jewelry designers

Shirley Ephraim Designs For Donna Karan

Filed under: Jewelry

Sometimes it's the divergent threads of an artist's life that come together to form a beautiful, creative whole. Nigerian born jewelry designer Shirley Ephraim has a fascination with woven and embroidered accessories that began in her father's village of Calabar where she spent summers among the local artisans as a young girl. She also learned the intricate craft of Spanish needle-point lace from her Costa-Rican mother at a young age. Later, in the U.S. she studied modern dance and also worked with jewelry designers. These components of her path come together in her jewelry line which features woven details and pieces with movement and drama.

Ephraim pursued an education at Parsons The New School for Design and during her studies, she interned with Donna Karan. She has a special capsule collection for Donna Karan which was featured in the Donna Karan Spring 2011 runway show and is now sold in Donna Karan stores in the U.S. and UK and online. The necklace shown at right is a long draped silk piece crocheted with crystals. It sells for $1,295.

Tags: donna karan, jewelry, jewelry designers, shirley ephraim

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Verdura Brings Legendary Jewelry Online

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Duke Fulco di Verdura (1898–1978) a Sicilian Duke, began his career with the one and only Coco Chanel. She hired him as a textile designer and he went on to become the head designer for her private and boutique jewelry collection. This collaboration led to the establishment of Verdura as one of the most glamorous and exciting jewelry brands of the early 20th century, dazzling European royals and Hollywood stars alike.

Today, his legacy continues into the new era as the Verdura brand launches a new website that looks both toward the future and back toward the past. The website tells the story of the brand's origin in magazine-style pieces rich with images from Fulco's past that make a vintage-loving heart ache for the glamour that was the 1920s in Paris.

Tags: finepix, jewelry, jewelry designers, verdura

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Andrea Rosenfeld's Exotic Wood Jewelry Collection

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Can wood be used in fine jewelry? The answer is a resounding yes. Over the years we've seen plenty of jewelry and accessories that feature wood as an integral part of the design. When jewelry designer Andrea Rosenfeld decided to work with wood she turned to local artist Ed Kelle, a woodworker painter and sculptor. Together the two have started creating small collections of unique and organic jewelry designs.

The process starts with rough sketches of design elements incorporating the wood, Rosenfeld sends her ideas off to Kelle and the two designers bounce ideas off of each other while working on their individual components."It is important that I send him either an image of the stone or the basic color tones so he and I can pick the wood that would work best," says Rosenfeld. "From there, we discuss strength and structure based on the type of jewelry I'm designing and species of wood before individually working on our portions."

The pieces are designed around the natural movement/grain of the wood and stone. The jewelry uses reclaimed wood, recycled silver and stones harvested ethically (where available) and each have healing elements ignited by Rosenfeld, using Reiki, to release the metaphysical energies of the stones and metals. Rosenfeld balances and charges the stones and metals, increasing their ability to uplift others.

Prices start at $550 retail.The piece shown above is titled Waterfall and combines walnut wood with blue topaz, labradorite, smoked quartz, blue quartz, apatite and silver.

Tags: andrea rosenfeld, jewelry designers, jewlery

Luxist Giveaway: Living Jewels Book

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Books

Today's giveaway is a little gift for jewelry lovers, especially those who like the unusual. Living Jewels: Masterpieces from Nature by Ruth Peltason is a new lavishly illustrated book just published by The Vendome Press. The book gives due homage to organic materials used in jewelry. The book is full of images of jewelry crafted from pearls, shells, amber, coral, wood, horn and more. The book covers both historical pieces from top jewelry designers including Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Tiffany, Fabergé, Bulgari as well as the work of newer artists such as Mesi Jilly and Christine Brandt, all displayed in beautiful images on rich, glossy paper. Peltason is a jewelry writer who was the editor of Elizabeth Taylor's book on her famous diamonds, Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry and her words convey a genuine enthusiasm and interest in the world of jewelry and the role it plays in our shared cultural history.

Kate Spade said of this book: "For those of us who consider jewelry part of enduring style, Living Jewels is a must. Here's a book that is welcoming and inspiring, and a tribute to the artists who have made these exquisite pieces. Living Jewels is a book I'll treasure."

The book sells for $50 and we are giving away one copy to a reader chosen at random.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before December 20, 2010 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive a copy of Living Jewels: Masterpieces from Nature by Ruth Peltason, which has a retail price of $50.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete giveaway rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Tags: art books, coffee table book, coffee table books, jewelry, jewelry designers, JewelryDesigners, luxist giveaway

Faberge's "Le Carnet de Bal" White Diamond Collection

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

It's not every day that Fabergé unveils a new high jewelry collection. In fact, following the debut of the "Les Fabuleuses" collection in September 2009, this is only the second such collection which the famed jeweler has debut since 1917.

The "Le Carnet de Bal" white diamond collection recalls the aristocracy of St. Petersberg when noble ladies still used actual dance cards to coordinate their gallant galavanting across the ballroom floor. The collection features items valued as high as $1 million, and features all white diamonds. It was appropriately unveiled at the recent Russia Week in London, where such auction houses as Bonhams, Christies and Sothebys featured century-old Fabergé originals.

Along with the landmark collection, Fabergé also launched its own iPhone application that allows patrons to "try on" Fabergé jewels virtually with the device's built-in camera and call a multi-lingual team of sales advisors at the touch of a button.

Source

Tags: fabergé, faberge, jewelry, jewelry designers, le carnet de bal, russia week, white diamonds

Jewelry Designer Stephen Webster Opening Rodeo Drive Store

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

British jewelry designer, Stephen Webster is taking his rock-and-roll style to Rodeo Drive. His new store is set to open on December 6 in Beverly Hills and also includes a art gallery, a private dining space for special events and a bar. The designer often uses nature as an inspiration creating rings and bracelets and necklaces featuring some under represented animals including manta rays, lobsters and even mosquitoes.

Webster told the LA Times that he plans to eventually open a store in New York City but that he choose the store in Beverly Hills because of the two-story storefront. Webster, an avid art collector, will showcase work from artists he likes. British artist Tracey Emin has created a neon piece for the store that reads, "I promise to love you." The store's huge glass windows will feature window displays created by Los-Angeles-based stylists. Webster joins a street packed with jewelers including Tiffany & Co., Harry Winston, David Yurman, Cartier and others.

Tags: beverly hills, jewelry designers, rodeo drive, stephen webster

Samantha House Jewelry Circus Collection

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Designer Samantha House was once in the business of choosing jewelry to feature in magazines (she was a Fashion and Beauty Editor of The Improper Bostonian Magazine and has appeared on television as a style expert). She has now journeyed to the other side, creating her own line of simple and striking necklaces, rings and bracelets. Her latest collection is called Circus. The inspiritation was the traveling circus shows of the 1920s and the result is pieces that are a little vintage, a little playful and dramatic whether worn with casual clothes or gussied up for nighttime. House's designs have been sold at Barney's, Henri Bendel, Fred Segal, Intermix and shopbop.com to name a few. She has also designed jewelry for a number of fashion week shows in the tents such as Erin Fetherston, Christian Siriano and Gen Art. The pieces can now be ordered off her own website.

Gallery: Samantha House Jewelry Circus Collection

Tags: jewelry, jewelry designers, necklace, necklaces, samantha house

The Luxist Top Ten Under the Radar Jewelry Designers for the Holidays 2010

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Holiday Guides

Giving jewelry as gifts for the holidays is something we highly encourage at Luxist. We love all that sparkles. One of our favorite regular features is jewelry design -- we love to showcase the up-and-comers who aren't yet as famous as, say, Tiffany and Harry Winston. Still, finding the right designer with the right price range for you can be difficult, as there's a sea of new designers every year to sift through. Here's our guide to the best of the best under-the-radar jewelry designers whose collections we recommend for the 2010 holidays. Each designer has fresh, enchanting pieces with that timeless je ne sais qoui which will last a lifetime.

The Luxist Top Ten Up and Coming Jewelry Designers for the Holidays 2010

1. Anna Hu (above)

We covered Anna Hu in January after meeting her in her Plaza boutique (Anna Hu, Custom Jeweler to the Lucky). It was one of our most exciting interviews of the year as we learned about her history as a cello prodigy and her penchant for lucky symbols and numbers. Anna Hu makes breathtaking custom pieces you should seek out either at The Plaza Hotel or in Tainan, Taiwan. A few select pieces are available online from Kabiri in the UK.

Tags: Anna Hu, best of, Carla Amorim, DANNIJO, gift guide, gift guide 2010, Hassan Bounkit, holiday shopping, jewelry, jewelry 2010, jewelry designers, Johnny Brookheart, Lois Hill, Raquelle Bianco, slane slane, Susie Fox, The Great Frog, top ten

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Bulgari Blue Diamond Ring Sets New Record

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions

Christie's "Jewels: The New York Sale" on October 20 had some very strong results including the sale of the "Bulgari Blue," a two-stone diamond ring featuring the largest triangular-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond ever to appear at auction. The ring had an estimate of over $12 million and brought in $15.7 million, making it the top jewel sold at auction in 2010.

The ring was designed by Rome's legendary house of BVLGARI in the 1970s and is being sold by a collector who bought it nearly 40 years ago as a present for his wife after the birth of their first son. it features a triangular-shaped, colorless diamond of 9.87 carats matched with a triangular-shaped Fancy Vivid blue diamond of 10.95 carats which is the largest Fancy Vivid blue diamond of this cut ever to be offered at auction. The collector bought the ring in 1972 for around $1 million. Fancy vivid blue diamonds are among the rarest and most sought-after colored diamonds and only one stone in around 10 million has color that rates this designation. Prices for blue diamonds continue to be strong. At a Sotheby's auction in May in Geneva a 7.64 carat fancy intense blue cushion-shaped diamond mounted in yellow gold and platinum sold to an anonymous client for $8,034,503.

National Jeweler reports that the ring was the sale's grand finale piece and was won by an Asian collector for $15,762,500, with premium after a bidding battle between one client in the room and two clients on the phone.

The 448-lot auction brought in a total of $52.5 million. The sale also included a pair of Imperial Topaz earrings, from the legendary jewelry house JAR (founded by Joel Arthur Rosenthal). Ellen Barkin sold the earrings at auction in 2006 for $710,000. They were estimated to bring in $300,000 to $500,000 but sold for $650,500.

Tags: blue diamond, blue diamonds, bulgari, bvlgari, christies, diamond, jar, jewelry designers

Luxist Giveaway: McGowan and McClain Pod Earrings

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

McGowan and McClain jewelry is more than just a pair of designers working together, it's the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Cousins Marian and Laura Jones began developing the idea of working together during childhood. Although they each set out on separate paths to become classically trained in metals and jewelry, in 2008 they were drawn back together and founded McGowan and McClain in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The name of the company is formed from cousins' middle names.

The cousins take their inspiration from nature in some of the most quotidian ways. A banana peel becomes the design cue for an intriguingly rough-edged cuff. Peanuts and seed pods take on new life when cast and combined with stones.

Their most recent collection is called "Windows" and is made from sterling silver and semi-precious stones in shapes inspired by windows in New York City, and from antique architectural books. Looks for these in retail stores later this year.

Today we are giving away one pair of earrings from their Pod collection. The pair of earrings are cast Wisteria seed pods in oxidized silver with 18K vermeil and gemstone dangles for an intriguing juxtaposition of raw/rough and elegant. They retail at $124.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before September 6, 2010 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive a pair of McGowan and McClain pod earrings valued at $124.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete giveaway rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Tags: earrings, jewelry, jewelry designers, luxist giveaway, mcgowan and mcclain

Hassan Bounkit Jewelry - One-of-a-Kind Sparkly Glamour Celebrities Love

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Celebrity Shopping

Influenced by the warm hues of the Caribbean and the art deco "power cuffs" starlets wore in the 1940s, Hassan Bounkit jewelry exudes the kind of sparkly, sophisticated glamour magpies like we can't ignore.

Already embraced (and worn) by Salma Hayek, Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift, Blake Lively, Vanessa Williams and Mariel Hemingway, just to name a few fans, Hassan Bounkit is a man-made-in-the-USA jewelry line which incorporates unique, hand-carved elements, making each piece -- even if it's the same design -- completely one-of-a-kind. Utilizing organic materials from semi-precious stones and shells to mahogany, Bounkit's look is fresh, eye-catching and unmistakably lavish.

Hassan Bounkit, a native Moroccan with a warm smile, began in couture fashion in Florence, then moved to New York in 1989, where he worked with Nicole Miller and Arnold Scaasi, among others. He launched his own line of jewelry in 2006 and was met with rave reviews for his striking collection. A recession survivor, he now produces three collections per year, which you can find made-to-order online or at Saks Fifth Avenue and high end boutiques.

His magnificently architectural designs are statement pieces you'll base your whole wardrobe around -- and for one-of-a-kind jewelry, the prices are extraordinary. Check out a few of our favorites from his current treasure trove below:

Gallery: Hassan Bounkit Jewelry

Tags: blake lively, Hassan Bounkit, jewelry, jewelry designers, mariel hemingway, oprah winfrey, salma hayek, taylor swift, vanessa williams

Lois Hill, Traveling Joaillier - Exclusive Interview

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Lois Hill is a jewelry designer who travels the world to unearth native and ancient methods of jewelry-making. From granulation (tiny silver dots) dating back to King Tut's Tomb to metal weaves spotted in museum artifacts, Hill's natural curiosity and love of travel has taken her all over the globe to learn, create and teach.

"I think of it as 'working to preserve lost arts,'" says Hill. Her fascination with ancient techniques began with Scandinavian filigree. Born to a Norwegian mother in Illinois, she grew up in a crafty house which strictly believed in principles like "That's not a walnut. That's a Christmas tree ornament or a magnet," Hill recalls with a smile.

Gallery: Lois Hill "Globally Inspired" Jewelry

Tags: Breastcancer.org, CARE, designer interview, Doctors Without Borders, jewelry, jewelry designers, jewelry-making, Lois Hill, travel

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Roy Rogers And More At Bonham's Natural History Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions

Roy Rogers was once an American icon and the "King of the Cowboys" but what you might not know about the singer and actor who died in 1998 was that he was a rockhound and mineral collector. Some of his mineral treasures are part of Bonhams upcoming Natural History auction on May 27 in New York City.

Rogers collected nearly every detail from his life. He held on to everything he could. In today's world he'd might end up an episode of a hoarding television show but instead the cowboy icon created a museum full of all the personal things he saved. Even his famous horse, Trigger, was mounted and displayed at the museum, which was first in Victorville, California. The museum suffered with dwindling attendance and in 2003 was moved to Branson, Missouri. Unfortunately it didn't fare too well there either and it closed last year. The various pieces of the collection, from the old battered car that took Rogers's family from Ohio to the large memorabilia archives from the family and the old Roy Rogers television show, will be sold off piecemeal through various auction houses with appropriate specialties.

Tags: cameos, gemstones, jewelry, jewelry designers, natural history, roy rogers, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans

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Taness Jewelry, A New Take On The French Jewelry Tradition

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Taness is a new jewelry house out of Paris that seeks to modernize the tradition of great French jewelry. As founder Thomas Cherer defines it, the two pillars of luxury industry are quality and creativity. His version of luxury is haute with a whimsical side. The pieces are all made in France but the inspirations come from all over the place, the skyscrapers of Manhattan, the revolutions of planets, the pure play of color and shape. Cherer got his start as a young artist playing with dreams of imaginary cities and he has worked with a jeweler friend to capture some of that futuristic spirit in these pieces which have a sort of Art Deco Metropolis feel to them. The name Taness comes from the name of a family home in the southwest of France where Cherer first began to sketch his designs.

Cherer defines the Taness customer as an independent, dynamic and urban woman who is sensitive to fashion, design, architecture or contemporary art. He says that the Taness woman is not conventional, she likes luxury when it combines elegance with a touch of eccentricity. Pieces range between 2680 euros and 5930 euros, excluding VAT and custom taxes. Pieces can be ordered directly from Taness by email.

Gallery: Taness Jewelry

Tags: french jewelry, jewelry, jewelry designers, taness

From The Runway To The Design Board: How Fashion Inspires Jewelry Design

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

The relationship between fashion and jewelry design is one that works in two ways, jewelry can often inspire fashion design and haute couture also provides inspiration for jewelry designers. Jewelry designer Temple St. Clair tells us about the fashion designs that have influenced her work:

Designer Influence – Where does inspiration come from?

The source of inspiration is personal and particular to the individual. I have made the act of being inspired part of my life. I am constantly open to ideas and things or concepts that catch my attention. I am not merely in the business of making jewelry just to make a ring, bracelet, or necklace. I have to be amused, interested, caught in an imaginary world that I can then translate in to a jewel.

I enjoy the work of other designers particularly those that seem to create their own themes in worlds of color, pattern and design, those that create a journey in their work that tells a story.

I love fashion. A few of my favorites captivate me with their creativity and sometimes, outrageousness. Perennial favorites are Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Alexander McQueen who we have recently so tragically lost. I also love Valentino for his romance and undying attention to detail. Each one of these designers creates for a new world. They create treasures that become collectible "works" that can be worn for decades.

Each of these designers has a strong point of view. At Comme des Garcons, Rei Kawakubo artfully deconstructs the classic idea of clothing to create something whimsical and new. I have collected pieces from Comme des Garcons for years. I pull them out time and again and they still feel fresh and fun to wear.

Jean-Paul Gaultier plays with iconography and big themes. One of my favorites from years ago was his Tibetan collection. He created a Parisian chic crossed with the garb of Tibetan monks from the high Himalayas. It was a rich collection whose imagery has stayed with me.

The extremely talented, Alexander McQueen, had only shown us the tip of the iceberg of his creativity. His shows are pure theater yet many of his pieces are timelessly classic. He was truly a young master. I will treasure my pieces by him.

Tags: fashion week fall 2010, jewelry, jewelry designers, temple st clair, temple st. clair

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