Samuel Getz tends to draw a following when he shops trade shows for the latest in jewelry design. As CEO of Mayors, he grew the chain that his grandfather founded into one of the region's largest before selling it in 1998. These days, Getz buys for his own jewelry salon, called Samuel Getz, in Coral Gables.

Getz's Style: The 2-year-old store Getz opened with his wife, Jennifer, also features his own creations. His specialty is gemstones, especially exotic gems like Madagascar rutilated quartz, heliodor and chrysoberyl. He likes them large and often uses a rectangular cut. He doesn't like to overwhelm the gem with his design, so the settings are simple yet elegant.

"There's a lot of people who do a lot of jewelry in this town," says Getz. "It's very unoriginal." His challenge: "It's easy to be different. It's hard to be different and wearable."

Hands On: Getz is very involved from the design to the sale of a piece. He and his wife outfitted their salon to feel more like a living room than a jewelry store.
Getz doesn't like to impose his taste on clients and says he's the first to tell them if a piece isn't right.

"When the right stone touches the wearer, both come to life," he says. "It's a fascinating process."

Hot Lines
Designer lines are popular again. Sylvia Carritte, buyer and marketing director of Fort Lauderdale's J.R. Dunn Jewelers, says lines make "buying the second item easier, and then the third and the fourth."

What's Hot: The John Hardy line -- a popular sterling silver collection, handmade in Bali. Newest pieces feature pave diamonds in a sterling setting. "It's a very hot line right now," says Carritte. "You can wear it anywhere, anytime." Also, Roberto Coin -- very classic, easy line to wear and add to. "Customers like the small signature ruby on the back of each piece."

Off The Beaten Path
Worth Avenue jeweler Tracy Dara Kamenstein turned heads when she introduced jewel-encrusted sandals around the same time the movie Troy came out. The sandals, set with diamonds and precious stones in 22-karat gold, retail for $21,000. Too pricey? Don't fret. The Palm Beach jeweler offers a "starter kit" version -- a pair of sandals with one stone each that can be added to over time -- starting at $3,000.

Porcelain Jewelry
Porcelain maker Lladro recently introduced a new line of porcelain jewelry called the Talismania collection. The talisman-like pieces include mandalas, crosses, magical animals and other good luck symbols. Each is uniquely designed and carries a special message. Prices range from $150 to $750. The Lladro boutique at International Plaza in Tampa, Bailey, Banks & Biddle, Bijoux and Macy's will carry the line.

Designing For A Cause
Robin Levinson accessorizes many of south Florida's celebrities and sports stars. When she heard about Latin singer/songwriter Soraya's recent bout with breast cancer, she decided to design a piece to help raise money for breast cancer research. The piece, a necklace featuring a pink "awareness" ribbon pendant made of pink sapphires mixed with diamonds, sells for $1,000 to $3,500, depending on the size. Levinson will donate 30% of all proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.