Diamonds are a girl's best friend, but what about cheaper crystals? Nathalie Colin, creative director of consumer-goods business department at Swarovski, says rhinestones and fine cut glass offer a lot of freedom for designers.

"With crystals, you can imagine any color or any size you want," the 44-year-old says.

"With diamonds you are limited. When you want to create a piece like this," she adds, pointing at a one giant Vera Necklace piece sparkling with a variety of crystals from her latest collection, "you must have a giant diamond. With crystals, we can invent shapes. We have freedom to mix really junky jewelry."