trend report 2012 -- says who?

whom, might i ask, has the final say for all these "top jewelry trends" that are hitting my inbox? (that will teach me to sign up for google alerts for "jewelry trends." go figure.) everyone and their sister has an opinion. the spring runways were ages ago, and we're definitely in-between the big red carpet moments, so does celebrity bling even count right now? yet terms like "yellow gold" and "chandeliers" are popping up on blogs and in magazines all over. even colors get claimed: one person's "tangerine" is another's "orangeade." what if you're in the mood for something a little more "cantaloupe?" will others snicker behind your back?

when it comes to jewelry, i tend to trend to practical -- not having a celeb's budget, i have to love a piece and be able to picture myself wearing it with oh so many looks for oh so many years. if it happens to be super-current, that's a happy bonus. we're talking gems and jewels here and it's harder, for me anyway, to justify the dollars on a sassy necklace that may feel dated two years from now than on an impulse purchase of skinny jeans, designer or not.

oh, and when, sometime later this year, i start going on and on about pearls because they're hot, hot, hot, please don't give me grief about not giving in to trends. sometimes a girl's just gotta go for it.