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Lacquer bangles by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co., $400 approx.

Last minute jewelry gifts

The best jewelry gifts for 2009

Here is our wish list of top jewelry gifts for 2009:

1. A wide, cut-out or cuff-style bracelet. The deco-style diamond Destinee bracelet from Birks/Mayors is 18k gold with 353 round brilliant diamonds totaling 5.19 carats. Priced at approximately $16,000. www.birks.com.

2. Silver is the new white gold - affordable, beautiful and precious. A collection of cocktail rings in sterling silver from Birks/Mayors, are set with blue topaz, amethyst and lemon quartz, ranging in price from $495 to $650. www.birks.com.

3. The Tiffany Key symbolizes the promise of unlocking sacred, magical places - including the heart. Designs are expressed in a variety of metals, with or without diamonds and gemstones and in several styles, from filigree to quatrefoil designs. Prices range from $120 to $14,000. www.tiffany.com.

4. The pendant is the must-have jewellery item of the moment, and a Capri pendant from Roberto Coin also embodies another important look in jewellery - the use of unique gemstones. In 18k gold set with a moonstone, enhanced by yellow sapphires and a chrysoprase, enhanced by black sapphires set in black rhodium-plated gold. www.robertocoin.com.

5. There is no more beautiful expression of this year's top jewellery trend - the bangle - than a vintage design from Tiffany's Jean Schlumberger collection. Hand crafted in paillonné enamel, a process of creating vibrant colors by laying layers of enamel over 18k gold leaf, with gold adornments appliqued on top. They range in price from about $25,000 to $32,000. www.tiffany.com.

6. Vividly hued lacquer bangles from Elsa Peretti (available exclusively at Tiffany) make a modern fashion statement. Approximately $400. www.tiffany.com.

7. In this age of global branding, true luxury is often defined by the extent to which something is unique. A one-of-a-kind or unusual gemstone is a great way to help make sure you stand out in a sea of little black dresses  this season. A 24-carat, cushion-cut beryl ring from Piaget is set in 18k white gold and surrounded by 302 diamonds totaling 4.20 carats. www.piaget.com.

8. Briolette-cut gemstone beads threaded onto a sexy, matinee-length (at least) gold chain is a go-anywhere piece. Yellow gold sautoirs with "milky" yellow diamond beads and tanzanite beads, from Chopard's Cruise Collection. (Marion Cotillard wore them to the premiere of "Nine.")  Priced from $36,000 to $74,000. www.chopard.com.

9. Bochic's bold, attention-grabbing bangles are a red-carpet favorite. A black bakelite cuff is set with 4.40 carats of diamonds in white gold. Approximately $13,500. www.bochic.com.

10. The collier is emerging as a trend that promises to be a strong as the pendant and the beaded sautoir. An exotic piece from the L'Ame du Voyage Haute Joaillerie collection by Louis Vuitton is white and red gold, set with over 23 carats of diamonds, 53 carats of spinels and 9 carats of garnets. It is one of a collection of six colliers, priced up to $2 million. www.louisvuitton.com.