Flashy synthetic bling may be outré, but upscale elegance is timeless. Theodore Alexander believes that furniture design is trending toward lavish elegance, says anthony Cox, the furniture company's vice president and creative director. "Furniture inlaid with semiprecious stones such as malachite, and lapis lazuli inset in karelian birch will set the trend for furniture as 'jewelry for the home,' " Cox says. It just so happens theodore alexander is offering precisely that design in its russian Palaces Collection, which is based on pieces in the hermitage and Pavlovsk Palace.

"As our homes increasingly become reflections of our own personality and taste, it's only fitting that we incorporate jewels into furniture we use and see every day," Cox muses.

Even more common stones are being used in new and interesting ways. Virginia-based designer Barry Dixon loves onyx for elegant countertops and floors. On walls, 3x5-foot sheets have few mortar lines, the better to reveal the natural veining. Crushed quartz or mica wall coverings by david rockwell for maya romanoff dazzle, Dixon says, "but it's earthy, not flashy."

Texas designer Jan Showers likes to accessorize with her overscaled "miles" lamp in honeycomb calcite and her icily glamorous satin spar "Simone" lamp. "It's like having a fabulous dress, but until you have the right jewelry, handbag, or shoes, it doesn't work."