Bling takes a hit in a down economy

A story in today's The Wall Street Journal offers an interesting look at another area touched by the down economy - "bling."
Rappers and other jewelry lovers are now finding it more difficult to afford their shiny pieces. To compensate, alternative jewelry with less precious stones, like cubic zirconia, are instead being considered for "bling."
And, as the story points out, jewelers also have to adapt.
From the story:

"A lot of these rappers simply don't have the money for real stuff anymore," says Jason Arasheben, who crafts custom jewelry for wealthy clientele, including Saudi royals and Hollywood movie stars, at his California boutique called Jason of Beverly Hills. "It's to the point where they are wearing imitation jewelry, and that's ridiculous."