Elegant ornaments.

• Position: What's new? Holiday gifts galore - Buyers Guide

Kitsch can be cool, even at Christmas time. And Lord knows, come the holidays, we l-o-v-e to decorate in lowbrow fashion. Yet, a part of us has always wanted to "class up the joint," so to speak, which is why we turned to Nambe, Santa Fe, N.M., the designer and manufacturer of tabletop and gift accessories by young, cutting-edge American designers. Its new line of sterling silver-clad and full-lead crystal ornaments are the first in what will become an annual series of thematic designs.

The 2002 collection includes Laurie Brzezowski's Ribbon Cross Ornament, 2002 Star Ornament, and Swirl Ornament ($45 each). They can serve as holiday decorations and wearable year-round pendants. The Ribbon Cross takes a typical cross and rounds and hollows it out, evoking two main themes for the holidays--the bow and the cross. The Star and Swirl, likewise, are hollowed out and eye-catching. Crystal ornaments include the Eternal Bond ($45), the first in the Silent Night Collection, symbolizing the tranquil joy of an enduring mother-and-child union. The Unity Cross ($45) with its asymmetrical swooping lines, adds a playful feel to a traditional icon. Finally, there is the Surf Votive ($35), wherein the sweeping shape of this crystal candleholder evokes the dancing ocean surf and swells...