Hublot Auction for Young Victims of the Catastrophe in Japan

In support of the Kids Earth Fund in Japan, the Swiss luxury watch brand Hublot began an online auction for its Manchester United King Power Red Devil engraved 000/500 timepiece.

Auction registration is now active on the Hublot website.

All funds from the sale of this rare timepiece made for the Manchester United English soccer team (one of the most popular and successful teams in any sport in the world) will go to the Kids Earth Fund directly benefiting the children suffering from the catastrophe in Japan.

All potential bidders must register on the Hublot website by June 22 at 2 p.m. GMT. The live auction will begin on June 23 at 2 p.m. GMT. The highest bid will win the watch.

And if I may say the 48 mm timepiece is quite a beauty. The hour markers of the sapphire dial are made from grass off the “sacred” turf of Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium. The date window is at 4 o'clock and the Manchester United Red Devil logo at 3 o'clock.

The bezel and case is made of black ceramic and it has an adjustable black rubber strap. The movement is the HUB 4245 skeleton chronograph.

“When you are sitting halfway around the world watching events like this unfold on a television screen, you cannot imagine the suffering, but you can try and help,” said Jean-Claude Biver, Hublot CEO and board member. “It is impossible for us to stop events like this happening but we owe it to our friends in Japan to help where ever and in whatever way that we can. That is why we cannot simply stop now. We must continue to help and send a very clear message to the people suffering from the fall out of the tsunami. We are here and we will not give up on you.”

World Gold Council Drafts Conflict-Free Gold Standards

Gold doré

The World Gold Council said Friday that it is developing a system similar to the Kimberley Process for diamonds to ensure that gold is coming from conflict-free sources.

The WGC, which serves as the marketing development organization for the gold industry, said it has drafted a framework of two standards designed to track gold from the mine to the end of the refining process. They are a “chain of custody” standard and a “conflict-free gold” standard. Under the proposal, both standards will be subject to independent audit. Additional standards on audit, certification and the handling of recycled gold are in development, WGC said.

The WGC said the proposed standards are being “stress tested” in practice by gold mining companies and refiners.

The Conflict-Free draft standard has a “conflict,” a “company,” and a “commodity” assessment proponent, WGC said. It contains a framework of benchmarks and prompts through which companies must assess the adequacy of their systems and analyze their impacts upon those around them. Their conclusions must be auditable. The standard contains principles that assesses a companies’ commitment to respect human rights; ensure that payments are not made, directly or indirectly, to armed groups; be transparent about their payments to governments; only accept gold from conforming sources; and to establish a credible and accessible grievance mechanism.

The chain of custody standard provides the infrastructure for identifying that a consignment of gold doré has been mined according to the conflict-free standard, has not been tampered with during its transport between the mine and the refinery—which may involve it passing through the hands of shipping agents, security, customs and airlines—or during the refining process. The process is based upon a chain of warranties which will be auditable, for example, by insurers or customers. Gold doré is bars of melted gold containing up to 90 percent gold that needs additional refining to become 999.9 parts per thousand pure gold. It's about the size of a loaf of bread and weighs about 60 pounds.

You can download the full text pdfs of the proposals on the WGC website.

Brumani Boasts Brazilian Artistry and European Roots

Earrings from Brumani's Baobab collection in 18K yellow gold with brown diamonds, aquamarine, ruby and pink tourmaline.

It’s all the things you would expect from Brazilian jewelry: lots of gemstones, bright colors and an optimism that comes from being one of the fastest growing economies in the world. However, what separates Brumani from its peers is the sheer intensity of the joy, vibrancy and emotion that its jewelry projects.

Another thing that distinguishes the São Paulo-based company is its European roots. The C.R. BRÜNER Group, which started the Brumani brand in 2005, is owned and operated by Eduardo and Emerson Brüner. The brothers are the great-grandsons of Italian and German immigrants who founded the company and brings with them the techniques that give its jewelry integrity.

Then you have to account for the sheer volume that this company of 100 employees produces. At the recently concluded Couture jewelry show in Las Vegas, Brumani showcased no fewer than six full collections.

Even though the company is fairly young, it has more than 300 points of sale in the U.S. and is the choice of many celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry and Selena Gomez.

Balalaika Collection
The Balalaika is a traditional stringed instrument used extensively in Russian folklore and music. In this collection, Brumani uses angular, asymmetric shapes of the Balalaika to give form to the topazes, citrines and smoky quartz. Pictured: Rings in 18K yellow and white gold with round diamonds, smokey quartz, morganite topaz and citrine.

Baobab Collection
This collection (also pictured above) of cabochon cuts of aquamarine and ruby, rose tourmaline, brown diamonds and yellow gold takes its inspiration from the exotic Baobab tree, transplanted to the Brazilian landscape from Africa. The tree can reach 80 feet in height with a trunk diameter that grow up to 23 feet. The trees are known for their enormous capacity to store water. Pictured: Rings in 18K white and pink gold with round diamondsand white moonstone from Baobob Casual collection.

Flamboyant Collection
This collection takes its cue from a popular ornamental tree in Brazil that produces brightly colored flowers known as paradise flowers. Yellow, gold and orange moonstone represent the flower's orange-red petals. Pictured: Earrings in 18k yellow gold with round diamonds and orange moonstone.

Heritage Couture Collection

Ring in 18K yellow and white gold with round diamonds, blue sapphire, pink tourmaline, rubelite and peridot.

Nude Collection
This collection is a tribute to ethnic diversity, using “nude” tones from white and beige to rose, brown and black. It uses classical shapes in rose-gold and brown diamonds in combination with rose opals, faceted morganites and cabochon cut from white cachalong. There is also a causal collection that includes aged white gold with diamonds, cabochon cut from black crystal and faceted smoky quartz. Pictured: Earrings in 18K white gold with round diamonds, black crystal and smoky quartz.

Sissi Couture Collection

 Bracelet in 18k white gold with round diamonds and morganite.

Survey: Ultra-Affluent Consumers are Spending Less at Luxe Department Stores

Barneys New York flagship store

Barneys New York, Nordstrom, and Bergdorf Goodman emerged as the top three luxury department store destinations among those with annual incomes of at least $250,000, according to a recent survey by Unity Marketing. However, a look back at the previous year shows ups and downs among ultra-affluent patronage of these retailers:

* Barneys New York, which currently attracts some 22 percent of ultra-affluent consumers, has weathered two quarters in the past year when patronage dipped as low as 16 percent. 

* Nordstrom ranks as the second most popular destination, however, its share of purchase among ultra-affluents dropped by more than 5 percentage points from the fourth quarter 2010 to first quarter 2011. 

In fact, among the seven leading luxury department stores included in Unity Marketing's luxury tracking survey, only one—Saks Fifth Avenue—captured a larger share of ultra-affluent shoppers this quarter as compared with last quarter, according to the survey titled, “The Luxury Report 2011: Ultimate Guide to the Luxury Consumer Market.”

Luxe department store patronage among ultra-affluents is down after peaking in third quarter 2010. The survey from the Stevens, Pa.-based luxury market research firm defines ultra affluents as those with annual household incomes of $250,000 and above, the wealthiest 2 percent of U.S. households who spend the most in the consumer economy.

Even more striking is the decline in the percentage of ultra-affluents shopping in these luxe department stores overall, said Pam Danziger, Unity Marketing president. While the percentage of ultra-affluents shopping in luxury department stores peaked at nearly 75 percent in the third quarter 2010, it has declined since, leveling off at about 70 percent. She says that relatively small declines in patronage on a percentage basis translate into big drops across the market. Regardless of ultra-affluents' favorite luxe department stores, it is clear that nearly a third of these wealthiest Americans are not passing through any of their doors each quarter.

“These top retailers—who are known for being destinations for the wealthiest customers—can serve as both a model and a cautionary tale for others who would like to operate in this space,” Danziger said. “While the popularity of each store waxes and wanes quarter-to-quarter, the overall trend is that ultra-affluents are slowing their pace of shopping in the luxury department store sector. If the downward trend among ultra-affluents continues, each of these stores may have to rethink their approach if they are to remain a compelling and attractive destination for the wealthy.”

John Hardy Bracelets for Father’s Day

Luxury jewelry company, John Hardy, has introduced two bracelets for men in time for Father’s Day.

The first is the edgy Naga Silver Dragon Head bracelet (pictured above) that Guy Bedarida, John Hardy creative director and head designer, says reflects a confident man’s personality. The all-silver bracelet retails for $1,495.

 

The second piece is the sleek Bedeg Silver Black Leather Double Wrap bracelet, which retails for $295.

The bracelets, like all John Hardy jewelry, are handmade in Bali and reflect ancient Balinese design elements and craftsmanship. It's part of a larger selection of men's jewelry in the John Hardy online boutique. The bracelets are available in large enough sizes to fit any wrist.

Bedarida says that both pieces have an understated masculine elegance that is in line with recent trends in men’s jewelry. He adds that in recent years men have been more actively involved with buying jewelry that meet their individual style.

“Men are very expressive through jewelry, more so today than ever before,” he says.

48-Ct. Diamond Ring Sold for $4.2M at Christie’s New York

Statement diamonds led the way Tuesday at Christie’s Important Jewels sale in New York.

Leading the auction was a 46.51-ct. oval-cut, E color, VVS2, diamond, flanked on either side by a pear-shaped diamond, weighing approximately 1 and 1.01 cts., mounted in platinum (top image) was sold Tuesday for $4.2, well above its presale estimate of $2.5 to $3.5 million. The two pear shaped diamonds were graded as D color, VS1 and VS2 clarity, respectively.

Also commanding a powerful price was a 10-carat, D color, internally flawless pear-shaped diamond (above) flanked on either side by a pear-shaped diamond, each weighing approximately 1.02 cts., mounted in platinum that sold for $1.3 million, well within its presale estimate. The two side diamonds are graded as D color and internally flawless.

The sale, which featured exceptional diamonds and elegant signed jewelry at the international auction house’s Rockefeller Plaza headquarters, took in a total of $11.7 million with 118 of the 125 lots sold (94 percent). The auction achieved 98 percent of its value by price.

Other auction highlights include:

Ear pendants, each suspending a cut-cornered modified square-cut fancy yellow diamond, weighing approximately 17.77 and 17.80 cts., from a baguette and trapeze-cut diamond link, to the circular-cut diamond French wire, mounted in platinum and gold that sold for $722,500.

A ring set with a 19.22-ct., potentially internally flawless, square emerald-cut fancy light yellow diamond, flanked on either side by a triangular-cut diamond, mounted in platinum that sold for $458,500 ($24,000 per ct.), well above its presale estimate of $200,000 to $300,000.

A ring signed by the Italian jewelry house, Sabbadini, set with a rectangular-cut diamond, weighing approximately 9.76 carats, with the shoulders set with modified hexagonal-cut diamonds, mounted in platinum. The ring sold for $434,500 ($45,000 per ct.), well above its $200,000 to $300,000 estimate.

A platinum ring featuring a 10.42-carat, square emerald-cut diamond with the shoulders set with circular-cut diamonds that sold for $458,500 ($41,000 per ct.).

Damiani at the Tony Awards

Actress Nikki James, who received a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for Book of Mormon, accepted her award wearing the San Lorenzo ring and bracelet, and  Vulcania earrings by Damiani.

The 65th Annual Tony Awards were held Sunday night at New York City’s Beacon Theater and televised live to a national audience on CBS.