Taylor Swift's jewelry scored a hit at last night's County Music Association Awards, where she became the youngest person ever to be named Entertainer of the Year. Faith Hill looked fantastic in long diamond ropes from Neil Lane, and Nicole Kidman chose a classic pair of diamond hoop pendant earrings. Reba McEntire went trendy with a wide black bracelet packed with dangling chains.

The misses have to include Michelle Branch, whose massive bib necklace looked out of place against her gown and petite frame.

_{Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images}

It takes just a few words to describe the most popular fall and winter jewelry trends: richly colored, textured and asymmetrical.  Wooden bangles and beads remain popular, and many have noticeable grain lines or metal embellishments. Stacked bracelets and multi-chain necklaces are still trendy, but the newest looks aren't quite as massive or convoluted as we've seen in the past few years.

Look for components made from hammered metal, like Anthropologie's Undulating Orbit hoops (above). All-metal jewelry is hot, and much of it is fashioned from metals that range in color from pinks to deep gold. More Jewelry Trends

_{Photo © Anthropologie}

That's what it seems like Jennie Lorette Keatts does with her unique, handcrafted pottery stones and beads. Set in hand fabricated sterling silver and adorned with other metals, Jennie's pottery stones have all the depth and patina of turquoise and other semi-precious gems.

I think we often visualize the color blue when we hear the word turquoise, but it's a gemstone that exists in other colors, including my favorite, bright green Orvil Jack turquoise from the Blue Ridge Mine in Nevada. Even blue turquoise is varied though, because you'll see everything from pale shades of the gem to a bright robin's egg color, all with different amounts of the metallic veining called matrix. Turquoise is the December birthstone but it makes a wonderful gift for anyone, and many pieces work just as well for men as they do for women. Read a few facts about turquoise before you go shopping--it will help you understand the different grades of turquoise that are on the market.

Turquoise Bracelets
Turquoise Necklaces
Ancient Gold & Turquoise Brooch

_{Bracelet by Benny and Valerie Aldrich}

Classic jewelry is always an appropriate gift. I'm talking about pieces that never go out of style, like heart pendants. Designs do change with the trends, but most hearts are timeless. This collection of heart pendants includes traditional and contemporary jewelry, and everything is sorted into groups based on price (starting under $25) to help you shop within your budget. Don't worry if your giftee doesn't care for pure tradition -- the collection includes hearts for every taste.

Topaz is the November birthstone, and it's a gemstone that is usually treated to improve or totally change its color. Blue topaz is created by irradiating very pale topaz, and topaz with specific names, such as Mystic Topaz and Rainbow Topaz are gems that have been coated and enhanced to change their appearance. I think you'll find something you like in this collection of topaz rings. They're all sorted by price to help you stay within your budget.

Bakelite is a lightweight plastic that was originally used for industrial purposes, until jewelry makers found that it was perfect for manufacturing inexpensive bracelets, rings, pins and other kinds of jewelry and accessories. Bakelite was a hot item with shoppers in the 1930's and 1940's and much of it is collectible today.

Everyone has a favorite precious metal, one we gravitate back to even if we wear something else occasionally. Do you choose a metal by its color or by its content? If you like white metals you have multiple choices. Three are sterling silver, white gold and platinum. If you like yellow metals you probably wear a lot of gold--it's a versatile metal and its color can be changed dramatically depending on the other metals that are added to it, like the ingredients that add the pink tones you see in vintage jewelry and in Black Hills Gold. There are other choices too, including titanium, which doesn't usually cause allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to other metals. Stainless steel isn't a precious metal, but we see it used in more jewelry lately. There's a metal to suit every taste and budget.

More Metals

Why Did My Skin Turn Green?
Exploring Precious Metals
About Gold Purity
Metals for New Body Piercings

_{Photo by Justin Sullivan / Getty Images}

As if you don't have enough to think about when you're shopping for wedding rings. Two things you definitely should decide before you engrave a ring are what method you want to use for the engraving and what you want to say. Rings can be engraved by hand or by machine, and while the methods are very different, both techniques offer excellent results. There are some standard things you should do before you engrave, like making sure the ring is sized correctly. And you'll want to get the answers to several important questions before you feel comfortable handing the ring to the jeweler.

Flaws inside a diamond are called inclusions, but did you know that some types of diamond inclusions affect a diamond's clarity and value more than others do? It's usually best to avoid diamonds with certain types of flaws, but other kinds of inclusions aren't anything to worry about. It only takes a little time to get familiar with inclusion differences -- do it before you buy a diamond and you'll be ready to ask the right questions when you go shopping.