1. MediaThe Super Bowl has always been considered the, um, Super Bowl of ad placements. And yet viewers were surely taken aback when, amid the beer and corn chip commercials, local stations aired a high-toned ad for jewelry chain Alex and Ani during the Feb. 3 game. The commercial ran only in select markets, but cost the Providence, R.I.–based up-and-comer $2 million to produce and broadcast. “With Valentine’s Day sitting there 12 days out, to me it was a no-brainer,” says company CEO Giovanni Feroce, who’s already planning a repeat performance. Alex and Ani’s Web ­traffic spiked 550 percent the following day, with a 243 percent jump immediately after the ad ran.2. OscarsIt’s official: Diamonds are a Holly­wood star’s best friend. After a colorful showing at January’s Golden Globes, jewelry at the Feb. 24 Oscars went almost completely colorless, with an endless train