From Archive:
by Maria Kerner | Mar 6, 2020 | All, Jewelry Now, Shop | 0 comments
From Archive:
WHEN BEAUTY IS THE QUESTION, BOUCHERON IS THE ANSWER
BOUCHERON’S QUESTION MARK NECKLACES: TIMELESS CLASSICS OF THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.
In January 2020, at the biannual Paris haute couture jewelry show, Boucheron presented its new high jewelry collection: iconic claspless ‘Point d’Interrogation’ (‘question mark’) necklaces—signature pieces of the jewelry house, an everlasting tribute to beauty and science, emotion and innovation going hand in hand.
The genius and exquisite invention of the Maison makes it possible to put the necklace on with one smooth move, without assistance and without fear of breaking this extremely complex, yet pliable masterpiece.
The genius and exquisite invention of the Maison makes it possible to put the necklace on with one smooth move, without assistance and without fear of breaking this extremely complex, yet pliable masterpiece.
Boucheron – Lierre de Paris Question Mark necklace paved with emeralds
Boucheron – Nuage de Fleurs Question Mark necklace set with mother-of-pearl and diamonds
Boucheron – Perles Question Mark necklace set with cultural pearls and diamonds on white gold
Boucheron – Plume de Paon XL Question Mark necklace paved with diamonds on white gold
So what’s the big deal, you will ask.
Actually, the deal was really big back in 1879, when Boucheron designed the first Question Mark necklace. At a time when Western women’s fashion was still fundamentally reigned by corsets, rigidly structured bustles, ultra-restrictive, heavy, long skirts, profuse decoration, extremely tight sleeves, and tall, fitted, boned collars—all ingredients for zero convenience—this innovative mechanism was revolutionary, giving women, apart from the obvious beauty of the necklace, a long-sought feeling of independence, freedom and power.
Actually, the deal was really big back in 1879, when Boucheron designed the first Question Mark necklace. At a time when Western women’s fashion was still fundamentally reigned by corsets, rigidly structured bustles, ultra-restrictive, heavy, long skirts, profuse decoration, extremely tight sleeves, and tall, fitted, boned collars—all ingredients for zero convenience—this innovative mechanism was revolutionary, giving women, apart from the obvious beauty of the necklace, a long-sought feeling of independence, freedom and power.
Today, the creative director of Boucheron, Claire Choisne, along with her ingenious team, reminded the world of this creation with the presentation of eight new Question Mark necklaces: pieces so uniquely engineered that the golden leaves of the Lierre de Paris necklace, each set with dozens of emeralds, move and ripple in the unperceivable wind, activated by a secret switch. Or look at the Nuage de Fleurs necklace: before crafting the pure, delicate mother-of-pearl and diamond flowers, each petal of hydrangea was 3D-scanned to achieve the maximum level of detail. The astounding and uncanny level of realism that leaves you wondering how is it even possible?!
The patterns borrowed from nature, leaves, flowers, petals, Art deco-style natural pearls, a peacock’s feather have been carefully studied and reproduced in precious metals and stones. The idea, the design, the implementation, the history behind the piece, even the way it laconically captures the natural body shapes and gives a subtle yet sublime focus to the chest. In modern times, when women are free to dress however they like, this asymmetrical, light, graceful Question Mark necklace remains Boucheron’s answer to the timeless question of beauty, femininity and freedom of self-expression.
The patterns borrowed from nature, leaves, flowers, petals, Art deco-style natural pearls, a peacock’s feather have been carefully studied and reproduced in precious metals and stones. The idea, the design, the implementation, the history behind the piece, even the way it laconically captures the natural body shapes and gives a subtle yet sublime focus to the chest. In modern times, when women are free to dress however they like, this asymmetrical, light, graceful Question Mark necklace remains Boucheron’s answer to the timeless question of beauty, femininity and freedom of self-expression.
WHERE DO RAINBOWS COME FROM
FROM THE JOLLY JEWELRY BY LUISA ALEXANDER AND FUN PAINTINGS BY JULIE COCKBURN
Monochromatic looks are forever elegant and safe. But there is always space and reason for color, which can be integrated onto any image or design. Like the vibrant palimpsests by Julie Cockburn, where she layers and adds new colors and angles to portraits, proving that a photograph can be something else—and something more—than just an authentic reflection.
Eye-catching rainbow jewelry by Luisa Alexander also has something refreshing to say. And this word is: happy. Besides being very practical, fitting every style and clothing palette, rainbow jewelry is the ultimate mood maker, keeping your spirits up and brightening your day.
Do not miss your rainbow catch at the Moda Operandi trunk show!
Eye-catching rainbow jewelry by Luisa Alexander also has something refreshing to say. And this word is: happy. Besides being very practical, fitting every style and clothing palette, rainbow jewelry is the ultimate mood maker, keeping your spirits up and brightening your day.
Do not miss your rainbow catch at the Moda Operandi trunk show!
THE JEWELRY ICON
CATCH OF THE DAY
LITO JEWELRY: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!
Symbolic, hypnotizing or simply eye-catching. This is not just another necklace. This is a viewpoint, a vision, an attitude.
A fresh look at a traditional artefact by a new creative mind in the world of jewelry. In Lito Karakostanoglou’s interpretation, a popular amulet—meant to protect wearers against the evil eye—acquires gentler, friendlier and more elegant, feminine lines.
This gorgeous golden eye will be watching the world with you and, so distinctive and arresting, it will make the world stop—to look at you.
And for the cherry on top, you can even pick the color! Choose blue, green, purple, yellow or rainbow, rimmed with laconic golden eyelashes or surrounded by diamonds, sapphires and rubies.
A fresh look at a traditional artefact by a new creative mind in the world of jewelry. In Lito Karakostanoglou’s interpretation, a popular amulet—meant to protect wearers against the evil eye—acquires gentler, friendlier and more elegant, feminine lines.
This gorgeous golden eye will be watching the world with you and, so distinctive and arresting, it will make the world stop—to look at you.
And for the cherry on top, you can even pick the color! Choose blue, green, purple, yellow or rainbow, rimmed with laconic golden eyelashes or surrounded by diamonds, sapphires and rubies.
What amazing eye candy! What a catch!
THE JEWELRY ICON
“Love is a collaborative work of art”
HERE IT COMES AGAIN: THE DAY OF LOVE. THE DAY OF HEARTS. THE DAY OF ACTUALLY WHAT?
The idea of love is one of the most perplexing concepts. That is why we devote so much energy to it and why it is the most written about emotion in the world.
Let’s not reinvent the wheel—everything that’s good about love has already been described by Chaucer, Shakespeare and Poe, as well as Pablo Neruda in his Love Sonnet XI:
I hunger for your sleek laugh,your hands the color of a savage harvest, hunger for the pale stones of your fingernails, I want to eat your skin like a whole almond.
Yet the history of love has a dark side too. So here comes the bad about Valentine’s Day.
Although its origins are buried deep in the past, historians presume that it was started by (pretty much naked) ancient Romans celebrating the feast of Lupercalia on February 13–15: sacrificing animals and whipping women with their hides, while young women willingly lined up for this questionable ritual, believing in its fertility-bringing power. The name of the modern day of love may have also come from ancient Rome, where Emperor Claudius II executed two men named Valentine on February 14, whose martyrdom was subsequently honored by the Church with St. Valentine’s Day.
Hopefully (though this is arguable), people today are much less bloodthirsty and more chill and prefer tokens of love to being whipped with the hide of a sacrificial animal. So here comes the last—and the most beautiful—part of our Valentine’s story: the jewelry.
Let’s not reinvent the wheel—everything that’s good about love has already been described by Chaucer, Shakespeare and Poe, as well as Pablo Neruda in his Love Sonnet XI:
I hunger for your sleek laugh,your hands the color of a savage harvest, hunger for the pale stones of your fingernails, I want to eat your skin like a whole almond.
Yet the history of love has a dark side too. So here comes the bad about Valentine’s Day.
Although its origins are buried deep in the past, historians presume that it was started by (pretty much naked) ancient Romans celebrating the feast of Lupercalia on February 13–15: sacrificing animals and whipping women with their hides, while young women willingly lined up for this questionable ritual, believing in its fertility-bringing power. The name of the modern day of love may have also come from ancient Rome, where Emperor Claudius II executed two men named Valentine on February 14, whose martyrdom was subsequently honored by the Church with St. Valentine’s Day.
Hopefully (though this is arguable), people today are much less bloodthirsty and more chill and prefer tokens of love to being whipped with the hide of a sacrificial animal. So here comes the last—and the most beautiful—part of our Valentine’s story: the jewelry.
Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to remember the wonderful and unrivaled YOU, along with the beauty incarnated in gorgeous jewelry pieces by exceptional designers and artists. Charms and necklaces: heart, lips, coins, keys to your heart in yellow, white and pink gold, titanium, rhodium, diamonds, multicolor sapphires, rubies, tourmalines, corundums, enamel, quartz, ebony and pearls—everything your heart was longing for, and much, much more.
Chocolate will taste sweet for a moment, while jewelry will last for ages. An old proverb says: “Love is a collaborative work of art”. And as we know now through modern medicine: love is obsession, manifesting at the chemical level and showing at brain scans. So why not surrender to the sweet, innocent obsession with jewelry on this Day of Love and surround yourself with these vibrant pieces of art.
This day is about you.
Treat your loved one and yourself with a precious heart from the gorgeous selection at the Moda Operandi trunk show. A heart that is extremely hard to break.
THE JEWELRY ICON
A MODERN FAIRYTALE BY AISHA BAKER AND HOONIK CHANG
WHAT IF YOU WERE GIFTED A PRESENT SO BEAUTIFUL YOU HOLD YOUR BREATH WHILE UNWRAPPING IT. SO DELICATE YOU DARE NOT BLINK WHILE WATCHING ITS ALLURE UNFOLD. SO TEMPTING YOU WANT TO SEE IT AGAIN THE VERY MOMENT YOU’VE LOOKED AWAY.
The ‘Cadeau’ series by the expert jewelry duet Aisha Baker and Hoonik Chang is a one-of-a-kind, limited-edition marvel, a Present to a modern woman, accomplished and realistic yet still enchanted by the magic lingering in the world.
The fairytales are anything but forgotten. Reinvented by the artistic duo through precious and peculiar materials, imaginative and eccentric designs, perfect asymmetry and advanced techniques, they take a physical form of colorful, delicious, exuberant and happy pieces. Red, pink, yellow, blue, gold and white, little crowns, hearts, lips and stars—the castles, clear skies, princesses, romantic stories we were told as kids, still alive at the back of our minds.
The ribbons of the Cadeau Pink earrings, a ‘present’ in yellow gold, enamel, diamonds and lemon quartz, wrap around the sublime fantasies hovering in the air, swinging to the gentle footsteps of a modern woman, open to the beauty and art of enchantment.
The fairytales are anything but forgotten. Reinvented by the artistic duo through precious and peculiar materials, imaginative and eccentric designs, perfect asymmetry and advanced techniques, they take a physical form of colorful, delicious, exuberant and happy pieces. Red, pink, yellow, blue, gold and white, little crowns, hearts, lips and stars—the castles, clear skies, princesses, romantic stories we were told as kids, still alive at the back of our minds.
The ribbons of the Cadeau Pink earrings, a ‘present’ in yellow gold, enamel, diamonds and lemon quartz, wrap around the sublime fantasies hovering in the air, swinging to the gentle footsteps of a modern woman, open to the beauty and art of enchantment.
THE JEWELRY ICON
HELLO, ART. WHY SO SERIOUS?
ART WITH OPINION, LOVE AND SMILE: BREEZY EARRINGS BY SUZANNE SYZ AND A SHARP PAINTING BY ED RUSCHA
Suzanne Syz’s jewelry is for very special women. Ultimate luxury, combined with imagination and taken to extremes, she mixes materials that range from traditional gold and diamonds to aluminum, zirconium, tsavorites and spinel, granting greater freedom of size, form and palette. This, coupled with the outstanding craftsmanship of her Geneva-based team, produces designs that are colorful, exclusive, ironic, sometimes temperamental, at other times lighthearted, neo-expressionist, complex and chic. Susanne does not work to order, and you can either take it or leave it.
‘I like to make pieces that defy the ordinary, otherwise it’s no fun’, says Suzanne. This is what her jewelry is about. The iconic Smarties necklace, the bucolic fruit basket, Space Age rocket and ‘Warholic’ tomato soup can earrings, the car tire bracelet: it takes supreme levels of creativity, intelligence, refined taste, skill, mastery of materials and attention to detail to make those creations – which might sound pop and kitsch – look so sophisticated, expensive and haute couture, attracting aristocratic and elite clientele.
An art collector herself, Suzanne breathes love ; smile into her creations. High jewelry is no longer restricted to strict, ultraclassical shapes and styles. Smart, witty and far from drama, Suzanne is a perfect model for her own jewelry: serious pieces with a very feminine touch, and the right sense of humor. They are always unique and somewhat ahead of fashion.
Suzanne’s Wrap It Up Limited Edition earrings in aluminum and gold, are set with diamonds, sit next to the Ed Ruscha’s snowy mountaintops, standing out against yellowish-indigo skies, with a large ‘Pay Nothing Until April’ print in Boy Scout Utility Modern (or ‘no style’, as he himself referred to it) font, invented by the artist. Nothing like the flat terrain where the artist grew up, the landscape was most likely borrowed from a souvenir postcard. ‘Wrap It Up’ earrings are available online on TheRealReal (Please follow up by clicking on the image).
‘It’s not a celebration of nature’, says Ed Ruscha. ‘I’m not trying to show beauty. It’s more like I’m painting ideas of ideas of mountains.’ The dispassionate approach to this otherwise romantic scenery, the sloganesque language of the print makes his paintings—now selling for millions—resemble consumerist posters in the window of a travel agency.
Both artists’ creations, eccentric and elegantly witty, may be self-explanatory on the outside, but carry a deeper meaning on the inside. Or do they?
Life is about so many things, but don’t take yourself too seriously. Enjoy the art of humor.
‘I like to make pieces that defy the ordinary, otherwise it’s no fun’, says Suzanne. This is what her jewelry is about. The iconic Smarties necklace, the bucolic fruit basket, Space Age rocket and ‘Warholic’ tomato soup can earrings, the car tire bracelet: it takes supreme levels of creativity, intelligence, refined taste, skill, mastery of materials and attention to detail to make those creations – which might sound pop and kitsch – look so sophisticated, expensive and haute couture, attracting aristocratic and elite clientele.
An art collector herself, Suzanne breathes love ; smile into her creations. High jewelry is no longer restricted to strict, ultraclassical shapes and styles. Smart, witty and far from drama, Suzanne is a perfect model for her own jewelry: serious pieces with a very feminine touch, and the right sense of humor. They are always unique and somewhat ahead of fashion.
Suzanne’s Wrap It Up Limited Edition earrings in aluminum and gold, are set with diamonds, sit next to the Ed Ruscha’s snowy mountaintops, standing out against yellowish-indigo skies, with a large ‘Pay Nothing Until April’ print in Boy Scout Utility Modern (or ‘no style’, as he himself referred to it) font, invented by the artist. Nothing like the flat terrain where the artist grew up, the landscape was most likely borrowed from a souvenir postcard. ‘Wrap It Up’ earrings are available online on TheRealReal (Please follow up by clicking on the image).
‘It’s not a celebration of nature’, says Ed Ruscha. ‘I’m not trying to show beauty. It’s more like I’m painting ideas of ideas of mountains.’ The dispassionate approach to this otherwise romantic scenery, the sloganesque language of the print makes his paintings—now selling for millions—resemble consumerist posters in the window of a travel agency.
Both artists’ creations, eccentric and elegantly witty, may be self-explanatory on the outside, but carry a deeper meaning on the inside. Or do they?
Life is about so many things, but don’t take yourself too seriously. Enjoy the art of humor.
THE JEWELRY ICON
A FULL IMMERSION INTO TIME, NATURE, LOVE AND ITALY: A PRECIOUS PUZZLE BY VAN CLEEF & ARPELS IN MILAN
TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND PROCEED WITH EYES WIDE OPEN. YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER A WORLD WITHIN THE WORLD, A MICROCOSM OF JEWELRY AT THE INTERSECTION OF DESIGN AND LITERATURE, ENCAPSULATING THE TIMELESS HERITAGE OF VAN CLEEF & ARPELS.
Illustration by INKYCUBANS
As you enter the Milanese Palazzo Reale, look around and breathe in the luxurious air of court life, once the heart of political affairs, a centuries-old royal residence. These rooms have seen the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto, Picasso and Van Gogh, Chagall, Caravaggio, Boccioni and Kandinsky, Klimt, Monet, Warhol and Dalí.
Today they host Van Cleef & Arpels. Over 400 pieces of jewelry, watches and precious objects—produced since the establishment of the Maison in 1906—are exhibited alongside archival documents, sketches and gouache designs, deconstructing the creative process and leading you through the intricacies of artistic thought that gave life to these poetic creations.
The Palazzo looks different with walls draped in red silk, surfaces covered in gold leaf, pink and aquamarine lighting, showcases made from plexiglass, mirrors transforming and amplifying the space around you. Everything reflects and refracts in everything, echoing the luminosity and shimmer of the jewels, with a scenography designed by Johanna Grawunder.
You enter Time, Nature and Love.
Guiding you through a maze of gold, rubies, diamonds, emeralds, platinum and sapphires is the curator of the exhibition, Alba Cappellieri. Connecting the Maison and Time through the literary work of Italo Calvino, she accompanies you to the various rooms of the Palazzo—Paris, Exoticism, Lightness, Quickness, Visibility, Exactitude, Multiplicity—followed by intersections with Dance, Couture and Architecture. After you have passed Time, you will enter the Love section, displaying precious and symbolic romantic gifts, for love was at the very origin of the Maison. Once you have satisfied your hunger for love, dive into Nature—flowers, birds, animals, colors and shapes—an inexhaustible source of beauty and inspiration for an artistic soul.
Pieces of the puzzle come together as you immerse yourself in this divine concoction of exquisite jewelry, modern scenography and elite literature. The seemingly complex interrelations become clear as you walk through the exhibition from one creation to another, savoring and relishing, allowing the story to tell itself.
Join the experience at Palazzo Reale in Milan, from November 30, 2019, to February 23, 2020.
Today they host Van Cleef & Arpels. Over 400 pieces of jewelry, watches and precious objects—produced since the establishment of the Maison in 1906—are exhibited alongside archival documents, sketches and gouache designs, deconstructing the creative process and leading you through the intricacies of artistic thought that gave life to these poetic creations.
The Palazzo looks different with walls draped in red silk, surfaces covered in gold leaf, pink and aquamarine lighting, showcases made from plexiglass, mirrors transforming and amplifying the space around you. Everything reflects and refracts in everything, echoing the luminosity and shimmer of the jewels, with a scenography designed by Johanna Grawunder.
You enter Time, Nature and Love.
Guiding you through a maze of gold, rubies, diamonds, emeralds, platinum and sapphires is the curator of the exhibition, Alba Cappellieri. Connecting the Maison and Time through the literary work of Italo Calvino, she accompanies you to the various rooms of the Palazzo—Paris, Exoticism, Lightness, Quickness, Visibility, Exactitude, Multiplicity—followed by intersections with Dance, Couture and Architecture. After you have passed Time, you will enter the Love section, displaying precious and symbolic romantic gifts, for love was at the very origin of the Maison. Once you have satisfied your hunger for love, dive into Nature—flowers, birds, animals, colors and shapes—an inexhaustible source of beauty and inspiration for an artistic soul.
Pieces of the puzzle come together as you immerse yourself in this divine concoction of exquisite jewelry, modern scenography and elite literature. The seemingly complex interrelations become clear as you walk through the exhibition from one creation to another, savoring and relishing, allowing the story to tell itself.
Join the experience at Palazzo Reale in Milan, from November 30, 2019, to February 23, 2020.
THE JEWELRY ICON
JEWELRY & ART. SOME THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM BY BEA BONGIASCA AND GUIM TIO
THE CLASH OF FRESH IDEAS AND UNORTHODOX CREATIVITY IN THE JEWELRY BY BEA BONGIASCA AND PAINTINGS BY GUIM TIO, TWO YOUNG, FUN AND STANDOUT ARTISTS…
Two young artists, clever and ironic, playful and honest. Their sense of humor and attitude break through the surface of their creations: the punny wordplay and ideas behind Bea’s collections, the way Guim refurbishes fashion images and inhabits his imaginary landscapes with faceless, miniscule human figures.
By mixing and matching her fondness for Eastern aesthetics with Western cosmopolitan tastes, the Milanese jewelry designer Bea Bongiasca jazzes up her intercultural philosophy and imprints a whimsical, perky and young style into her witty collections ‘No Rice, No Life’, ‘Fluoricultural’, ‘You’re So Wine!’, ‘A Golden Lesson’, ‘Happy Go Cola’.
‘Colorful, pop and ironical’ are the three words Bea chooses to define her creative ideology. Using the knowledge she gained during her trips across Asia, she dove into artistic studies, picking jewelry over sculpture. The result is a petite, adorable fantasy world and a micro-sculpture from a carefree dreamland in every piece. Gold and colorful enamel wines, adorned with vibrant gems, create an illusion of smooth and soft movement. They wrap around your fingers, gently sway in your ears, dynamic and lively, breezy and sweet. New lines, new playful approach to jewelry, bold pop look with a good feminine sense of humor,—to lift your spirits!
The Barcelonan painter Guim Tió Zarraluki performs a reverse—darkly humorous, tragicomically provocative—cosmetic surgery on images from fashion magazines: the images are treated with chemicals and oil pastels, altering the beautiful, pop-cultural faces, photoshopped to perfection, resulting in anonymized, abstract, disturbing portraits with bulgy eyes, grotesque noses and animalistic smiles, or even completely covered in multicolored stripes or bubbles, leaving only a small part of the original image untouched. Like an allegory of people undergoing excessive cosmetic surgery: becoming someone (or something) else in their eloquent attempts to look like a made-up, nonexistent ideal.
Guim’s landscapes, on the other hand, breathe melancholy and serenity, loneliness and peacefulness. Depending on your personality or mood, you may see them as sad or happy, depressing or cool. In the field, in a hammock, at a midnight gas station, in the middle of a lake, at a lighthouse, under the turquoise skies, in the malachite water, on the khaki grass and salmon sand, at the foot of the asphalt grey mountains, little humans are lost—or found?—amidst colossal spaces.
Two young, colorful, full-blooded artists. Bea—the eponym of joy and vitality, sublime and effortless femininity, and Guim—the messenger of the true nature of things, so eerily appealing and borderline spooky, both ingenious in their sense of beautiful and humorous, in the way they see art.
Look closer. What do you see?
THE JEWELRY ICON
THE GOLD OF THE GLOBES: STATEMENT NECKLACES AND STUD EARRINGS
THE RED CARPET OF THE GOLDEN GLOBES: THE SCENE AND THE SPOTLIGHT FOR THE DAZZLING PEOPLE, FLAWLESS AND CONTROVERSIAL, SECRETLY ADORED AND OVERTLY CRITICIZED BY MANY. BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE OR DESPITE. WEARING DESIGNER MASTERPIECES AND SETTING TRENDS FOR THE COMING YEAR.
From the very beginning of its history, jewelry has showcased status. Produced from rare or difficult-to-mine materials, requiring time-consuming, intricate—to the point of being hazardous—techniques, fine jewelry has always been the trademark of importance, position in the hierarchy.
The pharaohs and queens of Ancient Egypt adored themselves with exquisite jewels made from precious metals, gems and colored glass, while commoners wore jewelry made from rocks, clay, animal teeth and shells. Today the spectrum of materials has broadened immensely and can include all of the above in one piece. Yet, gold and diamonds, sapphires and pearls retain their unshakeable position in the representation of beauty.
Fine, luxurious jewelry is meant to be noticed, even when it comes in the shape and size of tiny, minimalist diamond or pearl stud earrings. Let alone the shiny, filigree, classic and modern, subtle and chunky statement necklaces, screaming for attention: Look at me! Notice me!
Statement necklaces of all sorts, from classical beauty to chunkier modern pieces, and stud earrings of all shapes and colors, from simple diamond drops to complex ornaments, was a palpable trend at the Golden Globes 2020.
No wonder.
Statement necklaces are the ornate, sophisticated frames, drawing attention to the neck, face, hair of the wearer. Stud earrings, no matter if diamond, pearl or metal, will serve forever and work with everything—an easy and painless solution for any occasion.
Look at her, notice her! A gorgeous woman floats through a stunned crowd, making all heads turn. A wealth of little pearl drops shining in her ears, bringing immense, clean light to her face.
The Jewelry Icon
NEW BOUCHERON CHAINS – A GAME CHANGER IN LUXURY JEWELRY
HOW CAN SOMETHING AS TRIVIAL AND MUNDANE AS A HEADPHONE JACK TRANSFORM INTO AN ITEM ADMIRED AND DESIRED BY MANY…
THE BOUCHERON JEWELERS HAVE MIXED A COCKTAIL OF IMAGINATION, MODERN DESIGN AND A DROP OF MAGIC – TO RESTYLE THIS LOW-KEY OBJECT INTO AN ICONIC CHAIN OF OUR TIME.
THE BOUCHERON JEWELERS HAVE MIXED A COCKTAIL OF IMAGINATION, MODERN DESIGN AND A DROP OF MAGIC – TO RESTYLE THIS LOW-KEY OBJECT INTO AN ICONIC CHAIN OF OUR TIME.
The allure of the new Boucheron chains lies both in their contemporary minimalism and in their straightforward paradoxicality: inspired by a plain headphone jack, the magnetic chain clasp is now in the spotlight of attention rather than carefully hidden on the periphery of the precious piece.
Besides, it is fun!
Besides, it is fun!
These playful multi-functional chains, which come in white and yellow gold, with or without diamonds, can be worn in endless ways and combinations: as necklaces, bracelets, headpieces or even belts, as standalone pieces or combined with each other and other jewelry. Their design makes them easily matchable with any outfit—formal or informal, evening or casual, while their flexibility makes them perfectly adjustable to the shape of the body.
Available in short and long versions, this innovative jewelry untethers your imagination and breaks new ground for reinventing the ways luxury jewelry may be worn. Try it on—and you can feel the music moving up and down the supple chains, in infinite circles, embracing your neck and waist, coiling and uncoiling around your wrists, the golden melody flowing along with your mood.
Take a closer look at these ingenious creations at the Moda Operandi trunk show.
Available in short and long versions, this innovative jewelry untethers your imagination and breaks new ground for reinventing the ways luxury jewelry may be worn. Try it on—and you can feel the music moving up and down the supple chains, in infinite circles, embracing your neck and waist, coiling and uncoiling around your wrists, the golden melody flowing along with your mood.
Take a closer look at these ingenious creations at the Moda Operandi trunk show.
THE JEWELRY ICON
MYSTERIOUS RUSSIAN SOUL, ADORNED WITH CHANEL’S JEWELS
The dazzling glare of snowflakes in the frosty winter sun, the honey-sweet blossom of summer meadows, the colorful, expressive embroidery of a loose-fitting shirt. This is probably not how you see Russia today: on the news, in the whirlpool of political intrigues. But this is how you will see her if you look into the classic literature of the past centuries: glorified by poets and romanticized by writers.
Tatiana (being Russian
at heart, herself not knowing why)
loved, in all its cold beauty,
a Russian winter:
rime in the sun upon a frosty day,
and sleighs, and, at late dawn,
the radiance of the rosy snows,
and gloam of Twelfthtide eves.
Eugene Onegin. A Novel in Verse by Aleksandr Pushkin
at heart, herself not knowing why)
loved, in all its cold beauty,
a Russian winter:
rime in the sun upon a frosty day,
and sleighs, and, at late dawn,
the radiance of the rosy snows,
and gloam of Twelfthtide eves.
Eugene Onegin. A Novel in Verse by Aleksandr Pushkin
ILLUSTRATION INCYCUBANS
The new High Jewelry Collection ‘Le Paris Russe de Chanel’, presented to the art and jewelry aficionados in summer 2019, is a tribute to Coco Chanel’s love for Russia and Russians.
Coco Chanel was many things. She had been rising from the ashes like a phoenix and reinventing herself and the story of her life so many times that sometimes it was hard to tell the truth from the flight of her imagination. But what she was for sure is a woman who loved: intensely and passionately. It is an open secret that Coco Chanel had an affair with a genius and scandalous Russian-born composer and pianist Igor Stravinsky and an alluring Russian Grand Duke Dimitri Pavlovich, who later introduced her to the Russian culture and the aristocrats fleeing the country, torn by revolutions and uncertainty. Thus started Chanel’s romance with Russia and the ‘Russian period’ in her creations. The motifs and cuts of traditional shirts roubachkas, the imaginative ornamentation of traditional headdresses kokoshniks, the vibrant colors of sarafan dresses—all found their way into her Russia-inspired collection.
Decades have passed, and the style was rediscovered by Patrice Leguéreau, director of the Chanel jewelry studio. And thus, from the amalgamation of folklore and imperial symbols—the two otherwise polar opposite dimensions,—a new transplendent collection was born. The motifs, running like a golden thread through the entire collection, are easily recognizable: the cuts, the shapes, the two-headed eagles, the headpieces, the colors and ornaments. Yet, the pieces have been adapted to fit the modern context: by preserving the Russian flavor and sentiment, grandeur and sumptuousness but mixing in a touch of extranational mood. The jewels and the beauty of ‘Le Paris Russe’ transcend the borders of countries and nations and rise above the worldly life with its dramas and conspiracies.
Among the 69 unique pieces, our favorite are the Aigle Cambon ring in white gold and diamonds, the Blé Maria brooch in white and yellow gold with a yellow sapphire, pink spinels, Mandarin garnets, colored tourmalines and diamonds, and the Roubachka necklace in yellow gold and platinum with yellow and white diamonds.
They—and all other artworks in this exquisite collection—are nowhere near subtle and modest. They say: rich, blinding, beautiful, majestic. And thus they will look coupled with the Little Black Dress—the iconic creation of la Grande Mademoiselle.
THE JEWELRY ICON
HERMÈS CARRÉ CLUB: HOW THE MAGIC HAPPENS
IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN PARIS AT THE END OF NOVEMBER OR BEGINNING OF DECEMBER, YOU ARE IN LUCK! EVEN IF YOU HAD PLANS TO BE SOMEWHERE ELSE, YOU MIGHT NOW RETHINK THEM.
From November 29 to December 8, the Carreau du Temple market in Paris will host a “Hermès Carré Club” exhibition, dedicated to the creation and design of the legendary Hermès scarves and fabrics.
Every Hermès scarf is a perfect square. But do not make a mistake thinking: ‘It is only a scarf, a rectangular piece of textile’. There is nothing ‘only’ about Hermès. From the first scarf in 1937 and up to this day, the amount of hard work invested in these heavenly light and deceptively material creations is unfathomable. The legend has it that the process of making one scarf, from conception to the final stitches, may take up to a year and a half.
Timeless Hermès scarves have become true artworks, admired, avidly collected and sought after like the most valuable jewelry. Every scarf tells a tale: from traditional hunting motifs to arabesques and fantastic, illusory modern designs. When you have it on, you are wearing a piece of art, a silky dream, an accessory of true actresses, aristocrats and queens.
If you have ever wondered how the Hermès masterpieces are borne, this exhibition offers a one-of-a-kind, perfect chance. You will visit workshops and discussion groups, see the silky Hermès fabrics, witness the creation of a Hermès scarf, meet the designers, learn the art of tying a scarf, while listening to live music at the Carré Cafe. You can even buy your first—or twenty-first!—Hermès scarf to start, or supplement, your collection.
The Hermès Carré Club exhibition is open from November 29 to December 8 at the Carreau du Temple, 4 rue Eugène-Spuller, 3rd arrondissement, Paris. Free entry, on reservation (open from November 19), every day from 12 pm to 8 pm. The exhibition also offers late evening visits—until 10 pm—on Friday, November 29; Thursday, December 6; and Friday, December 7.
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THE AWAKENING OF FIVE SENSES BY SILVIA FURMANOVICH
ADMIRE the artworks of two amazing women: Silvia Furmanovich—an unparalleled, daring Brazilian jewelry designer, and Helene Schjerfbeck—a bold, revolutionary Finnish portraitist. Coming from different parts of the world and historical epochs, their pieces synthesize in an anthem to a beautiful, spirited and progressive woman.
A woman who will always be an inspiration, no matter the time and place on Earth…
Silvia Furmanovich is a unique phenomenon in the world of jewelry. Her eloquent masterpieces arouse more than the sense of vision: you can smell the fresh and autumnal leaves, rainforests, the deep woodiness and the light grassiness; you can hear the rustle of dry branches under the soft paws of wild animals, the airy breath of the wind under butterfly’s wings, the soft sound of wind chimes. You can almost taste it: the alluring precious stones melting on your tongue like delicious, colorful drops of candy, counterbalanced by sweet and salty, woody licorice. And you sure can touch it: the natural shapes, brought to life by Silvia’s imagination and the Nature herself, the geometric lines and the soft curvatures, the perfectly balanced substance and lightness.
Inspired by nature and transformed into inimitable masterpieces, balancing somewhere in between delicate and powerful, feminine and bold, with the most unexpected combinations of marquetry, precious metals and stones, miniature paintings on wood, seashells and even mushrooms, these designs are strong, noticeable, full of color and life. Butterflies, birds, sceneries, flowers, ornaments: the designer with an open mind and heart has travelled the world in search of inspiration and skills that would bring her collections to the peak of creation, ready to see, absorb and treasure the gems of the natural world, the skills and wisdom of modern and ancient cultures and indigenous artisans.
The three pieces, worn by a charismatic young lady of Helene Schjerfbeck, are marquetry landscape fan earrings (gold, light brown diamonds and green tourmaline), botanical marquetry cuff (gold and diamonds), and marquetry red leaf fan earrings (gold, prasiolite and light brown diamond).
As mesmerizing as they are, they represent only a miniscule part of the Silvia Furmanovich’s collection. Much more of this sensual beauty is available for all your five senses at the Moda Operandi trunk show.
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LES CIELS DE CHAUMET: WATCHING THE SKY THROUGH PRECIOUS FACETS
BIRDS AND CLOUDS. STONES AND GOLD. STARS AND SUNS.
Touch the sky. Catch the birds. Fly with the clouds. Dive into the lightning. Impossible?
Not anymore, if you know where to look. Maison Chaumet, the Parisian jewelry house since 1780, presents a new 2019 High Jewelry collection, evoked by the skies—Les Ciels De Chaumet: celestial masterpieces for graceful terrestrial beings.
The name of the collection is the direct reference to the creator’s muse. The jewelers of the Maison drew inspiration in the clear and cloudy skies, the radiance of the sun, the movement of the stars, the bolts of lightning; in the paintings of Picasso and Matisse, Van Gogh and Turner; in the poems of Nerval and Mallarmé. Tiaras and brooches, necklaces and earrings—the free-flowing rhapsodies to woman’s beauty, contemporary femininity, delicate symbolism behind every piece.
The collection is stunning: light, delicate, young-spirited, modern and perfectly balanced. Comprised of so many stones, the pieces—bound to look massive and heavy—look airy and fresh. Through the incredible color combinations and artisan craftsmanship, Chaumet substantializes the metamorphoses of the sky, gives them shape, transforming emotions into intricate masterpieces.
The collection comprises four themes, four moods of the sky: the evanescent clouds and the whimsical lightning in Les Caprices du Ciel; the nuances of the sun in Les Couleurs du Ciel; the beaming stars in Les Fulgurances du Ciel; and the precious birds in the Les Habitants du Ciel.
Our favorite pieces, all in white and yellow gold, are the ‘Lueurs d’Orage’ ring, set with an Imperial topaz, yellow sapphires and diamonds; ‘Nuages d’Or’ ring, set with diamonds; ‘Lueurs d’Orage’ earnings, set with Imperial topazes, pink morganites, sapphires, onyx and diamonds; ‘Nuages d’Or’ earrings, set with yellow sapphires and diamonds; and ‘Envol’ earrings, set with diamonds, tsavorite garnets, and yellow and green sapphires.
The powerful, elemental symbols behind these oeuvres d’art speak to the innermost essence of the celestial dome, glorified and feared by our ancestors and vastly explored, yet still keeping many secrets, in the modern ages.
The traces of falling stars in the earrings, the lace of constellations in the diadems, the modulations of capricious storm in the necklaces. Now you know where to look—to rediscover the skies…
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The VHERNIER Universe: nonconformist, ALLURING JEWELRY SCULPTED FOR MODERN WOMEN
A rare opportunity to get hold of atemporal, sophisticated, futuristic Vhernier pieces at the Moda Operandi trunk show. Shop your favorite pieces online.
Started by a sculptor and a connoisseur of jewelry back in 1984, this tradition of the house of Vhernier is carried on by the highly skilled master goldsmiths of the house up to this day.
Each piece of jewelry is shaped like a miniature modern structure, a one-of-a-kind avant-garde building, with an eye toward the environment where it will be exhibited. Like the graceful Italian architectural masterpieces are developed bearing in mind their surroundings, the precious pieces of Vhernier jewelry are crafted with the view of the wearer’s body and the ambient space.
The soft, geometric shapes, the flowing twists, the most unexpected blending of diamonds and ebony, rose gold and jet, titanium and kogolong, the precision of stonesetting pay a tribute to the unique style and intricate technology, classiness and confidence, futuristic beauty and innovation. The sophisticated, experimental, unorthodox spirit of the Milanese house brings its jewelry beyond the realm of reality and fashion.
The pieces themselves are often impressive in size but never heavy or overbearing, their clean lines and laconic fluidity laying the foundation for the recognizable style. This distinctive Vhernier paradox echoes the dual nature of a modern woman: strong yet graceful, captivating yet subtle.
A classy woman that is wearing cool chic Vhernier pieces can never be forgotten….
Illustration by INKYCUBANS
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NEW DIOR GRAND BAL. WATCH THE WATCH DANCE
AN ETHEREAL WALTZ OF DIAMONDS, FEATHERS AND GOLDEN THREADS TO THE SOUNDS OF LUXURIOUS TICKING…
A well-dressed gentleman on the Felix Vallotton’s painting waiting for someone. The woman… The sweetheart… the lover…
The time will come—and he will hear the door creak and see tiny splashes of light reflecting from filigree diamonds on the graceful wrist.
Dior is out with а new, absolutely charming version of Dior Grand Bal. Without losing their functionality, Dior watches have become a true Fine Jewelry fashion piece, a combination of art and technology. A unique technique of incorporating feathers, embroidered with diamonds, melts the boundaries between high-tech and nature, airiness and imperishability.
Watch the black feathers do an atmospheric dance against the zoisite dial, enclosed in a golden ring and surrounded by diamonds. The brightly lit royal halls, to the sound of Straussian waltz, riffle of ball gowns and whisper of court ladies, gossiping about Her Majesty’s affair,— continue in this innovative, mesmerizing, intricate masterpiece.
The contrast between green, gold and red transcends into perfect classiness. This Dior Grand Bal watch shows more than time—it shows timelessness…
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