Last Chance To Give A Special Holiday Jewelry Gift With These Items From De Beers and Alexandra Mor

De Beers Phenomena Glacier seven-row diamond bracelet

I’ve already written jewelry and watch gift guides for procrastinators. This is for you super procrastinators as we enter the final weekend before Christmas. I'm here to let you know there is still hope. These jewelry pieces from De Beers and designer Alexandra Mor would certainly make a loved one happy and keep you in good graces for 2014. 

De Beers Diamond Jewellers, the retail partnership between the mining giant and the luxury conglomerate LVMH, has ventured into the high jewelry category in a big way with its Phenomena collection.

The diamond and white gold jewelry collection is made up of five lines (“Crest,” “Frost,” “Glacier,” “Reef” and “Stream”) that provide differing artistic interpretations of water in its natural state. Each line consists of a full set of jewelry. These are one-of-kind pieces and in fact when I viewed the collection when it first arrived in mid-November one of the items was missing because it was sold. I was told a few others were under discussion.

The company describes the collection as a modern take on traditional jewelry. These are mostly large, complex and well-crafted pieces with extremely high-carat value made with combinations of exceptionally cut diamonds. Yet these pieces are sleek, streamlined and sophisticated highlighted by sensual curves throughout. The white on white palette adds to its modernity. Despite the size and weight of many of the pieces, they are easy to wear because of articulations in the metal that hug the skin.

The collection is available at the De Beers New York boutique until January 1.

Alexandra Mor cushion-cut lilac tanzanite and diamond ring

Jewelry designer Alexandra Mor has made quite a name for herself in a short time with her “demi-couture” brand of jewelry, which consists of limited editions, one-of-kind and custom-made pieces from her New York workshop. A couple of her signature characteristics include the use of large colored gemstones, “floating” diamond melee and knife-edge wire trim for her well crafted pieces.

Mor was one of a handful of international jewelry designers chosen to create a piece of jewelry for a bespoke jewelry collection curated by Gemfields (an emerald and amethyst mining and marketing company). The collection was unveiled in March. Two months earlier, she received the Fashion Group International Rising Star Award in the fine jewelry category.

For the holidays Mor has available a one-of-a-kind ring centered with a 25.78 carat cushion-cut lilac tanzanite surrounded with 3.67 carats of step-cut baguette diamonds, set with 0.90 carat 1mm “floating” diamond melee and knife-edged wire. The gems are platinum set on 18k yellow gold with Alexandra Mor logo gallery and signed by her.

Mor has assured me that the piece is available and can be shipped anywhere in the world before the holidays end. Contact the company directly at 888-944-2237; 212-921- 4391; or at contact@alexandramor.com

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Devon Pike Named CEO of De Beers Diamond Jewellers U.S.

With the news of the hiring of Philippe Mellier as De Beers CEO on Monday, another high-profile hiring by a division of the diamond giant went a bit under the radar.

De Beers Diamond Jewellers said Monday that Devon Pike has joined the company as chief executive officer of its U.S. business. Pike is a veteran merchandising, marketing and retail executive, who previously served as a senior vice president at Juicy Couture after spending six years at Polo Ralph Lauren.

De Beers Diamond Jewellers was established in 2001 as an independently managed and operated company by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s leading luxury products group, and De Beers SA, the world’s premier diamond mining and marketing company.

“She (Pike) is a highly respected retail industry executive, who understands how to develop and expand sought-after brands,” said Francois Delage, De Beers Diamond Jewellers CEO. “The US market is strategic for us and the recruitment of Devon is a sign of our commitment to further developing our activities in one of the world’s largest jewelry markets.”

Before joining De Beers, Pike was SVP of Digital at Juicy Couture, where she had been since May 2009. She previously held the position of SVP GMM for Juicy Couture’s North America and Travel Retail business.

Prior to Juicy Couture, she spent six years at Polo Ralph Lauren, where she held roles managing global business development, and as VP, General Merchandise manager of the Rugby Ralph Lauren brand. Pike joined Polo after holding a series of positions of increasing responsibility first at May Department Stores and subsequently Federated Department Stores. She is a graduate of Brown University and Harvard Business School.

De Beers Marks Diamond Jewelry Craftsmanship with 3D Window Displays

De Beers Diamond Jewellers is celebrating 120 years of craftsmanship with an exhibition in Tokyo using new 3D technology.


The exhibition is in the form of window displays at Isetan, the world-famous department store. The 3D film is shown on Alioscopy screens in the store windows, giving consumers an insider view of De Beers diamond jewelry through multimedia displays. The exhibition will run through July 21.
 

The stereoscopic 3D film captures the beauty and sparkle of De Beers jewelry shown in a continuous loop of visual artistry. The 3D film is shown on a customized screen that does not require viewers to wear special glasses and allows the finest details of the jewelry to be seen.

The technology is first for Japan and the jewelry world, according to the two London-based companies that created the visual display: Holition, which creates advanced 3D technology applications for retail and Pointy Stick Films, a newly formed 3D production company.

Holition previously made the virtual pages of the Jewelry News Network with a Tissot window display in London that allowed consumers virtually try on watches.