Category: Collectibles

Spread the Joy this Christmas with Gafencu’s Exclusive Luxury Gifts

It’s Christmas time, are you still looking for gift ideas? If you are still undecided about choosing the right gift, we have just the solution for you. We present the Gafencu e-shop, your one-stop shopping destination for luxury lifestyle products.

There’s even more reason to celebrate. From elegant jewellery and limited-edition accessories to exclusive homeware items, everything in the Gafencu online collection is now available at a special Christmas promotional price.

Log on to the E-shop today and discover our carefully curated selection of exclusive luxury goods.

Corum throws watch appreciation party for the launch of its Golden Bridge ladies’ watch

Swiss watchmaker Corum recently hosted the “Golden Bridge of Love” Watch Appreciation Party to celebrate the launch of its Corum Lady Golden Bridge Round 39mm at Jinjuu in Lan Kwai Fong.

The Golden Bridge Round focuses on a fine balance between shape, materials and functionality, following the design codes of Art Deco Movement. Featuring a round case adorned with diamonds and colourful straps in golden, red, pink, blue and green, the watch is a looker as well as a performer.

To accentuate the colourful aspect of the watch, the venue was decorated in matching colours. A slew of celebrities, socialites and watch connoisseurs showed up to support their favourite brand. Of them, the most notable were renowned actors Jason Chan and Sarah Song, models Ana R and Krissi Cristina, socialites Ava Yu, Amanda Lui, Gigi Ho and Lily Ho.

A large number of the guests attended in golden attires to echo the party’s theme. The “Best Dressed Award” went to Amanda Lui, who was presented a Corum ladies’ watch by Soon Boon Chong, Asia Brand Director of Montre Corum Sarl.

Make the Most of Christmas with Gafencu’s Exclusive Luxury Gift Selection

 

With December nearly here, it’s almost time to spread a little festive cheer. This year, why not delight your loved ones with the perfect gift from the Gafencu E-Shop‘s selection of exclusive luxury lifestyle products?

And there’s even more reason to celebrate. From elegant jewellery and limited-edition accessories to the most debonair of timepieces, every item in the Gafencu online collection is available at a special Christmas promotional price.

Log on to the Gafencu E-Shop today and discover just what our carefully-curated selection of exclusive luxury goods has in store for you and for those you cherish.

Last-minute Christmas gift ideas you just can’t go wrong with

 

With the clock ticking away towards Christmas, it’s more than high time to start planning for the perfect present for our loved ones. But what do you gift to the most discerning, elegant of individuals who has everything?

Fret not, for we have for you a selection of the most luxurious gifts that is guaranteed to satisfy even the most astute sensibilities.

Spread the Joy this Christmas with Gafencu’s Exclusive Luxury Gifts

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s time to start planning for the perfect gift for your loved ones. But with a plethora of Christmas-special offers and discounts to lure you, it’s easy to get confused while choosing the right gift. To streamline the experience, we have for you the Gafencu e-shop, your one-stop shopping destination for luxury lifestyle products.

There’s even more reason to celebrate. From elegant jewellery and limited-edition accessories to exclusive homeware items, everything in the Gafencu online collection is now available at a special Christmas promotional price.

Log on to the E-shop today and discover our carefully curated selection of exclusive luxury goods.

Theory of Happiness: Einstein’s priceless life advice

In 1922, having just been crowned the winner of the 1921 Nobel Prize in physics, Albert Einstein travelled to Tokyo for a series of lectures. During the course of his speaking tour, a lone courier arrived at the Imperial Hotel to make a delivery and found himself face to face with the 20th century’s greatest theoretical physicist. Awe-struck, the courier refused a tip. Intent on repaying him, Einstein took a piece of hotel stationery on which he proffered these words of wisdom: “A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.” And thus, the German physicist’s lesser known Theory of Happiness was born.

Einstein reportedly told the courier to hold onto the note because it might be valuable someday – an understatement indeed. The apocryphal story has yielded a generous (albeit belated) tip, with the Theory of Happiness fetching US$1.56 million at auction. Winner’s Auctions, the Jerusalem-based auction house, had expected to net between US$5,000-$8,000. Explaining the meteoric jump in sales price, Meni Chadad, a Winner’s spokesman, said, “I think the value can be explained by the fact that the story behind it is so uplifting and inspiring, and because Einstein continues to be a global rock star long after his death.”

Images: Winner’s Auctions and Exhibitions

Cha-Qing! Chinese antique shatters Sotheby’s auction record

Sotheby’s recently held its Important Chinese Art auction: a marquee event that assembled rare porcelain alongside artworks from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Sales totalled over HK$333 million, and amidst these impressive results there were some truly awe-inspiring highlights.

Case in point: a rare brush washer dating from the Northern Song dynasty and a “ram’s head” teapot crafted from white jade featuring a cloisonné enamel handle. The sale of the latter exceeded experts’ wildest expectations, netting an impressive HK$75.5 million – a world record for the most expensive jade carving to be acquired at auction. Sourced from a private collection, this ceramic is a fine example of classical jade art during the Qianlong Emperor’s reign.

Made from a singular block of white jade, the teapot’s body is shaped into 12 evenly-spaced petal lobes. The titular “ram’s head” carving forms part of the spout and is finely detailed, with each of the creature’s features individually articulated. “It is a fine example of Qianlong period imperial jades,” says Xu Lin, a Sotheby’s cataloguer. That this piece was once owned by debonair American socialite Millicent Rogers – reportedly a confidant of Madame Chiang Kai-shek – is merely the icing on the cake.

Images: Sotheby’s

Game of Thrones meets haute couture with Delvaux’s new collection

In a move guaranteed to thrill Game of Thrones fans, luxury leather brand Delvaux just unveiled four exclusive lines of bags and accessories inspired by the mega cultural phenomenon. These GoT-themed goods are part of Delvaux’s limited-edition Couture Exclusive Collection.

Each line draws inspiration from well-known personas in the fantasy land of Westeros. Golden Glory’s buckles derive its shape from the Iron Throne, itself, while Iron Shield’s militaristic metal tones come from Jaime Lannister’s armour. Black Beauty is influenced by Melisandre’s dark ethereal beauty, and Cersei Lannister’s beautifully embroidered gowns inspired the designs of Queen’s Desire.

The Couture Exclusive Collection features just 1,810 handmade pieces, so don’t miss out on the chance to own your own Game of Thrones-inspired handbag! The Couture Exclusive Collection is now available exclusively at select Delvaux boutiques.

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Images: Delvaux, HBO

Make the Most of Christmas with Gafencu’s Exclusive Luxury Gift Selection

With December nearly here, it’s almost time to spread a little festive cheer. This year, why not delight your loved ones with the perfect gift from the Gafencu E-Shop‘s selection of exclusive luxury lifestyle products?

And there’s even more reason to celebrate. From elegant jewellery and limited-edition accessories to the most debonair of timepieces, every item in the Gafencu online collection is available at a special Christmas promotional price.

Log on to the Gafencu E-Shop today and discover just what our carefully-curated selection of exclusive luxury goods has in store for you and for those you cherish.

Table talk with Saint-Louis Ceo Jerome de Lavergnolle on how to adorn your Christmas table and more

Iconic French homeware brand, Saint-Louis, has just introduced some timeless and contemporary tableware and decoration pieces ahead of Christmas. Drawing from experience dating back to half a millennium, these objets d’art are designed to transform your home into a magical space. We recently caught up with the brand’s CEO Jerome de Lavergnolle to find out about his personal recommendations and other special services this Christmas.

Please tell us something about the origins of Saint Louis.

Established in 1586, the Münzthal glassworks became known as Saint-Louis in 1767 by letters patent from King Louis XV. In 1781, Saint-Louis’s skilled craftsmen discovered the secret formula of crystal for the first time in continental Europe. Over centuries, Saint-Louis has remained an emblem of classic luxury and has sidestepped any risk of being engulfed by current fashion trends. In 1995, Saint-Louis became part of the Hermès Group.

What is your latest collection and what are the sources of inspiration for it?

 In January 2017, we introduced Folia – a 25-piece collection of tableware, vases, candlesticks and lighting. In September 2017, we wanted to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the iconic Tommy collection with colour and panache. The first Tommy collection was introduced in 1928 to celebrate the friendship between France and the UK after World War I.

What do you recommend from your collection for our readers this Christmas?

Saint-Louis has designed several eye-catching items especially for Christmas. Twist 1586 is an exhaustive tableware collection, perfect for wowing your guests, while the Plurielle Vase can easily be a centrepiece in any setting. For clients looking for more minimalist options, I’d recommend the Oxymore collection with its clean-cut features.

Does Saint-Louis cater to any special request services?

We do honour special request services. For lighting, you can opt for our customised services to make changes to our ready-to-light collection. For instance, royal lightings can be customised for an extra touch of exclusivity: a single chandelier can offer over 15,000 possibilities! We also have a made-to-order service. Till date, the largest chandelier made to order at our factory was 9 metres high, 4 metres in diameter and weighed around 2,500 kg.

We also customise tableware and ornamental items, engraving them with your name or adding a new embellishment.

You have worked for the Hermes group for over 20 years. What are the biggest changes in terms of the Asian market? 

Today, Asian clients are not necessarily following trends, but are setting their own trends. They have become connoisseurs who have abandoned the prominence of the logo for signature designs. Customised or made-to-measure pieces also catch their interests.

Thank you.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay