005 issue calling her the “Fun Fearless Female of the Year.”  It’s fitting then to see Simpson in the December 2009 issue of Women’s Health magazine boldy modeling an H.Stern DVF “Power” ring.

The striking ring is a Diane von Furstenberg design produced by H.Stern which is crafted as a symbol of empowerment.  Displaying a massive rock crystal gemstone in warm 18k yellow gold, this gorgeous ring is the perfect complement to Ashlee’s measured confidence and grace.

Having been propelled into the spotlight with her turn as Silk Spectre II in last year’s comic book epic Watchmen, Malin Akerman has become a bonafide Hollywood star.  Since Watchmen, Akerman has gone on to star in other A-List Hollywood films like The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Couples Retreat playing opposite Vince Vaughn.

This Swedish-born belle was raised in Canada and began a modeling career in her teens.  At 17, she won the Ford Supermodel of Canada search and went on to appear in several television commercials.  She soon made a move to California where she has pursued her acting career.

Featured in the October 19th issue of OK! magazine, Malin wears a gorgeous Gurhan gold and gemstone necklace design.  Handcrafted in pure 24k gold, this lovely design displays a large bezel set cabochon gemstone.  The necklace is a classic example of Gurhan’s craft which features all of the charm, passion and beauty that is infused into every Gurhan jewelry design.

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Marco Bicego is one of our favorite and most successful jewelry brands here at Lussori.  In a very short time, this talented designer has climbed to the top of the fashion jewelry world with designs that are fun, vibrant and comfortable.  From his “Paradise” collection of multi-colored semi-precious gemstone beads to his “Marrakech” gold and diamond creations, Marco Bicego’s jewelry is superbly conceived and crafted.

Recent additions to our inventory highlight just how striking and gorgeous Mr. Bicego’s gemstone jewelry creations are. From the “Confetti” collection, we have glowing gemstone drop earrings with amethyst or yellow quartz, and an amethyst necklace to match. These cabochon gems radiate rich gemstone color which is perfectly complimented by the hand finished 18k gold mountings.

From the “Jaipur” collection we have a lovely necklace featuring bezel set gemstones.  Each gem is spaced from the next by a length of 18k gold chain and a hand-finished gold bead.  Along with this dazzling piece we have new “Paradise” collection designs which show off an assortment of multi-colored semi-precious gemstone beads and 18k gold beads.

Each of these beautiful pieces shows off Marco Bicego’s superb eye for color and design.  With prices starting at just $280, there is sure to be something to fit your budget and your wardrobe.

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The world of bridal jewelry is a contradictory universe which is vast and yet at times can seem relentlessly homogeneous.  There are countless jewelry designers offering their own bridal line, and all too often, it’s nearly impossible to tell them apart.  Meanwhile, many women are looking for something truly unique and, hidden rubies notwithstanding, it can be a difficult search.

Once again, Gurhan Orhan has come to the rescue with a breathtaking engagement ring design, featured in the Fall 2009 issue of Instyle Weddings.  The ring is crafted in hand-hammered platinum and features a rose cut center diamond.  The mounting is a “split-shank” style with the center diamond set in a chunky bezel.  The .60 carat rose cut diamond and hand crafted mounting are in keeping with Gurhan’s inimitable style, which is so evocative of ancient jewelry craftsmanship.

As with all of his jewelry designs, Gurhan Orhan has created a singluar piece which represents the finest in modern design.  The magic of Gurhan lies in his ability to create sensational designs which reflect reverence for the artistry of the past while remaining fresh and innovative.  If you’re looking for an unique engagement ring, this may just be the one.

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Regardless of which brands they happen to favor most (Omega, IWC, Rolex, Panerai, or whatever) sport watch fanatics of all stripes seem to agree on one thing: there’s few things better than a boldly marked dial that lights up like a torch in the darkness and doesn’t quit after a few minutes.  (I’m not referring to some Indiglo-type system, just good ‘ol Superluminova, the luminous compound the watch industry is using on the indexes and hands of timepieces these days.)  Perhaps the most incredible luminous dial I’ve seen in some time belongs to that of the newly redesigned Aquatimer watch collection from IWC.

The dials and bezels of these timepieces, such as the IWC Aquatimer Chronograph shown here, are not just impressive because of the intensity of the glow, but the varied colors of that illumination.   The contrasting white and yellow compounds you see on the dial and the beautiful sapphire unidirectional rotating bezel produce different glowing colors in the darkness, which, aside from keeping hours and minutes clearly demarcated, simply looks amazing when the lights go out.  The single most alluring visual element of the watch is probably the gorgeous sapphire crystal bezel.  By day, its lustrous obsidian-like surface exudes the unmistakable aura of fine quality, and at night–well, there’s that phenomenal glow!  The initial 15-minute sector glows a yellowish green, while the additional 5-minute marks shine in an eerie light blue. Combine all of that goodness with the slightly beveled sapphire crystal and the semi-matte dial, and you have an IWC timepiece that can’t help but catch your eye again and again.

I know some IWC fans were disappointed with the 2009 Aquatimer watches when the new models were announced in January, thinking them too youthful looking, garish, or “Seiko-ish” in appearance.  Others felt the previous generation’s internal bezel was more of a pure IWC concept, and lamented the brand’s return to a more conventional design.  These doubts fade away when you see the 2009 Aquatimers in person–or even good macro photographs.  The fact is, IWC has really done a tremendous job with this model range.  They have all the credentials of a serious diving tool, yet demonstrate the quality and standout character that a top-notch sports luxury watch should possess.

Technorati Tags: Aquatimer, IWC

Amidst a veritable sea of fine timepieces, the Corum Ti Bridge watch stood out as one of the coolest novelties at the Baselworld 2009 exhibition.  A sort of 21st century variation upon Corum’s legendary Golden Bridge theme, the Ti Bridge radiates all the watchmaking brilliance of that creation, while giving us a new statement of modern design that is better suited for daily wear.

What exactly do I mean by that?  Well, while the Corum Golden Bridge watch in its various guises is extraordinarily lovely, it also has a delicate and formal appearance–rather like a lovely museum exhibit.  While absolutely superb for formal wear or special occasions, pulling the Golden Bridge off as an everyday watch might be quite the challenge for all but the dandiest dressers.  Corum’s new Ti Bridge watch, on the other hand, showcases a fantastic new titanium case that is super stylish, beautifully finished and most importantly–versatile.  It looks great on the wrist regardless of attire, and draws attention right where it belongs: the amazing C0 007 handwound movement!

Speaking of the Ti Bridge movement, it’s worth making just a couple of brief comments on its origins and visual presence.  While Corum has clearly drawn inspiration from the legendary baton caliber in its Golden Bridge (a brainchild of famed watchmaker Vincent Calabrese) the new caliber presents its own unique constructive and technical features.  It reminds me of the skeleton within a grand skyscraper with its quartet of finely beveled V-shaped supplementary bridges, none of which obstruct the fascinating straight-line layout of the gear train.  Despite the deceptive simplicity and minimalistic beauty of this mechanical gem, Corum managed to achieve an impressive power reserve of 72 hours.

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Will Ferrell has been a staple in comedic Hollywood for a number of years now.

He was born and raised in Irvine California, a safe southern California suburb which Ferrell says helped him develop his keen sense of humor – mainly because Irving was such a boring place to to live.

After graduating from college at USC, he took a gig with a local comedy troupe in LA – A job he quickly parlayed into a spot on Saturday Night Live where Ferrell came into his own.

After seven seasons with SNL Ferrell graduated to the big screen starring in massive hits such as Elf, Old School, Anchorman, The Wedding Crashers, and Talledega Nights commanding up to 20 million dollars a film.

So what does this one of the world’s highest paid comedians wear on his wrist when he hits the red carpet? An IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph of course…

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A pastime enjoyed by many luxury watch fans is keeping up with their favorite timepieces on the silver screen and television.  Be it Tom Selleck’s reliance on the Rolex GMT-Master as Magnum PI, Rambo’s preference for Panerai, or (modern) James Bond never being without his Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m, these bits of horological trivia are layers of interest nearly as entertaining as the shows themselves!

The Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 Petite Second watch got its own story sideline in ABC’s “The Unusuals” drama.  During a recent episode, the character of Detective Jason Walsh lends his Girard-Perregaux to his financially strapped girlfriend; unfortunately, while at a pawnshop to trade some jewelry for cash, she is accosted by robbers who make off with the cherished watch.  Girard-Perregaux’s Vintage 1945 collection numbers some of the most elegant and finely crafted rectangular timepieces on earth, a fact these fictional thugs were obviously well aware of!

I’m sure that this intriguing little plot twist was keenly appreciated by viewers of The Unusuals who own Girard-Perregaux and other similarly prestigious Swiss watches.  It should help keep them stuck to their plasma screens to see what happens through the season.

On the cover of the May 2009 issue of Redbook, country music star Faith Hill models a gorgeous pair of Gurhan gold earrings. Hill is a long time fan of the brand.  As one of country music’s most popular and recognized celebrities, Faith Hill is a perfect model for Gurhan Orhan’s rich and electrifying jewelry.  Faith chose to wear a large pair of “Flake” drop earrings for the cover shot by famed photographer Gilles Bensimon.

Gurhan’s 24k gold jewelry designs are some of the most unique and tasteful creations available.  The “Flake” earring design features Gurhan’s characteristic hand-hammered finish on a large hanging disk design.  The disk dangles freely from a french wire in a dynamic design  which allows the earrings to catch ambient light and sparkle.

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We all know who the celebrity wristwatch junkies are -  and we don’t really have to name them. But when you start to think about them – you start to see some predictable traits. First and foremost – when it comes to their buying habits – they really don’t really branch out a whole lot:

- Sylvester Stallone: Panerai
- John Mayer: Mostly IWC & Rollers
- Jay-Z: Loads of Audemars Piguet
- Elton John: Tons of Franck Muller

By looking at the above list you will notice that there is another very predicable trait -  Its a male dominated hobby (or sickness – depending how you look at it).

Seriously… how many celebrity female watch collectors can you name? And by collectors, I simply mean owning more then ONE watch (a very liberal definition by most standards).

Generally speaking when I see a photo of a female celeb wearing a watch – I immediately put them on my celebrity “watch radar” – and I watch to see if they branch out.  The next time I see a photo of them wearing wearing a watch -  it is generally the same piece…

Thankfully, there are a few female celebrities who are leading the charge when it comes to watch collecting. One of which is the very talented Mary J. Blige – who is credited with being one of the main artist who truly fused Hip-Hop and R&B – and has won an astonishing nine Grammy Awards.

In the past I have reported that Mary J was photographed wearing a Audemars Piguet Ladies Royal Oak. So when I found this photo of her I was amazed to see something very different. If you look closely in this photo, you will see that Mary is wearing a Franck Muller Cintree Curvex ladies watch. I can’t wait to see what she is wearing next!

Go on Mary!

Technorati Tags: Audemars Piguet, Franck Muller