If you are looking for the Giada necklace you might be surprised. It's more than you might think it is!
Who Is Giada?
Giada De Laurentiis, granddaughter of film producer Dino De Laurentiis, has been the star of several shows on the Food Channel since 2003. She also owns a catering company in Los Angeles and is a cookbook author.
Giada is a very attractive, personable, petite brunette with a huge smile. She frequently wears a necklace that looks like a sprinkling of diamonds that seem to float around her neck. She achieves the look by wearing three separate necklaces.
Duplicating the Look
The key aspects to the look of the "Giada Necklace" are:
- The look is comprised of three separate round solitaire necklaces
- The solitaires are bezel set
- The length of each necklace varies about an inch in length
- The shortest necklace is choker length
- The overall look is of small gemstones on a delicate-looking chain
Women with a 15-inch neck can have the look of the Giada necklace with three round solitaires - a 15-inch, a 16-inch and a 17-inch. Women with larger necks can achieve the look with longer necklaces - such as a 20-inch, 21-inch and a 22-inch round solitaire.
If you are unable to find solitaires in the lengths you need, you can adjust the chain lengths by buying three identical solitaires and adjusting them in one of two ways:
- Buy three of the longest length you need, each with an adjustable chain. The chain should have large rings set one inch apart in the back. You can use the rings to shorten the chains of two of the solitaires to the lengths you need.
- Buy three of the shortest length you need. Purchase two chain extenders to lengthen the chains on two of the solitaires to the length you need.
Solitaire versus By-The-Yard
You can have a similar look to wearing three solitaires by three wraps of a chain with diamonds or cubic zirconias that have been evenly spaced along the length of the chain. This look is commonly called "by-the-yard" jewelry and was made famous by the diamonds by the yard jewelry from Tiffany:
- Advantages of the by-the-yard style - The gemstones will not usually move around on the neck. A solitaire is likely to move to the left or right and not stay centered on the neckline.
- Disadvantages of the by-the-yard style - The gemstones tend to flip over with the flat side (the table) laying against your skin and the point (the culet) pointing out away from the skin. A solitaire is less likely to flip over.
If you decide on the by-the-yard style necklace, you might be happiest if your necklace includes these features:
- Bezels around the gemstones - The bezels will keep the gemstones from flipping over.
- Small gemstones - Small gemstones, with weights of between .15 carats and.25 carats, will be less likely to flip over and will provide a look of sparkle against your neck.
- Strong chain - The chain can be delicate, but still strong. A white gold chain tends to be stronger than a yellow gold chain.
Diamonds versus Cubic Zirconias
Giada De Laurentiis' necklace might be made from diamonds or it might be cubic zirconias. The quality of cubic zirconias sometimes makes it very difficult to distinguish them from diamonds. The main differences are:
- Brilliance - A high-quality cubic zirconia can have more brilliance and sparkle than a lower-quality diamond.
- Price - A diamond necklace, either a solitaire or diamonds by-the-yard, will be significantly more expensive than the same necklace set with cubic zirconia.
- Clarity - A high-quality cubic zirconia will not yellow and will have no imperfections. A diamond with similar clarity will be very expensive.
