Zentosa's New Year Sale!

We hope you all had a lovely Christmas! We certainly have enjoyed some serious over-indulgence over the holiday period. Too bad it's over so quickly!

We find January rather depressing - it's cold and bleak out there and summer seems so far away. However, a bit of retail therapy never does any harm! We can announce that our New Year Sale is on its way - it will start on 1 January 2010 and there will be fabulous bargains galore as we need to make way for some exciting new designs by Lola Rose, Butler & Wilson, Kenneth Jay Lane and CC Skye.


In February, we will be stocking the latest collection from Disney Couture - inspired by Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland movie (starring the gorgeous Johnny Depp) - plus the super popular enchanted rose necklace will be back in stock, just in time for Valentine's Day.

Disney Couture Charms - The new collection is here!

I don't know about you but there is something strangely satisfying about collecting things - and if these things are shiny and pretty, that's even better. I was therefore really excited when Disney Couture announced they had created their first range of charms for late 2009. Possibly hoping to emulate the stellar success of Juicy Couture's charm collection, Disney Couture have introduced a gorgeous starter bracelet (at a fabulously affordable £25) and an array of Disney-themed charms.

The bracelet and each charm is presented in a gorgeous fairytale-style gift box. There's even a limited edition Cinderella Box Set which contains the bracelet and 5 charms, a perfect gift for any Disney Couture fan. My favourite is the heart charm on which is engraved "A dream is a wish your heart makes". What's more, the charms work as pendants too so you can wear them on a chain as a necklace! Versatile and cute - a girl can't ask for more!

Butler & Wilson is featured in Ugly Betty!

Credit: ABC.go.com

I love the Ugly Betty series, it's just pure silliness really but it never fails to make me laugh. I was watching the recently aired "The Sex Issue" (series 3 episode 19) when I noticed Betty wearing a piece of Butler & Wilson jewellery. In the scene where Marc and Amanda train Betty in their dubious methods of seduction, Betty is wearing, on her collar the famous B&W eye and teardrop brooch! Well fancy that!

Now we're on the subject of Butler & Wilson jewellery, you may not know that we hold one of the largest ranges of their jewellery apart from B&W themselves! I know how much you B&W fans like to collect pieces so we aim to provide a wide selection for your browsing pleasure. Some pieces are custom-orders, others are only available if you trek to their fabulous South Molton Street store in London. So whether it's a classic design or a latest style created by the legendary Simon Wilson, there's a huge array of B&W bling instore on Zentosa and you won't have to go out into the cold to add some festive sparkle to your wardrobe!

Postal Strike Cancelled - Free UK Delivery is back!

After weeks of sporadic industrial action by Royal Mail postal workers, it was announced today that there will be no strikes until next year, ensuring that this Christmas will be free of postal disruption.

On this note, we have decided to resume our FREE UK DELIVERY offer. All orders for UK addresses will be delivered, as in the past, free of charge, either by Royal Mail or in some instances, UPS. An express option will also be available for those of you who want your goodies quicker - this will be by Royal Mail Special Delivery or UPS. International customers can also now choose an express worldwide courier option.

We would like to thank all our customers for their patience during the strike periods. It has been a frustrating time but hopefully we're over it now - let's look forward to a blingtastic Christmas. Happy Shopping!

Latest Disney Couture Collection - Pixie Hollow

Since the launch of the Disney Couture jewellery in 2006, the brand has gone from strength to strength, attracting a huge celebrity following with their pretty yet quirky styles. The latest collection to arrive at Zentosa, just in time for the present-giving season, is called Pixie Hollow. We have just had a delivery of two gorgeous Tinkerbell inspired necklaces - the cameo and the secret map. I love the map locket in particular - the antique gold effect locket opens up to reveal a paper map to Pixie Hollow - how cute is that?

Arriving soon - Lola Rose Jewellery S/S 2010!

We are very excited about the latest brand to be added to our collection - Lola Rose! I have always adored Lola Rose's fabulous pieces of jewellery, beautifully crafted from semi-precious stones. They are just so easy to wear and tactile. On my recent trip to London, I visited their showroom and was blown away by the gorgeous new designs for Spring Summer 2010.

For those of you unfamiliar with Lola Rose Jewelllery (and there can't be that many!), this popular British jewellery brand was founded in 2000 by Nicola Gewirtz, whose philosophy is that of affordable luxury. Nicola says "I want to create designs that make people feel wonderful, bringing colour, glamour and a smile with every purchase". Lola Rose's pieces have a huge appeal. Whether you like your jewellery to be quirky or classic, bold or more understated, there is a design for every woman. Each piece is presented in Lola Rose's signature packaging, making Lola Rose jewellery the perfect gift and, if looked after, one that will last a lifetime.

I have taken some snapshots of the lines we will be stocking, the key colours are pink, berry and teal - just gorgeous! These will be available to buy at the end of January 2010 - I can't wait!

Zentosa in the Metro News

I have fond memories of the Metro News in my days as a commuter in Ratraceville - the fact that it was free and kept me awake (most of the time) on the 14 minute train ride into Birmingham gives it a special place in my heart.

So I was delighted today when, at the gym (the only place I can get hold of a copy these days), I opened it up to find our Disney Couture Orange Pumpkin necklace in the shopping feature under "Bewitching Bling". Our first mention in the national (albeit free) press - ooh, I think I'm going to be famous!

Still Unaffected by the Postal Strike

Royal Mail have announced that they are on strike once again on Thursday 29th October, Friday 30th October and Saturday 31st October 2009.

Due to the uncertainty over the reliability of the Royal Mail service, all UK orders are now delivered using UPS courier (24 hr service, certain exceptions apply). The delivery charge is £4.95 per order - we have subsidised this rate considerably to try to give you the best service at the lowest possible price.

International customers now have a choice of delivery options to include an express option via UPS. Our cost-effective International Signed For Airmail rate of £5.95 is still available - please note that these items will be given priority treatment by Royal Mail but they may still be subject to delays. Unfortunately this is outside of our control.

Please purchase as normal and we will take good care of your order.

Happy Blingy Hallowe'en

Well the clocks have gone back and it's a truly dark and miserable evening. With summer now a distant memory, what could be better than some sparkly jewellery to remind us of the good things about winter? The parties, Christmas, New Year... it ain't all bad...

Before all that, there's Hallowe'en. Now this annual event has never really featured much in my life but I appreciate for some people, it is a great excuse to dress up and have a party and who doesn't love a good party?

To help you get into the mood, we have a fabulous selection of Hallowe'en appropriate jewellery from spider-themed rings and bracelets to Butler & Wilson's Swarovski-decorated skull and bat necklaces... There's even an orange pumpkin necklace by Disney Couture! So go on, forget about the trick, just treat yourself!

We now deliver using UPS Courier

Fed up with Royal Mail and their strikey ways? Well we are, so this week, we have ditched them in favour of UPS. It was a difficult decision as it means we can no longer offer free UK delivery and we also have to absorb some of the additional cost ourselves. However, I believe it's the right thing to do, during this time of impending national industrial action, in order to provide a reliable delivery service to our customers, particularly with the party and Christmas seasons coming up.

I have always had a less than secret obsession with UPS, not least because their vans are a yummy chocolate brown colour and their drivers are always smartly turned out in brown uniforms! Here's Brent from Texas, who has driven 1 million miles plus in the same van over 22 years - that's impressive!

This irrelevant comment aside, we have chosen UPS as they have always been very reliable and quick when our suppliers delivered to us - hopefully, they will provide the same excellent service in for our customers. We do appreciate that some of you will want a more economical delivery option - as soon as the reliability of Royal Mail stabilises, we may re-introduce the free delivery option. In the meantime, with memories of the backlog post mountains from the 2007 national strike(s) still lingering like a bad smell, we will put our packages in the safe hands of UPS...

Animal Magic at Zentosa!

Love them or hate them, animal prints always seem to be in fashion in one form or another. In New York Fashion Week 2009, animal prints featured at shows by Cynthia Steffe, Oscar de la Renta and DKNY. I love the peacock feather dress and zebra jacket - not so sure about the Wilma Flintstone outfit (plus matching hair) but it could grow on me...

photo credit nymag.com

Now I personally love that wildlife look and this autumn, animal-themed jewellery features heavily in our collection. Kenneth Jay Lane's animal bracelets are a costume-jewellery classic - their beautifully detailed enamel bracelets (elephants, zebras, tigers, snakes...) have adorned the wrists of many a celebrity and are a bestseller in our store. They always look fabulous and when I wear my black elephant bracelet (as seen on Hilary Duff) on a rare night out, it always attract attention!

We have some truly spectacular new Kenneth Jay Lane arrivals, many of which are simply unavailable outside of the USA.

My personal favourites are the enamel bird ring, the crystal monkey necklace and the zebra head bracelet - the latter is strictly not for the faint-hearted!

If you love Butler and Wilson's jewellery then you will know that Simon Wilson's animal designs are legendary - from the classic snake bracelets to his latest whimsical mouse brooches, there is something (dramatic, cute, menacing) for everyone. I adore the baby duck necklaces and the latest and most definitely gorgeous panda rings. The best thing is that Butler and Wilson's pieces are both affordable and collectible so there's no reason not to start building your own jewellery zoo

For those on a smaller budget but who still appreciate a bit of animal bling, we have a selection of animal bracelets from our own Zentosa collection. These include Topshop-style enamel snake and gold lion bracelets, spider rings and rather fun dragon cuffs.

So whether you choose to stack a selection of bracelets or stick to one simple piece, add a bit of safari glamour to your wardrobe this season!

Top 10 Celebrity Jewellery Must-Haves

Being a bit of an avid celebrity follower as well as a jewellery-enthusiast, I've put together a list of our top 10 celebrity jewellery must-have items since Zentosa.com was established back in those pre-doom and gloom days of 2006. They're not in any particular order and I've cheated a bit by grouping all the Disney Couture pieces together but it's just a bit of fun. If you have any comments or can think of any additions for the list, feel free to share!

1) Kenneth Jay Lane's Large Gold Butterfly Necklace - as worn by Carrie/SJP in the Sex and the City series many yonks ago now, this is still a hugely popular piece. Currently out of stock , we are waiting for the lovely peeps at KJL NYC to send us more. Watch this space....

2) Nicole Richie's CC Skye Black Leather Double Wrap Bracelet - this gorgeous accessory epitomises rockchick-chic, we love it!

3) Michelle Obama's St-Erasmus Necklace - designed by the fabulous Pieter Erasmus, this beautifully handcrafted necklace is made out of gold thread, freshwater pearls and crystals - a true piece of art.

4) Mischa Barton's Dogeared gold wishbone necklace - designed by Hip Californian designer, Dogeared, this gorgeous gold-plated necklace is a classic.

5) CC Skye's Swarovski Angel Wings Necklace - we adore this sparkly piece and so does Rihanna!

6) Kenneth Jay Lane's Breakfast at Tiffany's pearl necklace - this gorgeous piece is a re-creation of the necklace worn by Audrey Hepburn in the iconic movie. Worn by Natalie Portman and Jenny Love Hewitt, it also featured in the 2008 Christmas edition of BBC soap Doctors (supplied by yours truly...)

7) Butler & Wilson jewellery has been worn by celebrities for ever - Beth Ditto is one cool lady who can really pull off Simon Wilson's statement pieces.

8) We think everyone needs (yes, really needs) a Kenneth Jay Lane enamel flower ring - as featured on Lindsay Price from Lipstick Jungle. We love them so much, we have them in a spectacular range of styles and colours. The bestselling style is the classic white and pearl.

9) The celebrity following of Disney Couture is in a league of its own with numerous famous fans including Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie and our own gorgeous Pixie Lott....

10) And finally, our home-grown Duffy in her kitsch yet cool Envelope Love Necklace.