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Pulling together your prom look is a lot of fun…you’ve probably been poring through magazines and talking with your friends about prom fashions for months. If you’re reading this article, good for you! You’re one of the few who truly understands that finding the perfect prom accessories is just as important as finding the perfect prom dress. Every fashion diva knows that accessorizing isn’t supposed to be an afterthought! Accessories can make or break your look, and prom is like a high school version of the Oscars®. So before you walk down that figurative red carpet, you need to seriously think about your entire ensemble. I’m here to help…

I’ve been in the fashion industry for a long time, and over the years I’ve learned a thing or two about accessorizing. As a buyer for a leading pearl jewelry store, I’ve spent years scouring the globe for new jewelry trends, meeting cutting edge jewelry designers, working on new pearl and gemstone jewelry collections, writing a style blog, editing countless fashion articles and being interviewed by myriad fashion reporters. By far, my favorite activity is advising brides about bridal jewelry, and the very rules I apply to my bridal clients work equally well for promgoers.

Before I spill my rules for accessorizing, I want you to consider the look you’re after. It all starts with your prom gown. Think of it as the base upon which you’ll layer the rest of your look. Before you go dress shopping, consider your personal style. How would you describe yourself? Are you trendy, sporty, fun, fresh, funky, romantic, cutting-edge? Into vintage? High-fashion? Whatever your style, think about how you want to portray that at prom. Got it? Good. Next, think about what styles look good on you. Do you have great calves, a killer clavicle, a swan neck, toned arms, luminous baby browns? Think about what you want to highlight. Your personal style coupled with your personal figure-flattering considerations will guide your dress shopping. For example, if you’re cutting-edge and want to highlight your killer calves, choose a bold, short sheath dress. If you’re romantic and want to show off your great shoulders, choose a pearl pink strapless gown with an empire waist. Lucky for 2008 promgoers, the choices are endless. This year, the most popular prom dress is short, long, tea-length, full, sleek, sequined, and simple. It’s subtle, jewel-toned, sparkly, muted, romantic, gothic, ghetto and retro. It’s sleeveless, strapless, plunging and high-necked. In short, anything and everything goes for prom 2008. What fun!

OK, now that you’ve got your dress, you’re ready to add some sparkle. At last, here are my rules for flawless prom accessorizing:

1. Accessories should complement, not compete. When it comes to fashion, knowing how to accessorize is uber-important. If you have a gorgeous prom dress but pair it with gaudy accessories, guess what? You’re entire look will fall flat. Go too far and you’ll just look tacky, scale back too much and hel-lo Plain Jane. How to accessorize perfectly? Consider this rule of thumb: Simple dresses carry off bold, statement-making jewelry. Busy dresses require subtle jewelry. Sleek dresses sans embellishments are like blank canvases. They can carry off funky, diva-inspired jewelry, like a giant cocktail ring, gobstopper-sized mother-of-pearl beads, a wide cuff or chandelier earrings. If you love bling, wear a simple dress as backdrop and go to town. Conversely, in-your-face dresses speak for themselves. They’re a focal point, and prom jewelry shouldn’t compete. Keep accessories simple by choosing pearl studs, a pearl pendant or a diamond tennis bracelet (real or fake). The trick is to pull your look together without overwhelming it. Remember, though, rules are meant to be broken. If something works, it works, no matter what the rules say.

2. Don’t be too matchy-matchy. Last year, prom gowns were all about metallics and jewel tones. Whether you decide to go with one of these gowns this year, or another bold color, don’t match your jewelry to your gown. There’s nothing more boring than an emerald green dress with matching emerald jewelry. Trite! Instead, choose pieces in a complementary color. Think how pretty that green dress will look with yellow gems…or how fab luminous lavender pearls will look against a shiny metallic gown. Remember how fabulously Marcia Cross’ huge turquoise earrings set off her white dress at the Emmy’s? Cameron Diaz pulls off the trend well too. If you’re not sure how to get the look, read fashion magazines for inspiration.

3. You can have too much of a good thing. It’s one thing to have great accessories. It’s quite another to overwhelm your look with unnecessary bling. Look in the mirror. Do you notice your accessories first? Your dress? Your hair? You should notice YOU. You don’t want your jewelry, or anything else for that matter, to overpower you. Pick one or two standout pieces-like chandelier earrings and a cocktail ring, or earrings and a cuff, but don’t do a bold necklace and dangle earrings. You don’t want to be all about the jewelry.

4. You get what you pay for. Unlike your beautiful prom dress or those gorgeous dyed shoes, jewelry is something you can wear long after the last prom song has faded. If you’re going with classic accessories and you’ve got a little money to spare, it’s okay to splurge a bit on, say, a timeless piece like a white pearl necklace. (Try round freshwater pearls; they’re gorgeous and affordable.) But beware trendy pieces. They’re fun to wear, but have a shelf-life that’s shorter than Paris Hilton’s skirts and are so not worth the investment. Spend enough on trendy pieces so they won’t break during the fast songs, but don’t overspend on something you won’t wear again. A big faux emerald cocktail ring probably won’t be in fashion forever, but good quality classic pearl pendant or pair of diamond studs will stand the test of time.

Good luck putting together your unique prom style. As you’re walking out to your waiting stretch limo on the arm of your date, I’ll be thinking about you and how fab you look. You’ll be the envy of all your friends. Have fun, Prom Queen!

Celtic jewelry like the Celts themselves has a rich history and a proud tradition. Immensely beautiful with intricate Celtic symbols and delicate designs, Celtic cross jewelry, Celtic knot jewelry, and beautiful Claddaugh rings have been admired and desired for thousands of years.

Celtic Cross Jewelry

One of the most enduring, and coveted “gifts” of Celtic culture is jewelry featuring the Celtic Cross. According to Irish legend, St. Patrick created the first Celtic cross by drawing a circle over a Latin cross.

For an Irish Catholic, the circle in the Celtic cross may be a symbol of eternity and the endlessness of God’s love. It can even represent a halo emanating from Christ.

Some say the four “arms” of the Celtic Cross represent the elements (fire, earth, air, and water). Others believe the cross denotes the four directions of the compass, and still others feel it is a representation of human existence – mind, body, soul and heart.

Celtic Knots

The most distinguishing characteristic of Celtic knots is their intricate patterns and design…and the debate as to the meaning of those designs. While it is unquestionable that many of the ancient designs had some significance, those meanings changed from tribe to tribe and location to location.

Many believe that the intricate looping in knots was a way to keep out evil spirits. It is also generally accepted that the looping Celtic knot design denotes eternity and interconnectedness. Still, there is no definitive guide as to the meaning of Celtic knots which, adds, perhaps to their mystery and appeal.

Claddagh Rings

Named for the town of Claddagh near Galway in which they are said to have originated, Claddagh rings are beloved Celtic symbols of Irish culture and sentiment. Unlike other Celtic symbols, the meaning behind the Claddagh ring is well-documented. The Claddagh design has a heart (symbolizing love) topped by a crown (symbolizing loyalty) held in two hands (signifying friendship). The phrase that is usually associated with the giving of a Claddagh ring is “Let love and friendship reign.”

It’s not surprise that the Claddagh is a popular marriage band. In Celtic times, it was worn on the right hand with the heart turned outward to show that the wearer is unattached or with the heart turned inward to show he/she was “spoken for.” If the Claddagh ring is worn on the left hand with the heart turned inward, it shows that two loves have been joined in marriage.

Celtic Then and Now

At one time, Celtic people could be found throughout Eastern and Central Europe, as well as in the British Isles, where the earliest examples of Celtic jewelry originate. The emergence of the powerful Roman Empire encroached on the lifestyle, traditions, and homeland of the Celts who were forced to move to abandon their homes and relocate in remote areas in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Cornwall in southern England.

Despite their hardships at the hands of the Romans, Celts endured, thrived…and continued to produce Celtic jewelry. The tradition has remained strong for centuries. Irish Celtic jewelry and Scottish Celtic jewelry have enjoyed a huge resurgence in their homelands and with “ex-pats” around the world, as people seek to rediscover and celebrate their cultural traditions.