Jewelry News

When we talk jewelry, we think of adornment only. Most of us forget that throughout history, jewelry has been used for a wide variety of purposes, from plain old functionality (think cuff links) to protection from evil spirits.

According to a recent piece in the New York Times, a  jewelry exhibition in Italy has one goal in mind: to change the way you look at jewelry.

“You’ll start thinking about what jewelry means to you. And your idea about jewelry will be different after you visit.” promised Alba Cappellieri, director of the Museo del Gioiello.

The museum, which opened in December 2014, features nine rooms focused on different concepts. For example, the “jewelry as function” room has buttons, cufflinks, cloak clasps, tiny bottles meant to hold perfume and little coin pouches, all decorative items with workaday roles. “We have examples from all over the world, from Africa, China, India, America,” said Ms. Cappellieri, professor of jewelry design at Milan Polytechnic, pointing out an Italian Renaissance belt woven of gold.

But not to worry: there’s a section dedicated to jewelry that’s simply about design (pictured below).

A necklace in an 18th century style with a cut-glass pendant designed by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel’s fall 1983 couture and manufactured by Ugo Correani of Milan. It is a reproduction of a necklace owned by Coco Chanel.

The next time you find yourself complaining about the “way things are made nowadays”, refer to to this article from in Blouin Art Info. It’s a gentle reminder of the immense detail that used to go into hand-crafted jewelry. Check out this interesting collection of drawings, created during a time when everything was hand-painted, then fabricated by true artisans.

Sotheby’s in London is to put on show hundreds of vintage-jewelry drawings that have never been seen in public before.

The “Masters of Design” display will feature preparatory sketches before items were hand-made by Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and famous “maisons.” The exquisite artwork charts almost a century of design, up to the 1960s. The auction house says the sketches are works of art in themselves and come from a large private collection of 3,000 jewelry documents.

(Remember, we create custom design jewelry using 3 generations of jewelry craftsmanship so we get the importance of detail and artistry!)

Designs for Cartier brooch. Sotheby’s

Designs for brooches attributed to Van Cleef & Arpels, circa 1935 Sotheby’s

Design for Cartier Collier de Chien, 1900s Sotheby’s

Imelda Marcos, the wife of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is well-known for her shoe collection. But equally comprehensive and vast was her collection of jewelry.

The Philippine government has given approval of the public exhibit and auction of her jewelry collection which international experts have appraised to be now worth at least 1 billion pesos ($21 million), officials said.

While we don’t have shots of the exhibition yet, here’s a glimpse into one woman’ historical collection:

Image: Bullit Marquez/Associated Press

 

Image: Bullit Marquez/Associated Press

Source: Mashable

This commercial from Blue Nile has certainly got a lot of attention in our circles over the last few weeks. Many jewelers have complained that its a disparaging look at brick and mortar stores with an implication that you’re safer purchasing your jewelry online, from a massive retailer.

Well obviously, we couldn’t think differently. We’re also surprised that a retailer the size of Blue Nile would bother to knock the “little guy.” Perhaps its because ultimately, with all their retail power, they still can’t capture something that we so readily offer: personalized service and a real location to display our wares.

So go ahead, Blue Nile…mock away. We’ll continue providing quality, face-to-face service and an actual studio for you to visit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZoQy9JhsSg

Our clients simply love their pink gems. Quintessentially feminine and just plain pretty, there are a wide array of pinks that make us ooooh and ahhhh.

But this vivid pink? It’s a showstopping shade.

And rightfully so. Starting at $23 million, it had better take our breath away!

Christie’s will offer a 16.08 ct. cushion-shaped fancy vivid pink diamond at its Nov. 10 Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva and estimates the rare gem will sell for $23 million–$28 million. 

The diamond is the largest of its kind to ever be sold at auction, and, in fact, only three pure vivid pink diamonds over 10 cts. have ever appeared at auction.

The spectacular stone is set as a ring, surrounded by a double row of pavé-set white diamonds and a third row of pavé-set pink diamonds. The band consists of circular-cut white diamonds set in platinum.

“As large and rare colored diamonds of this caliber become increasingly hard to locate, this 16.08 ct.  fancy vivid pink diamond comes to market at a time when great gems are mirroring prices achieved for masterpieces in the world of fine art,” said Kadakia, Christie’s international head of jewelry. “Collectors are looking to jewels as savvy investments that are both beautiful and can appreciate considerably in value over a relatively short period of time.”

Source: JCK

Looking for something a little closer to home budgetarily? Call for pricing.

Cultured Pink Diamond And Pave Ring Delicate pave set diamond ring with 1/2ct fancy pink cultured diamond and 1/3ct t.w. natural round pave’ set diamonds. Top of ring is 9mm wide and shank is 2mm wide. Also available in fancy blue and yellow.Available Metal: 14kt White Gold And Platinum Available Stone Size: 1/2ct Available Ring Size: 4 – 8

Prepare to have your mind blown. This mind pretty much does everything except take out the trash or wash the dishes (then what good is it, she screams!).

But seriously, the amount of detail in this Vacheron Constantin watch is beyond compare…literally. It IS the most complicated watch ever created.

Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin is claiming the title of the most complicated mechanical watch ever made with its Reference 57260. Boasting 57 complications (the previous record holder had 33) and a wide array of functions, the Reference 57260 contains over 2,800 components, each one hand-decorated by one Master Watchmaker using traditional techniques. The watch is also Hallmark of Geneva certified, which means it was assembled, timed, and cased in Geneva and has passed rigorous criteria regarding production, workmanship, and precision.

Mind not blown yet? Check out this space-age feature:

Nine astronomical calendar functions

The third calendar consists of nine astronomical complications. These include one that shows the seasons, equinoxes, solstices, and the signs of the zodiac using a hand on the reverse side outer dial to represent the position of the sun. The position of the gold hand with a sun-shaped counterweight reads off the months of the year in consecutive order, the constellations of the zodiac, the dates of the autumnal and spring equinoxes, the summer and winter solstices, and the related seasons.

No price is officially available for the Vacheron Constantin 57206  but the estimates run in the vicinity of $5 million.

L’Odyssée de Cartier moves beyond the constraints of the commercial genre and into, well…an odyssey. Keenly and seamlessly displaying Cartier jewelry throughout, the commercial takes you on a imaginative journey rather than simply “buy me” rhetoric. If all commercials could be this captivating!

As described on their website:

Discover the new Cartier film, a journey between dream and reality.
For the very first time, Cartier has decided to create a cinema epic focusing on its history, its values and inspiration, its artistic and universal scope.

Directed by: Bruno Aveillan.

The face jewelry that launched a thousand ships…or at least a thousand Instagram accounts. And while this jewelry is more for runway purposes during Fashion Week, we couldn’t help but notice its simple, compelling beauty:

According to Refinery 29:

This isn’t the Kardashian kind of contouring — each model walked the runway with a custom face piece crafted by Sarah & Sebastian. Each piece tightly outlined the models’ profiles. The subtle and statement-making wire added an exclusive touch to the already-gorgeous collection, complete with major fringe, loose silhouettes, and basket-woven suede.

Designer Sarah Gittoes told us that each piece was custom-molded to fit each model and held in place through tension (which means that while it’s stunning, it’s not quite meant to be worn in real life…unless you can get through the day without opening your mouth).

The pieces were made of sterling silver or rose gold. There was no superglue or fashion tape involved. The pieces were held in place with tension.

A truly gorgeous platinum ring. As often seen with diamonds of this caliber, platinum is used instead of white gold.

The blue pear is surrounded with round pink diamonds weighing approximately 0.25 carat that seem to be emphasizing the beautiful and pure blue color of the diamond.

The price estimation is around $500,000. If we place the setting aside, this means approximately $140,000 per carat. An impressive price tag for a fancy light blue.

Jewelry has becomes so much more than a mere adornment over the last decade. Smart jewelry can tell you your heart rate or alert you of an email or help you find your way home, among a million other duties. But one woman dared to create a different kind of smart jewelry, made initially to cool down menopausal women but hitting a much bigger audience.

According to Connie Sherman of Hot Girl Pearls:

“I went to the store and bought a bag of those colorful plastic ice cubes — the kind that don’t melt in your drink. They’re filled with water and you just stick them in the freezer and they stay cold for hours. I taped them to a string and wrapped them around my neck and I knew, at that moment, I was on to something.”

“They kept the chill for about 45 minutes. And I knew if I could find a way to make an attractive necklace that worked in the same way, there were lots of women who would want one. I couldn’t be the only one schvitzing her way through menopause.”

But it wasn’t just women who were dealing with menopause who were logging on to Connie’s website. It was women who were undergoing chemotherapy, others who had migraines, even women who had lupus and multiple sclerosis — things she’d never considered.

Source: Huffington Post