Bold Cuff Bracelets are definitely a must-have this year. The trend is to wear fewer pieces of jewelry, but what we wear must be big and bold. Cuffs fit right in with that description. They're the perfect complement to this spring's fashions. Great for the girl who's not too dainty and wants a little oomph.

Fashion predictions for this season say that bold, chunky, sterling silver cuff bracelets will be one of the top hottest trends. A wide sterling silver cuff bracelet is right at home against your sweater and won't end up hiding inside the sleeve. It's the perfect choice for your winter wardrobe!

Floral Pattern Cuff Bracelet
Nickel-Free Sterling Silver Bali style, Thai floral pattern embossed cuff bracelet.

And there are lots of styles to choose from: shimmering silver, enchanting gold, woven, hammered, or heavily textured. For extra added punch, throw in a dazzling gemstone or a colorful cabochon. No matter what your preference, you can surely find a bold cuff bracelet to your liking. Whether you love huge and ornate or a simple design, cuffs are great for young girls, teens, and older women.

Mixed metals add to this bracelet's appeal.

Anna Beck Wide Cuff Bracelet
Brilliant flattened dots, hand-applied drop by drop, cover a handcrafted, wide cuff bracelet, giving it texture and a sophisticated look.
Approx. inner circumference: 6 1/4"
Approx. width: 2"

Yes, gemstones are nice. They're classy and elegant, and very stylish. But there's nothing like a big hunk of metal on your wrist to make a strong fashion statement. And, according to the predictions, jewelry for spring 2008 is all about big and bold. And if that big hunk of metal is textured in some way-hammered, reticulated, or partnered with other metals-then WOW!

Brian Hertzog Reticulated Silver Wide Cuff
Designed and Handcrafted in San Francisco

Sterling Silver
Derived from the Latin for white and shining, Silver entices us with its sophisticated sheen. Like gold, silver in its purest form is too soft for jewelry making. It must be alloyed with other metals for durability, the most frequent being copper.

Sterling Silver is a mixture of 92.5 percent pure silver and 7.5 percent copper. Silver does tarnish, but frequent wear will minimize tarnishing. Sterling Silver is much less expensive than gold and other metals, so it is a favorite of jewelry designers and their customers. Silver is also popular with people who like a more casual look.

Sterling Silver Basket Weave Cuff
Sterling silver 'X' shaped basket weave motif
The beautiful, polished sterling silver is pliable, so once you put this bracelet on, you can bend it to make it fit snuggly on your wrist. This jewelry is handcrafted by artisans in Mexico, and your purchase will help them maintain the art of silver jewelry making that has been passed down from generation to generation.

Gold Leaf
Gold Leaf is gold that is beaten into extremely thin sheets. It is available in a wide variety of karats and shades. 23-karat gold is the most commonly used. Judith Neugebauer handcrafts her jewelry with die-formed, brushed sterling silver with an overlay of 23k gold leaf applied in sweeping, calligraphy strokes, like this bracelet:

Stepping Stones Link Bracelet

How does that saying go? If you have to ask the price then you probably can't afford it. That came to mind when I was surfing around jewelry designer Chad Allison's web site. Under his couture collection, there is simple a dollar sign ($) and the words "please call." We'll just have to be content then will some virtual window shopping – sigh. Many of his designs are studded diamond upon diamond with 18kt wite gold. I especially like his cuffs, even his non-couture cuffs. So that's what I'm focusing on today.

Pictured above: – Beaded edge cuff with bezel set rounds in a vine design

Below – Scalloped, high polished edge cuff with a bead set swirl design and round diamond accents

And – finally – "wrist tiara" diamond cuff with bead set daisies connected with diamond swirls and bezel set rounds

Hoop earrings and bangle bracelets are some of my favorite pieces of jewelry. They can be worn pretty much for any occasion.

So when I'm racing around and need to get myself out the door in a hurry, I often slip on hoops and bangles for a quick pulled together look. No one (but you) needs to know that I really didn't have to time to think through my jewelry selection that day.

Jules Smith Designs is a bangle lovers dream come true. Yes, you'll find hoop earrings there as well, but I found the selection of bangles to be outstanding. Pictured above is one of their stackable bangles that includes wraps of gold wire.

You can also buy bangles in sets, such as this rose gold bangle from their "drop it" collection. I think this is a great idea because if you have thinner bangles like this, you really need to have at least two. The same textured bangle design is available in yellow gold and sterling as well.

But, if you really prefer to just wear one bangle, this double "drop it" design has two bangles connected via little iolite bezels.

Steven Edward's jewelry line, which he entitles "The Touch," has a selection of unusual braided and cable bangles bracelets. You can go with a few thinner bangles and stack them or pick one chunky design for a more dramatic, red-carpet, look.

I like to wear multiple bangles myself. The chunky ones tend to feel a little too much for every day wear, but I like how you can just slip on one or two or three bangles quickly when you've got to get out the door.

Edward's Mariner Collection has the look of rope, but of course, we are talking ropes made with 14kt yellow and white gold along with accents of diamond, sapphire, ruby or emerald.

Bracelets are still the hot new stackable jewelry accessory. I remember reporting about stackable necklaces last year and then this trend turned to the wrist.

These bracelets worn by claire danes are made of platinum and diamonds and she accented them with a cocktail ring, which we don't get a good look at. Claire is all dolled up to attend her Los Angeles movie premier of Stardust, coming out in a few weeks.

The movie looks great too. It's sort of a fairy tale slash science fiction story.

[images from Platinum Guild]

Summer is the perfect time to wear all your sterling silver jewelry. Maybe you aren't a sun goddess (it is bad for the skin you know), but most of us have at least a tiny bit more color this time of year, so silver is a great way to show that off. Thistle & Bee, a company also known for products like silver frames, has some summer silver jewelry finds:

Thistle & Bee maintains a longstanding reputation as a producer and purveyor of fine heirloom quality sterling silver. Our full range of sterling silver products incorporate designs both classic and contemporary, with styles both whimsical and sophisticated. We take great pride in our ongoing commitment to superior craftsmanship and quality. Each Thistle & Bee offering is carefully assembled in dedicated production facilities around the globe, using only the finest materials available today. We will continue to provide our customers with sterling silver goods that excite their tastes, and personalized customer service that meets their needs.

I was especially impressed with all the cuff bracelets they carry. The sterling and gemstone cuff pictured top/left has amethyst, rhodolite and peridot set in 18K gold vermeil bezels across the silver base.

Here's their oval swirl cuff – open designs are great for showing off a little skin.

This honeycomb texture cuff has a 18K gold vermeil bee.

Bracelets have seen a surge in popularity recently. Not that this form of jewelry ever really went out of style, but we are seeing more and more celebs and non-celebs pay more attention to bracelets. No longer the lone item on a wrist, they are being enjoyed and stacked like never before.

Modern Jeweler has a wonderful article on this new trend in jewelry accessorizes, Arm Candy:

With fashion's focus moving to the wrist, there is a growing interest in bracelets. In fact, all widths of bracelets, from wonder woman cuffs to the slimmest of bangles (and the new medium width between the two), are winning converts.

As with pendants and necklaces, layering is key. The newest way to wear bracelets is to mix and match different widths on the same wrist, whether you choose delicate Deco diamonds or chunky gold bangles. The strongest trend at the Oscars this year was an armful of stylish bracelets.

Very true, and I actually reported this same thing back then as well, lots of bare necks but lots of bangles and bracelets.