Every year, a team from Fox's goes to Las Vegas in June (average high temperature: 100 degrees) to attend the Couture jewelry show. The best jewelry designers in the world all gather at the luxurious Wynn Hotel to show their newest collections. It's just like being a kid in a candy store, except all of the candy is jewelry!

If you've never been to the Wynn, it is a beautiful hotel and such a feast for the eyes before you even see any jewelry. They are known for their elaborate floral arrangements, and this year there was a hot air balloon made entirely of flowers in the lobby!

The show begins at 10am, and our first appointment is always with Alex Sepkus. We have been carrying Sepkus for 25 years, and his jewelry is so timeless and unique. There are always many one of a kind pieces, and the early bird gets the worm!

Zoey and Chai pore over stacks and stacks of rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets until they find the pieces that are just right for us. Each of these rings contains a one of a kind gemstone.

Zoey and Chai admire Alex Sepkus's famously detailed workmanship. Each piece is finished by hand under a microscope. If you look closely, you may see whimsical creatures, bicycle chains, or numbers hiding there!

The next stop is Todd Reed. We discovered Todd Reed at the Couture show 5 years ago and have been in love with him (and his jewelry) ever since. He has such a wonderful energy and is a pioneer in the use of raw diamonds in fine jewelry. Here is Zoey with Todd on the left and our Todd Reed rep, Jeff Hayzlett, on the right. If you look closely, Zoey is wearing her brand new necklace that she designed with Todd, featuring her children's birthstones. It was finished just in time to be hand carried by Jeff to the show!

It is always a treat to see the new designs that Todd has come up with. This year we saw some lovely raw diamond cabochons.

Getting to try on all of the jewelry is the most fun part of going to Couture. Zoey couldn't resist this stunning new Todd Reed bracelet design.

Here is a little pile of our favorites. Some of these beauties will be showing up at Fox's soon!

Zoey, Chai, and Joy admire cases of stunning South Sea pearls. This suite of golden baroque pearls and diamonds was a real showstopper!

Zoey and Chai inspect a pearl bracelet up close. Each pearl is matched in color, size, shape, and quality. For more rare pearls, it can take 15 years to collect enough to make a perfectly matched necklace!

Perusing a tray of black pearls. See how many color variations are available, from silver to peacock!

With those three appointments, the day is officially over but can we tear ourselves away yet? No! One of the most fun parts of Couture is browsing. This is how we discover new designers, or maybe a special one-off piece for the store. Here Chai admires a piece that has caught his eye.

After a long day on our feet, Vegas nightlife has no allure and a bed has never looked so good. Stay tuned for the recap of day two!