RETAIL ROUNDUP

Of late, we have been deluged with material from jewelry companies.

Must have something to do with that dreaded V-day.

The home office of Bailey, Banks & Biddle, which has a branch in South

Coast Plaza, gave us some helpful tips on where the heart symbol

originated. Apparently, it dates back to the late 1300s, when scholars

made a mistake in drawing the shape of the human heart with a scallop at

the top.

Who knew that the error would evolve into the thousands of variants on

the heart shape that now plague us every Feb. 14?

Speaking of variants, Cartier, which also has a South Coast Plaza

store, has just come out with the “C-Heart,” a golden pendant created

from face-to-face Cartier logos. We are assured that the local store

carries the creation, which comes in a paved diamond version that can be

engraved with “special love messages.”

How cute.

Too busy to actually venture out of your home to buy that diamond

pendant? Enjewel.com says they have more than 2,000 gifts, which come

wrapped and can be delivered the next day. The dot-com’s local affiliate

is Traditional Jewelers at Fashion Island.

Crystal sparkles like diamonds, but it doesn’t have nearly the

reputation as a best friend. Swarovski crystal has honored Macy’s --

again in South Coast Plaza -- with a Club of 100 award for providing

customers with a “superior shopping experience.”

The store registered 100 or more consumers for the Swarovski

Collectors Society by Oct. 1 and won a recommendation from the crystal

company’s regional manager to win the award.

Simply smashing.