Jewnail = 'jewel' + 'nail'

Never have non-Japanese netizens been so excited about a nail art brand, but Jewnail just has a certain je ne sais quoi about it that makes you stop and wonder.

Let's get something out of the way. The name is clearly a contraction of 'jewel' and 'nail' and has nothing to do with the offensive early 20th-century carpentry term 'jew nail' -- meaning a crooked nail.

Jewnail high-end nail care products come from nail salon Jill&Lovers in Harajuku, founded by famed nail artiste Mami Jingu in 2007. As seen by the use of "Popteen" model Yui Kanno and former "Ranzuki" model Tomoko Tamogami in the Jewnail campaign, Jingu is a favorite with the young gyaru types who congregate in Shibuya. Be sure to make your appointment way in advance.

Although Jewnail products went on sale in early 2008 and have mostly sold out, they still show up in internet auctions and may even be available at Don Quijote outlets across Tokyo. Jill&Lovers' Mami Jingu keeps a blog here if you want to learn more about future Jewnail product releases.