Beyonce

The place to be to ring in 2011? For many of Hollywood's elite, it was The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the city's newest and most glamorous resort, which kicked off a grand opening celebration with concert performances from JAY-Z and Coldplay, plus guest surprises by Kanye West, Beyonce and John Mayer.

Coldplay kicked off the evening with a 12 song set, which included Yellow, In My Place and Clocks. To ring in the New Year, JAY-Z joined Coldplay on stage for a rendition of Lost, followed by a countdown to midnight. JAY-Z took the stage for the first hours of 2011 and was joined by Kanye West for an impromptu freestyle performance of Run This Town, Can't Tell Me Nothing and Runaway. As Kanye left the stage, John Mayer joined pal JAY-Z with his guitar for several songs, including Public Service Announcement and 99 Problems. The ultimate collaboration of the evening came when Beyonce joined her husband on stage for Young Forever. She continued to wow the crowd, bringing Coldplay frontman Chris Martin back out for an acoustic duet of her hit, Halo.

On occasion, we've all felt beaten down by a demanding business trip. But, believe it or not, one low travel moment inspired a sparkling new line of jewelry from designer-to-the-stars Lorraine Schwartz. "I was out of the country one day, working really hard," Schwartz recently told Luxist. "I was bitching . . . and all of a sudden, I thought, 'Lorraine, you need to be happy!'"

The epiphany sparked a line of jewelry crafted with diamonds. The bracelet is made of back-to-back capital Bs, "2Be" or "To Be"; a happy face, "Happy"; and a repeat of the Bs, or "To Be Happy to Be," explained Schwartz.

The designer's friend Beyoncé Knowles, known as Queen B to friends and family, was enamored of the double-B concept. "She's B-squared," said Schwartz. In fact, Monday, Knowles, right, hosted the launch of the new Schwartz line at Lavo, Manhattan's hottest new club, on East 58th Street off Madison.

"Lorraine is the most generous, wonderful, talented jewelry designers I know," designer Tina Knowles, Beyoncé's mother, told RSVIP on her way into the soiree. "She can come up with a concept and put it together . . . like that."

Famed photographer Albert Watson, whose celebrity portraits and nudes of Kate Moss fetch astonishing prices at auction, has come out with a stunning new 40-year retrospective of his work. Titled UFO, which stands for "Unified Fashion Objectives", the massive monograph includes iconic shots of famous faces from 50 Cent, Christy Turlington, Sean Penn, Johnny Depp, Uma Thurman, Beyonce and Jack Nicholson are interspersed with still lifes, fashion images and more, personally selected by Watson from his vast archive. The Scottish-born photographer's first celebrity photograph was a portrait of Alfred Hitchcock for the cover of Harper's Bazaar in 1973.

Since then he has amassed more than 200 Vogue covers and 40 Rolling Stone covers to his credit and has shot countless ad campaigns, TV commercials and movie posters. Many of the images in the book have never been published before and are presented here for the very first time. The slipcased volume is also available as a limited edition book for $500 including an archival pigment print of 500 copies only, housed in a black acrylic case. Individually signed and numbered, the limited edition is available exclusively through galleries representing Albert Watson and selected retailers.

For the second year in a row, Jay-Z and Beyonce (right) have topped a different kind of chart; the Hollywod's Top-Earning Couples list from Forbes. Last year, the mono-household-named celebs earned a combined $162 million, but this year, they earned just $122 million. It's a recession after all.

Or is that really the reason? According to Forbes, when the couple won last year, "about half" came from "each star," whereas this year, Beyonce brought home $87 million (well over half of $162 million), compared with just $35 million from Jay-Z. Far be it from us to call $35 million under-earning, and far be it from Beyonce as well -- the couple famously never discusses their relationship with the press.

Other top earning couples include Harrison Ford and Callista Flockhart, who made bank ($65 million) with Indiana Jones and Brothers & Sisters, respectively, Brangelina, who pulled in $55 million from their film endeavors while raising six kids (and gave a whole lot of it to charity, for example, $333,000 to SOS Children's Villages -- thanks guys), and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, who made $48 million. All out-earned Britain's first couple, David and Victoria Beckham, who made just $46 million.

Come on, Posh and Becks. Jay-Z made almost that much on his own.


[via Forbes]

London jewelers BR Republic have launched their latest line, and it's worth a look if you'd like to accentuate your inner historical warrior. On the most, well, spartan, side there are pieces like the sterling silver Spartan pendant finished with black rhodium. A couple of steps up are masks finished with rose gold and .15 or .20 ct of round, brilliant-cut diamonds.

The top of the heap is where you'll find items like the sterling silver Spartan mask ring encrusted with 1.5 ct of diamond-cut round black sapphires, black rhodium and an interior plated with red gold. That's the one Beyoncé bought for Jay Z, while she opted for the bespoke ram's head in silver, sapphire and gold. The Prodigy's Maxim, on the other hand, went for the bespoke grenade with red gold pull-out pin.

Away from the battlefield are the company's silver and sapphire star rings, which could be the best way to let someone know "Baby, I'm a...." BR Republic is stocked at Harvey Nichols in London and Justice in Bath.

Persol Eyewear has long been associated with Hollywood's leading men. A pair of Steve McQueen's Persol sunglasses, which he wore in "The Thomas Crown Affair," were sold for $60,000 in 2006. They've also been spotted on Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig, George Clooney, Adrien Brody and Brad Pitt, but lately, women are getting in on the Persol action, too.

Julia Roberts (pictured), Angelina Jolie, Hilary Swank, Beyonce, Heidi Klum and Elle Macpherson have all recently donned Persol shades, and we can tell you exactly which ones. Julia is wearing #2873, and so can you -- the ladies' styles are in the $300 - $400 range.

Check out the gallery for the models spotted on our favorite celebs -- maybe you'll see the perfect pair for yourself. The sunglasses are available from ILORI, just tell them the style number (included).

The news of Beyonce's new fragrance got a bit lost in the heady whiff of scandal following Kanye West's display of overeager support of her video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Beyonce has been the face of perfumes for Tommy Hilfiger and Giorgio Armani but now she has her own contract with Coty for a Beyonce fragrance that will debut next spring. WWD speculates that she could earn up to $20 million over the next three years in the deal. Beyonce's large fan following and tremendous popularity may add a boost to the celebrity fragrance market which has been slumping recently. One star in the celebrity fragrance arena who continues to thrive is Britney Spears and it is hoped that Beyonce has a similar allure.

The multicolored masterpiece of a necklace you see here is on shown on the lovely neck of Amy Adams. This was one of the many pieces of "statement jewelry" we saw last night at the 2009 Oscars.

Any famous person can get a jeweler to loan them some ice for the 81st Annual Academy Awards, but nominated stars like Amy Adams walk away with pieces that look more like they came from a museum.

The Oscars is no night to hide your wealth, even during a recession. It's not like "toning down" the looks of the celebrities would make Americans feel better about their financial situations. In fact, jewelry like this is what America wants to see the most -- it's totally unaffordable, even during an economic boom; it's Hollywood fantasy.

Jeweler Fred Leighton had a great showing this year, with spectacular 19th and turn-of-the century items on everyone from Alicia Keys to Tina Fey, and even Heath Ledger's mother and sister. Chopard was the jeweler of champions; outfitting both Kate Winslet and Penelope Cruz (winners of Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress).

Check out more of the most outstanding pieces here in our gallery. This is the kind of jewelry you can't fake.

Beyonce Knowles is happily wearing a Rough Diamond and Malachite Green bracelet from Simmons Jewelry Company.

Simmons, as in the infamous Simmons Family which includes lines such as Kimora Lee Simmons for Hello Kitty, Simmons Men's Collection, Brown Sugar by Justine Simmons, and the iconic Green Malachite bracelet which gives back to the Diamond Empowerment Fund. The bracelet, above, comes in three sizes at $125 and has a little gold diamond charm containing a small rough diamond - very classy, chic, and perfect for your environmentally conscious friends and relatives.

The Diamond Empowerment Fund, to which 50% of all Rough Diamond and Malachite Green bracelet profits go, is an international non-profit organization which raises money for educational programs in Africa. Feeling green? Click here to learn more and find out how you can help.

From the LA Times Hot Property:
--Grammy Award-winning music producer Danny Bramson and wife Julee are selling a 40-acre horse ranch in Topanga for $4,195,000. The listing is here.
--Robert Olodort, who invented the Stowaway -- a full-size QWERTY keyboard tthat fits in a shirt pocket is selling his Brentwood house for $3,195,000. The three-bedroom home was recently redone. The listing is here.
Producer Danny Dimbort is selling his two-story English Tudor in Hancock Park for $6 million.
-Music producer Jimmy Jam (Harris) and his wife, Lisa, are selling the 20-acre property they own in Thousand Oaks for $7,995,000. It is a gated ranch adjacent to the Sherwood Country Club. They tore down the existing house and plans have been approved for a 17,000-square-foot estate with a 2,500-square-foot guesthouse. There are existing barns and horse facilities. The listing is here.
--Actor Chris Masterson has put his traditional 1939 Los Feliz home, shown above, on the market. The virtual tour is here.
--Former NFL football player Phil McConkey sold his contemporary home above La Jolla Cove in San Diego County for $2.85 million. McConkey and his wife, Erin, are in escrow on another home in the Beach Club Terrace neighborhood of La Jolla Shores. The Spanish-style house was listed at $4.5 million and has five bedrooms and five bathrooms.

From the NY Post's Gimme Shelter:
--They are already flipping at the 15 Central Park West condo complex. A four-bedroom unit is now on the market for $90 million after being sold to a venture capitalist for $30 million last month. I know the building is hot but could it really be that hot?
--One of the Hamptons' largest waterfront estates, Tyndal Point, a 55-acre property in North Haven is now being offered at $75 million, down from its original $80 million listing price in January 2007.
--Manhattan House on the Upper East Side has hit their sales go which means that the project is now official.
--Fashion stylist Phillip Bloch has put his Chelsea penthouse on the market for $1.5 million. He says he was to busy to renovate but it has roof rights for the construction of an additional 1,000 square feet above to create a duplex. The listing is here.

From the NY Observer's Manhattan Transfers:
--Scarlett Johansson has paid $2.1 million for a penthouse on East 53rd Street near Sutton Place.
--Designer Betsey Johnson paid $1,854,000 for an apartment at 30 East 85th Street. Her pink apartment in the Village remains on the market and is now listed at $2.495 million. It was listed at $3.6 million when it was our estate of the day last December.
--A 15-room, six-bathroom, four-fireplace co-op at 1030 Fifth Avenue, put on the market for $34 million has found a buyer in less than a week. It belongs to psychoanalyst Christine Wasserstein, who kept the apartment after her divorce from New York magazine publisher Bruce Wasserstein, the billionaire CEO of Lazard.

From Berg Properties Big Time Listings:
--"Malcolm in the Middle" actor Justin Berfield has paid $1.45 million or a new three-bedroom house in Venice, California.
--A three-bedroom home in the Beverly Hills post office area that was owned from 1996 until 2007 by actor Brendan Fraser is back on the market for $3.995 million. The virtual tour is here.

From the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties:
--An investor group led by fashion trade-show producer Elyse Kroll has sold a townhouse in New York's venerable Sutton Place neighborhood for $30 million, which is roughly $8 million more than the group paid almost a year ago.
--The Montana ranch of the late fashion designer Liz Claiborne has sold for close to its recent $7.5 million asking price. It was our estate of the day in October of last year.
--Kenny Rogers has listed his six-bedroom home in Atlanta, Georgia. It's our estate of the day later today.
--CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien has put her downtown Manhattan loft up for sale for $4.6 million. The listing for the elegant full-floor apartment is here.
--The widow of best-selling author Sidney Sheldon, Alexandra, has sold one of the Palm Springs, Calif., properties she listed earlier this year and cut the price of the others by 30%. A four-bedroom home known as the "playhouse" and used for entertaining sold for $1.425 million, slightly less than its asking price. She is asking $2 million for the adjacent main house and $2.3 million for a guest house. A second guest house, across the street, now sells for $3 million, down 25% from its original asking price of $4 million. The listings can be found here.
--Philanthropist Lois Pope, widow of National Enquirer founder Generoso Pope Jr., is asking $36.5 million for her ranch in Colorado.

From the Real Estalker:
--Rumor has it that Beyonce and Jay-Z have picked up a house in Scarsdale, New York which is also where they picked up their marriage license.
--Chris Noth and his girlfriend Tara Wilson recently bought a mid-century modern style home in Sherman Oaks, California for $1.445 million.
--Matthew Perry has put his condo in the celeb-friendly Sierra Tower in West Hollywood up for sale for $4.5 million.
--NIcole Kidman has put her Sydney, Australia home on the market for $20 million.
--Stylist Philipp Bloch, mentioned above, has also put a two-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles on the market for $629,0000.

If you've got a teenager on your holiday list you might want to check out the 17 items from Seventeen magazine being auctioned off on eBay this week. The magazine is donating fashions from 17 young celebrities of 2007 to a charity auction benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation.The celebs appear as "Style Stars" in the December/January double issue. Items from the "Style Stars" and clothes worn during the Seventeen photo shoots are being auctioned from November 15 - 25. Celebs on the young and hot list are: Jessica Alba, Beyoncé, Ashlee Simpson, Avril Lavigne, Fergie, Rihanna, Pink, Hilary Duff, Lauren Conrad, Vanessa Hudgens, Jordin Sparks, Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen, Amanda Bynes, Hayden Panettiere, Emma Roberts, Lil Mama and Aly & AJ. Items include a fedora from Ashlee Simpson, Gucci boots from Pink, a Giorgio Armani tote from Jessica Alba, and an entire outfit from Hilary Duff's closet and Rihanna's Moschino Cheap & Chic dress that was worn in the photo shoot.

An exclusive Louis Vuitton Tribute Patchwork handbag, one of only 24 in the world and 5 in North America (we know Beyonce has one), is on its way to Washington by the end of the season for a very special, unnamed, client. We here at Luxist first covered the Tribute Patchwork back in March, and since then it's been making quite the name for itself. As one of the most expensive handbags in the world, the Tribute Patchwork has become this summer's ultimate status bag. Priced at $52,500 and made from best parts of 14 other LV bags, it easily overshadows the competition in originality, style, and class.

It's not an awards show without diamonds and any worries over stars not coming to the red carpet draped in jewels after the movie "Blood Diamond" were quickly dispelled at the Golden Globes awards. Big beautiful diamonds were seen on most celebs with a heavy emphasis on yellow diamonds. Let's take a look at some of the most stunning pieces of the night.

Beyonce dazzled in a Lorraine Schwartz- multi-colored diamond and old ivory bangle valued at $125,000, multi-colored Diamond earrings of a 40 carat total weight valued at $225,000 and a knuckleduster of a gray, yellow and white diamond ring with a 25 carat total weight valued at $110,000.

For her 25th birthday, Beyonce Knowles got a very pricey gift from boyfriend Jay-Z. He picked out a 1959 Rolls Royce convertible with an estimated value of $1 million dollars, though the full amount he paid for the car will probably be known only to him and the dealer.

Even with a steep price tag, the gift doesn't quite measure up to the $5.4 million necklace Mariah Carey got from her prince, but it's safe to say that Beyonce could have done a lot worse than this car.