All that glitters is now gold

I've developed a serious case of gold fever. During my weekly shopping excursion, I discovered jewelry in varying shades of gold, gleaming beneath glass display cases all over town. The classic, rich look of this precious metal is back in every shape and form from 14 to 24 karat. Paul Schneider, artist and owner of Twist (an art and jewelry shop with locations in Seattle, Portland and Eugene, Ore.), offers one obvious explanation: "Gold is the most beautiful metal; it's the color of the sun. It's rich and warm and looks luminous on the skin," he says. "White metals such as sterling silver are colder, and platinum can look a lot like stainless steel."

But that's just the tip of the gold nugget. Schneider noticed gold's increased presence on the runway over the last few years, but it took awhile before the Northwest caught on. "At one point, 85 percent of our fine jewelry was white metals and sterling silver, and almost 100 percent of our fashion jewelry was silver. Now about half the store is gold," he says.

The renewed interest is due partly to a change in attitude and also to new and innovative styles produced by designers. "People dismissed gold as being outdated and unattractive. They thought of shiny finishes and big chains." Schneider points out designers are using a range of karats, colored golds and matte finishes, adding that colored stones look gorgeous with gold. Twist has a wide range of gold jewelry by international as well as local designers in everything from 14k gold fill to 24k gold, and prices ranging from $30 to $12,000.

LOCAL GOLDSMITHS

Gold diggers will be happy to know there are several talented jewelry designers in our own backyard who fabricate, forge, planish (lightly hammer) and cast gold. These four designers are worth discovering if you haven't already:

Jamie Joseph is considering retiring silver from her collection altogether. "I've always loved gold and it's becoming more fashionable," says Joseph. Her jewelry has adorned a bevy of celebrities including Kirsten Dunst, Drew Barrymore, Sheryl Crow, Cameron Diaz and Naomi Watts. All of Joseph's jewelry is handcrafted and one-of-a-kind. She hand-cuts, carves and facets many of the semi-precious and precious stones she uses, some of which have unbelievable color such as chalcedony in varying shades of blue, Peruvian opals and prehnite, which is an almost other-worldly shade of green.

The breadth of her work is impressive, making it hard to decide which piece to choose — but you'll manage. I love her oversized faceted cabochon rings fitted with a tiny diamond, choker "Saturn" bracelets with substantial faceted cabochon stones and diamonds, and charm necklaces with gold and semi-precious stones acting as charms. Joseph's jewelry is available at Essenza. Prices start at $150. She also takes special orders.

Kimberly Baker has worked with sterling silver for years, making two distinctively different lines: a chunky rocker style that's influenced by vintage sailor tattoos and another that's decidedly modern, featuring geometric shapes. "I've never been able to find gold jewelry that spoke to me. It always looked so QVC," says Baker. So she started producing some of her popular rock 'n' roll styles in gold and designing new pieces.

I love the heft of her gorgeous honeycomb ring set with diamonds or other precious gems, and matching earrings. Celebs like Kim's jewelry, too. She just added to the goody bags of Emmy attendees Terri Hatcher ("Desperate Housewives"), Cheryl Hines ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") and Jennifer Freeman ("My Wife and Kids"). Prices range from $280 to $3,200. Available at Les Amis and on her Web site.

Lauren Schwartz started "dabbling" in gold this spring. "I've never really worn a lot of gold, but I was drawn to it," she says. When she began investing in higher-quality stones, she switched to gold because of how its warmth complemented the clarity and cuts. She also refined her style and her pieces became daintier and perfect for evening wear. Schwarz's designs are exotic but delicate, with a Byzantine influence of richly colored stones in delicious combinations that cascade from earrings and necklaces like sparkling waterfalls. Schwartz will design the same pieces in 14 gold, 14k gold fill or sterling silver. Prices for gold fill and 14k gold range from $80-$495, and are available at Essenza and on her Web site.

Michelle Lenae Logan was never partial to gold until she started working with it. "Then I fell in love with it — it has substance," she says, preferring the weight, density and integrity of the metal. Using lengths of 14k gold punctuated with semi-precious stones, Logan creates earrings and necklaces reminiscent of comets or shooting stars. She also casts organic objects in gold. Tiny golden rosebuds dangle from earrings and necklaces, and the center of an echinacea flower becomes a stunning ring or pendant. Logan's designs range from $85-$208 and are available at Alhambra.

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