Fine-tune your outfit with these sparkly multi-coloured pieces

2018 is forging ahead with an all-singing, all-dancing cornucopia of multi-coloured enhancement. Whether you are looking to make a statement on a date or enhance an outfit for a work event, this colorful trend is your best bet. 

Stack multi-coloured gem and diamond rings and bracelets to bedazzle your outfit by day. When the evening comes, layer with different lengths, textures and styles of necklaces to create a show-stopping ensemble 

Need some inspiration? Check out our roundup of dazzling jewellery pieces in a beautiful kaleidoscope of colours. 

Check out our guides to layering necklaces and embellished earrings for more details on the latest jewellery trends.

 

Bejewelled beauties: Our top 5 picks ahead of Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite auction

Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite auction is taking place in Hong Kong on 3 April. Whether an avid jewellery collector or a gem connoisseur, this one’s a bidding war that you can’t afford to miss. Here we spotlight on five exquisite pieces that – in our opinion – are worth fighting for.

Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite auction

Ruby, Diamond and Emerald Brooch, Van Cleef & Arpels
Lot 1778

A classic bejewelled brooch in Van Cleef & Arpels’ signature extravagant style, the piece is estimated to fetch between HK$2,200,000-2,800,000. A beautiful swan in 18-carat gold, it features brilliant-cut diamonds with ruby feathers and an emerald eye, all brought to life by Van Cleef & Arpels’ exquisite craftsmanship, and is signed by the haute joaillerie maison.

Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite auction

Fancy Blue Diamond and Diamond Ring
Lot 1776

As gem connoisseurs would be only too aware, blue diamonds happen to be the most-sought after diamond category after red diamonds. So it should come as no surprise that this beautiful ring starring a fancy blue diamond worth 14.18 carats is estimated to go under the gavel at anywhere between HK$46,200,000 and HK$60,000,000. The surrounding bezel of pink diamonds mounted in platinum and 18-carat pink gold adds to the supreme value of the piece.

Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite auction

Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond and Diamond Ring
Lot 1621

With the craze for yellow diamonds on the rise, this exquisite ring – which boasts a brilliant-cut fancy vivid yellow diamond weighing 15.69 carats as its centrepiece – will probably be snapped up only after a closely contested battle. Add to that the two heart-shaped GIA-certified D-colour diamonds each weighing 1.01 carats, and the platinum and 18-carat yellow gold real estate of the ring, and we have a big scorer that’s estimated to fetch between HK$5,500,000-6,500,000.

Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite auction

Diamond and Emerald Bracelet, Cartier
Lot 1505

Featuring six prancing diamond horses created out of pavé-set brilliant-cut diamonds, with emerald eyes, this Cartier bracelet is expected to fetch anything between HK$320,000-480,000. Set in 18-carat white gold and 165mm long, this one’s sure to gallop to glory in the auction ring.

Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite auction

Diamond and Gem Set Necklace, Dior
Lot 1628

With a sizeable pear-shaped diamond worth 5.82 carats as its central anchor, this link chain necklace is a floral affair with coloured gemstones including rubies, sapphires, yellow sapphires, pink sapphires and emeralds and brilliant-cut diamonds, mounted on 18-carat white gold. Signed and case-stamped by Dior, this fetching piece is estimated to bring around HK$950,000-1,800,000.

To check out the full catalogue of Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite auction, click here.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

Natural Beauty: Gafencu’s top 8 picks of brooches inspired by Mother Nature

Despite technology cocooning all aspects of modern life, Mother Nature is an inevitable presence. Time and again, art has borrowed from nature, with artists singing paeans of praise to all aspects of nature through diverse art forms. Jewellery too has come a long way, from actual elements of nature adorning the human body (think seashell jewellery by Neanderthals) to jewellery designers mimicking natural elements in their designs. 

Here, we’ve put the spotlight on eight such high joaillerie brooches that have captured some of the most striking feats of nature. Elaborate, intricate and exquisitely beautiful, these brooches are only second to nature’s originals. 

Cartier shines bright at the annual Emmy Awards

Any awards show is an occasion to dress your best and show off your bling. Cartier was on hand to help some TV personalities shine just a little bit brighter at the 69th Annual Emmy Awards.

Alexander Skarsgård, who won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role in Big Little Lies, was spotted with a vintage 1929 platinum and diamond brooch. His co-star Laura Dern picked up her Outstanding Supporting Actress award wearing a Panthère de Cartier ring studded with tsavorite garnets and onyx.

Other big names also showed their support for the jewellery house. White Collar star Matt Bomer was spotted with a diamond-accented 18-carat white gold Ballon Bleu de Cartier watch and Cartier Picot décor cufflinks.

Comedienne Tina Fey was decked out in Cartier High Jewellery diamond earrings, a Maillon Panthère bracelet and a sapphire and diamond topped platinum ring.

It was definitely a star-studded event where the stars shone bright and the jewels shone even brighter!

Take a walk on the wild side with these exotic jewels

Chopard_Animal_World_EN_72DPI_Page_156Some women are rabbits, others are goats and some are dogs – at least according to the Chinese Zodiac. But among their ranks are undoubtedly a number of bold women who can’t – or simply won’t – be tamed. For these types, it seems that wilder (rather than milder) animals would more aptly match their personas.

We can’t change our birth year, but we can channel the energy and spirit of whatever creature we’d like – a fact realised by many haute joaillerie labels that have designed alluring, animal-inspired pieces.

In an ode to the animal kingdom, Chopard has released its wondrous Animal World collection. Similarly, Swiss jeweller De Grisogono has released its own animal collection featuring snakes, dolphins, seals, panthers and peacocks. The white gold set of peacock earrings is beautifully detailed and set with emeralds, sapphires, and white and yellow diamonds. For a different flight of fancy, Nirav Modi offers up a stretchable flamingo-inspired bangle bracelet. Its eye-catching ‘feathers’ get their vivid colour from pink sapphires and white diamonds.

For those who want to unleash their inner Cat Woman, brands such as Cartier, Chanel and Piaget all have something to offer. One standout piece is a lion-inspired necklace from Piaget’s Secret and Lights collection. The 18-carat white gold necklace is set with brilliant-cut and baguette-cut diamonds, and stares back at you with onyx eyes. Its creation was inspired by the famous winged lion sculpture in Venice’s St Mark’s Square. Whether one identifies as a ferocious feline, bedazzling bird or salacious snake is a matter of taste. Whatever your choice, though, with these pieces you are bound to become the bejewelled queen of the animal kingdom.

Love token: Cartier bracelet fit for a duchess

Rumoured to have once been owned by Madonna, this menacingly exquisite bracelet is valued at an impressive US$12.4 million. In addition to its celebrity credentials, it also has a royal connection. A truly stunning item of jewellery, it was once owned by the American socialite Wallis Simpson, a lady best known for her relationship with Edward VIII. Indeed, the one-time king was so besotted with her he abdicated the British throne in 1936 in order to marry her.

Over the course of her life, Simpson was given a huge number of gifts by the clearly-smitten Edward, although this particular Cartier-created bracelet remains one of the most unconventional. The panther is composed of single-cut diamonds and a semiprecious black onyx gemstone. Strikingly, its eyes stand out due to the use of two specially cut marquise-shaped emeralds. The panther’s articulated body has also been designed to strike a stalking pose while neatly encircling the wrist.

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor – as Edward and Simpson later became officially known – commissioned the bracelet to be made in Paris in 1952. Such was the prestige of the commission that Jeanne Toussaint, one of Cartier’s most senior designers, took on the task himself.

Opulent and Dazzling: Eastern-inspired jewellery collections

Ruby and jadeite brooches…dazzling diamond phoenixes… dangling dancing lions… These exotic motifs offer a tantalising glimpse of the Eastern-inspired motifs currently beguiling many haute joaillerie labels. In a fortunately festive twist, ruby reds and emerald greens – long regarded as the most auspicious colours in Chinese cultural circles – feature prominently in these collections. Although visually varied, each item is distinguished by a touch of the ornately Oriental and a clear passion for sheer opulence. Hong Kong-based Qeelin has released a set of earrings fit for the hostess of even the most affluent of New Year celebrations. Featuring a striking dancing lion motif, these 18-carat rose gold earrings are available in both a dangle and stud style, with diamonds and onyx beautifully complementing this most precious of metals.

While ostensibly taking its inspiration from the biblical tale of Noah and his ark, Van Cleef & Arpels’ new collection of gem-encrusted animal brooches leaves enough open to interpretation to intrigue any true Sinophile. Rich in more local folklore association, the Phoenix brooch – with its stunning white gold, diamonds, onyx, mother-of-pearl and ruby inlaid clip – will have a particular appeal to many Chinese purchasers.

Similarly steeped in Sino-symbolism is Cartier’s seal watch-brooch, with its emblematic image of a Buddhist lion and stunning use of many of the gemstones that characterise traditional Asian jewellery. These most notably include jadeite and rubies, but not without a generous sprinkling of onyx, enamel, gold and diamonds. Concealed neatly within a 19th-century Chinese jade seal, the piece forms part of the Jade – From Emperors to Art Déco collection.

Rounding out the collection with a more understated hymn of praise to the wonders of the East is the Ballon Bleu de Cartier Orchids motif watch. The centerpiece of the watch is a beguiling recreation of three rare orchids, flowers native to Asia and widely regarded as symbols of perfection and nobility. Given the timepiece’s 18-carat yellow gold, mother-of-pearl and diamond housing, the symbolism couldn’t be more apt.

Sports watches for the competitor and fan

Whether competitor or armchair commentator, we have time for you with watches by Breitling, Chopard, Rolex, Cartier, Omega and IWC.

Get your glow on with wild designs


There’s no need to be a professional snake charmer when one can mesmerise just as effortlessly with the Serpenti collection by Bulgari. A pink gold ring beset with rubellites, diamonds and snake-like emerald eyes is seductive enough to give Medusa a run for her money. Pair it with Serpenti Inspiration earrings in pink gold with nine fancy-shaped pink tourmalines dangling lavishly from each lobe, or choose from a selection of rebellious reptilian-shaped pendants.

Cartier is also taking a walk on the wild side with its collection of cactus-shaped jewellery. These gold pieces are reminiscent of desert sand, and a dichotomy of soft and sharp elements gives the collection its depth. An 18-carat yellow gold Cactus de Cartier ring and a matching bracelet and necklace are adorned with lapis lazuli gemstones and brilliant-cut diamonds.

Chanel’s Fête de Moissons bracelet wraps delicately around the wrist, evoking images of bougainvillea climbing and colouring the walls of a French boutique. The bracelet, mounted on white and yellow gold, boasts an 11.1-carat yellow diamond, as well as multicolour diamonds and yet more yellow diamonds in varying shapes. A matching necklace dazzles with a 25-carat fancy intense yellow diamond in the centre.

For a nature-inspired look, an 18-carat pink gold watch by Piaget is adorned with 24 marquise-cut diamonds arranged in a leaf-like pattern. A minimalist mother-of-pearl dial free of numbers, paired with the textured gold band, gives the watch a polished and elegant look.