A Sampling of ‘Oscar Week’ Jewelry Trends

Actress Rumer Willis wearing Le Vian diamond earrings at the 7th Annual Hollywood Domino and Bovet 1822 Gala.

The Oscars isn’t a one-day event anymore. There are parties, dinners and other glamorous events held throughout the week in Los Angeles attended by celebrities. Whenever stars gather red carpets seem to magically appear followed by the promotion of fashion. The focus of this blog is fine jewelry and watches and there’s was plenty of it being worn. As a prelude to tonight’s main show, below is a sampling of the many events held during “Oscar Week” and the jewelry that worn by actors and performers.

At the Independent Spirit Awards Saturday in Beverly Hills, actress Elisabeth Rohm was on the red carpet wearing Antonini rhodocrosite, quartz, and diamond earrings. 

Model Anne V was busy during the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style awards ceremony at Greystone Mansion held Friday in Beverly Hills. She was wearing Ivy mandarin garnet and diamond earrings, a Jorge Adeler citrine and diamond ring and Jacob & Co. tangerine and diamond stackable rings.

The Giorgio Armani Flagship Boutique in Beverly Hills was the scene Friday of a special event by the luxury brand honoring Martin Scorsese and Paolo Sorrentino. Actress Jaimie Alexander was there wearing Ivy spinel and diamond earrings and Doves by Doron Paloma amethyst and diamond ring.

The Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills was the scene of the QVC 5th Annual Red Carpet Style event Friday. Actress Jennifer Morrison (above) was photographed wearing Jorge Adeler druzy and black onyx earrings. Actress Bella Thorne (below) was wearing Sutra white agate and diamond earrings.

Vanity Fair is known for having the best the best parties at these kind of gatherings. Friday the magazine held its Campaign Hollywood Kick Off at Sadie Kitchen and Lounge in Los Angeles. Actress and singer Anna Kendrick was there wearing a Jack Vartanian Gala black diamond tennis bracelet and Universe black diamond ear climbers.

photo credit: Getty Images

Thursday night, Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Charlie Chaplin silent film, “The Tramp,” at a private event in West Hollywood. Those photographed wearing Jaeger-LeCoultre watches were Isis Samassa, Bianca Brandolini d'Adda, Laurent Vinay (Jaeger-LeCoultre director of communications), Dolores Chaplin, Carmen Chaplin, and Linh Dan Pham.

Elisabeth Rohm made another stop earlier in the week. This time at the 'Vanity Fair and Chrysler Toast American Hustle' at Ago Thursday in Los Angeles where she wore Doves by Doron Paloma ring and a Carla Amorim bracelet. 

Recording artist, actress and philanthropist Demi Lovato was at theunite4:humanity event Thursday at the Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles wearing Demarco diamond earrings.

Anne V wearing Carla Amorim diamond earrings and a Le Vian diamond ring;

There were a number of jewelry-wearing celebrities strolling on the red carpet at the 7th Annual Hollywood Domino and Bovet 1822 Gala benefiting artists for peace and justice at Sunset Tower Thursday in West Hollywood. Among them were Anne V (above) wearing Carla Amorim diamond earrings and a Le Vian diamond ring; Actress Odette Annable wearing a Jack Vartanian Serpent diamond cuff and Sethi Couture diamond rings; actress Rumer Willis (top picture) wearing Le Vian diamond earrings; and actress and singer Vanessa Hudgens wearing Jack Vartanian ruby and black diamond earrings and a Brumani black quartz and diamond ring.

Odette Annable wearing a Jack Vartanian Serpent diamond cuff and Sethi Couture diamond rings.

Vanessa Hudgens wearing Jack Vartanian ruby and black diamond earrings and a Brumani black quartz and diamond ring.

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World’s Biggest Diamond Sale Becomes World’s Biggest Diamond Default

Sotheby’s said Thursday that the high-bidder of the 59.6-carat “Pink Star” diamond that sold for a world record price of $83.2 million has defaulted.

Diamond cutter Isaac Wolf, who said he was representing unnamed investors, outbid three rivals for the gem at Sotheby’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels Sale held in November. He renamed it the “Pink Dream.”

Wolf was unable to pay for the flawless fancy vivid pink diamond, according to the auction house’s annual report. It is now part of Sotheby’s inventory valued at approximately $72 million

According to a report on CNBC, the auction house had to buy back the diamond for $60 million because it had guaranteed that price to the original seller of the gem, whose identity is unknown.

In a conference call with investors Thursday, Patrick McClymont, Sotheby’s CEO, said the auction house is still talking with Wolf about the future of the diamond.

“We are currently in discussions with the buyer while also considering other alternatives,” he said. “In the meantime, we are comfortable with our valuation and see real value in owning the diamond at this price.”

Wolf in a YouTube video explaining the purchase said he was representing a group of investors and considered the diamond to be worth about $150 million, based on current prices for pink diamonds of similar quality.

“It’s not that I’m buying this with the money that I have in my piggy bank,” Wolf said. “It’s basically a group of investors—financial people—that are backing me on this and they are doing this as an investment, and hopefully to make a big profit.”



The diamond is graded as Type IIa, which is rare for any pink diamond, much less one of this size and color. It is twice the size of any vivid pink diamond ever brought to auction and the largest known diamond rated vivid pink. David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby’s Jewellery Division in Europe and the Middle East and chairman of Sotheby’s Switzerland, said the diamond is one of the most important gems he has seen in his 35-year career.

“It is difficult to exaggerate the rarity of vivid pink diamonds weighing only five carats,” he said prior to the auction. “So this 59.60 carat stone is simply off any scale, and passes, I believe, into the ranks of the earth’s greatest natural treasures.”

The oval-cut gem was the highlight of the November auction in Geneva. It was estimated to fetch more than $60 million. The bidding opened at $48 million and lasted for about five-minutes before Wolf made the winning bid.

The diamond was originally mined in South Africa in 1999 as a 132.5-carat rough by De Beers. It was cut by the Steinmetz Diamond Company over a two-year period and was formerly known as Steinmetz Pink. In 2003, it was shown publicly in Monaco and was displayed at the Smithsonian Institute as part of its “Splendor of Diamonds” exhibit, according to Wikipedia. The Pink Star was sold privately in 2007.

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From the Artistic to the Mechanical, Ladies Watches at SIHH 2014

Ballon Bleu De Cartier Floral-Marquetry Parrot Watch

After a detour into mechanical movements and masculine looks last year, the 16 luxury brands at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) for 2014 returned largely to watches for ladies that highlight artistry and jewelry. That’s not to say there aren’t many mechanical timepieces on offer at this year’s show. What there is, however, is more variety than in previous years. The new releases this year give women have a choice between pure beauty, high-end mechanics or both.

Ballon Bleu De Cartier Floral-Marquetry Parrot Watch
This year, Cartier has taken up what it says is a new craft in watchmaking: floral marquetry, along with jewelry, to create a colorful parrot on the dial of this watch with a blue and the orangey-yellow plumage, a deep black of the beak, an emerald green eye and sparkling white diamonds in the background of the dial and on the crown on the 18k white and pink gold watch.

To create this dial (top image), flower petals were gathered and colored. Then each petal was stuck onto a thin piece of wood and cut into the desired shape using a marquetry saw. The material contrasts with the shine of the onyx beak and emerald eye. The grey and black feathers surrounding the eye were created with miniature painting.

The 42mm watch is powered by the Cartier Caliber 049. It is available in a limited edition of 20 pieces.

Parmigiani: The Tonda Pomellato
This watch collection is a partnership between Swiss luxury watch brand Parmigiani and Italian luxury jewelry brand Pomellato. Three of the four watches in this line are based on Pomellato’s “Arabesque” collection, characterized by an openwork lace-like design in rose gold, which gives way to transparent elements with colored gems.

The Arabesque style of the Pomellato ring that provided the inspiration of the watch design.

The Arabesque pattern was reproduced using two distinct treatments. First, the dial received an opaline surface treatment. Then the arabesque pattern is superimpose through a silkscreen printed transfer which covers the opaline. A second sand-blasting treatment is then applied, which adheres to all the surfaces not covered by the transfer. The result is the pattern, which has the appearance of a shadow, that seems to be flush with the dial. The watch is powered by the automatic Caliber PF701. The 39mm 18k rose gold case set with 28 round diamonds along the bezel.

Piaget Rose Passion
This is a classic “secret watch” in 18k white gold set with a total of 707 brilliant-cut diamonds and one pink sapphire. The timepiece comes with a white satin strap. The petite dial of the watch can be hidden within the rose-shaped bejeweled watch case.

Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Fabuleux Ornements – Ottoman architecture
This piece is part of a four-watch collection that showcases several of the brand’s skeletonization and engraving skills and reflects a different culture and moment in history. For this piece Ottoman architecture was the inspiration. A pink-gold lattice motif is perched on a mother-of-pearl base. The gold grid-work in scrolling patterns is studded with half-pearl beads.

However, this watch is more than just an elaborately sculptured pretty face. It is powered by the in-house manufactured and engraved Caliber 1003SQ. The hand-wound movement with 117 components is exceptionally petite, just 21.1mm in diameter and 1.64mm thick.

Richard Mille Tourbillon Natalie Portman
This timepiece is created in partnership with Oscar award-winning actress Natalie Portman, who is also a worldwide partner of the brand. The aesthetic focus of this watch is a diamond-encrusted stylized spider that appears trapped in a tonneau-shaped, diamond-covered case. The abdomen of the spider supports the bridges of the tourbillon (made of grade 5 titanium), and its legs support the two winding barrels. The RM19-01 manual winding tourbillon caliber is assembled around a black rhodium-plated, 18k white gold black sapphire set baseplate, a first for Richard Mille. It is available in a limited edition of 20 pieces. It will be worn by the actress at events worldwide.

Ralph Lauren Stirrup
The stirrup name refers to the shape of the case. This year the designer came up with two new medium-sized editions of the watch line—in steel and the one pictured in 18k gold with the case and chain-link bracelet covered in more than 1,900 diamonds in 20 different sizes. It is powered by the caliber RL057 quartz movement.

Lady Arpels Zodiac Taurus Extraordinary Dial
This is one of a collection of 12 watches that replicate the Western Zodiac signs created by Van Cleef & Arpels. The colorful dial depicts a white gold and diamond pavé Taurus the Bull on top of translucent enamel in the shape of leaves with blue flowers made of lapis lazuli with white-gold stars with a small diamond in the center of each. The 38mm white gold case has a bezel set with round diamonds. It has a hand-wound mechanical movement and is available in a limited edition of 22 pieces.

Ballon Blanc de Cartier
This jewelry watch has a mother-of-pearl flinqué (hand-engraved) dial and blue-steel, sword-shaped hands. A single round diamond at 4 o’clock stands out among other smaller round diamonds that encircle the bezel. The 24 mm 18k pink gold case is finished with a bracelet consisting of five rows of smooth 18k pink gold beads.

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Michelle Obama and Her 'Angel Hair' Jewelry

US first lady Michelle Obama continues to be a strong promoter of jewelry designers. She was seen wearing Doves by Doron Paloma during the 2014 Governors Dinner in the State Dining Room of the White House, held Sunday, February 23. 

The gemstone for the earrings and ring is “Angel Hair” quartz, also known as rutilated quartz. Gold-colored strands can be seen inside the milky white gems.

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Classic Watches with Subtle Innovations at SIHH 2014

Montblanc Meisterstück Heritage Perpetual Calendar

There’s just 16 luxury watch brands that exhibit at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), but the amount of watches that are produced each year is staggering. This year was no exception as I go through the new pieces. This new group represents classic watches, with unusual twists. Each is very different even though they can be grouped under the same category of watches.

Montblanc Meisterstück Heritage Perpetual Calendar
In terms of brands, the story of SIHH has to be Montblanc. First came the Montblanc TimeWalker Chronograph 100, which combines the expertise in its watch manufacturing facility in Le Locle with its Villeret manufacturing facility, known for its handmade movements.

Perhaps just as significant was the release of its Meisterstück Heritage Collection. The line was inspired by the 90th anniversary of the brand’s iconic Meisterstück writing instrument. The top piece in this collection is its perpetual calendar model (top photo), which has to be the first watch with a perpetual calendar and a moon phase for 10,000 euros ($13,700). An 18k rose gold model costs about 16,900 euros ($23,200).

The classic 39mm watch is powered by the automatic caliber MB 29.15.

The date is shown at 3 o’clock, the day of the week at 9 o’clock and the month at 12 o’clock. On the inner scale of the month display, the leap-year cycle is shown by a blue triangle and a leap year is indicated by a red number 4. The moon’s phases are emulated in a window at 6 o’clock; with the moon’s age indicated in days at this window’s upper edge. The only drawback I see is a lack of space between the sub-dials. Other than that this watch has earned the Meisterstück (masterpiece) name.

Van Cleef & Arpels Heure d’ici & Heure d’ailleurs
Another brand that had an exceptional SIHH was Van Cleef & Arpels whose biggest introduction was the Midnight Planétarium Poetic Complication. Now comes the Pierre Arpels Heure d’ici & Heure d’ailleurs, which translates as “The Time Here and the Time Elsewhere.” This watch manages to combine the romantic and practical notions of travel and it does so simply, playfully and elegantly.

First the practical, the dual timezone watch comes in a 42mm white gold case with a crown-set diamond. The dial is made of white lacquer with piqué motif. The automatic movement was developed by the Swiss watchmaking firm, Agenhor, exclusively for Van Cleef & Arpels. It has a double jumping hour and retrograde minutes.

There’s a pureness to the appearance of the white dial that displays the two timezones equally. The main timezone is in the aperture at the top of the dial and the secondary timezone in a lower aperture. There’s a single hand between the hour displays that indicates the minutes on the graduated scale.

The hours of the first and second time zones jump at the same time, thanks to a single sector that synchronizes the two hour discs and the retrograde minute hand. When the latter reaches 60 minutes on the graduated scale, it returns to its starting position at the same instant that the hour display changes.

To do this, the automatic movement is equipped with a platinum micro-rotor that takes up little space. By oscillating in two directions, it can supply energy continuously.

Officine Panerai Radiomir 1940 Chronograph
This watch is available in platinum, red gold and white gold. The 45mm classic cushion case has two push-buttons that control the chronograph functions, the cylindrical winding crown and the bezel. It was originally created by Officine Panerai for the Royal Italian Navy.

The red gold version has a brown dial with the combination of graphic hour markers, Roman and Arabic numerals (known as “California”). The platinum version has an ivory dial, with simple baton or dot hour markers. Common to all three versions is the tachymeter scale for calculating average speed and the two chronograph counters.

The mechanical, hand-wound OP XXV caliber movement is developed on a Minerva 13-22 base. The Minerva manufacture (now owned by Montblanc and known as Villeret) has had historic links with Panerai since the 1920s, when the Swiss manufacturer was a supplier to the Florentine watchmaker.

It is available in a limited edition of 100 for both gold versions and 50 for the platinum version.

Parmigiani Toric Résonance 3
The “oversized” date on this watch solves a practical problem of being able to easily see the display. But aside from the practical and aesthetic considerations, Parmigiani said the impetus behind the eye-shaped window came from a watchmaking challenge. The discs on the date mechanism are the same size as the dial. Despite being cut to a great degree of fineness, they require huge amounts of energy to activate them and even more to stop them dead following the instantaneous jump.

To accomplish this, the first cam accumulates energy through continuous friction over time. This arms the large lever continuously, releasing it every 24 hours onto a 31-tooth wheel. The second cam serves as the brake, by controlling a spring-mounted lever. This device keeps the large date discs permanently immobile, releasing them for just a fraction of a second every 24 hours to allow the instantaneous jump.

The center of the dial employs hand-crafted guilloché decoration that enhances the depth of the date. The 45mm watch is powered by the mechanical hand-wound Caliber PF 359, which also has a minute repeater sounding the hours, quarter-hours and minutes.

Baume & Mercier Clifton Flying Tourbillon
This watch is inspired by a tourbillon pocket watch presented by Alcide Baume in 1892 at the Kew Observatory in England. It is powered by the Val Fleurier P591 mechanical hand-wound movement has a 50-hour power reserve. The flying toubillon, located at 9 o’clock, makes a single rotation per minute. A sub-dial displaying seconds is located at 6 o’clock. The 45.5mm case is made of 18k red gold.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin
The ultra-thin classical automatic watch has an aesthetically pleasing traditional design. However, creating this sort of simplicity isn’t always simple to achieve. The 38.5 mm timepiece, available in pink gold or stainless steel, is refined and elegant. A single sub-dial on the “eggshell” white dial shows seconds. The thickness of the watch is a mere 7.58mm.

Jaeger-LeCoultre was able to achieve this level of thinness and simplicity through its automatic movement Caliber 896. The 3.98mm thin movement has a 43-hour power reserve.

Ralph Lauren Safari Watch
The luxury design brand introduced a 39mm version of its Safari Aged Steel Chronometer (RL67) as a follow-up to the collection introduced at SIHH 2013. The hand-wound mechanical movement Caliber: RL 300-1 is COSC-certified for the accuracy and precision of its chronometer. It has a 42-hour power reserve. The case is made of aged black steel and the dial of “azure” anthracite with matte varnish and beige luminescent hour and minute hands and hour markers, and a shiny orange second hand.

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Charriol to Become Alor in Rebranding Effort

Alor's new advertising campaign.

The parent company of cable jewelry company Charriol USA is taking back its name. 

Alor International Ltd., said it is returning to its roots with a name change back to Alor. Founded in 1979 by Jack and Sandy Zemer, Alor designs, creates and manufactures stainless steel cable, 18k gold and diamond jewelry collections and timepieces (which debuted in 2013). Jack is the chief designer. It was branded as Alor jewelry from 1979-1992. In 1992, the name changed to Charriol to reflect the company's relationship with Philippe Charriol International. 

The new name will be supported by a multi-tiered advertising and marketing campaign beginning in March. 

In March, the name will appear in case displays, signage and support materials where its products are sold, which includes Nordstrom, Holt Renfrew, Sidney Thomas and hundreds of independent jewelers in the US, Canada, Caribbean and Mexico. It’s also in more than two dozen independent jewelry stores in Australia. 

In April, Alor will debut a new national ad campaign featuring model Noot Seear photographed by Justin Coit that will attempt to appeal to younger customers. Jack says the new campaign has “a current, relevant and fashionable feel.” The print campaign will appear in Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country, Elle Canada, Niche Media publications and regional fashion media. 

The brand’s official re-launch will be on exhibit at Couture at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas at the end of May.

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Luxury Jeweler Buccellati Begins A New Chapter

Sketches of Buccellati's new solitaire engagement ring, which will be unveiled in March.

The Italian high jewelry house, Buccellati, is undergoing a rebranding effort in an attempt to present a more contemporary image. It includes the company’s first-ever engagement ring line; a high-tech, high-jewelry introduction; a redesigned logo; and something new in the watch category that is “top secret.” 

The focal point of this change is the promotion of its youngest family member, Lucrezia Buccellati. The 24-year-old recently began working as the company’s fourth-generation designer. She will be sharing the design duties with her father, Andrea, in creating new jewelry collections. She explains that it’s a tradition in the fiercely independent family firm that two generations of the family create the designs. Her promotion came about when her grandfather, Gianmaria, in his mid-80s, recently announced his retirement.

“Now it’s my dad and me, before it was my grandfather and father. Always two generations in the design part. That’s how it works,” she recently said inside Buccellati’s cream-colored boutique on Madison Avenue in New York. “I step now in his chair. It’s a continuation of the generation. I think it’s a big challenge, there’s a little bit of pressure. You never know if it’s going to work, you’re young and it’s your first step in this world. It’s wonderful that there is somebody next to you to help you out like my father.”

In another sign of changing times at Buccellati, Lucrezia is the brand’s first female designer. She thinks this will influence future designs.

“I think that females have a different point of view than men,” she said. “Men think of an ideal woman. A female definitely thinks of a woman as someone more attached to fashion and art and what’s going on in the world around her.”

The family members were tight-lipped when discussing the new products, as they prepare for a March unveiling, but they did provide some details. 

The engagement jewelry collection is the first Buccellati line Lucrezia co-designed with her father. She said the rings are based on a more contemporary version of rings already available in the company's "honeycomb" pattern, perhaps the best-known of all of the jewelry-making techniques used by the company. It is appropriate because the pattern is similar to the Tulle netting technique for fabric often used for veils. In order to create the honeycomb shape, an artisan uses a labor-intensive and time-consuming technique of sawing pentagon-shaped holes with a fine blade.

The fine, net-like patterns will be enhanced with a center stone, which is what their clients want, according to Maria Cristina Buccellati, another member of the firm and Lucrezia’s aunt.

“The way we are used to seeing the solitaire is fine, but we wanted to add a touch of Buccellati so we created a round center stone with more workmanship,” Maria Cristina said. “We realized that a lot of people say they like this as an engagement ring but it doesn’t have a center stone so we designed a special collection with this kind of workmanship with this style and with a center stone.”

The high-tech introduction will be a one-of-a-kind iPad and iPhone cover. This was Lucrezia’s solo project. She said it will be “the most expensive and exclusive iPhone and iPad cover in the world.” It will include diamonds and signature gold engraving techniques. However, she promises it will be more refined and elegant than similar blinged-out products that are available. Leonardo DiVinci is the inspiration behind the design.

The company will also unveil a redesigned logo, as early as March, as part of year-long effort to make the brand appear more contemporary and attract a younger clientele. 

The one thing that won’t change is the craftsmanship behind Buccellati’s 18k jewelry. The company works exclusively with a stable of nearly 300 artisans throughout Italy who are skilled in a specific technique of making jewelry. Most are family shops, like Buccellati, that hand down their craft to the next generation. Because of this, the company only produces one-of-a-kind or extremely limited-editions of their pieces. It produces approximately 4,000 pieces per year, which includes its handmade silver objects (which the company also is known for) and watches.

For example, to create a one-of-a-kind collection using a particular kind of antique filigree technique (which involves delicate beading or threading of precious metal), the company had to go to Sardinia to find a family firm who still did this kind of work.

These are family firms that share the same value for craftsmanship as Buccellati, Lucrezia said.

“We know them all (personally) and we know their families,” she said. “You grow together. We learn from them and they learn from us. Our treasure for us is not the jewelry. Our treasure is our artisans."

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