TREND MODE ARTIST ON 2012

Find out what's going on in the world of jewelry, from the latest trends on the runway, to the hottest Hollywood styles and the most interesting jewelry news bytes.

Valentine's Day "okay" for jewelers. The Valentine's Day jewelry season was reportedly "okay" for many jewelry stores, who reported average, but not terrible sales. Popular sale items included reasonably priced beads, as well as silver, diamond engagement rings and studs. A few stores reported record sales. The owner of Woodard's Diamond Showroom in Tullahoma, Tennessee claimed the five days leading up to Valentine's Day were probably the best sales days ever for them. And pre-Valentine's Day sales were also "significantly up" at Occasions Fine Jewelry in Midland, Texas.

MJSA announces 2012 New York Expo dates. MJSA, the U.S. trade association dedicated to professional excellence in jewelry making and design, has announced three days of seminars at its annual "MJSA Expo New York" trade show. The expo will run from March 11-13 at the Hilton New York in New York City. The winners of the MJSA Thinking Ahead Awards, which recognize products that are making a difference in the way jewelry is made and sold, will be honored at a special ceremony during the seminars.

Cuffs with diamonds are Hollywood actors' best friend. Carla Gugino of the TV show Californication wore Brumani's "Looping Shine" bracelet to the Los Angeles premiere of the American Horror Story. The white and rose gold bracelet with diamonds and champagne topaz is worth $13,805. Also seen in diamond cuffs: Actress Sarah Wayne Callies of The Walking Dead in Hellmuth's Gold Croco pattern cuff with cubic zirconia worth $3,448 to the TV show's Los Angeles premiere of The Walking Dead.

There's diamonds in them thar park! A couple scavenging at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas recently found a diamond worth $21,000! The Crater of Diamonds is the only park in the world that lets the general public look for diamonds. The park has been the site of more than 30,000 diamond finds. (Book your flight now!)

Don't drop your (diamond-covered) iPhone. How's this for a fashion phone accessory? London jewelry designer Stuart Hughes has introduced his latest incarnation of diamond-covered cell phones: the Apple iPhone 4S. The phone's exterior body boasts more than 500 diamonds, totaling more than 100 carats. The phone also includes two diamonds which fit over the home button. One is a single cut 7.4-carat pink diamond; the other a rare 8-carat single cut flawless diamond. The back of the phone is rose gold-plated, and the Apple logo glitters with 53 diamonds. The phone comes in its own special granite box. The price tag for the Hughes' Apple iPhone 4S? (If you have to ask... ) Almost $9.5 million US dollars!

Empire Pawn of Nassau Makes It Easy

If you're looking to sell your gold, jewelry, sterling silver, coins, or other precious item, we invite you to Empire Pawn. As the oldest buyer of gold and fine jewelry on Long Island, Empire has the professionalism you can trust, with courteous service and always the best prices in the area.