Category: Jewellery

A Touch of Clasp: The bejewelled brooch is back in a big way…

While, for many, the word “brooch” conjures up a rightly-lost world of coy maiden aunts with the most vanilla of embellishments pinned in one corner of a bosom-banishing blouse, this most uncouture of clothing clasps is no longer on its last gasp. Indeed, it has now become something of a badge of honour among the more fashion forward….

Whether set with diamonds or decked with sapphires, the brooch is the jewellery du jour
Whether set with diamonds or decked with sapphires, the brooch is the jewellery du jour

Actress Uma Thurman, for one, was spotted wearing a fine 1948 Cartier diamond peacock specimen at a recent ball, while the Spring/Summer 2018 runways have been awash with Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton variants of this increasingly in-vogue costume adornment. Indeed, whether pinned to a parting, nestling along the neckline or used to judiciously jazz up a jacket, brooches are clearly the jewellery du jour.

It’s an odd turnabout for an item that was initially prized more for its utility than for its aesthetic qualities. Back in the Early Bronze Age for instance, it was an essential asset when it came to locking a loose loincloth in place or reducing the potential for embonpoint embarrassment.

In contemporary couture, though, a time when cold-proofing a codpiece is no longer a priority for many designers, the once-humble brooch has taken its rightful place in the premier league of personal adornments. Let’s now pin our hopes on it staying that way.

Text: Hira Desai

Top 5 jewellery trend predictions for 2019 according to WP Diamonds

With fall on the horizon, we spoke to WP Diamonds, a leading and trusted global purchaser of diamonds, fine jewellery and luxury watches, to find out their top 5 jewellery trend predictions for 2019. 

Diamonds: Trading in smaller round and princess cuts for larger cushions and ovals cut diamonds

Top 5 jewellery trend predictions for 2019

Metals: Rose gold and yellow gold will remain the most popular

Rings: Classic solitaire settings

Rings: Classic solitaire settings

Bracelets: Mix and match stacking bracelets in white gold, yellow gold and rose gold

Bracelets: Mix and match stacking bracelets in white gold, yellow gold and rose gold

Earrings: Diamond hoops as an alternative to diamond studs

Earrings: Diamond hoops as an alternative to diamond studs

With sustainability and recycling high on the agenda the world over, start 2019 with a clean slate by having a browse through your jewellery box and make room for all the new sparkles that are to come.

Do you have any pieces that hold heavy memories but don’t wear very often, or unused pieces that you are not quite sure what to do with? Instead of stashing them in the back of your drawer, why not trade in the past for a new beginning? The cash can then be used to finance some gorgeous new pieces following the new jewellery trends.

WP Diamonds is a leading purchaser of designer jewellery, luxury watches and loose diamonds from customers across the globe.

As globally reputable buyers of diamonds, diamond jewellery, designer jewellery and luxury watches, WP Diamonds, the US-based recycled diamond company, has recently launched in Hong Kong.

Founded in 2012 by Andrew Brown, WP Diamonds is a leading purchaser of designer jewellery, luxury watches and loose diamonds from customers across the globe.

As a brand, WP Diamonds believes that the experience of selling valuable pieces should be comparable to the experience enjoyed when purchasing them. In many ways, they have single-handedly changed the reputation associated with selling pre-owned diamonds, jewellery and watches.

The trusted company’s buyers are GIA-trained gemologists using an innovative system that ensures purchasing is in real-time market pricing and delivering the greatest value for every piece.

WP Diamonds is a leading purchaser of designer jewellery, luxury watches and loose diamonds from customers across the globe.

Ensuring the highest level of service at all times, WP Diamonds has focused all of its attention on three core values: expertise, security and trust. This is demonstrated not only through their constant progression, but also through its accreditation by the top industry associations such as the Jeweller’s Vigilance Committee and British Jeweller’s Association.

With 200+ online reviews and 5-star Google+ rating, WP Diamonds remains a pioneer in the industry, making an impact on both their customers as well as the world.

Give your jewellery a second life and your jewellery box a makeover with just five easy steps online.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit www.wpdiamonds.hk/en/
Address: 6 Duddell Street, Suite 604, Central, Hong Kong

Bulgari’s renovated flagship boutique brings a slice of Rome to Hong Kong

Italian high jewellery brand Bulgari recently opened its renovated flagship boutique at Landmark Chater mall with much fanfare. The new design, brought to life by renowned American architect Peter Marino, is inspired by an iconic BVLGARI motif – the Tubogas. Christened Tubogas because of its resemblance to a woven-metal gas pipe, the industrial design technique has been in vogue in many of Bulgari’s watches, necklaces and bracelets, and is most recently seen in its Serpenti collection.

The opening saw Hong Kong’s movers and shakers turn up in their bejewelled best to support the maison. Guests included pop queen Sammi Cheng, actress Kara Wai, singer-actress Charlene Choi, Miss Hong Kong Pageant Grace Chan, actor Kevin Cheng, and socialites like Justin Hui, Adrienne Lim-Hui, Helen Ma, Yen Kuok, Anina Ho, Amanda Lau, Dorian Ho, Jacqueline Chow, Charles Lam, Arthur Lam, Esther Sham and many more.

Five jewellery inspirations from this year’s Fall Winter 2018-19 runways

This year’s fall-winter fashion trends prove, yet again, that some jewellery trends are here to stay. We take inspiration from five trendy – yet timeless – jewellery pieces, fresh from the Fall Winter 2018-19 runways.

Fall Winter 2018-19

When in plight, choose black and white

As this Chanel earring shows, monochrome colours are here to stay, no matter what season of the year it is. However, pick a chunky statement piece to tick the right boxes.

Fall Winter 2018-19

Let your rock talk

Choose a bracelet with big, dazzling diamonds or coloured stones like this Dolce & Gabbana bracelet and wear it solitary on an otherwise bare arm. The bigger the stone, the better, the more the attention.

Fall Winter 2018-19

Pin your hopes on brooches

There’s nothing like a bold brooch to make an original fashion statement. This tiger brooch, for example, from Gucci is sure to gets plaudits from fashion pundits. Wear your heart on your lapel and let your individuality shine through.

Fall Winter 2018-19

Dazzle with tassel

As this tassel earrings from Versace reveal, there’s no better way to channel your inner Bohemian spirit than with some tassel danglers waving in the mild breeze. Choose brightly coloured earrings or even black ones – really, you can’t go wrong with this trend.

Fall Winter 2018-19

Be a chocker-rocker

As Dior’s Fall-Winter 2018-19 runway proves yet again, chockers have never really gone out of fashion. Sport a bit of a Gothic look with a dark metallic chocker, or keep things subtle with this neutral piece from Dior Femme.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

3 Iconic transformable jewellery pieces

Passe-Partout, Van Cleef & Arpels
Patented in 1938, the Passe-Partout is one of the first examples of the transformative pieces pioneered by Van Cleef & Arpels.

Luxury brands such as Cartier, Chaumet and Van Cleef & Arpels have, since the beginning of the 20th century, created transformable jewellery pieces. These intricate pieces are some of the most inventive and technically complex jewellery ever seen in the history. 

Dating back to the late 19th century, the trend was originally invented for members of royalty who required jewels fit for coronations and balls. As pieces were worn on the rare occasion, innovative jewellers were hired to offer creations suitable for a number of occasions. The many changes of wardrobe required a change in jewellery and so designers produced creative pieces that could magically be taken apart and reassembled as different jewels. 

As jewellery houses embrace the concept once again, transformable pieces have grown in popularity. With the help of clips, clasps and brackets, jewellery buyers are able to change bigger pieces into smaller ones, ideal for less formal occasions. They can also be transformed from one type of jewellery to another.

This gaining trend allows buyers to wear one piece in more then one way and therefore, gaining a lot more for the investment paid. In addition to these benefits, transformable jewellery also makes for great investment pieces with Christie’s claiming that when sold at auctions, they can on average sell at a 20-30% premium.

The revival of transformable jewellery also represents the demands of the women of today. Living different lives and roles each day, they require jewellery that can be adapted to suit different occasions, outfits and moods.

If you are looking for some inspiration, check out our round up of three of the most iconic transformable jewellery pieces.

Chaumet: Les Mondes de Chaumet, Promenades Impériales Transformable necklace

3 Iconic transformable jewellery pieces

Inspired by the prestigious historical legacy sustained by the great clients of Russia’s imperial court, Chaumet’s Promenades Impériales Transformable necklace can be transformed into a brooch and earrings. 

 

Cartier: Résonances de Cartier – Eurythmie Bracelet

3 Iconic transformable jewellery pieces

The Eurythmie bracelet from the Résonances de Cartier high jewellery collection changes colour with a flick of the wrist. Set with lapis lazuli on one side and diamonds on the other, the two-faced, articulated discs flip over, allowing you to choose from two different looks. 

 

Van Cleef & Arpels: Le Secret, The Séraphîta ring

3 Iconic transformable jewellery pieces

Van Cleef & Arpels continues its tradition of creating transformable jewellery pieces with the Le Secret collection. The Séraphîta ring features an interchangeable centre so that it can be worn in four different ways. It can be worn with either a 16.46-carat Madagascan sapphire or a cluster of diamonds and mauve sapphires between its fanned sapphire sides. 

For more jewellery inspiration, check out the Rise of rose gold jewellery or How the prohibition-era statement-ring is making a comeback. 

 

Text: Hira Desai
Images courtesy of: Cartier, Chaumet and Van Cleef & Arpels

Prohibition-era statement rings make a modern comeback

With its origins dating back to the 1920s, statement rings – or “cocktail rings” as they were more seditiously known – were, initially, less of a finger adornment and more of a handy gesture of Prohibition disapproval that wearers wore to signal their lack of solidarity with the total teetotalness that was imposed across the US from 1920 to 1933. 

Statement rings date back to the Prohibition era
Statement rings, or ‘cocktail rings’, date back to the Prohibition era

At a time when a G&T was seen as the crystal meth of the day, speakeasies – discreet dive bars – were the places to be seen at (except by the authorities) with this judiciously-displayed jewellery a covert sign that the wearer was an off-the-grid quaffer, one of a clandestine crew of high-fashion imbibers.  

Typically sported on the right hand, the cocktail ring was clearly no wedding band and had usually been bought by the bearer herself, a convention that lives on to this day.

Many of the rings boasted an unusually high setting, so as to ensure an unmissable sparkle, something further enhanced by the use of multifaceted stones. Their latter-day descendants range from the bold to the beautiful, taking in bling-worthy conversation starters en route. So, why not pay tribute to the secret society of suave soave lovers of yesteryears with a clandestine commemoration of top-secret tippling at its very finest?

Text: Hira Desai

Vintage revival: The rise of rose gold jewellery

Vintage revival: The rise of rose gold jewellery

A walk around the shopping malls will soon have you realising that rose gold jewellery is back on the scene. Illuminating rings, necklaces, earrings and even watches, we take a look at where this alluring soft pink metal originates from and why luxury jewellery designers are reviving it.

Traced back to Russia in the late 1880s, rose gold was originally known as Russian gold when famed jeweller Carl Fabergé – best known for his Imperial Eggs – began incorporating the copper-infused metal into his designs. It was later used in the 1920s by Cartier, while Tiffany & Co’s collaboration with designer Elsa Peretti in 1970s was also known to feature the pink-hued material.

Vintage revival: The rise of rose gold jewellery
The Imperial Coronation Egg, one of the most famous and iconic of all the Fabergé eggs.

Created by mixing pure gold with copper and a touch of silver, rose gold is ultimately an alloy, rather than a natural metal. Generally, the blend combines 75 percent gold with 21 percent copper and 4 percent silver. While the amounts can vary, the results are ultimately the same with a captivating cool pink alloy which is durable, versatile and compliments most skin tones.

With designers eager to introduce some variety into their otherwise gold and silver collections, rose gold is making an appearance in not only fashion and jewellery but even electronics such as the Apple Watch. From Blake Lively’s unconventional Lorraine Schwartz rose gold engagement ring to the stunning rose gold Cartier jewels worn by actress Priyanka Chopra at the Met Gala 2018, rose gold is well and truly making its presence felt again.

Alluring yet demure and mature yet youthful– rose gold is a medley of contrasts that work together in harmony. With its versatility and popularity, it would appear that rose gold jewellery is here to stay.

For inspiration, check out our roundup of beautiful rose gold jewellery pieces that will have you feeling classical and trendy, all at the same time.

 

Want to stay ahead of the curve? Check out our predictions for the Top 3 jewellery trends for Fall 2018.

 

Text: Hira Desai

Images courtesy of:

Bulgari
Chanel
Chaumet
Chopard
Graff
Van Cleef & Arpels
Piaget

Chopard Red Carpet Collection sparkles at Cannes Film Festival

Having been an official partner of the renowned Cannes Film Festival for nigh-on two decades, Chopard is an old hand at delivering exceptional jewellery designs to match the allure and glamour of Hollywood. And, unsurprisingly, the haute joallerie atelier’s latest Cartier Red Carpet Collection 2018 proves, yet again, why it is the favoured jeweller to the stars.

Chopard Red Carpet Collection is the brainchild of Creative Director Caroline Scheufele

This newest edition is the brainchild of Caroline Scheufele, Chopard’s Co-President and Creative Director, and pays homage to the mystique and femininity of the fairer sex.

Cate Blanchett wears Orchid Earrings from the Chopard Red Carpet Collection 2018
Cate Blanchett at the Cannes Festival wearing Orchid Earrings from the Chopard Red Carpet Collection

Perhaps the most famous (so far) pieces of the collection are the Orchid Earrings, worn by Cate Blanchett at the Cannes Festival earlier this year. The stunningly lifelike orchid motif features a wide array of sparkling gemstones, including diamonds, sapphires, tsavorites and more.

A highlight of the Chopard Red Carpet Collection is this elegant diamond-emerald necklace

Other showstopper pieces include a platinum necklace set with alternating diamonds and ‘no oil’ emeralds culminating in a large, pear-cut diamond weighing over 20 carats, and a feathered necklace in 24K yellow gold and titanium, inspired by the rich cultural heritage of Mongolia. The latter, designed in conjuction with feather guru Nelly Saunier, boasts a gold cameo accented with blue apatites, red jasper and violet garnets, and cushioned majestically by heron, ostrich, black pheasant and rooster feathers.

Inspired by Mongolian culture, the Chopard Red Carpet Collection features a unique feathered necklace

Beyond the beautiful designs of the Chopard Red Carpet Collection 2018, the high jewellery brand also crafted the beautiful Palme d’or award, the Cannes Festival’s highest honour, along with other awards presented for its closing ceremonies, all from Fairmined-certified ethical gold.

Larger than life: Top 3 jewellery trends for Fall 2018

Larger than life: Top 3 jewellery trends for Fall 2018

When it comes to Autumn/Winter jewellery, get ready for an extension of the ‘bigger is better’ trend. From unique earrings to ’80s revival, the jewellery trends for Fall 2018 are all about statement-making, head-turning jewellery pieces. Before we dive into a selection of our favourite jewellery pieces for the coming season, remember ladies, one piece of statement-making jewellery at a time, is just what the stylist ordered!

Statement-making earrings

A pair of gorgeous earrings (or a single one!) can not only distract attention from a bad hair day but can also elevate a simple outfit. For ornate earrings, pair with sharp tailoring such a crisp white shirt with high waisted pants. Throw your hair up into a messy bun and allow your earrings to help you look effortlessly put together. For evening looks, combine a pair of gemstone earrings with your favourite little black dress or evening gown and allow your earrings do the talking.

Bold necklaces

For those smart casual days, a bold necklace is the perfect way to dress up an outfit.  While a shirt can be dressed up by pairing with a sparkling necklace and red lipstick, adding a pop of colour to a plain coloured tee or denim can make all the difference. Match a colour of your necklace to one of the colours in your outfit, for a simple but effective touch.

’80s-inspired jewellery

The 80’s were all about mix and matching materials and playing with bold and beautiful colours. People used jewellery as a way to express their individuality and while the elite were able to showcase their wealth by wearing large and stylish fine jewellery, most other people wore costume jewellery of their choice. From large hoops and brightly coloured bracelets to brooches and cocktail rings, there are many types and styles of jewellery that defined the 80’s. Pick a style that suits your personality best, and get ready to strut the streets. 

 

For more jewellery inspiration, check out our guides to the most stunning animal-inspired or carved gemstone jewellery pieces.

Text: Hira Desai

Images courtesy of:

Buccellati
Chanel
Chopard
Dior
Charriol
Chaumet
Swarovski
De Grisogono
Bulgari
Piaget
Mikimoto
Van Cleef & Arpels

Into the wild: 10 animal-inspired jewellery pieces

10 animal-inspired jewellery pieces

Jewellers have long been inspired by wild animals when creating unique designs. In more recent years, however, the trend has grown rapidly, witnessing everything from beautifully embellished swan earrings to statement-making lion necklaces.

The movement has seen luxury brands add special animal-inspired collections to their display windows, with some even adopting a signature icon. For example, Cartier, uses the panther as a symbol of strength and playfulness while the iconic serpent in Bulgari’s Serpenti collection represents transformation, vitality and seduction.

Recalling designs from the Art Deco era, animal lovers can revel in choosing a jewellery piece which matches their personality and spirituality. From the seductive serpent to the dainty butterfly, these incredibly intricate pieces will not only add a unique touch of style to your ensemble but are guaranteed conversation starters.

So if you are looking to take a break from traditional jewellery pieces, listen to your animal instinct and tap into your wild side with our roundup of animal-inspired jewellery pieces.

 

If you are looking for alternative jewellery trends to elevate your evening ensembles, check out our roundup of stunning jewellery pieces with carved gemstones.