New site offers designer-jewelry rentals

Budget-conscious consumers interested in keeping up with the latest designer-jewelry trends can now turn to Bling Yourself Inc. , a Web site that allows women and men to rent luxury jewelry online.

Designers include such notable names as Christian Dior, Gucci, John Hardy, Judith Ripka, Roberto Coin, Rolex and TAG Heuer.

Michelle Krause, founder of Bling Yourself, says the Web site offers a new shopping channel for people.

"Blingyourself.com is the simple way to keep up with today`s latest trends without having to break the bank," she said in a press release.

To start the rental process, people must register on the site as either a guest member or a premium member. The cost is $10 per month or $100 per year for premium members, and members can rent up to three items at a time. If an account remains in good standing, members can borrow an item for as long as they choose, but they will earn extra "bonus bling points" for returning an item within a month of the initial rental.

If items are unavailable for rent, premium members can add it to a wish list. When the renter reaches the top of the waiting list, the item will be shipped.

Premium members will receive a 10 percent discount on every rental for the lifetime of the membership. They will also receive seasonal bonus bling points, which will be added to their account balance, and additional points can also be received for yearlong loyal members.

There is a $10 flat fee for delivery and free return shipping for all products, with prepaid envelopes and return labels provided by the company. Shipping typically takes two to five business days, with an option of expedited overnight shipping for an additional cost.

If a rented item is scratched or badly damaged, Bling Yourself will charge market rates for the repair of the item. If an item is lost, beyond repair or stolen, the retail value of the item will be charged to the credit card provided by the renter.

The company supports the International Rescue Committee (IRC) charity by contributing 100 percent of the rental fees of its featured charity products to the IRC.