Smithsonian To Add Zoltan David’s ‘Iris’ Moonstone Necklace To Its Collection

A pendant necklace by award-winning jewelry artist, Sir Zoltan David, will be added to the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in early 2018. 

The “Iris” pendant necklace, which will be placed in the Moonstone Collection in the Feldspar Exhibit, is centered by a rare 35.63-carat cat’s eye marquise cut moonstone from India. The chain for the pendant is mounted with 35 matching moonstones with an iridescent blue hue and a total weight of 18.20 carats. All of the stones are set in a blue patinated bronze with pure platinum shaped inlay and ideal cut diamonds, created by the jewelry artist. The reverse of the pendant is engraved with the expression, “By the light of a silvery moon, an ocean of life awaits your magical touch.”

The Texas jeweler is the only person from his home state to have a jewelry creation placed in the Smithsonian. 

“I am delighted to have my work become a part of American culture,” David said. “As a young man at the early stages of my training in fine jewelry, I remember standing in the Smithsonian in awe of the craftsmanship surrounding me and hoping that someday my work could be on display there. What an honor to have my Iris necklace showcased with the some of the finest jewelry houses in the world. I am a proud small business owner who is truly living the American dream, and I am grateful now to be sharing my work with people from around the country and across the globe.”

The Iris necklace received the 2016 American Gem Trade Association’s Spectrum Award and was on display at the AGTA show in Tucson last year where curators from the Smithsonian first saw it and eventually chose it to become part of the museum’s collection. 

David established his artisan brand, Zoltan David Precious Metal Art, in 1980 and developed a reputation for combining gemstones and metals in innovative ways to create functional and wearable works of art. He received more than two dozen national and international awards as well as two patents. In 1988, David was bestowed Hungarian knighthood in honor of Sir Zoltan David I, his father who is considered a hero of the nation. 

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The 2017 Spectrum and Cutting Edge Award Winners

Mikola Kukharuk of Nomad’s with a pair of neon blue tourmalines (53.56 ctw.)

The AGTA Spectrum and Cutting Edge Awards is already the most important and prestigious colored gemstone competition in the world. According to Douglas K. Hucker, CEO of the American Gem Trade Association, which sponsors the annual event, this year’s group of approximately 500 entries shows that the competition just gets better.

“It is evident that the entrants take this competition very seriously,” Hucker said.

The Spectrum Awards, which honors the best in jewelry design using colored gemstones, usually gets the lion’s share of the publicity. However, this year it is the Cutting Edge Awards that stood out with it’s the rare gemstones, and the craft and artistry of the lapidaries. For example, the Best of Show was a pair of neon blue tourmalines and two pieces by gem artist, Naomi Sarna, which won overall awards. In the Objects of Art category there were three exceptional finalists with the winner creating a working kaleidoscope using gems to create the patterns inside.

Below are the best gems and jewels from a very competitive field.

Overall winners of Spectrum and Cutting Edge Awards

Best of Show (top photo)
Mikola Kukharuk of Nomad’s with a pair of neon blue tourmalines (53.56 ctw.).

Best Use of Color

Naomi Sarna of Naomi Sarna Designs with 18k and 24k yellow and 18k white gold maple leaf earrings featuring multicolored diamonds, sapphires and garnets.

Best Use of Pearls

Naomi Sarna of Naomi Sarna Designs with freshwater cultured pearls strung with sunstone beads with an 18k yellow gold and black rhodium clasp set with white, pink and green diamonds.

Best Use of Platinum and Color

Eddie Sakamoto of Somewhere in the Rainbow with platinum “Dancing Waves” neck collar featuring a 57-carat aquamarine accented with diamonds (8.0 ctw.).

Fashion Forward

Ardeshir Dabestani of Asha Gallery, Ltd. with 18k white and yellow gold “Solar Flare” back-drop necklace featuring a 436-carat citrine accented with aquamarines (44.50 ctw.), yellow beryls (87.30 ctw.) and diamonds (23.54ctw.).


AGTA Cutting Edge Award Winners

All Other Faceted

First Place: Brett Kosnar of Beija Flor Wholesale with a 24.26-carat round, Portuguese-cut rhodochrosite.

Second Place: Ruben Bindra of B & B Fine Gems with a 6.49-carat square East African natural tsavorite garnet.

Third Place: Hemant Phophaliya of A G Color, Inc. with a 22.15-carat fancy-shaped tanzanite, “Superman.”

Carving

First Place: Meg Berry of Pala International with a 625-carat chyrsocolla with druzy quartz carving, titled “Metamorphosis.”

Second Place: Dalan Hargrave of GemStarz Jewelry with a freestyle carved sunstone chameleon named “Henry.”

Third Place: John Dyer of John Dyer & Co. with a 115.71-carat morganite carving, titled “Joyful Morganite.”


Classic Gemstone

First Place: David Nassi of 100% Natural, Ltd. with a 15.30-carat unheated Ceylon pink sapphire.

Second Place: Allen Kleiman of A. Kleiman & Co. with a 38.48-carat unheated oval Madagascan blue sapphire.

Third Place: Joseph Ambalu of Amba Gem Corp. with a 5.80-carat untreated Colombian step-cut emerald.


Innovative Faceting

First Place: Christopher Wolfsbergwith a 32.75-carat specialty-cut quartz with chrysoprase and opal.

Second Place: John Dyer of John Dyer & Co. with a 21.58-carat red spinel hexagon.

Third Place: John Dyer of John Dyer & Co. with a 63.86-carat specialty-cut tourmaline.


Objects of Art

A view inside the “Colors of Maine” kaleidoscope by Derek Katzenbach of Katzenbach Designs with the images made of multicolored Maine tourmalines and Maine quartz lenses

First Place: Derek Katzenbach of Katzenbach Designs with “Colors of Maine” kaleidoscope featuring multicolored Maine tourmalines (71.74 ctw.) and Maine quartz lenses (24.92 ctw.) set in 18k yellow and white gold.

Second Place: Susan Helmich of “Somewhere in the Rainbow” with a “Straight on to Neverland” pendulum and brooch featuring a 14.01-carat rubellite tourmaline, an 8.94-carat rubellite tourmaline, a 4.08-carat indicolite tourmaline, a 13.8mm golden cultured pearl and diamonds (5.24 ctw.) on a carved frosted quartz base.

Third Place: Liam Powers of Liam Powers Jewelry, LLC with a sterling silver and multi-karat gold chalice featuring diamonds, alexandrites, sapphires, moldavites and phenakites.


Pairs & Suites

First Place and Best of Show (top photo): Mikola Kukharuk of Nomad’s with a pair of neon blue tourmalines (53.56 ctw.).

Second Place: Hemant Phophaliya, A G Color, Inc. with a pair of fancy pear-shaped tanzanites (49.38 ctw.).

Third Place:  Robyn Dufty, DuftyWeis Opals, Inc. with a pair of black opals (17.61 ctw.), titled “Tears of the Gods.”


Phenomenal (gemstones with special optical properties)

First Place: Joel Price with a 100.66-carat harlequin pattern black opal.

Second Place: Joseph Ambalu of Amba Gem Corp. with a 7.31-carat emerald-cut Brazilian alexandrite.

Third Place: Robert Shapiro with a 7.60-carat boulder opal.


AGTA Spectrum Award Winners

Bridal Wear

First Place: Ricardo Basta of E. Eichberg, Inc. with an 18k white gold and rhodium “Double the Love” ring featuring a 12.62-carat heart-shaped blue zircon accented with a 0.75-carat heart-shaped diamond and diamond pave.

Second Place: Lindsay Jane of Lindsay Jane Designs with platinum “Butterfly” earrings featuring detachable drops of boulder oopal (39.92 ctw.) accented with zoisites (2.10 ctw.), diamonds (1.02 ctw.) and Paraiba tourmalines (0.10 ctw.).

Third Place: Judy Evans of Oliver & Espig Gallery of Fine Arts with a platinum and 18k yellow gold ring featuring a 15.3mm South Sea golden cultured pearl accented with white diamonds (1.17 ctw.) and yellow diamonds (1.12 ctw.).


Business/Day Wear

First Place: Adam Neeley of Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry with an 18k rose and 14k rose and white gold “Cosmos” pendant featuring a 24.06-carat specialty-cut morganite accented with diamonds (3.14 ctw.).

Second Place: Llyn Strong, llyn strong fine art jewelry  with a lapis lazuli necklace (155.0 ctw.) featuring an 18k yellow gold clasp and a 30.90 ct. boulder opal accented with black diamonds, tsavorite garnets, rubies and sapphires.

Third Place: Mimi Favre of Mimi Favre Studio with platinum “Waterdrop” earrings featuring detachable Tanzanite drops (25.50ctw.) on Sapphire studs (1.75 ctw.) with white Sapphires (0.58 ctw.).


Classical

First Place: Allen Kleiman of A. Kleiman & Co. with platinum and 18k pink gold earrings featuring unheated oval pink sapphires (36.65 ctw.) accented with diamonds (5.09 ctw.).

Second Place: Niveet Nagpal of Omi Prive  with a platinum and black rhodium ring featuring a 20.03-carat cushion-cut blue sapphire accented with blue sapphires, baguette diamonds and round diamonds.

Third Place: Oscar Heyman platinum ring featuring a 32.30-carat Cat’s-Eye Chrysoberyl.


Evening Wear

First Place and Best Use of Platinum and Color (pictured above): Eddie Sakamoto of Somewhere in the Rainbow with the platinum “Dancing Waves” neck collar featuring a 57-carat aquamarine accented with diamonds (8.0 ctw.).

Second Place and Best Use of Color (pictured above): Naomi Sarna of Naomi Sarna Designs with 18k and 24k yellow and 18k white gold maple leaf earrings featuring multicolored diamonds, sapphires and garnets.

Third Place: Caroline Chartouni of Caroline C with a platinum ring featuring an 8.09-carat oval pink sapphire accented with round and pear pink sapphires (9.84 ctw.) and diamonds (8.67 ctw.).


Men's Wear

First Place: Ricardo Basta, E. Eichberg, Inc. an 18k yellow gold with black rhodium “Estrella” ring featuring a 7.50-carat starburst trapiche sapphire accented with black diamonds and yellow Sapphire melee.

Second Place: Peter Schmid, French Designer Jeweler with an 18k rose gold and platinum ring featuring a 15.74-carat garnet accented with a pink diamonds, green diamonds and white diamonds.

Third Place: Dawn Muscio of D. Muscio Designs with an 18k yellow gold and stainless steel ring featuring a 4.39-carat  emerald-cut green tourmaline accented with amethysts and diamonds. 

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The Grand Prix Of Watches Selects Its Winners

“Aiguille d’Or” Grand Prix: Ferdinand Berthoud, Chronomètre Ferdinand Berthoud FB 1

The 16th Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève held its awards ceremony Thursday at at Théâtre du Léman in Geneva. The top prize, the “Aiguille d’Or,” was presented to Ferdinand Berthoud, for the Chronomètre Ferdinand Berthoud FB1, a tourbillon, described as a marine chronometer made to fit the wrist.

The chronometer is powered by an original mechanical hand-wound movement comprising more than 1,120 components, entirely produced in house. The caliber FB-T.FC features a pillar-structure and a symmetry between its tourbillon and its original fusée and chain mechanism. The fusée is equipped with a differential-winding system as well as a “suspended mobile cone” power-reserve mechanism.

The remaining 14 awards represented a broad mix of mechanical movements and high design entries and included a combination of high respected independent watchmakers and international watch brands. Chanel, an international fashion brand, was a surprise winner and two watch brands, Girard-Perregaux and Piaget, received two awards. 

The award winners were selected by the panel of 27 experts that made up the international jury. The remaining winners is as follows:

Ladies’ Watch Prize: Piaget, Limelight Gala Milanese Bracelet

Ladies’ High-Mech Prize: Girard-Perregaux, Cat's Eye Tourbillon with Gold Bridge

Men’s Watch Prize: Grönefeld, 1941 Remontoire

Chronograph Watch Prize: Montblanc, 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition

Tourbillon Watch Prize: Girard-Perregaux, La Esmeralda Tourbillon

Calendar Watch Prize: MB&F, Legacy Machine Perpetual

Travel Time Watch Prize: Fabergé, Fabergé Visionnaire DTZ

Mechanical Exception Prize: Audemars Piguet, Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie

“Petite Aiguille” Prize: Tudor, Heritage Black Bay Bronze

Sports Watch Prize: Eberhard & Co, Scafograf 300

Jewellery Watch Prize: Chanel, Secret Watch "Signature Grenat"

Artistic Crafts Watch Prize: Piaget, Protocole XXL "Secrets & Lights" Venice Micro-Mosaic

“Revival” Watch Prize: TAG Heuer, Heuer Monza Chronographe

Special Jury Prize: The George Daniels Educational Trust

In addition to the jury award the general public voted on a “Public Prize,” casting votes on the Internet and at the various international exhibitions. This was awarded to award the Public Prize to: Czapek Genève, 33 bis Quai des Bergues

After stopovers in Seoul and Rome, the exhibition presenting the 72 watches pre-selected by the jury remains on show in Geneva until November 12 at the Cité du Temps. The prize-winning watches of this 2016 vintage will be exhibited in Dubai, November 15 to 19, as part of the second Dubai Watch Week. 

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Alex Soldier Designs Princess Grace Award Given To Queen Latifah by Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco

Prince Albert II and Queen Latifah who is holding the Prince Rainier III Award created by Alex Soldier

New York-based jewelry artist Alex Soldier designed the Prince Rainier III Award that was given to Queen Latifah during the 2016 Princess Grace Awards Gala, held at Cipriani's 25 Broadway in New York City.

Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco presented the award to the famous singer and actor for her philanthropy across many charities

The Prince Rainier III Award created by Alex Soldier

Soldier is known for his handmade jewels and art objects. The lean statuette incorporates symbols representing all three disciplines that were close to the heart of Grace Kelly, princess of Monaco, and lauded by the foundation: theater, dance and film. It is composed of connected symbols denoting these three art forms. The modern streamline award also features an abstract version of the American flag and the PGF-USA logo in a repeated pattern. It’s made primarily of platinum-plated silver with black obsidian and Swarovski crystal accents. The metalwork displays a special texturing technique that is signature to Soldier’s style. He created smaller versions of the award, which were presented to each Princess Grace Awards winner to wear as a pin.

The award was named in honor of Prince Rainier III who helped begin the Foundation more than 30 years ago to honor his wife, Grace Kelly’s legacy.

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA—which awards grants in the form of scholarships, apprenticeships, and fellowships to emerging talent in theater, dance and film—commissioned the New York-based artist to create the award in 2009 to present to a celebrity in the arts each year who has made it his or her personal mission to give back. The design has been used ever since.

Alex Soldier White Swan earrings worn by Queen Latifah

Alex Soldier’s jewels were also in full view during the event. Latifah wore Soldier’s White Swan Earrings. The form of the center stone resembles a swan's head, and the elongated diamond bar is curved into the shape of its neck. The Limited edition drop earrings are made with a white topaz center stone, white quartz and white diamonds.

Jewelry designer Alex Soldier (right) attends the 2016 Princess Grace Awards Gala with his daughter Maria, Alex Soldier brand’s creative director. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Princess Grace Foundation)

Soldier attended the event with his daughter Maria, Alex Soldier brand’s creative director. She wore several Alex Soldier jewels, including the Aster Flower centered with a large, faceted lemon citrine Astra with yellow sapphire and white diamond accents and detailed metalwork. It can be worn as a brooch, pendant, ring or a cuff. She also wore the Swirl cuff with rhodolite garnets; and Royal Earrings made of blue topaz, lemon citrine and rhodolite garnets set in 18k white gold.

The Alex Soldier Aster Flower jewel centered with a large, faceted lemon citrine with yellow sapphire and white diamond accents. It can be worn as a brooch, pendant, ring or cuff.

Other event highlights: Leslie Odom Jr. and Camille A. Brown received the Princess Grace Statue Award. Naomi Campbell served as the evening’s host and NYC Ballet principals Tiler Peck (Princess Grace Award Winner) and Robert Fairchild performed.

Alex Soldier Swirl cuff with rhodolite garnets

Established more than 30 years ago by Prince Rainier III to honor his wife Grace Kelly, princess of Monaco, the Princess Grace Foundation-USA’s annual gala celebrates the outstanding accomplishments of emerging artists in theater, dance and film in the presence of the royal family of Monaco.  

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Maye Musk Wears Alex Soldier At New York Fashion Events

Maye Musk at the Fragrance Foundation Awards wearing Alex Soldier Astra jewels

Model, author and wellness speaker, Maye Musk, wore Alex Soldier jewelry at the recently held 2016 CFDA Awards and Fragrance Foundation Awards. 

For the CFDA (Council of Fashion designers of America), Maye chose gold bangles finished with Alex Soldier's signature proprietary metalwork that creates an illusion of a diamond inlay. At the Fragrance Foundation Awards, she wore earrings and ring, paired with a stingray cuff from Alex Soldier's Astra collection. 

Maye Musk at the CFDA Awards wearing Alex Soldier bangles

Handmade in NYC, Alex Soldier jewelry is available at the company’s Alex Soldier Times Square boutique, as well as select Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue stores nationwide. 

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Montblanc Unveils Peggy Guggenheim Pen While Celebrating 25 Years Of Arts Patronage

Montblanc Patron of Art Peggy Guggenheim 888 limited edition writing instrument

Each year Montblanc creates “Patron of Art” limited edition writing instruments to honor an historical figure noted for his or her patronage to the arts. This year the honoree is Peggy Guggenheim, the late American heiress who spent her last 30 years in Venice displaying her modern art collection in her residence, which is now home to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. 

Guggenheim is credited with advancing the careers of several important modern artists including the American painters Jackson Pollock and William Congdon, the Austrian surrealist Wolfgang Paalen, the sound poet Ada Verdun Howell and the German painter Max Ernst, whom she married in December 1941. 

Montblanc Patron of Art Peggy Guggenheim 4810 writing instrument

In addition, the German luxury brand presents the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Awards to individuals in 16 countries (including its newest countries Greece, Brazil and Colombia) who are currently supporting arts and cultural programs and making them more accessible to larger audiences. 

This year’s award winner in Italy is Giorgio Marconi, founder of the historic Studio Marconi in Milan, who established the Marconi Foundation for Contemporary and Modern Art in 2004, a non-profit institution for the promotion and diffusion of contemporary art and culture through exhibitions, publications, cultural events and meetings. It publicizes and promotes contemporary art and enhances important archives and art collections of the 20th century. In conjunction with Expo 2015, Giorgio Marconi celebrated fifty years of activity with a group exhibition and with a tribute to Lucio Fontana at the recently renewed and extended Marconi Foundation’s premises.

The Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage awards cocktail reception on the roof of Peggy Guggenheim Collection overlooking the Grand Canal of Venice. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

Both Guggenheim and Marconi were honored at a cocktail reception April 26 on the rooftop of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, overlooking The Grand Canal of Venice, followed by tour of a new museum exhibition, “Imagine: New Imagery in Italian Art, 1960–1969” and finally a dinner for 130 guests in a candlelit room inside the historic Palazzo Polignac. Guests included socialite Chloe Delevingne, model Amber Le Bon, designer Jasmine Guinness, actress Camilla Rutherford with Dominic Barker, and actor Jack Guinness.

Guests receiving a tour of the exhibition, “Imagine: New Imagery in Italian Art, 1960–1969,” inside the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

In addition to being the home of Guggenheim, Venice also served as Montblanc’s 25th anniversary celebration for this award. Since 1992, when the award was first handed out (in the neighboring Italian city of Florence), Montblanc has presented more than 240 awards along with more than four million euros in prize money, which is donated to a cultural project of the winner’s choice. 

Dinner inside the Palazzo Polignac. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

Montblanc created three writing instruments to honor Guggenheim. The Limited Edition 888 that features a geometric art deco-inspired pattern on the cap and barrel, accented with red lacquer. The engravings of lion heads on the red gold cap ring are inspired by the exterior of the “Palazzo Venier dei Leoni,” the historic name of Guggenheim’s home and museum. The cap ring is embellished with 10 garnets—the eyes of the lions—and the end of the barrel is reminiscent of the red and white striped mooring pillars found on the Venice waterways. The Montblanc snow-cap emblem, in white marble, crowns the cap. The paws engraved on the gold nib of the fountain pen recall the affection she had for her 14 Lhasa Apso dogs.

The two Montblanc Patron of Art Peggy Guggenheim writing instruments on display at the cocktail event. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

The Montblanc Patron of Art Peggy Guggenheim Limited Edition 4810 series (comprising 4,810 pieces) features the geometric art deco design on a black lacquered and platinum-coated cap and barrel, contrasting with the red and platinum-coated stripes on the end of the barrel. The platinum-coated cap ring is elegantly embossed with lion heads, while the Montblanc emblem that crowns the fountain pen is made of the traditional black and white resin.

A third limited version of the pen comprises 81 pieces, representing the age at which Guggenheim died, is crafted in gold with a “skeletonized” façade.

A wax of the Montblanc Patron of Art Peggy Guggenheim writing instrument on display at the event. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

“We are very excited to host the first of the 16 international award ceremonies here in Venice, being a city of particular significance for the arts, culture and architecture with a flourishing artistic community since many centuries,” Jérôme Lambert, Montblanc CEO, said on the rooftop of the Guggenheim. “Furthermore, Venice became the home of Peggy Guggenheim, one of the great patrons of the 20th Century, a pioneering woman who understood the cultural importance of nurturing creative talent just like the outstanding patrons we will be honoring around the world this year.”

From left: New co-chairs of the Montblanc Foundation, Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, and Montblanc CEO, Jérôme Lambert. Photo by Daniele Venturelli

Lambert also used the stage to announce new directions for the awards program and to announce new co-chairmen for the Montblanc Cultural Foundation, which oversees the awards program and other cultural and arts initiatives funded by the company. 

“It is a good thing when you are a German company that you have a common sense of what is consistency,” Lambert said. “After 25 years we understood it is necessary to give the award a new dimension a new energy.”

Giorgio Marconi (left) receives the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award for Italy from Till Fellrath and Sam Bardaouil. Photo by Daniele Venturelli

In a private interview Lambert said that for the Patronage Awards, it means creating ways to make the winners more visible and providing more resources to attach Montblanc products to the awards program. The same holds true for the foundation’s other projects, including its “Cutting Edge Art Collection” and “Young Directors Award.”

“We want the foundation to be more present as a source of inspiration, particularly when it comes to writing instruments,” he said. 

The new foundation co-chairs are Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, co-founders of Art Reoriented, a multidisciplinary curatorial platform based in Munich and New York. They both spoke at the event.

“The art of patronage award is actually quite visionary,” Fellrath said. “It was started at a time when it was not (fashionable) to talk about what is a patron and how can we support them and what is the role of such patrons.”

Bardaouil added, “A true patron is someone who really takes risks and allows an artist to flourish and allows an arts community to develop a discourse with a platform and with all the things that is required to be really thriving and healthy. That is what we think the arts patronage award stands for and we are happy to be a part of it and see it move forward to the future.”

A calligrapher demonstrating the art of writing. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

Marconi received a Patron of Art Peggy Guggenheim limited edition fountain pen encased in a trophy and 15,000 euros ($17,160) to be donated to a cultural project of his choice.

He joins a long diverse list of honorees presented with the award that includes Prince Charles, British maestro Sir Simon Rattle, Italian architect Renzo Piano, American recording artist Quincy Jones and Japanese artist Yoko Ono. 

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