Jewelry takes peoples' minds off your wrinkles. --Sonja Henie

You wanted diamonds. You got a gift card. Now what? It's the ultimate in gift-giving convenience: Buy a gift card and you're done.

No wonder two-thirds of the people surveyed in a recent National Public Radio poll admitted they were gifting wallet-size plastic rectangles this year. Not all potential recipients are onboard, though. "Gift cards are the perfect way to say, `I don't really know you or your tastes, and I don't care enough to ask, so do your darn shopping on me,'" groused a reader on the Orange County Register's Fast Food Maven blog.

You wanted a diamond necklace. You got a gift certificate for On the Border restaurant. As you gaze at it you're wondering two things: On the border of what, exactly? And why was I given this when the nearest On the Border is 250 miles away?

Take heart. You do have some choices.

You can swap your card. Websites such as CardAvenue and PlasticJungle make trading easy. There are safeguards in place for the cautious.

Pay a bill with your card, and use the money you would have paid the electric company to buy a piece of jewelry you love. SwapAGift has a program called VersiCard BillPay. You send them your unwanted card and an unpaid bill. They remit a percentage of the card's value, usually 65-70%, to your creditor within 24 hours of receipt.

Get instant cash for your card. Remember that company I just mentioned, SwapAGift? They have a nationwide network of certified partner walk-in locations that will pay you cash on the spot. Check the SwapAGift list of preferred merchants. Even if you don't find your card there, email them and they might just buy it anyway.

Earn interest on the card. LeverageCard pays 1% APR on any cards you register. You can use the interest to buy gift cards for jewelry stores. Interest on gift cards, who knew?

Want to hang onto the card for a while, just to be safe? It's always a good idea to keep informed as your card could become worthless in a bankruptcy. GiftCardBlogger has the latest retail happenings.

Finally, sell your card. eBay is a lively, well-known and easy-to-use marketplace where cards often fetch for a high percentage of face value. While there was once a problem with theft rings offering stolen goods, eBay says that is no longer the case. Use simple commonsense precautions such as double-checking the card's balance before you ship and sending it insured or with tracking. Be aware you will be able to sell only one card at a time.

Charleen Larson, self-described entrepreneur at large, is a writer and veteran eBay seller with interests in fine and fashion jewelry. Ms. Larson is customer service manager for JCEarrings, a company that catalogs popular Jody Coyote jewelry designs past and present. Is Jody Coyote a real person? Find out at: =>http://www.JCEarrings.com

The 2008 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book It's here and it's (what else?) fabulous! Soothe your troubled soul with premium eye candy.

"I think we all need a break," said Ginger Reeder, spokeswoman. "These gifts are not meant to be anything more than something to make you smile, make you go `Oh my gosh, who would have thought about that?'"

Baubleheads will appreciate the not-so-unaffordable selections from , all handcrafted in Italy with 18kt white gold and diamonds. Prices start at just under $2,000.

We love the exquisitely made with classic Roman numeral faces and Swiss movements. The $30,100 ladies' diamond Cartier may take your breath away with its beauty and craftsmanship.

See the 2008 Christmas Book online.

Fake Native American jewelry New Mexico Attorney General Gary King's office on September 2, 2008 filed two lawsuits against Santa Fe retailers of Indian art for alleged violations of the New Mexico Indian Arts and Crafts Sales Act, the Unfair Practices Act, and for fraud or negligent misrepresentation in the sale of jewelry.

King says,"The sale of fraudulently represented Indian art is a huge problem in New Mexico. Conservative estimates suggest that at least 50% of what is being sold as authentic Indian handmade art is manufactured by non-Natives, in many cases from foreign countries."

The first of the lawsuits asserts that Golden Bear Trading, Inc., located at 84 E. San Francisco Street, Santa Fe, and its two principals, Mohammed "Mike" Sulieman Shawabkeh and Jamal "Jack" Sulieman Shawabkeh, on three occasions in the last year sold five pieces that were falsely represented as having been made by . The AG's office also alleges that the business gave "discounts" on the pieces that were in violation of state regulations governing pricing and price advertising. The Complaint says that both Mohammed Sulieman Shawabkeh and Jamal Sulieman Shawabkeh have been the subject of previous enforcement actions by former Attorneys General Tom Udall and Patricia Madrid for similar acts.

The second case is against Yousef Nassar, doing business as Santa Fe Indian Jewelry, located at 125 E. Water Street, Santa Fe. The Complaint states that on two occasions, in September 2007 and January 2008, the business sold four pieces of jewelry that were falsely represented as having been made by Calvin Begay. The Complaint alleges that the business also gave "discounts" on the pieces that were in violation of state regulations governing pricing and price advertising.

Anecdotal information that the Office has received indicates these fraudulent practices have had a devastating impact on Native American artists, many of whom have been forced out of their livelihoods because they can not compete with cheap imports. Begay in particular has apparently been victimized repeatedly by having his designs copied and reproduced in large quantities, and his name stamped on jewelry that he did not make.

Getting by with the bare minimum You may have heard about the divorce battle. Mrs. Hulk (real name: Linda Bollea) is struggling to get by on only $1,700 a month for jewelry.

But we all have to budget in these difficult times -- studies say that 1 in 8 Americans have trouble finding enough money for food, shelter and clothing -- so she could just allocate a little less on maid service ($7,500) and buy a few more baubles.

After all, the house is just going to be a mess again next week, but jewelry lasts a long time.

Your Tanzanite buying guide The blue/purple variety of the mineral zoisite, is named for the country it was discovered in, Tanzania. Although it was formed over 500 million years ago, tanzanite only came to be discovered in 1967 when a grassfire swept the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The heat turned the brownish stones lying there into tanzanite's signature bright, glittering violet-blue, which attracted the attention of some Maasai tribesmen.

According to lore, tanzanite possesses the mystical power to uplift and open the heart.

The world's entire supply of tanzanite is in Tanzania. A company called TanzaniteOne Ltd has set about dominating the market by controlling one large block of the tanzanite deposit and buying up raw stone from independent miners. They have succeeded in raising the prices over the past several years, very much like DeBeers controls prices in the diamond market. Tanzanite is the second fastest selling colored gemstone in the world, increasing the likelihood that prices will continue to increase.

Tanzanite is often heated to 752 - 932 degrees F to eliminate undesirable yellow and brown tints, as well as deepen the blue. Heat treatment is normal and to be expected with this stone.

If you love the look of tanzanite and start to collect it, your best bet is to buy a , which will tell you exactly what kind of gem you are looking at. The refractometer is only about $100 but can save you thousands.

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Heart charm jewelry that doesn't break your bank or her heart Does your beloved have that "hard to buy for" reputation? Why not get her a Valentine's Day gift that you can keep adding to? The heart charm bracelet fits the bill.

Whether her taste runs to lustrous gold or coolly elegant sterling silver, the selection is vast. Additional charms can be gifted on other special occasions, such as a pair of crossed skis to commemorate that weekend in Squaw Valley or perhaps an anchor in honor of your transatlantic crossing. Moms and grandmas always love getting birthstone charms.

Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity for a sentimental gift.