A new season is here and an accessory refresh is a must! In the past, we’ve looked to the runways for inspiration, but this time we decided to spot our own trends! We’ve analyzed the data to show you what purchases are trending for spring from TrueFacet. Here’s a list of currently-popular women’s jewelry trends and men’s and women’s watch trends.

Jewelry

Ring Trends:
This season we’ve seen rings trending as one of the most popular jewelry choices. The styles, though, have varied in two ways. First, the more adventurous have opted for bold cocktail rings with bright stones, like David Yurman Albion rings. The opposite is also on trend. Simple, silver rings with small details have been trending. The sterling silver Gucci cutout ring and Tiffany Atlas rings have been the silver rings of choice.

Colorful bangles for Spring:
Bangles are possibly more popular than rings so far in 2016, due in part to the Cartier Love bracelet. However, we’ve seen many other bracelets increasing in sale, especially the closer we get to spring. David Yurman cable bracelets have been a trendy accessory for several seasons, but we’ve seen an increase in the number of bracelets sold with colored stones like amethyst and blue topaz. Finally, Hermes H braclets, the ever-popular icon, have been selling fast and in bright colors. If you see a clic clac bracelet pop up, then act fast, because these bracelets are selling out quickly.

Simple Pendants:
Necklaces are simple this season with uncomplicated pendant necklaces leading in sales. Sterling silver is the most popular metal choice, making this an easy accessory to add to your spring collection. For a bit of color, we’ve seen David Yurman Albion pendant necklaces with colored stones. The most classic option: Tiffany & Co. sterling silver pendant necklaces, especially Paloma Picasso Loving Heart necklaces and Elsa Peretti Teardrop and Bean necklaces.

Watches

Sports Watches:
Spring and summer seasons are the time for activity and adventure. When your best plans are outdoors, then you’ll need the perfect sports watch that will make it through any occasion. Rolex watches are by far the most popular of any watch brand on TrueFacet. We’ve seen the favorites are the Submariner, Explorer II and GMT-Master II. Close behind was Omega with the Seamaster and Speedmaster. Honorable mentions: Panerai Luminor Marina, TAG Heuer Formula 1 and Breitling Superocean.

Dress Watches:
For officewear, your watch should be dressier. Dress watches tend to be very simple and plain with icons staying in fashion for decades. Typically, we’ve seen dress watches have little variance across seasons. So far in 2016, we’ve seen the most popular dress watches are the Rolex Datejsut, Cartier Roadster and Santos and Omega Constellation.

Womens Watches:
Women’s fine watches typically stay within the classic jewelry brands. Though women’s Rolex watches are popular too. The Cartier Tank Francaise and Bulgari Diogano are popular women’s choices. At lower price points, we’ve see fashion watches sell frequently with Michael Kors and Michele the most popular.

The world’s largest watch fair is slated for March 17-24. Each year hundreds of the world’s top watchmakers and jewelers gather in Basel, Switzerland to exhibit their newest designs, innovations and product releases for the year. Over 100,000 visitors are expected to be in attendance as the Baselworld watch and jewelry fair is the industry event of the year. We were interested in how this event became the premier watchmaking event in the world, so we took to researching. Check out the history of Baselworld below.

It’s been nearly 100 years since the first watch fair in Basel, Switzerland. It was known as the Swiss Design Fair Basel in 1917, which included a showcase of watch and jewelry design among other industries. Though the exhibition primarily featured other industries, there was a small amount dedicated to the few watchmakers in attendance. In 1931, as watchmakers grew in numbers, the watch industry earned a more formal designation known as the Swiss Watch Fair.

Over the years, similar exhibitions were held, always in Basel, and changed names. In 1972 the European Watch and Clock Exhibition and the Swiss Watch Fair were both held at the same time. Due to the large turnout and unnecessary exclusivity, the following year, the European Watch and Jewelry Show took place instead of two separate shows. This is the first time that non-Swiss, European watch manufacturers were in attendance at the same exhibition.

Basel 83 was the first time the host city was referenced in the title of the exhibition. Then, three years later, non-European watchmakers were invited to the show for the very first time, marking the transition to a truly global watch fair. The named lengthened, but the city’s name remained. Those within the watch industry were referring to the show simply as ‘Basel.’ The show grew in size over the decades and in 2003 the name was changed, once again, to its present term, Baselworld. By 2007, attendance grew to 100,000, a staggering number that truly highlights the international and important nature of the show.

As attendance and prominence grew, the convention space needed an upgrade. In 2013, the exhibition hall was modernized and remodeled. The new space is over 1,506,00 square feet and three stories tall. Ninety-nine years after its origins took root, 2016 will see over 100,000 watchmakers, watch enthusiasts and journalists from over 100 countries.

Photo Credit: sloverniatimes.com / 100jahrezukunft.ch / watchalyzer.com/

Put on your yellow gloves. Pull out the vacuum. Break out the Windex.

Spring cleaning season is here.

As you start weeding through your closet, remember: you can always make room in your jewelry box by selling the pieces you no longer wear on the TrueFacet marketplace. If you’re interested in consigning with TrueFacet, we rounded up our site-wide best sellers so you know what our shoppers are most interested in buying.

TrueFacet Jewelry Best Sellers

1. Cartier Love Bracelets and Rings

Cartier Love Bracelets and Rings are consistently best-sellers on TrueFacet. But the fastest selling are yellow gold or white gold Love bracelets in size 16 and 17 and Love rings in white gold, followed by mini Love rings in white gold. Although the white gold Love Bracelets are only slightly less popular than the yellow gold variety, they do retain their resale value better. To learn more about selling your Cartier Love pieces, check out this post.

2. CHANEL Brooches and Faux Pearl Necklaces

Brooches have steadily increased in popularity, first popping up on the runways and then decorating street style darlings. In turn, there has been an uptick in interest for CHANEL brooches, especially ones with the iconic CC logo and faux-pearls. Demand for vintage faux-pearl CHANEL necklaces has also increased recently. As always, CHANEL logo earrings are steadfast fan-favorites.

3. David Yurman Cable Bracelets, Albion Necklaces, Chatelaine Rings

David Yurman’s Cable Bracelets’ friendly price-point and trend-right look have made them super appealing to shoppers. Lately David Yurman Cable Bracelets capped by colored stones have been selling faster than their all-metal versions. Other current David Yurman favorites include Albion pendant necklaces and Chatelaine rings with bright gemstones.

4. Tiffany & Co. Atlas Collection, Paloma Picasso Loving Heart, Elsa Peretti Teardrop and Bean Pendants

Tiffany & Co.’s recognition is virtually unparalleled and the brand consistently entices shoppers with a wide variety of timeless designs. Therefore they are consistently poised as a best-seller on TrueFacet whose shoppers have been particularly drawn towards the Atlas Collection and Atlas Rings in particular. Paloma Picasso Loving Heart jewelry and Elsa Peretti Teardrop and Bean styles are also common favorites.

5. Hermès Clic H and Clic Clac Bracelets

Snapped up nearly immediately after going live, TrueFacet has a hard time keeping Hermès Clic H and Clic Clac bracelets in stock. If you’re keen to sell a Hermès bracelet, rest assured that they are in high demand year round. .

TrueFacet Watch Best Sellers

1. Rolex Datejust, Submariner, Explorer II, GMT-Master II

Rolex ranks as the top-selling watch brand on TrueFacet. Because Rolexes are classically designed, impeccably made and fashioned with durable materials, many watch collectors and enthusiasts will shop pre-owned Rolex watches to cut costs from shopping retail. The most popular Rolex models are the Submariner, Explorer II, GMT-Master II, Datejust and Day-Date.

2. Omega Seamaster, Speedmaster, Constellation

Many collectors are on the hunt for vintage Omega timepieces and hope to score a deal with a second-hand Omega watch. In turn the most sought-after styles on TrueFacet are the Seamaster, Speedmaster and vintage Constellation.

3. Panerai Luminor Marina

Though the brand harkens back to 1860, Panerai’s popularity with watch collectors only gained real traction within the last decade. The over-sized and rugged appeal of the diver’s watch and high-quality materials have endeared Panerai to nostalgic watch lovers. On TrueFacet, the favorite Panerai model has been the Luminor Marina, followed closely by the Radiomir.

4. Cartier Santos, Tank Francaise, and Roadster

Just like Cartier jewelry, Cartier watches are beloved by TrueFacet shoppers. One of Cartier’s first wristwatches, the Santos, and the timeless women’s Tank Francaise watch continue to be a popular choice. And lately the Roadster has been increasingly sought after.

5. TAG Heuer Formula One and Professional

Budget-friendly and high-quality TAG Heuer is a dependable favorite and consistently catches the eye of brand enthusiasts. The most in demand styles are the men’s and women’s Formula One and the men’s Professional watch.

Interested in selling with TrueFacet? Take advantage of our complimentary white glove consignment service. Learn more here.

Spring is in session and we are ready for the new styles that come with the new season. We looked to the spring 2016 runway shows and the most recent round of New York Fashion Week to bring you the most wearable jewelry trends for spring. Check out our favorites, from colorful gemstones to monochrome hardware. We’ll also give you inspiration on how to wear the latest looks.

1. Heavy Metalware

If your style is more no frills than floral and bright, then this may be the trend for you. We’ve seen this look on the runways of Givenchy (pictured), Emilio Pucci, Giambattista Valli, Calvin Klein and Alexander Wang. These designers liked to add an industrial edge with buckles, chains and similar forms. The look can be as simple as a simple, silver chain-link bracelet or necklace, or something more intricate like these earrings from Emilio Pucci.

If you are a fan of this Givenchy look, it’s easy enough to find a similar piece. For a low price point, you can wear this Tiffany necklace. At a higher price point, there’s this Cartier Trinity necklace.

2. Collars and Chokers

This trend has shown no signs of slowing down. The new statement necklace is the quirky collar or choker. It’s absolutely everywhere, making appearances at Bottega Veneta, Coach and Dior (pictured), just to name a few. We like the the collars with a subtle quirk like the blue stone on this Dior choker.

To get this look, find an irregular or unique necklace that sits around the throat or just at the base of your neck. We are fans of many Chanel pieces that utilize crystal and faux pearls for an elaborate baroque design, like this Chanel faux pearl choker. If your style is a little sweeter, then this Christian Dior bow necklace is the perfect, subtle touch.

3. Bold Statement Earrings

Statements are everywhere, but if you aren’t as bold as Marchesa, then perhaps you may want to choose just one statement piece at once this season. Bold, unexpected and eye-catching are the qualities you are looking for when trying out this trend. We’ve seen it at Marchesa (pictured), Oscar de la Renta, Gucci, Proenza Schouler and so many more shows — it’s the style of the season.

The look is easy to tailor to your own style. Do you have a romantic style? Then try a baroque-inspired pair of chandelier earrings. If you have a contemporary look, then find oversized hoops, or drop earrings. To elevate your style to the next week, try the mismatched or single earring trend. We’re fans of these Chanel drop earrings and these blue enamel drop earrings for a pop of color.

4. Colorful Gemstones

Colorful palettes are a must for spring and there’s no better way to achieve the look than with bright, gemstone jewelry! This trend is probably the must fun and cheerful — if it’s large and bright, then put it on! We saw the most elaborate jewelry from Ralph Lauren (pictured) and Marchesa at NYFW in February and couldn’t help but imagine the bright and elaborate gemstone look for spring and summer.

Choose one piece of jewelry — necklace, earrings, bracelets or rings — with an elaborate and colorful gemstone design. This works well with flashy faux stones and precious stones alike. We love these Bulgari sapphire earrings, but at a lower pricepoint, these sterling silver chandelier earrings are perfect too.

5. The Future Is Now

This trend is all about futuristic, modern and sleek jewelry design. Zimmermann (pictured), Opening Ceremony and Public School were among the many designers who have accessorized their shows with contemporary designs. The pieces are typically simplistic, unconventional and metallic, perhaps layered. Long chains and large amounts of negative space are crucial to the designs.

Jewelry that follows this trend is perfect for a simple and sleep look or as an interesting contrast to more feminine clothing and patterns. It’s also easy to incorporate other trends into this look. You can try the hardware look or single earring trend with these Gucci horesebit earrings. You can also try the choker look with this Fred of Paris pearl choker.

Photo Credit: vogue.co.uk

Audemars Piguet’s luxurious watches are a serious investment but well worth it to own a piece of incredible craftsmanship. However, its high demand and desirability leaves Audemars Piguet—and the people who want to shop it—vulnerable to counterfeiters. Check out these tips to spot a fake watch and shop with confidence.

1. Compare the Price

If you’re in the market for an Audemars Piguet watch, your dollars go much further if you purchase a pre-owned Audemars Piguet watch in lieu of an Audemars Piguet store or an authorized dealer. That said, you want to thoroughly research the seller and price compare your desired piece to the market value of similar models in a similar condition. If the piece you’re eyeing is significantly cheaper than the competitors, this may be cause for concern as it could be an imposter watch. Price alone cannot determine whether that inexpensive Audemars Piguet watch is counterfeit or in fact a really great find but a suspiciously low price is worth taking into serious consideration.

2. Research the Seller

Scrutinize the seller’s website. If the site seems incomplete (for instance, the “About Us” page says, “Coming soon”), it may be a scam website. And double-check the URL. It is common for counterfeiters to use a domain name that is a close misspelling of a credible seller to capture sales via misdirected shoppers.

Comb through customer reviews across multiple sites. If reviews are terse, eerily similar to one another, or are identical across multiple review sites, the seller could be posting phony reviews. Alternatively, if you cannot find any information on the seller, it’s best to move on.

Also track down where the seller is located. The majority of overseas sellers are based out Asia—which does not mean all sellers abroad are counterfeit; rather, this should be a point in a list of factors to determine the seller’s credibility.

3. Examine the Watch Quality

If you’re fortunate enough to handle the watch before purchasing it, closely examine the watch’s engravings. While unclear or less-than-perfect stamps are a dead giveaway the piece is a fake, counterfeiting technology has vastly improved and can seem authentic.

Be mindful of the spelling of Audemars Piguet on the watch in question as, even with a genuine-looking stamp, a misspelled brand name is common.

Also, while genuine Audemars Piguet pieces have a bright and consistent luminous quality to them, counterfeiters will not have the same kind of glow due to the cheap phosphorescent glowing solution they apply to fake models.

Audemars Piguet watches have a very specific design lasered onto the dial that forgers find difficult to replicate. Very commonly, forgers will either forgo the complicated Tapisserie pattern on the dial completely, or botch the design.

The weight of the watch is also an immediate red flag. Actual Audemars Piguet are heavy as far as watches go; these luxurious watches are made of weighty steel and gold. Also Audemars Piguet’s mechanical movements are noticeably heavier than the quartz movements common in most fakes.

Finally, listen closely to see if the watch is making a ticking sound. Swiss watchmakers like Audemars Piguet have perfected their craft over the centuries so high-quality movements are nearly inaudible. If you can hear ticking, it’s likely that Audemars Piguet is a fake.

4. Ask a Trusted Watch Expert

While these tips may help you identify a fake Audemars Piguet watch, it does not guarantee its authenticity. It takes a trained watch expert to authenticate the piece and ensure the watch and all its components are real Audemars Piguet parts.

If you have further questions regarding TrueFacet’s authentication process, contact our concierge representative here.

The Royal Oak is Audemars Piguet’s signature watch, but, without serious industry pressure and risk-taking executives pushing for an innovative design, it may never have come to fruition. Here are six interesting facts about the acclaimed Royal Oak’s origin story.

1. The Royal Oak saved Audemars Piguet’s business.

The Royal Oak made its debut amidst the infamous Quartz Crisis. Like many of its competitors, Audemars Piguet’s sales took a significant hit throughout the 1970s as inexpensive quartz watches flooded the market and effectively replaced the high-end mechanical watches. Audemars Piguet was left scrambling for a revolutionary watch design that would revive sales and stave off financial ruin. Enter the Royal Oak in 1972…

And while you would expect the story to continue with how the Royal Oak was an immediate smash success, it was, in reality, harshly criticized at its release. Experts denounced the Royal Oak’s unconventional design and jaw-dropping price tag of 3300 Swiss Francs which was nearly ten times more expensive than a Rolex Submariner at the time.

In turn, sales were painfully slow to come. It took Audemars Piguet more than a year to sell the first 1,000 Royal Oak watches. But in that time, the Royal Oak was adopted by the industry’s tastemakers and considered a prize for any watch collector. Following its rocky start, the Royal Oak remained Audemars Piguet’s best-seller and effectively brought the company back from the brink of bankruptcy.

2. The Royal Oak was designed less than 24-hours before its presentation.
In 1971, the flailing Audemars Piguet decided to capitalize on some feedback it received from the Italian market that cited a need for a sporty yet elegant steel watch design. This request was surprising as, at the time, luxury watches were largely made of precious metals; steel was reserved for the more utilitarian designs of Omega and Rolex.

Practically grasping at straws for an appealing watch, Audemars Piguet’s managing director, Georges Golay, quickly recruited watch designer Gerald Genta. Genta had already made a name for himself designing iconic watches for Omega and Patek Philippe. The day before the 1971 Basel Fair, Golay outlined the brand’s expectations for an “unprecedented steel watch” and told Genta he had until the following morning to sketch his design. Remarkably, Genta delivered the radically different and now iconic Royal Oak design less than 24 hours after Golay’s call.

3. The first Royal Oak was made of white gold.
Although the Royal Oak was designed exclusively around the premise of a steel luxury watch, the prototypes were actually made of white gold. Surprisingly, producing this hefty watch with gold was more cost-effective than making it with steel; gold is more malleable than steel which made it an easier material to work with. With business down, Audemars Piguet decided to make the prototypes in white gold and waited for the Royal Oak’s public reception before scaling manufacturing and investing in the machinery required to produce Genta’s specifications in steel.

4. The Royal Oak was inspired by a diver’s helmet.
Genta sited a diver’s helmet as the primary inspiration source for the Royal Oak’s design. While professional divers today typically wear full-face diving masks, the diving helmets of 1971 were weighty copper designs with bolts securing the porthole-shaped window. For the Royal Oak, Genta translated the diver helmet’s bolts into a series of screws around an ocangular-shaped bezel.

5. The Royal Oak was named after a battleship—not the tree.
Keeping in step with his nautical-inspired design, Genta named his design after a fleet of ships called the HMS Royal Oak. That said, the HMS Royal Oak was in fact named after the oak tree that famously protected King Charles II during the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

6. … But the Royal Oak’s first proposed name was The Safari.
Before deciding upon the name Royal Oak, Genta had seriously considered naming it The Safari and even referred to the watch’s prototypes as The Safari. However, when the watch was about to hit the market, Audemars Piguet decided the name did not align with the brand’s identity and image and changed the name to the Royal Oak. Audemars Piguet would later release a special edition of the Royal Oak Offshore watches named The Safari which had a leather band and a white dial with black numbers.

Photo Credit: hodinkee.com / renegadetribune.com / kingsmagazine.se

An accessory of function and fashion, the brooch is perhaps one of the oldest forms of jewelry and it’s back. We’ve seen it on the runways of Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Les Copains, Carolina Herrara and more, and we are left wondering where this accessory got its start. Keep reading for the history of the brooch.

Brooches, at their beginning were used for primarily functional purposes, such as securing pieces of clothing, like a loincloth. Since the pin was only used for a utilitarian purpose, they were originally plain and unadorned, often made of flint or thorns. The first discoveries of the pin fashioned from metals date back the bronze age by the ancient Romans and Greeks.

The accessory didn’t become ornamental until the Byzantines exacted their liking for opulent colors. The pins of the Byzantines were often enameled with bright colors and patterns. Nomadic tribes carried this along trade routes and found its way as far west as Britain. While the pin was still used for function over form, the enameled brooches allowed for the transition to an ornamental accessory.

As brooches and pins were increasingly unnecessary for fastening clothing, they increased in size and served an ornamental purpose. As jewelry was an object of status, these brooches became decorated with gemstones and crafted in fine metals. The pieces became an accessory jewelers created in shapes of animals, flowers, geometric patterns and cameos.

The brooch alternated between ornate, gem-focused designs and open-work metal designs, depending on the jewelry trends of the period. In the 20th century, brooches were primarily worn below the neckline near the breast. However, the brooch lost favorability at the end of the century.

Now, in the 21st century, the brooch is making a comeback after a brief dormant period. The newest trends are primarily costume-grade, but that doesn’t mean losing the opulence and creativity that brought brooches to the fashion scene centuries ago.

Fashion designers have interpreted the brooch look as oversized, gem-set flowers, insects and animals in multiples. Others have taken to a solitary, statement brooch. Whatever your preference, there’s a way to make this ancient trend your own today.

Photo Credit: artancient.net / mfa.org / popsugar.com

Jewelry has been around as long as history stretches with different roles in various societies and cultures. Before we had precious metals and gemstones, stones, shells and other organic materials were used to adorn the people over 30,000 years ago. Later precious materials were the materials, but with the rise of jewelry in fashion, non-precious jewelry came back in style.

In ancient times, jewelry was intricate ornamentation and also a means to differentiate social status. This is even something true throughout history. Think of the Royal Jewels of the British monarchy or signs and symbols of wealth. Jewelry has even been used to mark association to certain organizations, like a masonic signet ring.

Jewelry has served a symbolic role throughout history, connoting a specific meaning based on the design. The mati or hamsa is a charm warding off the evil eye. An engagement ring symbolizes a commitment to marriage. However, the ability to wear jewelry was reserved for those of higher classes due to the costly nature of precious materials or sumptuary laws restricting certain groups of people from wearing ornate items.

The 17th and 18th century saw the rise of fakes. This was exclusively for fashion purposes when women would wear an abundance of pearls or ornate, bejeweled dresses on formal occasions. Starting in Paris, the fake jewelry trend spread to other European cities. In the early 19th century, Napoleon became the Emperor of France and brought elaborate fine jewelry trends back to the forefront as a display of wealth and status. His coronation crown even brought cameos to popularity. This time also saw the rise of jewelers specializing in fine jewelry with the highest craftsmanship.

With the industrial revolution came the means to produce quality imitation jewelry with materials like steel. The industrial revolution also brought about a new class of wealth in the middle class. This marked the true rise of costume jewelry made of semi-precious materials. With high-quality replicas at affordable prices, jewelry was no longer available to the wealthy few; everyone could afford a piece of costume jewelry. Chanel, Dior and Miriam Haskell were a few of the notable designers who brought costume jewelry to popularity.

Today, jewelry of all types, precious or costume, is available and coveted by all. For the fashion-forward jewelry lover, a wide array of costume pieces are available according to the ever-changing trends. Vintage costume staples by Coco Chanel are still in fashion. Classic staples are still created by jewelers who have been perfecting their craft since the 19th century.