There's no single style trend right now among celebrity engagement rings. Kristen Bell and Carrie Underwood both wear rings set with color diamonds, but most of the engagement rings I've seen lately on well-known fingers are fashioned with very large white diamonds. Kate Middleton's engagement ring, with its huge focal sapphire, is more unique than most -- the hand-me-down ring belonged to her fiance's mother, the late Princess Diana.

I like the trend to more colorful jewelry that we've seen at celebrity events during the past year. Sure, there are still a boatload of pieces designed with white diamonds and platinum, that will never change, but we're seeing more and more vividly colored gems in the mix, like this ruby ring by Neil Lane, on the finger of actress Lyndsy Fonseca. Taylor Swift wore a yellow gold and coral bangle, and Minka Kelly's earrings and bangle were both fashioned from color diamonds.

Will celebrities opt for the traditional platinum and white diamonds at the Oscars, or be a little more creative with their jewelry?

_{Photo of Lyndsy Fonseca by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for PCA}

Think you can't buy an affordable engagement ring? Yes, you can, and there are more options than you might realize. The first rule to follow is to throw out all of the rules. Who says you have to spend two months' salary on a ring? The jewelry industry, that's who -- your checkbook (or credit cards) might not agree. Explore a few of these engagement ring options before you shop.

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Katie Cook's snake chain bracelet ranks high on my list of best celebrity jewelry of 2010 -- it defines simple, trendy and elegant, all combined in one look. A Cartier necklace Kate Hudson slipped on for the SAG Awards was another must for the list -- a sautoir that she wore draped down the open back of her gown. Choices are a mix, and made up of mostly diamonds, platinum and gold pieces for the women (but with Jackson Rathbone's trendy leather corsage taking the top spot for the guys).

_{Photo of Katie Cook by Larry Busacca/Getty Images}

The Poltimore Tiara is one of the pieces you'll see in the Royal Jewelry Gallery. Dating from about 1870, it was originally made for Florence, Lady Poltimore, the wife of the second Baron Poltimore. The tiara was sold at auction in 1959, and purchased for HRH Princess Margaret, who wore it during her wedding a year later. The tiara can be disassembled and converted into a necklace and eleven brooches.

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Last fall, Perry's Emporium in Wilmington, North Carolina, made an offer -- if the Asheville airport saw over 3" of snow on Christmas day, everyone who bought jewelry at the store between November 26 and December 11 would be reimbursed for the cost of the jewelry. It seemed like a safe bet for the store -- Asheville rarely gets snow at Christmas, and if it does, it's just a dusting. But by Christmas night there were at least 6 inches of snow on the ground at the airport, twice the amount required to trigger a $400,000+ payout to Perry's shoppers.

The store plans to invite the "winning" customers to the store on February 13th, refunding their money just before Valentine's Day, and might offer a specially designed heart pendant to commemorate the event. Perry's purchased an insurance policy to cover the cost of the jewelry, but I'll bet the policy cost will be much higher if he decides to offer the same gamble next year.

You've seen it -- earlobe piercings that started out as typical, small round holes but now look like vertical slits. It's a problem that can occur after years of wearing heavy earrings that continually stretch the holes downward. (Expensive) surgery can correct the problem, but it's easier (and cheaper) to prevent it in the first place, and there are even some products that can minimize discomfort and camouflage already-droopy lobe holes.

Give your ears a break by putting the heavy earrings away and replacing them with small studs during most hours of the day.

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To create each of these 3-inch long earrings (Buy Direct), one end of multiple brass chains is tucked underneath a brass cone. Opposite ends are loose, and flow gently when you move. A cherry quartz studded-post hangs above each cone, adding a splash of color, but the design is mostly about texture and subtle color changes. Click through to see a picture of a model wearing the earrings -- that photo gives you a nice view of their delicate scale. Priced at $49.

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