Paris Hilton's Stolen Jewels

Socialista, Paris Hilton, may have a new BFF, but she no longer has about $2 million of her own jewelry. The Los Angeles Times reports that a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt and gloves entered through the front door of Hilton’s Sherman Oaks home at 5 a.m. Friday morning and ransacked her bedroom before fleeing with the icy loot and other personal belongings.

Sources told the Times that Paris was not home at the time - even though she was photographed the previous night at several LA night spots.

Interesting…

Authorities do not believe the Hilton robbery was connected to burglaries that have beset the Westside and Hollywood Hills lately, costing many celebs hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry and other valuables.

In those incidents two or three men wearing ski masks and gloves hit more than 70 homes usually at night and often on weekends. Some of the victims of these gloved intrusions include former Paramount Pictures chief Sherry Lansing and her Oscar-winning director husband, William Friedkin, Los Angeles Clippers basketball star Cuttino Mobley, Duran Duran guitarist John Taylor and his wife, Juicy Couture President Gela Nash-Taylor, and country music stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

Jewelry thieves seem to be making a comeback these days, with the shocking Harry Winston drag queen robbery in Paris making headlines and the economy perhaps forcing many others to put their sticky fingers where they don’t belong. Or maybe it’s Hollywood copycats paying homage to their most famous incarcerated gloved criminal, one Mr. O.J. Simpson?

Regardless, celebs like Hilton might want to take extra security precautions until the crime wave passes. Like, say, locking her door? Just a thought...

December's Birthday Blues

December birthdays are tough. It's no fun to share the spotlight with Santa and his various hangers-on, nor is it easy to compete with Hanukkah's not one, or two - but eight days of gifts.

Before you get the blues, take a gander at December's birthstone, the Blue Topaz. It's a rare natural gemstone that is one of the more popular colors on the market today. In my humble opinion, it beats November's Citrine hands down and October's Opal in a landslide.

So cheer up, all you Sagittariuses and Capricorns. Learn about your icy blue birthstone here, put one on your gift list - and learn to embrace the verb 'gloat' when you have more boxes under the tree this year.

HISTORY:

Blue topaz has become one of the most popular gemstones on the market today, due to its clarity, durability, availability and affordable cost. Yet it is a shade of topaz rarely found in nature. The stone's watery blue color is most often created through a combination of heat treatment and irradiation.

Topaz is one of the well-known pegmatite minerals that also includes beryl and tourmaline. Blue topaz is the birthstone for December - and is also the recommended gemstone for couples celebrating their fourth wedding anniversary.

Blue topaz has a definite, uniform color ranging from sky blue to Swiss blue. It is sometimes confused with the more costly aquamarine - yet whereas aquamarine sometimes has a greenish-blue or bluish-green tint, blue topaz will always look blue or bluish gray. The one exception is for surface-enhanced topaz, a process introduced in 1998 that enhances the stone's appearance and brings out colors such as blue to greenish-blue to emerald green.

Most blue topaz starts life as a colorless or slightly tinted topaz from places like Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and China. It is then irradiated (to incite the color change) and heated (to stabilize the change). The result is a permanent aqua shade. To get deep blue color out of topaz, treaters use neutron bombardment in a nuclear reactor and market the final product under the name "London blue." In fact, neutron bombardment is the only means by which to produce smaller calibrated stones with deep color.

Despite the stone's exposure to irradiation, experts say it poses no health hazard whatsoever to the wearer.

In addition to blue, the stone comes in a variety of colors, including golden yellow, orange-yellow, reddish-orange, sherry red, deep pink, honey brown, light green, and many shades in between.

Topaz holds the distinction of being the gemstone thought to have the widest rage of curative powers. According to legend, the stone can dispel enchantment and improve the eyesight. The ancient Greeks believed that it had the power to increase strength and make its wearer invisible in times of emergency. Topaz is also said to change color in the presence of poisoned food or drink. Throughout history, different cultures have believed that the stone could cure insomnia, asthma and hemorrhages; bring friendship; promote patience and a pleasant disposition, and ensure fidelity. To the ancients, it was also a symbol of love and affection and was even thought to ward off sudden death.

With a ranking of "8" on the Mohs scale of hardness, blue topaz is exceptionally strong and durable and well-suited to everyday wear. However, it should be protected against hard blows that can split, crack or chip it.

Jewelry Goes Cosmic

Glittering objects have long been associated with celestial phenomena– from sparkling meteor showers to the twinkle, twinkle of little stars. But astronomy enthusiast, Kara Knack, paired my favorite shiny thing – jewelry – with her passion for all things cosmic - and the result is out of this world.

The famous Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles is displaying Knack's unique exhibit, the Cosmic Collection, which represents a timeline of the universe - from the Big Bang to the present. And it's all made out of jewelry.

More than 2,200 pieces shaped like crescent moons, multi-pointed stars and radiant sunbursts are displayed in an undulating line along a 175-foot wall at the observatory.

Ms. Knack amassed the jewelry collection over two decades from swap meets, junk shops, discount stores and garage sales. She then enlisted 18 volunteers, who stationed the jewelry along a display board, earring by bracelet by necklace by pin, with Knack organizing the pieces to appear "random and chaotic."

A heavenly themed timeline, even one made of costume jewelry, Knack told The Los Angeles Times, allows people to reconnect with objects in the sky and perhaps inspire them to ask important questions: Why are we here? What is an individual's place in the vast universe?

Edwin C. Krupp, the observatory's longtime director, says "It's a very digestible universe for people. They're drawn by this unexpected way of displaying the march of cosmic time."

While the Cosmic Collection doesn't include the diamond and gemstone styles that make our hearts go pitter pat, I'm sure Ms. Knapp would approve if we rocketed on over to Jewelry.com to pay homage with shiny stars of our own. And the sun and moon shine bright there as well.

May the force be with us.

Jewelry Hits and Misses at the Kennedy Center Honors

Diamond, gold and gemstone jewelry lit up our nation’s capital, as the Kennedy Center handed out their coveted medals to six deserving performing artists last week.

This year’s honorees included The Who’s Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend, dancer/choreographer Twyla Tharp, actor Morgan Freeman, country’ music’s, George Jones, and singing sensation, Barbara Streisand (who exchanged a much-publicized awkward smooch with her favorite political punching bag, George W.)

The prestigious Kennedy Center Honors are known as the most ‘formal’ event on the award show circuit, so it’s no surprise the celebs brought their A game in the bling department.

Beyonce was the belle of the ball in a form-fitting Zuhair Murad gown and tasteful black diamond clips (It’s clear she’s no longer getting dressed by her mother. It’s about time).

Queen Latifah put the ‘ice’ in ‘ice queen’ with her stunning diamond and black pearl Y-necklace and matching diamond cuff. And look at that Linda Carter – all svelt and shimmery in a beaded navy dress with eye-popping diamond chandelier earrings. She can fight for my rights in her satin tights any day!

Unfortunately, while Babs can belt one out like no other, she has some work to do in the fashion department. The chunky gold chain doesn’t do much to help the flowy caftan look she’s been wearing since 1992. And Michelle Lee’s black gemstone choker and Nancy Pelosi's gold ensemble don’t fare much better. Sorry, Madam Speaker.

But the special night was about the art – not what the artists wore, I should be reminded.

"With their extraordinary genius and tenacity, the 2008 Honorees have redefined the way we see, hear and feel the performing arts. We will forever be thankful for the great gifts (the honorees) have shared with us," said Kennedy Center Chairman Stephen A. Schwarzman.

The ceremony will be broadcast in its entirety December 30th on CBS.

Diamonds and Metallics Win Big at American Music Awards

Icy diamond cuffs, dazzling statement earrings, and layered chain necklaces all made a glittering appearance at the American Music Awards last night at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles - and the frocks followed suit with a metallic parade of shimmery sequins in gold, silver and bronze.

Taylor Swift is proving to be as big a fashion plate as she is a singing sensation, appearing in an off-the-shoulder silver gown with tasteful diamond drop earrings. The show’s opening act, Christina Aguilera, dazzled in a sequined number reminiscent of old Hollywood, with a diamond cuff as thick as a McEnroe sweatband. Pink and Paris wore their diamonds with golden fabric hues, and Queen Latifah and red carpet host, Carrie Ann Inaba, brought home the bronze.

Competing for several AMA awards, Rhianna and Alicia Keys also battled it out in the “who wore the biggest earrings” category, with the former in thick diamond and gold hoops and the latter in a unique diamond and mother-of-pearl design. Ms. Keys took the look further by adding a traditional Indian accessory, a diamond tikka, which dropped down her forehead in a glittering display.

The AMAs traditionally center around performances, and last night was no exception. The show featured high-energy sets from Miley Cyrus, Ne-Yo and Beyonce, though a pair of lackluster medleys opened the program from Christina Aguilera and the reunited boy band from yesteryear, New Kids on the Block. Yes, folks, they're still hanging tough.

Other highlights included an inspired performance by the Award of Merit winner, Annie Lennox, who brought the crowd to their feet with her stripped down performance of “Why”. And in a pleasant surprise, Pink joined Sarah MacLachlan on stage to harmonize beautifully to her hit “Angel”.

But the biggest shock of the night wasn't when Kanye West called himself the new Elvis, but when the Artist of the Year award went to a stunned Chris Brown.

"I was shocked," the 19-year-old crooner said backstage. "I'm so thankful and grateful. I thought Coldplay should have won the award, but I'll take it."

Click here for a complete look at last night’s big winners.

Diamonds, Gold and Dreams

Movies and jewelry are always a winning combination in my book, and Cartier is combing both in a unique installation at next month’s Art Basel Show in Miami. Cartier, the only jewelry sponsor of the world renowned art destination, will present a visual installation by the expert filmmaker and creep master, David Lynch, called “Diamonds, Gold and Dreams”.

The installation will be housed in the Cartier Dome, which includes a seven-minute "floating diamond" projection that will be displayed each hour accompanied by a musical score in an atmosphere with golden-fabric walls, gold-printed carpeting, gold trimmed display cases, an ornate curved display case for the famous Patiala necklace, and gold-accented furniture with reflective glass tops.

Lynch has come a long way from Laura Palmer, severed ears and the log lady. Oh how we miss them all…

Cartier will also debut two new glittering jewelry lines. The first, Hypnose, is a collection of black and white rings, pendants, bracelets and drop earrings made of 18-karat white gold with diamonds. Cartier says it’s reminiscent of the Art Deco movement and was inspired by a necklace Cartier created in 1907 with diamonds imitating watered silk. The other is a high jewelry collection of 17 one-of-a-kind tasseled pieces featuring blue sapphires and spinels with red hues.

The jewelry will arrive in Cartier boutiques in March, and the Lynch installation will loom large from December 4th – December 7th. Seems the perfect time to find yourself in Miami, no?

Citrine: November's Sunny Birthstone

Citrine is the most affordable of all the earth-toned gemstones, thanks to its durability and availability. It has become increasingly popular with budget-minded women looking to expand their work and leisure jewelry wardrobes.

Citrine, a form of quartz, derives its name from the French word for lemon, "citron." It is available in a range of golden hues from lemon to straw to sun yellow to gold, as well as oranges, browns, and deep madeira red. It is generally more inexpensive than amethyst and is also available in a wide range of calibrated sizes and shapes, including very large sizes.

Citrine's lively colors can brighten almost any jewelry style, and it blends especially well with yellow gold. Its low cost makes it an ideal stone for popular free-form fancy cuts for one-of-a-kind and customized pieces. And good cut is as important in determining citrine's quality as it is for more expensive yellow counterparts, such as yellow sapphire.

As with other stones, citrine in very large sizes (above three carats) in rich, deep colors has always been rare and therefore the most valuable form of the gem. Although this stone's dark orange and red shades traditionally have been the most prized, its bright lemony hues have become very popular in recent years because they mix better with pastel colors.

In ancient times, citrine was carried as a protection against snake venom and evil thoughts. It was also thought to give calmness and mental balance to its wearer.

Citrine is the birthstone for November, as well as recommended jewelry gift for couples celebrating their 13th wedding anniversary.

Most citrine is mined in Brazil. Supplies are most plentiful in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, particularly from the Serra mine. The Ira' mine also produces large quantities of the gem.

These stones generally start life as either smoky quartz or amethyst geodes. Heat treatments first turn them clear and then give them a permanent color ranging from yellow to brownish red.

Sometimes citrine is referred to as topaz quartz, which is incorrect. The name refers to the color, which is sometimes similar to topaz. But since topaz is a separate mineral, the name could be confusing and should not be used.

Occasionally, Mother Nature combines the colors of amethyst and citrine into a single gemstone called ametrine.

With a ranking of "7" on the Mohs scale of hardness (from 1-10, with "10" representing a diamond, the hardest mineral on earth), citrine has excellent durability and is suitable for everyday wear. However, since much of the citrine on the market today has been heat treated to improve its color, it should be kept away from prolonged exposure to strong light or heat.

Diamonds Glitter at Glamour Awards

How is it that Hillary Clinton, Jane Goodall, Condoleezza Rice, a pair of Olympic athletes and five female Nobel Prize winners can share the same honor with umm…Tyra Banks? It must be time for Glamour’s Women of the Year awards.

Last night the fashion magazine held their famous awards ceremony at Carnegie Hall, and they continued their tradition of honoring women from all walks of life.

I guess Glamazon media mogul is a walk of life?

Some of our favorite fashion plates were there to celebrate, including Fergie in white and silver Michael Kors, and the classic Debra Messing in Ralph Lauren.

"I'm wearing sparkles and feathers and tulle and I just thought it was appropriately Glamour-ous," she told a Glamour reporter.

But did Messing’s famous stylist, Rachel Zoe, get the ‘witch vibe’? We’re thinking definitely ‘yes’.

Of course it was new mom, Nicole Kidman, who took fashion’s grand prize for the night in a gorgeous L’Wren Scott gown with tasteful diamond drop earrings and a fashion-forward arm band.

In town to promote her new Baz Luhrman film, Australia, the A-lister was delighted with her Glamour award for helping fight violence against women.

"It's such a privilege. I feel a little overwhelmed," she told USA Today.

I wonder if she was overwhelmed when Australia co-star Hugh Jackman shot that shirtless campfire scene? If you haven’t seen the trailer, ladies, fasten your seatbelts…

But all fashion, gossip and jewels aside, it was New York Senator and ‘almost’ President, Hillary Clinton, that made the biggest impression, inspiring a minute-long standing ovation.

Condoleezza Rice, elegant in Oscar de la Renta, had kind words about her fellow A-list political honoree: "I'm very fond of her, and I think she's a great lady."

Bi-partisanship extends its Glamorous reach. It really is a new day.

For a complete list of the night’s winners, click here.

Is Paris Hilton Engaged?

Last week, Paris Hilton appeared on the Late Show With David Letterman to promote her new movie, Repo! The Genetic Opera. But it was the gi-normous diamond ring on her left hand that got all of the attention. The Rock of Gibralter has nothing on this bauble, people.

When an obviously smitten Dave asked the heiress about the ice, she coyly replied that it was a gift from ‘someone’. She went on to talk about her relationship with musician, Benji Madden, and gushed at their “boyfriend/girlfriend” status.

"I love him," Hilton said. "He’s a good guy."

The two appeared later in the week at the Repo premiere at Sin City’s Planet Hollywood, where she admitted to an Extra reporter that the two lovebirds might get married and have kids “someday”.

Let’s hope her "boyfriend" gives her better reviews than the film is garnering. Yikes.

Diamonds clearly suit her better than the “thespian” life.

Halloween High Fashion

With the make up stains now a permanent fixture on your Joker Nurse costume and your candy collection down to the B list, we thought we'd share our favorite celebrity-bejeweled costume to cure your Halloween hangover.

There were several high profile bashes on both coasts, including Kim Kardashian's L.A. masquerade party and the soiree at the Roosevelt Hotel. But perhaps the hottest ticket was for Heidi Klum's Halloween Party in the big apple- and fittingly her scary Indian goddess costume takes our top prize.

According to US Magazine, Klum got the idea from her assistant.

"My husband [Seal] and I were in India last year, so she said, 'Why don't you do an Indian goddess? Like a scary Indian goddess?' And I said 'OK!'"

"So then she Googled around and she found Kali and showed me a picture, and I loved it," Klum said. "I loved it because she's so mean and killed all these different people and [had] fingers hanging off [her] and little shrunken heads everywhere."

According to Indian tradition, Kali's jewelry consists of earrings made from two dead bodies and a necklace of skulls. We're glad Heidi took a less literal approach - but it's clear the gold fan earrings, elaborate headdress and elbow-length bangles (on all eight of her arms) were meant to look larger than life.

The party took place at 1 Oak in New York City and revelers included the likes of Pink and Project Runway winner, Christian Siriano.

Jewelry Sparkles Across the Pond

How much do we love film festivals? It’s like a red carpet wonderland of movie stars, glamorous frocks and jewels, jewels, jewels. And much like Fashion Week, you don’t have to look too far to find one this time of year.

The Times BFI London Film Festival is the place to be in October. Europe’s largest public film event showcases the best in contemporary cinema from filmmakers around the globe and lasts for a glittering two weeks throughout the city.

This year’s lineup features the critically acclaimed, Rachel Getting Married starring a gorgeous Anne Hathaway, Woody Allen’s Vicky Christina Barcelona, and Oliver Stone’s controversial look at our Commander in Chief, W. Other entries include Steven Soderberg’s, Che, and Ron Howard’s film version of the Tony winning play, Frost Nixon.

But enough about those pesky movies - what about the jewels! We spotted a glowing Jessica Biel in diamond drops, Anne Hathaway in gold bangles, Elizabeth Banks in the statement necklace trend, Laura Linney in diamond hoops and Gwynnie in a classic, vintage diamond choker.

And of course, there is Penelope. ‘Nuff said.

Click here for a complete look at the festival line up! In the meantime, on to Rome!

Jamie-Lynn's Jewels

From ‘badda-bing’ to making bling, former Soprano, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, is adding jewelry designer to her glittering resume. Sigler and friend, Holly Freeman, have joined forces to create a custom jewelry line that will be ready for special order in the New Year.

The gal pals started the project while Jamie-Lynn spent a month living with Holly and her son in Los Angeles.

“We would put the baby to sleep, and we would just start beading and talking, and we realized this would be a fun thing for us to do,” Sigler explains.

The beaded jewelry line, called C.J. Free after Holly’s son, will feature bangles and pendant necklaces and is made from gold, rose gold, white gold with custom charms and precious stones. Jamie-Lynn and Holly do all the beading themselves.

“We love accessories; we love jewelry, so we’re having a lot of fun,” says Sigler.

Make that jewelry magic happen for us, Meadow. Bead, baby, bead!

Paris Goes to London

Designer clothes, jewelry and a rock and roll circus – seems the perfect recipe to lure Hollywood ‘It’ girls out of their luxurious lairs. Edgy clothing label, Diesel xXx, came up with the winning combination by hosting what they called “the biggest international party the world has ever seen.” It's no surprise, then, that Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and other celebs took the bait.

The party started in Tokyo and continued on to Beijing, Dubai, Athens, Amsterdam, Milan, Zurich, Munich, Paris, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Oslo, Helsinki, London and Sao Paulo with a grand finale in New York City.

Whew! Even my head is spinning…

We found Paris in London of all places, doing her best Joan Jett impression with a goth-y necklace and a blonde bff as her two most prominent accessories.

Lindsay showed up in Brooklyn with a black and white diamond ring, layered diamond pendants and a series of gold bangles and cuffs. Former Destiny’s Child, Michelle Williams, rocked a vintage onyx statement necklace and Taylor Momsen and rock royalty, Zoe Kravitz, wore a series of beaded necklaces, gold chains, and bangles.

Inspired by the old European traveling circuses of yesteryear, the Diesel xXx "Rock and Roll Circus" featured theatrical circus elements including cabaret, fire eaters, trapeze artists, sword swallowing, female roller derby squads and a Mash Up-inspired concert featuring performances by T.I., Pharrell, M.I.A., Hot Chip and Chaka Khan.

Seems like a lot of work to get folks to buy your jeans.

Opals -All You Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask

Every once in a while, we like to bring a little jewelry learnin' to the table for our dedicated readers. If you or someone you love was born in October, here is the full rundown on the history of the month's opulant birthstone - the Opal. Enjoy!

OPAL OPULANCE:

Opal, the birthstone for October, is one of nature's most prized gems. The stone - which also happens to be the recommended jewelry gift for couples celebrating their 14th wedding anniversary - was mined by eastern Europeans, the Aztecs and the ancient tribes of Central Africa. Opals have been featured in the crown of the Holy Roman Emperor and the crown jewels of France. They were mentioned in the plays of Shakespeare and the novels of Sir Walter Scott. Napoleon gave an opal to Josephine. Queen Victoria gave them out as wedding gifts.

One of the reasons this gem has been so revered is because of its supposed mystical powers. Scandinavian women wore opals in their hair to prevent it from going gray. The Arabs thought opal would ward off lightning and grant invisibility to its wearer. Other powers ascribed to the gem include the ability to grant vigor, aid the heart and kidneys and protect against fainting and infection.

Worshipped by the Romans as a symbol of hope, fidelity, purity and good luck, opal is sometimes called the "queen of gems" because the stone can flash patterns of color representing every hue of the rainbow.

This "play of color" is one of opal's signature characteristics. The gem is found in a range of hues, including white opal (the most common); black opal; "boulder" opal (black opal with iron oxide); crystal or water opal, which is transparent; and fire opal, which has a yellow to orange to red body color.

The vast majority of the world's opal supply comes from Australia. Black opal is the rarest variety and therefore the most valuable. White opal is also mined in Brazil. Fire and crystal opal can be found in the United States (Nevada) and Mexico.

Brilliance of color and color pattern are critical in determining the value of opal. Opals with strong flashes of red fire are generally the most prized. Stones with blue or green flashes are more common and subsequently less valuable. Stone size also helps determine price, since the gem is very rare in larger sizes. Prices can vary from a few dollars per carat for common white opal to more than $1,000 per carat for fine black opal. Most stones are not faceted and usually cut into rounded cabochons to enhance color play.

Perfect natural opals are extremely rare and expensive. Many are treated to enhance their appearance. One common technique is to place the opal in a sugar solution and then in sulfuric acid, which blackens body color and makes the play of color more pronounced. Other treatments include applications of colorless oil, wax and resin, plastic, or synthetic resins and hardeners to fill cracks and improve durability.

With a hardness of approximately 5.5 on the Mohs scale, opal is relatively fragile, and care should be taken not to scratch, chip or crack it. To clean opal, use a soft cloth moistened with olive oil. Do not use chemical or mechanical cleaners. Also, avoid heat and dry conditions that could dehydrate and crack the stone.

Jewelry's Amazing Race

There are no desert islands, dirty outhouses, or bug eating contests involved in this amazing race. Try chauffeur-driven cars, champagne and a glittering jewelry creation for a grand prize. Now that’s a scavenger hunt.

The occasion? Luxury jewelry label, Boucheron, is celebrating their 150th anniversary by hosting a treasure hunt throughout the streets of London. Teams will be made up of the U.K’s top editors-in-chiefs, celebrities and the label’s top twenty VIP customers.

Each team will have an hour and half to complete the hunt and will bring their results back to a judging panel consisting of Gucci Group CEO Robert Polet, Boucheron CEO Jean-Christophe Bedos and a mystery celebrity judge.

The pricey grand prize will be a glittering jewelry statement created by a mystery designer and is rumored to be worth close to $180,000. That's a lot of mystery. Another tidbit being tossed around the rumor mill is that famous designer, Alexander McQueen, and one Sir Elton John are joining the well-heeled scavengers.

Sir EJ might not win an arm wrestling contest, but he is as passionate about jewelry as he is about long-tailed suits and big sunglasses. Look out, people.

Bigger Heads Prevail in Paris

Last week we lamented the lack of diamonds, gemstones, gold – any sign of a jewelry statement on the Paris runways. And while we held out hope that situation would change, it was most definitely the hat that stole the season this year.

From Galliano to Gautier, Parisian audiences were treated to a theatrical showing of huge headwear and jaw-dropping fashion. Galliano’s Napoleonic military looks were balanced by his Little Bo Peep-inspired bonnets. His clothes were simple, flirty and floral with a line of dresses party girls will surely have on their racks for spring.

Jean Paul Gautier for Hermes channeled his inner cowgirl for a western inspired line spattered with cowboy hats, cigars and cactus – or is it cacti? And the always impeccable Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel stuck to basics with a black, white and gray palette accented by feather poof headdresses.

Marc Jacobs came to our rescue with the by now ubiquitous statement necklace as did fashionista favorite, Stella McCartney. But designers like Hussein Chalayan, fashion icon, Sonia Rykiel, and Bernhard Willhelm favored les chapeaux magnifique, instead, with looks that ranged from the geometric to the feline.

At the end of the day, the fashion world was runway weary after New York, London and Milan, but our hats are off to Paris for keeping the catwalks crackling - even if our favorite accessory was MIA. À bientôt, alors!