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We all know that opals have been trending over the past five years, their fire-y changeable colors—the differences from various cultures and continents throughout the globe have offered both an antique and raw modern feeling to contemporary jewelry.

When I first found out almost two years ago that two of my favorite books “The Great Gatsby” and “Anna Karenina” were being made into new films, (I had seen the original movies as well), I was more than a little excited. When I found out that Tiffany & Co was doing the jewelry for “The Great Gatsby” and Chanel for “Anna Karenina” –I knew that I would be in heaven.

As I start gearing up for all of the draw-dropping jewels I expect to see at Couture and JCK and getting ready to do a story on engagement rings for INDESIGN and alternative bridal rings for INSTORE print magazines, I read a great article in The New York Times Style Section “Weddings and Celebrations”.

The release date for the film “The Great Gatsby” (originally set for Christmas 2012) is approximately 10 days away and those of us in the jewelry industry who have been writing about it since we first got wind of Baz Luhrmann’s remake have witnessed a trend in the making. I do believe that this has set a precedent as the trend has spread long before the movie has even hit the silver screen. For over a year, we have seen this direction take shape on the runways and red carpets in fine and fashion jewelry, in gowns and ready-to-wear, hair accessories and hosiery. The styles of The Jazz Age are already in stores and at all different price points.

Monica Rich Kosann has always been one who believed in jewelry with sentiment and pieces that tell a story.

The debut of Generation Next's Sparkle Award was presented last night to Cassandra Erin. Her work takes parts of letters, notes or doodles written and drawn by loved ones and reworks them into jewelry. Each piece is completely handmade in her St. Louis studio.

After moderating a seminar on introducing emerging designer lines into stores with a panel of esteemed designer oriented retailers: Jennifer Gandia/Greenwich Jewelers NYC, Gary Thrapp and buyer Dana Friedman, G. Thrapp Jewelers, Indianapolis and Jaimie Geller/ Jaimie Geller, Pacific Palisades, our audience which filled the room, took a tour with me through our Generation Next section of up & coming and independent designers. As our tour group spread out to meet the 15 talents that comprise the Generation Next Pavilion of the show, The trends and hot items began to come into focus that you will be seeing at the show Here are my first picks and preview for my WHAT’S IN Tuesday Blog which will feature the most prevalent trends at the show

Getting excited about The Smart Show (April 13-15) at Navy Piers in Chicago. Okay maybe not so happy that the weather still calls for sweaters, layers and closed toed shoes but other than that—this is the fourth year of our Generation Next Section and the designers this year are some of the most talented and creative in the industry.

These bold, big and beautiful jewels definitely have something to say.

Read earlier this week that my INDESIGN editor-in-chief Trace Shelton has taken to talking about flappers and the jazz age, the return of Gatsby and Downton Abbey’s effect on trends. It’s great to see he has taken a savvy slant by showing how advertising campaigns have been influenced by trends we’ve featured in many ways over the past two years in INDESIGN. I am also extremely glad to see he chose ads that also harked to time periods that ranged from retro ‘40s through the ‘70s with nods to big brands and the reincarnation of some of their most popular styles.