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Natural Motifs in Dior Fine Jewelry

April 15, 2012 By Danielle

Bal Bleu Nuit ring by Dior Fine Jewelry/Victoire de Castellane
Bal Bleu Nuit ring by Dior Fine Jewelry/Victoire de Castellane

There’s always reason to post a beautiful piece of jewelry — how wearable it is is debatable, but really, who cares? Both the ring above and “Fleur d’exces” below are by Dior Fine Jewelry, springing from the imaginative mind of Victoire de Castellane. I love the nature motifs; this article by Evelyne Politanoff has more photos. (Be sure to enlarge both photos posted here — you’ll enjoy the details, guaranteed.)

If you’d like to see more, check out DIOR JOAILLERIE by Michele Heuze, published earlier this year.

The first book to celebrate the timeless beauty and craftsmanship of Dior’s jewelry designs. Since launching Dior Fine Jewelry in 1998, Victoire de Castellane has been celebrated for having revolutionized the staid world of jewelry design. Her designs play with the barriers between natural and artificial. Renowned as one of the most creative and fearless jewelry designers in the world, she trailblazed the use of the semiprecious gemstones and lacquered gold in baroque, translucent colors. Her sources of inspiration include a global mix of pop culture, floral and natural motifs, and the visual excesses of Bollywood.
— Huffington Post

Crystalucinea Metha Agressiva by Dior Fine Jewelry/Victoire de Castellane
Crystalucinea Metha Agressiva, by Dior Fine Jewelry/Victoire de Castellane

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: dior, haute couture, rings

Céleste, Comète

March 7, 2012 By Danielle

Chanel Céleste brooch in white gold, diamonds, and pearls.
Chanel Céleste brooch in white gold, diamonds, and pearls. One of a kind.

Why am I so excited, you ask? Because Chanel created a line of celestial jewelry JUST FOR ME. (Okay, not just for me. But it is a jewelry line after my own heart.)

Chanel Comète Ring in 18K white gold, sapphires, diamonds, and sapphire crystal.
Chanel Comète Ring in 18K white gold, sapphires, diamonds, and sapphire crystal. "Price upon request."

Launching the Comète line are some amazing one-off pieces, in celebration of the 80th anniversary of Gabrielle Chanel’s 1932 Exhibition de Bijoux en Diamants. These pieces will tour the world in a traveling exhibition — this article has more photos.

Of the one-of-a-kind pieces I’ve seen, my favorite is the Céleste brooch above. The soft colors, the combination of glowing pearls and sparkling diamonds, and the design elements (stars! rings! planets!) are hitting me in all my vulnerable spots. This piece has me palpitating.

From the Comète line, I adore the sapphire and diamond Comète ring (available, but “price upon request.” Eep.) I can’t fathom how something like that is created, but I LIKE IT. I LIKE IT A LOT.

In conclusion, all the starry things are gorgeous. I hope you agree!

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: bracelets, brooches, celestial, chanel, diamond, pearls, rings, sapphires, stars

Fall Update

November 6, 2011 By Danielle

Phew, it’s been a while! I had it in mind to write “article”-type posts here (read: LONG), which I think may have been a mistake, as I’ve missed several “update”-type opportunities to post over the past few months. And now here it is, November, and interesting things have been happening, none of which I’ve told you about!

Here’s a sampling of what I’ve been up to, since July:

I completed my Accredited Jewelry Professional diploma through GIA, which means I can add the words “dangerous enough for retail” to my credentials. Wait. No. It means I can add the initials AJP to my credentials. Sorry about that.

I started Colored Stones at the end of July, and Pearls at the beginning of September; I am nearly done with Pearls now, about halfway through Colored Stones (somewhat behind, in my original estimate; got bogged down with work this fall, which has curtailed the studying significantly.) I am going to Carlsbad next weekend to take the Colored Stone Grading and Pearl Grading labs. I plan to take the Gemstone Identification lab in late January.

Chatham Created emerald crystal
My prize: a Chatham created emerald crystal (a bit over 1/2" long.) I keep it on my desk.

In late September, I had the pleasure of meeting Tom Chatham, of Chatham Created Gems in San Francisco. Tom was very kind, extremely generous with his time, and quite patient with this googly-eyed gemology student (who spent the entire visit with her fingers in a bowl full of synthetic emerald crystals. Don’t judge me. You wouldn’t be able to resist them either!)

Art Deco 26 Carat Star Sapphire Ring at Lang Antiques
Lavender star sapphire ring, Art Deco. Yes, please.

After my visit at Chatham, I made my way over to Lang Antiques and met some of their enthusiastic staff (hard not to be enthusiastic, working with their inventory every day!) I was happy to finally meet the awesome Barbra Voltaire, administrator and gem-goddess of GemologyOnline.com and the helpful GO Forums. (I visited Lang earlier in September, but she was off that day. I did spend some time ogling the stone to your left, which is probably my favorite piece in their inventory. Not sure, but I think I need to be queen of something before I can wear a ring like this.)

Art Deco Onyx and Diamond Locket at Lang Antiques
The back/inside looks as good as the front/outside.

This visit, I spent some quality time with the piece to your right, a fabulous onyx and diamond locket from the Art Deco period. You really must go look at all of the pictures, because the inside is as beautiful as the outside, and the whole thing is just… dreamy. [swoon] Why is it, that I always like the expensive things? Maybe if you work with expensive jewelry every day, you get over it. (I’d like the opportunity to test that theory…)

For the record, Barbra was swooning over the locket, too.

Last but not least, a week from today, I will be joining the GIA Alumni Association’s Los Angeles chapter on a field trip to the famous Stewart Lithia Mine in Pala, CA. I’m going in a mine!! And then I get to sort through mine tailings and look for gems!! I’m ever so excited about all this. (In case you can’t tell.) I hope to have PILES of gems to photograph and post (but really, I’d be happy with just a small handful.)

There’s more to tell, but that will have to wait for the next post. Stay tuned!

Filed Under: Gems & Gemology Tagged With: antique jewelry, art deco, diamond, distance education, emerald, field trips, gemology, jewelry, lab classes, mining, onyx, rings, star sapphire

Crowned

July 20, 2011 By Danielle

Ring in 18k yellow gold has 1.34 cts. t.w. diamonds; $6,300. Norman Covan
Ring in 18k yellow gold has 1.34 cts. t.w. diamonds; $6,300. Norman Covan

Nearly three months ago, there was a fairly significant wedding, at which time I came across this crown-themed post at JCK. I love crowns and tiaras, so pretty much everything featured was to my liking; these are a few of my favorites.

Crown ring in 18k rose gold has 0.73 ct. rubies and 0.53 ct. diamonds; $6,600. Parade Design
Crown ring in 18k rose gold has 0.73 ct. rubies and 0.53 ct. diamonds; $6,600. Parade Design
Palace ring in 18k white gold has 7.77 cts. t.w. black diamonds and 6.70 cts. t.w. colorless diamonds; $41,000. Siera Jewelry
Palace ring in 18k white gold has 7.77 cts. t.w. black diamonds and 6.70 cts. t.w. colorless diamonds; $41,000. Siera Jewelry
The Princess ring in 14k yellow gold has 0.52 ct. diamonds; $2,450; Kamofie
The Princess ring in 14k yellow gold has 0.52 ct. diamonds; $2,450; Kamofie

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: crowns, diamond, jewelry, rings, royalty, ruby, wedding

Cocktail Hour

May 3, 2011 By Danielle

Piaget's Mojito ring
Piaget's Mojito ring

I admit, until recently I didn’t really “get” cocktail rings. Rings, yes. Big flashy rings, no.

I’ve since seen the light, thanks to these cocktail-inspired rings by Piaget. “Inspired” is right! I’ve posted Piaget’s “Mojito” because I find it impressive both in design and execution.

The lime slice is delectable, carved from a single piece of citrine, and every speck of color is a mounted gem — no enamel, anywhere. (That I know of.) The “drink” is a dreamy tourmaline.


Piaget's Whiskey on the Rocks cocktail ring
Piaget's Whiskey on the Rocks ring

My other favorite from this ring series is “Whiskey on the Rocks”. I love the little rock crystal ice cubes, and the way the gold mounting seems to splash upwards to meet them. The central stone is a perfectly whiskey-colored citrine.

I’ve been looking at these pictures for days now. The detail and planning is evident from every angle. (The details are what matter the most!)

I find the other four rings equally charming; the above two are my favorites. I’m not much of a cocktail drinker, but I admire these clever rings immensely!


Piaget's Blueberry Daiquiri cocktail ring Piaget's Cosmopolitan cocktail ring Piaget's White Tonic cocktail ring Piaget's Blue Ocean cocktail ring

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: jewelry, piaget, rings

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