Category: Jewellery

FREYWILLE introduces Lucky Colour jewellery to match your zodiac animal

For over 65 years, Austrian luxury jeweller FREYWILLE has been charming the world’s haute joaillerie aficionados with its beautifully crafted enamel designs. Ably blending the worlds of high jewellery and art, each of its creations requires no less than 100 individual procedures and over five days to complete.

Arguably the most popular of its breathtaking pieces reside within its Hommage collection, an expansive series of jewellery lines features beautiful enamel accessories inspired by masterpieces of the art world. From Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night and Claude Monet’s Water Lilies  to Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, FREYWILLE has skilfully miniaturised and translated these artworks into enamel jewellery form.

Lucky Colour jewellery - which one matches your zodiac sign

With Chinese New Year fast approaching, the maison has built upon its storied legacy and taken a rather innovative approach to Year of the Pig festivities by allowing people to quite literally pick their very own Lucky Colour jewellery from its Hommage collection to match their zodiac signs.

According to the precepts of feng shui – the Chinese geomantic art that harmonises a person with their surroundings – each year, every zodiac animal corresponds to a favoured colour that is said to bring it good fortune. In keeping with this tradition, FREYWILLE has highlighted those particular designs in its oeuvre that will complement every astrological sign.

Whether you’re a Dragon, a Tiger or this year’s emblematic Pig, check out the designs below to see which Lucky Colour jewellery is your perfect match!

To acquire your own Lucky Colour jewellery, please visit the FREYWILLE boutiques below or contact HongKong@freywille.com: 
IFC MALL. Shop 2085, Podium level 2, 8 Finance St, Central. (852) 2545 4549
Harbour City Ocean Centre. Shop 120, Level 1, Tsim Sha Tsui. (852) 2110 1545

V-Day Jewellery for Ladies Who’d Rather Pamper Themselves

Those days when ladies needed to be ‘gifted’ jewellery as a standard step in the game of wooing and courtship are long, long gone! Of course, it doesn’t mean ladies have grown out of their fondness for sparkly surprises, but it’s just that, in the age of women empowerment, more and more women are buying jewellery for themselves, choosing pieces to match their moods and styles and celebrating their financial independence, all without the burning a hole in their partner’s pocket.

Especially for those ladies who’d rather indulge their own whims this Valentine’s Day, we’ve chosen a range of eclectic, far-from-mushy V-Day jewellery for you, because self-love is true love.

V-Day Jewellery

Chanel Camélia Collection – Not just a flower, but a symbol of elegance, it represents a free spirit much like Coco Chanel herself.

V-Day Jewellery

Spread Your Wings Collection from Sarah Zhuang Jewellery – A celebration of a woman who’s ambitious, career-driven and confident, this is for a lady who believes in her own abilities and is capable of attaining great heights.

V-Day Jewellery

Fluid Azzurro from Atelier Swarovski Core Collections – A bold combination of Montana blue and silver crystal, set in palladium metal, each item in the collection speaks to the woman who believes in making everyday beautiful.

V-Day Jewellery

Bulgari B.zero collection – There’s a reason why pieces from the B.zero collection were featured in Bulgari’s latest Wild Pop High Jewellery. Embracing a mood of irreverence and parody, this collection is surely meant for the rebels among us.

V-Day Jewellery

MIKIMOTO Jeux de Rubans collection – The lustre of MIKIMOTO pearls, as well as their refinement, would appeal to a lady who knows the value of understated elegance.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

Un-Pinkable: Pink diamond raw carat cost soars

Just when you thought the world of luxury living had few records left to break, with the holders of the Goldest Toilet, Most Jewel-Encrusted Beard Trimmer and Haute Couturest Wellies now all a matter of well-established public record, Harry Winston, the New York-headquartered purveyor of high-spec watches and bespoke jewellery items, came up with a claim to fame that effortlessly fuses the obscure with the opulent – the Highest Amount Ever Paid Per Carat for a Pink Diamond.

pink diamond

The record in question was set when the 86-year-old company made a successful bid of US$50 million for the 18.96-carat Pink Legacy diamond when it came up for auction at Christie’s Geneva. That’s a whopping US$2.6 million per carat fact, fans!

Set to be renamed – somewhat unimaginatively – the “Winston Pink Legacy”, the gem is said to be one of the few (if not the only) 10-carat-plus pink diamonds ever to be uncovered. Making it yet more unique still, it also boasts the very highest grade of colour intensity, making it a one-in-100,000 find even among the already ultra-rare pink diamonds themselves.

Minedfulness: While wondering at the beauty of emeralds, think about their miners

It was still early in October last year when word started to spread around Kagem – the central Zambian mine that is the source of 25% of the world’s emeralds – that something truly sensational had been uncovered. That something truly sensational turned out to be Inkalamu, the giant 5,655-carat ‘Lion Emerald’ that has stunned the haute joaillerie world with its size, its perfectly-balanced golden-green hue and its clarity.

Sadly, save for referencing the blemish-free appearance of the very finest examples, “clarity” is a word seldom associated with emeralds. This is especially true when it comes to their exact provenance or to any detailed description of the conditions that Third-World workers endure in order to aid in their discovery. Indeed, all too often, it transpires that their true origins are every bit as murky and wretched as those of their far-better documented cousins – the Blood Diamonds, precious stones illicitly mined by mistreated miners and covertly used to fund some of the world’s most savage conflicts.

From the off, emeralds have been intertwined with greed. First mined in Egypt from 330BC onwards, the country’s once ample reserves were swiftly exhausted in a bid to keep pace with the ostentatious vanity of Byzantine aristocrats. It’s a pattern that has been repeated many times since, with first Columbia and now Zambia being ruthlessly exploited by many of the less-salubrious representatives of the global gem industry. Now, however, there are at least some reasons to be a little optimistic. Gemfields, the London-based operator of the Kagem facility, for one, has embraced sustainable mining practices in Zambian mines.

Of course, the word ‘sustainable’ has been so oft-repeated in everything – from food to fragrances – that we felt obliged to dig deeper. To be fair, the good folks at Gemfields seem to have done a lot more than just pay lip service to sustainability. From nurturing the local community to preserving the top soil on which the mines are based, at least, the first steps towards sustainable sourcing have been taken. But will it be too little, too late? With emerald resources sadly but surely depleting and affordable cosmetic stones eclipsing the markets, maybe it’s only a matter of time before the existing emerald jewellery evoke emotions far deeper than green-eyed envy.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

Luxury choice: Our top ten Christmas gift ideas for women

One would think buying a gift for a lady would be easier than for a gentleman (click here for Christmas gift ideas for him), but the mind-boggling multitude of choices themselves may make you feel unsure about just where to start! If you’re daunted by the idea of browsing through a hundred different shades of peach lipstick or choosing between a satchel and a sling bag, we’ve narrowed down the potential Christmas gift ideas for women by quite a bit. So fret not and dive straight into our top ten carefully curated luxurious Christmas gift ideas for women, all assured to win her heart.

Of course, to add an extra-personal touch to the joy of gift-giving, you can always opt for the personalised gift boxes from DFS’s Personalization Gift Shop that’s available till 1 January. From personalised holiday ribbons and monogrammed luggage tags to limited-edition patches and monogrammed tote bags, there’s no better way to make your gift stand out in the pile under the Christmas tree. 

Big Cat Jewellery: How the jewellery world lionised the big cats…

While persistent poaching and the erosion of their natural habitats have brought many big cats to the brink of extinction, they flourish as never before within the workshops of many of the very finest high-end jewellery houses. Indeed, for certain marques, big cat jewellery designs seem to be the most exquisite emblem for the times we live in.

Whether it’s their majestic presence or their prowling menace, big cat jewellery pieces recur throughout the world of haute joaillerie, with Cartier and Chanel proudly taking point. Indeed, it was Coco Chanel, Chanel’s legendary founder, who first devised her company’s signature lion look.

In 1920, inconsolable after the death of her lover, she fled to Venice. Finding herself alone in this most romantic of cities, she took comfort from the winged lion sculptures that surrounded her, ultimately embracing the beast as the perfect symbol of her renewed strength and independence. Today, the company that bears her name still honours the King of the Jungle in its Sous le Signe du Lion collection.

Big cats are not solely synonymous with Chanel, however. Over at Cartier, back in the early years of the 20th century, head designer Jeanne Toussaint was nicknamed Panthère by founder Louis Cartier – a tribute to her style and presence. Taking the name to heart, all things feline played a big part in the designer’s ouvré, with her proprietary panther designs dominating the maison’s output for an entire generation.

Other brands, of course, soon followed in their paw prints, lured in as much by their leopardesque looks as by the clearly lucrative returns to be had. While they were roundly imitated, when it came to cache, however, Chanel and Cartier clearly retained the lion’s share.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

Peacock Necklace: Kashmir sapphire and higher valuations

While Kashmir may have been a hotbed of unrest for several decades now, such turmoil is yet to taint the reputation of the region’s stunning sapphires, famous the world over for their rich deep blue colouring. Now a truly fine example of these most precious stones, as featured in the Peacock Necklace – a stunning sapphire-and-diamond necklace – was just auctioned by Christie’s Hong Kong. The piece, which originally featured an estimate price of between US$12 million and US$15 million, did not disappoint when it went under the hammer last week. The Kashmir sapphire and diamond necklace’s final sale price stood at a staggering US$14.96 million. 

Sapphire

All originally mined from the remote Padder region in Kishtwan district, some 21 dazzling shards of Kashmir sapphires, together with an array of brilliant diamonds, adorn this unique necklace, with the gems said to total some 109.08 carats. The centre stone alone weighs an astonishing 10.56 carats, which makes it extremely rare and valuable among sapphires, as finding a single stone of such quality and weight is almost unheard of. And when you also factor in the masterly craftsmanship behind the entire suite of gems, it’s no surprise that the attention of the whole haute joaillerie world was focused on this most luxurious of lots.

 

 

Maximilist Metals: Chain link jewellery of the ’80s makes its return

The metals of marvellous maximalists have made their return, meaning it’s time for minimalists to move over! Like many fashion trends from the ’80s (ahem, belt-bags) the bigger the garment the better it is. But you needn’t worry, the fashion world isn’t making you dig out your old shoulder pads just yet. Instead we’re rewinding to the powerful statement chains that once had us pumping up the volume.

Chain-link jewellery may have comeback, but it is not without its updates. The high-end accessories still remain striking and bold, but with modern weights. Brands partaking in the re-emerging trend such as Links of London, have chosen gold as the go-to metal for the revival. The contemporary touch to the trend also provides a more gentle look, as many feature precious stones such as diamonds.

Don’t be dragged down by the chains of past, new ones have emerged and they’re far more chic.

The Pink Legacy diamond sells for record-breaking numbers

Harry Winston was surely in the pink this Tuesday as the American luxury brand purchased the Pink Legacy diamond from Christie’s auction house in Geneva, for a record setting US$50 million.

Within five minutes at the auction, the 18.96-carat diamond known as the Pink Legacy became the world’s record holder for price paid per carat for a pink diamond.

The dazzling diamond is truly a rare find because it is singularly unique to find a pink diamond over 10 carats. Categorised as a “Fancy Vivid”, the Pink Legacy is of the highest grade of colour intensity, being 1 in 100,000 of its kind. 

Soon to be renamed Winston Pink Legacy, the diamond is reported to be in good health and continues the trend of rising prices of pink diamonds.

Pink Star

Last April, Hong Kong became the city where the largest polished diamond the Pink Star – 59.6-carat stone – was auctioned off for a cool US$71.2 million at Sotheby’s.

 

Pink Promise

Following the Pink Star was the cut and improved Pink Promise diamond that was auctioned off at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels Hong Kong auction. The 15-carat diamond sold for US$32.5 million, at the time a record-beating price at US$2.176 million per carat. At US$2.637 million per carat, the sale of the Pink Legacy has surpassed the once-infamous Pink Promise.

The Pink Legacy is undoubtedly exceptional as it set forth a major moment in auctioneering history. The popularity of pink diamonds is coming up roses.

Text: Bailey Atkinson
Images courtesy: Christie’s

Pearls for Boys: How Men are Reclaiming Pearl Jewellery

For decades, pearl jewellery was considered the height of femininity but the bivalve baubles used to be considered pretty butch and it seems that with the expansion of the male jewellery market more men are snapping up these precious Pacific beauties.

Pearls
Left: Qing dynasty, Yongzheng Emperor and right: Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. Both adorned with regal pearls

We have evidence of pearls being worn by Song dynasty Chinese rulers as early as 2300 BCE. They’ve also long been a favourite of the Indian Maharajas. Julius Caesar, meanwhile, actually passed a law declaring them for aristocrats only. In England, they were often given loose to Tudor knights who would carry them into battle as a good luck talisman, and Charles the First was even famously beheaded while wearing a pearl pendant earring in one ear. So when did the pearl lose its rough, tough reputation and become so much more associated with dainty necklaces to be clutched at by feminine fingers?

Pearls
A young Charles I sporting the pearl earring he would eventually wear at his own beheading

It was when the Japanese perfected the art of growing and harvesting perfectly round pearls in a way that was much more efficient and cost-effective than ever before, that pearl jewellery took off with the masses. Jewellers adapted the gems to suit the ever changing fashions of the twentieth century, from the long pearly strings of the twenties to Dali’s signature mouth brooch with pearl teeth. But it was with the rise of film starlets wearing pearls that turned them into a gemstone more associated with women. As men bulked up into beefcakes for the screen they began to turn their backs on delicate soft-hued pearls.

Pearls
Starlets like Grace Kelly (Left) did a lot to feminise pearls. Dali got rather more creative with the gems with his famous “mouth brooch” on the right

But the times, they are a’changin, and once again men seem to be returning to pearl jewellery. Ever since Pierce Brosnan appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair wearing a single Tahitian pearl on a leather thong, the pearl’s potential has opened up from the tribal to the tailor-made. Most recently, American musical acts A1 Bentley and Pharrell Williams have made public appearances – decidedly unshy about their predilection for pearls – wearing multiple statement strings at once and typically opting for iconic white pearls over darker, understated colours.

Pearls
Left A1 Bentley, Right Pharrell Williams both sporting strings of white pearls.

If the idea of A1 Bentley’s flapper strings is a bit much and you’d prefer to ease yourself in to pearl jewellery, then consider smaller, more subtle pieces like cufflinks or tie pins. Or make like Brosnan with a single statement pearl as part of a more masculine design. Give the men’s marine jewellery trend a whirl with these pearly designs, all available at 1stdibs.com .

Pearls
Left: Versatile Spinel South Sea and Tahitian Pearl Gold Extra Long Necklace. Top right: Art Deco Diamond, Platinum and Mother of Pearl Cufflinks, Carrington, circa 1920. Bottom right: Tahitian Black South Sea Pearl White Diamond Yellow Gold Cocktail Ring.

Did you know:

  • A natural pearl takes six months to form
  • Although white pearls are the most popular, they can be found naturally in seven different colours
  • The global yearly diamond yield is ten times greater than that South Sea pearls

Text: Alice Duncan