Jewelry News

Any article that contains “red diamond” catches our eye. Not only is it a stunning gem to behold but its very rare. (According to reports, red diamonds will become even more rare and and their price is expected to double in the next couple of years.)

Known as The Kimberley Treasure and for sale at AU$1 million, the breath-taking collectable has been crafted from one kilogram of 99.99% fine gold, and features a radiant cut 0.54 carat red diamond unearthed from Rio Tinto’s Argyle Diamond Mine in the east Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Unveiled by the Premier of Western Australia, the Honourable Colin Barnett MLA, The Kimberley Treasure is issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965.

Simon Trott, managing director of Rio Tinto’s diamonds business said “We are delighted to collaborate with The Perth Mint on the exclusive release of this distinctive investment piece. It is a beautiful symbol of the unique treasures of Western Australia and sets a new benchmark in limited edition craftsmanship.”

The Argyle Diamond Mine produces a very small proportion of rare pink diamonds and an even smaller proportion of rare red diamonds. On average one carat of rare red diamonds a year is produced from the Argyle mine.

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The lines and designs of jewelry extend far beyond what we wear on our bodies. Look at one of your favorite pieces of jewelry. Take a moment to note if you see that design or style elsewhere in your life, like in your home or office. Most likely, you have.

And that’s the beauty of jewelry design: it reflects artistry seen all around us.

Take the teaming of Rem Koolhaas who spearhead the redesign of Gaia Repossi’s flagship store on Place Vendôme in Paris. The jewelry reflects the design itself.

According to W Magazine, Repossi explained, “the new Lateral high end emerald cut diamond earrings that twist along their structure, which is a little like the billboard (the flipping panel window) on the ground floor. I had that idea for a long time, and that took a lot of time to develop.”

Pearls seem to be maligned as much as revered. Revered, for obvious reasons: the opalescence and luster of pearls is one of nature’s finest gifts. Maligned? Because they often tend of be associated with a dated look. Sure, Jackie O rocked them…but so did you grandmother.

But pearls won’t go down without a fight.

Their enticing beauty wins out in the end, no matter what era! Their updated look couldn’t help but be noticed at this recent JCK Las Vegas (the leading jewelry event in North America open to all jewelry professionals).

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Joan Rivers did more than just wear jewelry; she celebrated it. She viewed it as art (rightfully so, in our opinion) and now, since her passing, her belongings are up for auction, along with an extensive collection of designer gowns, home furnishings and other personal belongings.

The comedienne’s private collection will be auctioned at Christie’s in New York City on June 22nd. Nearly 300 lots are for sale, ranging from a Tiffany dog bowl, to the desk and chair where she may have written her jokes, to an Edouard Vuillard painting that may fetch more than $120,000.

“There’s really just incredible depth to her collections,” Gemma Sudlow, Christie’s specialist head of Private & Iconic Collections, told ABC News. “There’s glitz. There’s glam. There’s that Hollywood feel to it, that show business feel to everything.”

The collection is on view and is free and open to the public at Christie’s through June 21. Items range in price from $400 to well over $100,000.

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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

Well, we were so bowled over by Lady Gaga’s tribute to David Bowie that we struggled to break free and actually look at the other celebrity jewelry donning the Grammy’s red carpet (though did you check out Lady Gaga’s moon globe rings?).

Here are two of our award winners of the night….

Underwood wearing her Valentine’s present from her husband (who designed the necklace with famed jeweler Jonathan Arndt). 48 carats of Burmese rubies and both white and yellow diamonds. The necklace received the name “The Heartbeat Ruby Necklace with the Firefly Yellow Diamond.”

Demi Lovato wore a dazzling diamond pendant valued at over 2.4 million dollars from Movawad Jewelry. Lovato also wore a $500,00 diamond ring and earrings from Leticia Linton.

Source: People

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

We’re still buzzing in the studio about Beyonce’s show-stopping half-time Superbowl performance on Sunday…because, well…WOW!

But like any cadre of jewelers, we’re a little less focused on the political message behind her song and considerably more focused on the jewels dripping off Queen Bey. Again, can we hear a WOW?

According to Hollywood Life:

The divine diva rocked 18 karat gold champagne nude diamond football-shaped marquise studs, which weighed in at 31 carats. She stuck to the theme as she piled on a 30 carat cushion-shape chunky bezel ring and a 26-carat champagne nude collection pear-shaped diamond knocker bezel ring. As if those baubles weren’t enough, she also added two champagne nude diamond wrap-around rings on each pinky. If you add it all up, her bling totalled approximately 100 carats of champagne from the nudes collection diamonds.

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.