“Queen at Ninety” Broadcast Set for Easter Sunday & A Fun Giveaway

We are back with an update and a fun giveaway in advance of the upcoming tour of India and Bhutan.

Our update involves the “Our Queen at Ninety” broadcast from ITV, that highly anticipated documentary about Her Majesty. ITV has announced the program will air on Easter Sunday from 8-10pm. The program has been months and months in the making and features interviews with senior members of the royal family, including Kate’s first solo interview since her marriage to William in 2011. More about that element of the documentary from a February story in The Express:

The Duchess was interviewed by broadcaster Tom Bradby, who also spoke to Kate and Prince William on the day their engagement was announced in November 2010.

But her latest television venture marks her first solo moment in front of the camera, with a now more experienced Duchess having made charity videos and taken part in many royal events at home and abroad.

This is sure to be a fascinating documentary, one I know many of us are eager to see. As soon as I learn more information, including any options for international viewing, I will post it here and on social media media.

Now to our giveaway. Many of you are familiar with my friend Pascale from Australia, the founder of Style Rocks, one of our very favorite sponsors. Some might remember that back before the New Zealand/Australia tour we got to playing around with jewelry designs and came up with something related to the tour, a group of necklaces inspired by Australia and New Zealand’s stunning vistas of land and sea called the Terre et Mer collection.

When we received confirmation of this spring’s tour of India and Bhutan we began tossing around ideas again, wondering if those countries prompted any jewelry visions. Lo and behold, they did.

But first, a look at some of this year’s newest styles and updates to other collections. Pascale recently added a collection of pink amethyst pieces showcasing that stunning stone, also known as Rose de France. From left to right we show an exquisite diamond halo ring in 18ct rose gold, an emerald cut necklace in sterling silver, and a bangle bracelet with cushion cut stones.

But if that’s not your fancy, no worries – at Style Rocks the whole point is that you get to select the gemstone, metal color, cut, and really make a piece all your own. If you prefer the halo ring in say, a white gold with a tourmaline, it’s no problem. Or perhaps you would like a necklace with the brilliance of a round sapphire in a yellow gold setting.   

A gift from a friend more than 25 years ago prompted Pascale’s design of the company’s super-popular Russian Rings collection of necklaces. Here’s a sampling from the burgeoning collection (left to right): the Zara style in multi-color gold (yellow, rose, and white), the Cate in rose gold (with four rings instead of three), the Zara in sterling silver and Alexandra with three yellow gold rings.

Styles vary in diameter and the actual width of the rings. For example, the diameter of the rings in the Cate necklace is 20mm (about 3/4″), and the rings themselves are 1.7 mm wide; those on the Alexandra necklace are 30mm in diameter (roughly 1.2″) and 4mm wide.

The necklaces were such an enormous hit Pascale expanded the collection to include wedding rings and bangle bracelets. Below you see the Juno wedding ring in rose gold, the Venus bangle in multi-gold, and a yellow gold diamond wedding ring.

The rings and bracelets are engraved per your wishes, just as the necklaces are.

If you would rather use words as opposed to names on Russian Rings pieces, that’s always an option as well.

Precious and semi-precious gems at StyleRocks remain highly sought-after pieces. Here are several necklaces yours truly likes: an amethyst necklace in sterling silver, a pink sapphire necklace, a cushion-cut checkerboard blue topaz, and an emerald cut blue sapphire (hydrothermal).

In our last giveaway the lucky winner received a AUD $1000 gift certificate; she used it to buy something many Kate fashion fans are familiar with: detachable drop earrings. This has become quite the trend, having a set (or sets) of hoops that can be worn with different drops. Here you see a set of pearl drops, gold hoops with diamonds and citrine drops.

A look at just some of the styles offered in the detachable drop collection: emerald checkerboard drops in sterling, round smoky quartz drops in sterling silver,  lemon quartz in sterling silver, and synthetic rubies in yellow gold.

Interchangeable earrings can be fiscally friendly, helping you maximize a jewelry investment. Here’s another style allowing you to do that, gemstone studs that can be worn alone, or have a separate pearl drop added when you wish: Tanzanite Studs with Pearls, rich Citrine Studs with pearl drops, and Green Amethyst Studs with pearl drops.

I almost always have the same, one-word reaction when visiting Style Rocks: candy! The different colors and shapes and sizes of the gemstones, paired with such a variety of settings and metals always prompts that response. (It must have its origins in the old “kid in a candy store” description, because that’s certainly how I feel.) This group of rings definitely inspires that reaction: an amethyst in sterling silver, a brilliant cut pink sapphire, a beautiful blue topaz set in sterling silver, and a bezel-set pink sapphire cabochon.

There is no shortage of pieces exuding an understated elegance, like the Joined Hearts Necklace collection. On the left you see the Two Hearts in sterling silver, and the Four Hearts in rose gold. These are always very popular as Mother’s Day and Christmas gifts.

Now for those designs inspired by this spring’s tour, beginning with the lotus flower, India’s national flower, symbolizing purity of heart and mind. Pascale really hit it out of the park with the lotus necklace she created. Feast your eyes upon the Lotus Flower Necklace in rose gold, sterling silver and yellow gold.

Because StyleRocks is all about customizing, once you select the metal you would like for a necklace you can also add a gemstone of your choosing. Shown left to right, the Lotus Flower in sterling silver with an emerald, with an amethyst atop a rose gold flower, and with a sapphire atop a white gold flower.

Pascale and the artisans at StyleRocks got very creative when it came to Bhutan’s national flower, the blue Himalayan poppy; the flower was actually discovered by a British botanist, George Sherriff, in 1933. Equally stunning as the lotus, the poppy is also offered in a variety of metals: yellow gold, sterling silver or Rose gold.

The floral design also comes with select gemstones. Below you see it with an elegant emerald adorning a yellow gold blossom, as well as in white gold topped by a ruby, and in rose gold with a diamond.

We wanted a third design, one that doesn’t ‘favor’ either India or Bhutan. Following a great deal of conversation and sketching we arrived at a necklace featuring the Tree of Life, an important cultural symbol throughout the world, including in Buddhist tradition, where it is also called the ‘Bodhi’ tree. Like the Lotus and the Poppy, this piece is offered in sterling silver, yellow gold or shimmering rose gold.

Of course, your Tree of Life selection can be dressed up as well, as seen below: the white gold tree is shown with an emerald, the rose gold version has a sparkling ruby, the yellow gold with a diamond, and the sterling silver tree has an amethyst. 

Because the designs are all created in limited quantities StyleRocks is offering the chance to use PayPal installments. This means that you can purchase your jewelry now paying a portion of the total price, and have it created and shipped to you; payment is made over a period of time. To use Paypal instalments make sure you hit the ‘Customise’ button and then you’ll see a dropdown box offering you the choice of paying over 1, 2, 3 or 4 months. Interest-free and all coordinated by Paypal.

I mentioned above that our previous giveaway winner selected detachable drops for her prize. Here’s a photo Andrea B. shared of her earrings, along with a few thoughts her thoughts on her jewelry.

Amazing giveaway and a great product.  The earrings are very very gorgeous and I am sure that when I wear them (New Year’s Eve I think) I will get many compliments.

Courtesy Andrea B.

…they are gorgeous. Jaw dropping and much much larger than I had anticipated

In chatting with Pascale about how to structure the giveaway, we ended up talking about the designs related to the tour (Lotus, Poppy, Tree of Life) and then all of the other gorgeous jewelry StyleRocks offers that you might wear on holiday (‘Travel’), and thought it would be fun to learn what pieces you like the most from each of the two groups – Tour and Travel! One lucky giveaway winner gets to choose a piece from either the ‘Tour’ group or a piece you might like to wear while Traveling (or whenever!), up to a value of AUD $1000!

Here’s how to enter:

• Step 1: Sign up for the StyleRocks mailing list by visiting this link, and filling out the email subscription form. Then complete Step 2 below.
• Step 2: Once you have signed up for StyleRocks email select the piece you like from what we’re calling the Tour group (Poppy, Lotus and Tree of Life styles) and a piece that you would love to wear when you are Traveling, any piece of StyleRocks jewelry that you fancy. Come back and leave a comment with the names of both pieces, and you’re entered!

You must complete the two steps above to be entered. If you have already signed up for StyleRocks email, don’t worry that you will be signed up multiple times for the mailing list, this is a completely new list. Nor do you need to have any concern about your information being released to third parties. StyleRocks does not sell or share your information in any way.

• For a second entry follow StyleRocks on Facebook (and let us know you did in a comment)
• For a third entry follow StyleRocks on Instagram (and let us know you did in a comment)
• For a fourth entry follow StyleRocks on Pinterest (and let us know you did in a comment)
• For additional entries post about the contest on your own Facebook page, Twitter or Instagram accounts (and let us know you did in a comment)

OTHER INFO:

• the giveaway is open internationally
• the contest ends at midnight March 31st; we will randomly select a winner on April 1 and get in touch with them immediately
• the winner must be available to respond to our email within 72 hours

For even more info on the designs be sure to visit Pascale’s blog post here. Have fun!

We’ll see you Friday for Kate’s EACH engagement.