Just because Hollywood stars Jennifer Lawrence, Megan Fox, Amy Adams, Jessica Alba and Octavia Spencer have been sporting the chic criss-cross "X" ring and bracelet in recent months, that doesn't mean it's caught the eye of local fashionistas.
Not yet, anyway.
Many local stores that carry jewelry aren't even aware of the dainty bling that many celebrities have been wearing at red carpet events. The EF Collection's Diamond X Ring hit the fashion scene last fall when A-list celebrities were photographed wearing them to movie premiers and award shows. The lightweight, dainty and delicate ring is a thin, jewel-encrusted double band that criss-crosses on the top and bottom of the finger. The X bracelet does the same thing on the wrist.
Trendy X rings and bracelets have been spotted on A-list celebrities, such as Jessica Alba, since last fall.Other jewelry companies began making their own versions. Still, while X jewelry has yet to become a fad locally, that doesn't mean it won't skyrocket in popularity sometime in the near future, says Sherry Mason, who co-owns Rone Regency Jewelers in East Brainerd with her husband, Bob.
"I am not getting many requests for this style -- yet," says Mason, who adds that, personally, she likes the X style.
"(I) ordered a costume piece of the same style to have our jeweler reproduce in yellow gold for me," she says. "We are going to a big jewelry show next month and that is a style I am looking for. I will wear mine and see the response I get."
Mason says customers will often react positively to a trendy piece, especially if they see one in person, in fashion magazines such as InStyle or on TV shows like "Scandal."
Suzanne West, owner of Frankie & Julian's, a fashion boutique on Frazier Avenue, says the X jewelry keeps showing up in boutiques and department stores in bigger cities.
"I was just in Miami and saw a lot of them, but I haven't seen many around here," she says.
West says it sometimes takes more than a year for a trend to make its way to Chattanooga.
"Some trends will never make it here, but most will trickle down eventually," she says. "Being a small town, we tend to be about a year-and-a-half behind Europe, New York City, etc. The Southeast and Midwest are the most behind when it comes to fashion trends. Since the ring was made popular last fall, it should start to be seen here."
She predicts higher-end jewelry stores will begin stocking X rings and bracelets soon, as well as those that offer lower prices.
Local jewelry designer Jonesy Wood is putting her own spin on the X ring.
Trendy X rings and bracelets have been spotted on A-list celebrities, such as Octavia Spencer, since last fall."I love the X-ring trend," says Wood, owner of Jonesy Wood Designs. "It adds an interesting twist to your accessories. You can wear yours subtle, add some bling to it or mix some different metals like 24-karat gold and rose gold.
"I love to do more trendy and fashion-forward jewelry because, as a designer, it really keeps me on my toes and my creative juices flowing."
She says she is designing new statement rings, including an X ring, to come out in the spring.
"I sell stuff coast to coast and what sells in California may not fly here in Chattanooga but will slowly creep this way," she says.
Cindy Brody, a jeweler at her family's jewelry store, Brody Jewelers in Rossville, Ga., says that, while there has long been a demand for jewelry with an "X" shape on the top of the piece -- as customary in many popular pieces by jewelry designer David Yurman -- there hasn't been a demand locally for the new criss-cross style. Nevertheless, the store recently stocked two styles of the ring made by designer Lafonn.
"We chose to stock the style with (cubic zirconia) rather than diamonds or other precious stones because our customers sometimes like to travel in fine jewelry that's not expensive. This particular style is an excellent option," she says.
At her store, the rings sell for $95 in sterling silver and $130 in rose-gold colored over sterling silver.
Colleen Murtaugh, an employee at Brody Jewelers, says that fads in jewelry, like all fashion, fluctuate in popularity and longevity.
"Jewelry trends definitely come and go, often in conjunction with fashion trends," she says. "Top designers jump on the trend bandwagon, quite often giving it their own twist."
Criss-cross X rings, such as this one by Lafonn ($95 in sterling silver, $130 in rose-gold over sterling at Brody Jewelers) are trending on red carpets.Some trends, she says, have staying power.
"White gold, for example, started as a trend and now the majority of jewelry produced is white versus yellow," she says.
That said, she doesn't expect the criss-cross design to hang around.
"I think this style is so hot right now because of the exposure it has received by celebrities wearing them," she says.
Contact Karen Nazor Hill at kill@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6396.