ajc.com 2008 Holiday Guide

Smitty rapped about "Diamonds on my Neck."

But why not diamonds on my feet, my phone, or my iPod?

Charles Wesley, Forde Fotog (ENLARGE)

Shoes by Solitaire Kicks valued at almost $50,000.

Neiman Marcus (ENLARGE)

The Vertu cell phone with 7.2 carats of pink and white diamonds.

HOLIDAY GUIDE How not to be the jerk of the party  Northside's top stories in 2007  New Year's resolutions shrinking  A how-to for the perfect thank-you  If your pockets are deep enough, there isn't much you can't cover in diamonds. Below are some of the everyday things we know have been turned into bling: • Sneakers Who: Laced Up What: Solitaire Kicks. Sneakers customized with diamonds including inaugural pair of Nike Air Force 1 "So Cal" with 8 carats of champagne diamonds from India, valued at almost $50,000. Designed by: Prriya & Chintans Couture and Jewelry Price: Starting at $1,000 (depending on the shoe and the design.) Buy it: 404-230-5905 • Bra gift set Who:Victoria's Secret What: The 2007 Very Sexy Holiday Fantasy Bra Gift Set. Bra, thong, garter, cuff bracelet and hair ornament with diamonds (584.76 carats), emeralds (797.40 carats), rubies (276.93 carats) and yellow sapphires (3.42 carats). Designed by: Mouwad Price: $4.5 million Buy it: 1-800-555-5861 • Phone Who: Neiman Marcus What: Vertu Signature Diamond Phone with 7.2 carats of pink and white diamonds set in 18K rose gold. Designed by: Frank Nuovo Price: $73,000 Buy it: 1-877-9NM-GIFT • Sculpture Who: White Cube Gallery (London) What: "For the Love of God," sculpture. A skull encrusted with 1,106.18 carats of VVS to flawless pave set diamonds, platinum and of course, human teeth. Designed by: Damien Hirst Price: At least $100 million Buy it: Not now. It's owned by private investors who plan to resell in the future.

"Everything is going along those lines," said Ernel Dawkins, owner of Laced Up, the Atlanta-based sneaker boutique that recently partnered with Prriya & Chintans, Couture and Jewelry to launch Solitaire Kicks.

Solitaire Kicks offers customers the opportunity to ice out a pair of sneakers with diamonds and design consultation provided by Prriya & Chintans. The first pair of customized shoes, $50,000 diamond encrusted Nike Air Force 1 "So Cal"'s, were presented to Big Boi at the Solitaire Kicks launch party on Tuesday night.

"I think I'm going to start a trend," said Dawkins referring to the new service, "People want customization and exclusivity to everything they have."

Adidas, Triple Five Soul and Reebok shoes decked out in diamonds were also on display, along with Prriya & Chintans' new jewelry line, ATL Jewelry Collection.

The collection is a mix of canary yellow, blue, and white diamonds with yellow gold and platinum. Some standout pieces include a men's diamond bracelet with 20 carats of square cut blue diamonds and 11 carats of square cut white diamonds for $86,000 .

"Basically up until now, we haven't targeted the buying power of the entertainment industry in Atlanta and it's a market that is so huge ... it doesn't make sense not to tap into it," said Rita Patel, Prriya & Chintans store manager.

The ATL Jewelry Collection was the first step in building Solitaire Kicks, but Patel couldn't find anyone in the U.S. to put diamonds on sneakers. "I said, that's it, I have to call my peeps," she said which is how production ended up in India.

For the company, which has stores in London, Dubai and New York, it isn't the first foray into custom jewelry design, though it will be the first opportunity for Atlanta clients to use jewels in customizing something other than jewelry.

Customers in other countries have added diamonds or other precious stones to everything from iPods to flower baskets.

Flower baskets?

"One lady, who was a fifth wife, had a fight with her husband," said Patel. The husband asked Prriya & Chintans to cover a three foot by two foot metal flower basket with precious stones to the tune of $10 or $15 million. They had to source it to Russia, Patel said.

So why are we all obsessed with bedazzling everything in diamonds?

"I think it's because it's rare," said Patel. "If they have it, they feel special and of course, when everyone stares at it, they are like, 'It's mine.'"