November 19, 2008
Pearls with a Past
When Horace E. Dodge sold Dodge Automobiles to Henry Ford in 1919, he promised to buy his wife Anna any “earthly thing she wanted” with his payment of $12.5 million. She wanted pearls, and he promptly obliged with a pearl necklace purchased at Cartier New York in the belief that they had once belonged to Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia.
On December 16, Bonhams auction house will offer the necklace (estimated at $500,000 to $700,000) as part of its New York jewelry sale. The three-strand necklace with a diamond clasp, which has been modified from its original five-strand design, is currently owned by descendents of the Dodge family. While proof of a direct connection between the pearls and the Empress remains inconclusive―despite research by Bonhams to uncover the necklace’s early provenance―it is a fact that in the early 1900s many Russian aristocrats fled with prominent jewels that reached the open market. Other important pieces in the sale include a Cartier Art Deco diamond bracelet, a David Webb rock crystal and diamond pendant, and a fancy colored diamond pendant featuring a 13.44-carat natural dark brown-yellow diamond center. (www.bonhams.com/jewelry)
—Jill Newman
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November 7, 2008
A Legend Revisited
Designer David Webb is known for his playful, bold, and colorful animal motif bangles and brooches that were worn by socialites and celebrities in the 1960s. Some of those iconic animal designs were reinterpreted for a 60th anniversary collection that was unveiled in company’s Madison Avenue boutique in New York in October. The rock crystal lion bangle, shown, is an example of the artist’s imaginative vision. Other signature pieces include turtles, frogs, and fish. Webb’s new designs are inspired by his recognizable past works, but he’s added a subtle twist for the next generation. The jewelry, which is made in a workshop above the boutique, ranges from $3,000 to $700,000. (212.421.3030)
—Jill Newman
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October 28, 2008
The Gilded Age Revisited
At the end of the Gilded Age, Peter Carl Fabergé, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and René Lalique were among the most coveted artisans of the era, imbuing their design influence into an array of luxury pieces from jewelry to lighting to object d’art. Their magnificent work, including many famous pieces made for the 1900 Paris World’s Fair, are the subject of “Artistic Luxury: Fabergé, Tiffany, Lalique,” a new exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art from October 19, 2008, to January 18, 2009.
“Fabergé, Tiffany, and Lalique were the first to market themselves as ‘artists’ and not just mere jewelers or craftsmen,” said Stephen Harrison, the museum’s curator of decorative art and design. “They hoped that by association their work would be considered on the same level of artistic achievement as painting and sculpture.” The exhibition features more than 300 objects from private lenders and public institutions worldwide including the House of Fabergé Siberian amethyst, diamond, and demantoid garnet necklace (shown), circa 1895-1900, from the collection of jeweler Neil Lane; a rare Imperial Blue Serpent Egg by Fabergé, on loan from His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco; and the rediscovered magnolia stained-glass window created by Tiffany for the 1900 Paris world’s fair, which was sold to a Russian institution in 1901 and never before seen in the United States. In addition to works by the three legendary brands are many pieces by their competitors during the period, including Cartier, Gorham, and Boucheron. (888.CMA.0033, www.ClevelandArt.org)
—Jill Newman
Photo: Howard Agriesti, Cleveland Museum of Art
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October 14, 2008
Diamond Dreams
Dino Modolo, the designer behind the Di MODOLO jewelry collection, has partnered with DD Manufacturing, an Antwerp diamond trader, to create Di MODOLO Haute Couture, a collection of one-of-a-kind diamond designs featuring large, colorless diamonds and fancy-colored pink, blue, and yellow diamonds. In typical Di MODOLO style, the new designs reflect a sleek, stylish sensibility with bold, softly rounded shapes and minimal adornment. The simple fancy intense blue diamond and fancy intense orange-pink heart-shaped diamond ring, shown, exemplifies the designer’s style with its streamlined baguette-diamond setting. Other pieces include more elaborate yellow and white diamond necklaces and a range of simple drop earrings and necklaces. The collection was unveiled in September at the new boutique on Madison Avenue, just a few blocks from the old store. (866.346.6365, www.dimodolo.com)
—Jill Newman
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September 30, 2008
Famous Diamonds Come to Auction
When a 316.15-carat diamond was discovered in 2005 at De Beers’ Venetia mine, it was christened the Ponahalo (a Sotho word that means vision) by Jonathan Oppenheimer, head of the chairman’s office of De Beers Group. Only special diamonds are bestowed with a name to memorialize their significance over time. Two of the largest stones from this rock―a 102.11-carat and 70.87-carat rectangular-cut diamond―will be offered at Christie’s Jewels: The New York Sale on October 15. It is part of two important jewelry sales that day, which comprise 273 lots and are expect to realize in excess of $35 million. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Ponahalo diamonds will be donated to the Diamond Empowerment Fund, a non-profit organization that funds education programs in African countries where diamonds are a natural resource. That same day at Christie’s, the Superb 20th Century Jewels from an American Collection will offer more than 100 lots of signed jewels by all the leading makers of the 20th century including René Boivin, Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Paul Flato, and Van Cleef & Arpels. (www.christies.com)
—Jill Newman
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September 16, 2008
Culture Clash
The first mainland Chinese debutante at the Crillon Ball in Paris, fine jeweler Bao Bao Wan, is the granddaughter of vice premier Wan Li, the former chairman of Communist China’s National Peoples’ Congress. This progeny of such extreme contrasts (her mother spent the Cultural Revolution toiling the muddy fields of China’s impoverished countryside) studied literature in Paris then gemology in America before launching an eponymous line of 18-karat gold, diamond, and semiprecious stone baubles. She personally selects each South Sea pearl and Burmese ruby, so that “every single piece of jewelry comes from my heart.” Imperial Chinese sloping pavilions covered in white diamonds make whimsical earrings, and she fashions a yellow diamond butterfly resting upon gold bamboo into a ring. Bejeweled pistil and petals add shock value to her suggestive La Coquetterie pieces, yet Wan insists nature is a metaphor for the strength of the women who inspire her. Prices start at $6,000, and the collection is available in Hong Kong at Prince Jewellry and Watch. (852.2369.2123, baobaowan.com)
—Cynthia Rosenfeld
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September 2, 2008
Avakian Bows in Beverly Hills
Widely known in Geneva and London for its colorful, stylish jewelry designs, Avakian recently opened its first U.S. store in the Regent Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills. Among its signature designs is the playful Joker motif featuring large gemstones in a setting reminiscent of a joker’s hat with dangling stones. Inspired by the cosmos, the Galaxy collection features gemstone orbs wrapped in pavé diamond and colorful stone settings.
The imaginative designs stem from a family collaboration that includes Edmond Avakian, his wife Taline, and children Corinne and Haig, who each play a pivotal role in the creation of the jewelry. Beyond its colorful jewelry, the family is also closely connected to its international clientele, many of whom are second-generation patrons. (310.228.2100, www.avakian.com)
—Jill Newman
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August 19, 2008
Animal Attraction
Jewelry designer Katey Brunini’s latest collection, Spirit Animals, features a menagerie of hand-carved, jeweled animal figures that also serve as talismans and symbols of protection. After a recent trip to Tulum, Mexico, where Brunini studied with a Mayan shaman, she was inspired to create these limited-edition jewelry sculptures, imbuing each with ancient symbolism. The hand-carved jet, 18-karat gold, and pavé diamond crab, $19,950 (shown), represents the power of dance, community, protection of home, and success, according to Native American tradition. In keeping with the nature-inspired theme that has been the driving force behind the 10-year-old business, the Solana Beach, California, designer continues to juxtapose precious gems and metal with organic materials such as bone and wood. Spirit Animals is available at Takashimaya, 800.753.2038; or through Katey Brunini, 858.259.8779.
—Jill Newman
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August 5, 2008
Uncommon Color
Diamonds are most commonly found in white and variations of white, which make stones colored lime green and bright orange highly coveted collectibles. Jewelry designer Christian Tse seeks out these especially unique varieties of colored diamonds for his burgeoning clientele, which doesn’t just include diamond lovers. “The price of natural-colored diamonds has skyrocketed in the past several years, and I have a few hedge-fund clients who are investing in stones,” says the Pasadena, California-based jeweler.
His latest discovery is a vivid yellow-orange three-carat heart-shape diamond that he purchased from a small Brazilian miner. “It’s my favorite color diamond since it’s vibrant and lively,” says Tse. He created a ring by setting the unusual stone in pavé pink and orange diamonds, but he has yet to set a price for it. Tse started collecting colored diamonds six years ago, and his collection presently numbers about 125 jewelry pieces plus about 50 unmounted stones. He buys from a small cadre of Indian and Brazilian dealers in addition to attending auctions and trade events. Among his most exceptional stones are six greenish-yellow diamonds that appear lime green or what he calls “Mountain Dew,” referring to bright-green soda. Tse’s treasures include a three-carat vivid yellowish-green diamond ring set with fancy pink diamonds for $200,000, of which he says, “This ring is for the woman who already has the big white diamond, but wants something different and rare.” (626.577.9288, www.christiantse.com)
—Jill Newman
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July 22, 2008
From Sea to Sculpture
The Bernard K. Passman gallery on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, known for its artistic use of black coral, unveiled a collection of one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces and a series of sculptures made of the organic material. The designs had been made over the past few years by artist Bernard Passman, who pioneered the use of black coral as a medium for sculpture and design some 30 years ago, and passed away in February 2007. He created bold bangles, necklaces, and rings in coral with gold and diamond accents (priced from about $10,000 to $60,000), but they were kept as part of his private collection until now. Among the distinctive pieces is his Wavebreaker black coral and gold cuff with 42 round brilliant-cut diamonds and three princess-cut diamonds (shown) for $37,000. (310.246.5150, www.passman.com)
—Jill Newman
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July 8, 2008
Passion for Pearls
The South Sea pearl company AUTORE transforms the classic gem from the sea into imaginative jewelry creations. Inspired by the Great Barrier Reef, its latest collection brings to life colorful jewel-encrusted sea horses, starfish, jellyfish, shells, a flying fish, and an octopus, each featuring exceptional South Sea baroque and keshi pearls. In addition to its unique use of large-scale pearls, the Australian company employs the traditional French technique known as en tremblant, which allows the pieces to move subtly with the wearer. The AUTORE Group, which has been a pearl supplier for more than 20 years, sources its pearls exclusively from South Sea pearl farms situated on the crystal-clear waters off the coast of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and the islands of Indonesia. Pristine and pollutant-free, these waters are known for producing some of the world’s best-quality pearls in shades of luminous white, exotic blue, silver, soft pink, and rich gold. While most of the pearls are sold internationally to dealers and jewelers, AUTORE saves the most unusual specimens for its own couture collections. (www.pearlautore.com.au)
—Jill Newman
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June 17, 2008
Royal Gold
Old world meets new world in Pharrell Williams’ jewelry collection for Louis Vuitton. The stylish rapper and producer collaborated with Camille Miceli, Louis Vuitton’s jewelry designer, on limited-edition pieces that reference medieval symbols, but in an undeniably modern, hip context. The Blason collection, a French term that refers to a coat of arms, features stylized, diamond-studded coats-of-arms emblazoned on reversible rings, pendants, and cufflinks. Other symbolic elements include signet rings, artistic interpretations of the LV monogram, crowns, and cherubs. Created in 18-karat gold and diamonds, the collection ($2,000 to $60,000) is available exclusively at Louis Vuitton stores in New York, Beverly Hills, and Bal Harbour, Florida. (866.VUITTON, www.louisvuitton.com) ―Jill Newman
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May 27, 2008
Cartier’s Passage to India
Inspired by the colorful, flamboyant jewelry made for India’s maharajas in the first half of the 20th century, Cartier unveiled a collection of equally imaginative high-jewelry designs last winter. A new range of Indian-inspired jewelry featuring more everyday designs was introduced in Cartier stores in May. The exotic influence takes the form of delicate lotus floral pendants, filigree rings, and necklaces of dainty layers of gold, diamond, and pearls. Prices run the gamut from $1,450 to several hundred thousand for elaborate gemstone designs. (www.cartier.com)
―Jill Newman
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May 13, 2008
De Beers’ Diamond Dream
Inspired by the mythical Valley of Diamonds, De Beers has unveiled a 13-piece high jewelry collection featuring exotic cobras, a Komodo dragon, and a dramatic diamond-studded phoenix. The new pieces are part of the brand’s effort to create unique jewelry that reflects not only the inherent beauty of diamonds, but also the rich heritage and significance of the stones over time. The mythological tale is of a mysterious and beautiful Indian valley laden with diamonds, but guarded by walls of fire, birds of prey, and snakes. Only the almighty phoenix, it was believed, could capture a diamond and bestow it upon a person of pure heart and spirit. To evoke the ancient spirit of the fable, De Beers’ designer Raphaele Canot combined rough and faceted diamonds in shades of brown, yellow, and white. The king cobra ring, shown, features a 7.62-carat rough brown diamond set among more than 15 carats of diamonds. The collection, available through De Beers, ranges from $30,000 to $200,000. (800.929.0889, www.debeers.com)
―Jill Newman
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April 16, 2008
In the Rough
For 15 years, Todd Reed’s rough diamond-and-gold jewelry designs were considered unconventional and edgy. Now his once-unusual use of precious diamonds has emerged as an important direction in jewelry design. “I use them because each and every stone has individual and unique characteristics,” says the Boulder, Colorado-based designer. In contrast to faceted diamonds that are cut to scientific proportions to maximize a stone’s brilliance, the rough stones are valued for their unique, mysterious glow and shape. The $40,000 rough diamond-and-ruby bracelet, shown, is an example of the designer’s use of blending colors and shapes into one-of-a-kind pieces that show the gems in a less formal style. Rough diamonds are also appealing to a growing male clientele, says Reed, who’s designed a new collection of diamond cuff links and wedding bands. (303.442.6280) ―Jill Newman
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April 8, 2008
Historic Jewels on the Auction Block
Empress Eugénie’s 1855 diamond bow brooch, estimated at $4 million to $6 million, will be among the famous historical pieces on the auction block at Christie’s Rare Jewels and Gemstones: The Eye of a Connoisseur sale on April 15. Made by French jeweler François Kramer for the renowned courtesan who was married to Louis Napoléon, the brooch was later owned by the Astor family of New York. It’s among 155 lots that represent many historical and iconic jewels from the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods along with important stones.
“This unique ensemble represents a walk through some of history’s most prominent figures and their jewels,” says François Curiel, Christie’s chairman of jewelry. The assortment includes a representation of the world’s great Art Nouveau jewelry designers René Lalique, Henri Vever, and Georges Fouquet, in addition to Cartier’s Mystery Clock (estimated at $500,000 to $700,000), an iconic Art Deco design in which the hands appear to float across the face. The clock is one of 12 made by the legendary young clockmaker Maurice Coüet, who collaborated with Cartier from 1922 to 1931. Christie’s is also offering a rare 14.23-carat fancy intense pink diamond (shown), estimated at $10 million to $15 million, which is extraordinary for its size and depth of color. (www.christies.com)
―Jill Newman
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March 18, 2008
Diamond Dreams
Last October, Sotheby’s set a world auction record when it sold a 6.04-carat fancy vivid blue diamond for $7,981,835 at its Hong Kong sale. It expects to create the same bidding frenzy when a 72.22 D-color, pear-shaped diamond hits the auction block at its Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Sale on April 10 in Hong Kong. Bidding will start at $10 million for the exceptional-quality stone that is described as the size of large strawberry and is the largest pear-shaped D-color flawless diamond to date to appear at auction in Asia. The sale also presents a rare 3.47-carat fancy vivid blue heart-shape diamond, with an estimated value of $3 million to $3.8 million, and the world’s largest graded intense purple diamond, a 3.02-carat radiant-cut stone, with an estimated value of $1.5 million to $1.8 million. When it comes to the price of rarified diamonds, clearly the sky is the limit. (www.Sothebys.com)
―Jill Newman
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