sapphires

Delaneau Amazone Blueberries & Rectangular Dôme Invisible Damier Watches

Filed under: Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches

Creative women's watch maker Delaneau offers up two new timepieces that use their jumping hour/jumping minute mechanical movement. These provocative jewelry creations are visually interesting, and have a welcome old-world feel to them. As though the designs are from the past, but served up fresh in these two new watches.

Both pieces feature the brand's caliber 1608 automatic movement that has discs to display the hours and minutes that move immediately (as opposed to slowly) when the time is right.

The Amazone Blueberries watch is 42mm wide in 18k white gold with about 10.5 carats of large baguette cut diamonds on the bezel. There are much more brilliant cut diamonds on the dial as the leaves, while the blueberries are done in large blue sapphire cabochons. Really a lovely art jewelry piece with a nice movement. The strap is blue satin mixed with crocodile.

With the Rectangular Dôme Invisible Damier watch, Delaneau plays with decorative textures on a watch that reminds me a little hand bag with handle on the top in terms of the shape. The watch is 40mm wide and also in 18k white gold. Again you have about 20 carats of diamonds and sapphire on the case, and another large set of baguette cut diamonds and sapphires on the dial. It has a similar style of blue satin and crocodile strap as the Amazone Blueberries.

Such play with high-jewelry watches and blue and white colors makes for a nice tone with winter season from Delaneau. Such watches are incredible expensive, but beautiful nonetheless.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: blue, delaneau, diamonds, sapphires, watch, watches, white

Jaquet Droz l'Heure Celeste Watch Hands-On

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Jaquet Droz watches are rare enough, but highly limited high-jewelry pieces from the brand are much more rare. I got to get some hands-on treatment with a limited edition of just 8 pieces version of the l'Heure Celeste ("Celestial Hour") watch. The piece is pretty, but strange. In a large for a women's wrist 41mm wide white gold case has a domed sapphire crystal and a glimmering mother-of-pear dial. The watch dial itself is off-centered and pretty easy to read. The rest of the watch is filled with jewel covered "celestial orbs." They come in a few colors, and are covered in 35 yellow sapphires, 154 blue sapphires, 51 pink sapphires, 22 orange sapphires, and 46 tsavorites. Other versions include gold orbs and diamonds. The quirky dial is interesting to me, but I wonder how other people perceive it who don't see super luxury watches all the time.

Inside the watch is an automatic Jaquet Droz caliber 2653 movement with a 22k white gold rotor. Finally, we see some diamonds on the white satin strap buckle - where you'll find 24 diamonds as decoration. A fascinating piece with more than likely an astronomical price.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Jaquet Droz l Heure Celeste watch

Tags: J005024531, Jaquet Droz, jewelry, lHeure Celeste, sapphires, tsavorite, watch

The World's Ugliest Rolex - Yours for $46,000

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches

The world's ugliest Rolex, a custom leopard print diamond and sapphire Cosmograph Daytona, has turned up for sale via global online luxury marketplace JamesList for $46,000. Unsurprisingly, the hideous timepiece has never been worn, and is being offered for sale in glitzy Miami Beach. The special edition watch has an 18k yellow gold case with 36 baguette cognac sapphires, 48 diamonds on the end pieces, and a leopard print dial festooned with another eight diamonds. It comes on a leopard print leather strap with an 18k yellow gold deployable clasp. The aesthetic travesty is all the more unfortunate because the Daytona in classic stainless steel is considered by many to be Rolex's most attractive model. Designed as the ultimate timing tool for endurance races, the Daytona is made to allow the driver to map his course times accurately and determine how he must drive in order to achieve victory. Try even figuring out what time it is on this spotted nightmare.

UPDATE: An astute reader has spotted this monstrosity on the wrist of Vanessa Bryant, wife of L.A. Lakers star Kobe Bryant, at a White House ceremony. Good lord, there's more than one of them.

Tags: diamonds, gold, leopard, leopard print, LeopardPrint, Rolex, Rolex Daytona, RolexDaytona, sapphires

Gem Records set at Christie's Hong Kong Auction

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions

Hong Kong's fall sales have been great for records, for Christie's in particular. After several were broken at the art auction this week, the gem scene was ignited. A pink diamond no larger than a chickpea went for $10.8 million, according to Bloomberg News. The stone had the second-highest rating available (potentially flawless) and a weight of 5 carats. It shattered the per-carat record set back in May. Back then, Hong Kong property investor Joseph Lau picked up a 7.03-carat blue diamond at an auction in Geneva for $10.5 million.

The pink diamond was sent under the gavel by Graff Diamonds, a London-based jeweler. The stone was sold to a phone bidder who beat out Liu Yiqian and his wife, Wang Wei. But, those two have bought enough already, right?

Overall, the 255 lots sold (an 89 percent sell rate) brought in HK$372 million, with the action pushed forward by mainland Chinese, a growing trend in the auction world this year. Donald May, a ruby and sapphire dealer based in Hong Kong, attended the auction and told Bloomberg, "There's a lot of mainland Chinese buying; either they didn't know what the items are worth or they wanted them so badly that price didn't matter." He believes that prices were pushed way out of control.

There were other records set in Hong Kong, as well. A sapphire weighing 16.65 carats, set by Van Cleef & Arpels, brought in HK$18.6 million, also setting a per-carat record.

[Photo courtesy of Christie's]

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Tags: auction, auction-house, AuctionHouse, auctions, china, christies, diamond, diamonds, gem, gems, graff, graff diamonds, graff jewelers, GraffDiamonds, GraffJewelers, honk kong, HonkKong, jewel, jewelry, jewels, pink diamond, PinkDiamond, sapphire, sapphires, van cleef, Van Cleef Arpels, VanCleef, VanCleefArpels

Color for Christmas, Lola Jewelry

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

LOLA Jewelry gets its name from Lots of Little Accessories, a nod to the undeniable desire to pick up a handful of tempting gems. This is a jewelry line that really celebrates color in the form of tourmalines, sapphires, beryls and many other beautiful gemstones. The brand is the creation of creation of Stacey Vance and her partner Kim Wilson and is based is based in Dallas, Texas. Jewelry from the LOLA collection is crafted out of 18k yellow gold, 14k white gold or platinum, and piece start around $400 but go much higher. Custom designs are also available.

Luxist asked Stacey Vance about which colored gemstones are most popular. She says that sapphires remain the most popular but that what many people might not know is that sapphires come in many colors beyond deep blue. The necklace above, which is made of sapphire and ruby briolettes, shows just some of the colors this stone can come in.

For those who are unsure about purchasing colored stones, Vance says that while the internet is a great research tool its important to be able to trust your jeweler. She says that at LOLA she likes to have a personal relationship with customers so that she can advice pieces for their particular wants/needs and budget. As she puts it: "once you buy a piece of LOLA Jewelry, I consider you part of the family - even if it's a one-time purchase. Whether it's an engagement ring, a new mother's gift, or a pair of exquisite earrings to show someone how you feel about them, I love being part of life's special occasions; it makes every piece wonderful and exciting!"

Gallery: Lola Jewelry

Tags: colored gemstones, ColoredGemstones, jewelry, lola jewelry, LolaJewelry, sapphires

Fantastic Bo Bo Collection Pandas

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

We've mentioned the adorable Bo Bo from Qeelin Jewelry before but now the bejeweled panda pendant has a new identity, several identities in fact. The Fantastic Bo Bo collection re-imagines the adorable animal in several incarnations including Super Bo Bo with a red and blue outfit with rubies and sapphires, Pretty Bo Bo in pink sapphires with a diamond handbag and necklace, Captain Bo Bo in cognac diamonds with tiny hook and eyepatch and DJ Bo Bo in black diamonds with white diamond headphones and a tiny MP3 player. Precious jewelry has rarely been cuter.

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Tags: bo bo, BoBo, charms, diamonds, jewelry, panda, qeelin, rubies, sapphires

Montana Sapphires To Be Auctioned Off For Special Olympics

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Montana's Yugo sapphires are a little known American treasure. The cornflower blue stones are only found in remote portions of Montana and are prized for their deep color. Jewelry pieces made using these stones will be auctioned off to benefit Montana's Special Olympics program in an upcoming event. The pieces include a bolo tie worn by Montana's Governor Brian Schweitzer as well as a variety of rings, earrings and pendants. An online auction has already begun and the highest online bid will be the opening bid on items at a live auction as part of the Montana Sports Legends Dinner and Auction on October 3.

The auction item shown above includes a trillion cut Yogo sapphire that is over one carat along with matching earrings featuring sapphires and diamonds set in yellow and white gold. The lot has a total value of $24,000. Online bidding ends September 30.

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Tags: auction, montana, necklace, sapphires, special olympics, SpecialOlympics, yogo sapphires, YogoSapphires

Cereus Flower Brooch

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Sometimes I like to take a little break on the weekend to show you some gorgeous jewelry pieces. This one from Ashli Jewelers is holding my fancy lately. It's done in 18 karat gold and represents a rather unique flower, the Cereus,which is also known as the queen of the night because it blooms at night. This desert flower blooms on only one or two nights of the year in a bold extravagant display that usually goes unseen and unremarked upon. That can't be said of the cereus flower brooch. This large piece is studded with 486 VVS1 round diamonds totaling and 24 yellow sapphires set in 18kt white and yellow gold.

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Tags: brooch, cereus flower, CereusFlower, diamonds, fine jewelry, FineJewelry, gold, jewelry, sapphires

Rocks & Jewels by Royal Asscher

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Royal Asscher of America, the company famous for their Royal Asscher® Cut diamonds is branching out into a little color with a new line of Royal Asscher Cut Sapphires, which will be featured alongside Royal Asscher Cut diamonds, under the name Rocks & Jewels by Royal Asscher. The eight collections (Intoxicate, Irresistible, Dynamic, Desire, Bewitch, Enchant, Fantasy, and Spellbound) were designed by Lita Asscher and include rings, bands, earrings, bracelets/ bangles and pendants with blue, pink, yellow and lavender sapphires. The new collection will be in stores this month.

[via JCK Online]

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Tags: diamonds, jewelry, royal asscher, RoyalAsscher, sapphires

Bombay Sapphire's "Revelation"

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Charity

Described as a "collaboration between the drinks, crystal, art and design worlds," Bombay Sapphire Revelation is a collection of 5 absolutely gorgeous bottles. Bombay Sapphire is the drink (of course), Baccarat is the crystal, Garrard is the art/jeweller, and Karim Rashid is the bottle designer. The Revelation line consists of 5 bottles shaped like enormous jewels, all the same with the exception of their caps -- each uniquely decorated with diamonds and sapphires.

The entire collection is worth $1 million, but each bottle (priced at $200,000) will be displayed separately at one of 5 airports around the world (New York, London, Dubai, Sydney, and Singapore) starting around the end of March with proceeds to benefit The Smile Train charity. And along with the beautiful Revelation bottle the new owners will also receive a years supply of Bombay Sapphire gin.

Gallery: Bombay Sapphire Revelation

Via My Selection

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Tags: baccarat, bombay sapphire, BombaySapphire, diamonds, garrard, gin, karim rashid, KarimRashid, Revelation, sapphire, sapphires

Jaeger-LeCoultre The Rose and The Tulip

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches

Check out these two jeweled masterpieces from Jaeger-LeCoultre. These stunning pieces are known and the rose and the tulip. The rose, on the right, is made of a total of 75 carats of gemstones including 1,480 sapphires, 1,370 tsavorites, 120 rubies and 120 diamonds. The movement used in both watches is the manual-wind JLC caliber 846. The tulip is 85 carats of stones including 1,600 tsavorites, 1,900 sapphires and 30 diamonds.

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Tags: jaeger lecoultre, rose, sapphires, timepiece, tsavorite, tulip, wristwatch

Christie's Fall Jewels Sales To Feature Lucille Ball's Jewels

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions

Celebrity jewels are on the auction block again this fall. The Magnificent Jewels sales from Christie's on October 16 in New York City will include more than $25 million worth of jewels including property from the estate of actress Lucille Desiree Ball. The collection features signed jewelry by Van Cleef & Arpels such as a suite of yellow sapphire and diamond jewelry that includes a pendant necklace, a pair of ear clips and ring. A portion of the proceeds from this collection go to the The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center in Jamestown, New York. The sale will also feature a variety of important diamonds including a 38.47 D,VS1 diamond estimated to sell for $2,300,000-$2,500,000 and several colored diamonds such as a pear-shaped fancy blue-gray diamond of 7.88 carats with an estimate of $700,000-$1,000,000 and a pear-shaped fancy vivid orangy-yellow diamond of 12.55 carats with an estimate of $800,000-$1,200,000.

Christie's is also holding a separate sale on the same day of 40 pieces from a private collection valued at $4 million. The collection features a variety of Harry Winston pieces including a rectangular-cut, D, VVS2 Type IIa 23.14 carat diamond ring which is estimated to sell for $800,000-$1,200,000. Type IIa diamonds are sometimes referred to as Golconda diamonds because they were first seen in the Golconda region of India and they are exceptionally clean and dazzling. My favorite piece of the 40-piece collection is the Tiffany & Co. brooch shown above. It is shaped like a Maltese cross with a stained glass design of sapphires, gold and diamonds around a central square-cut aquamarine, weighing approximately 19.48 carats. It is estimated to sell for $15,000-$25,000.

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Tags: christie's, diamonds, golconda diamonds, harry winston, jewels, lucille ball, sapphires, tiffany

Cobra Hired To Guard Jeweled Sandals

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Shoes

In today's age of motion and touch sensors and every other kind of high-tech gadget we've got for security of precious goods, Harrods in London recently took a unique step to protect a pair of very expensive shoes: they hired a poisonous cobra to stand (sit? slither?) guard.

Obviously this was a publicity stunt, not a real security effort, but I say good for them. That's pretty clever, and for all intents and purposes it worked. The cobra has since returned to its owner and the shoes are, I'm sure, under a more traditional lock and key type security system.

Curious what kind of shoes warranted such a show? A pair of red sandals by Rene Caovilla that are encrusted with rubies, sapphires, and diamonds and valued at about $120,000.

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Tags: cobra, diamond, diamonds, gaurd, harrods, heels, high heels, HighHeels, london, rene caovilla, ReneCaovilla, renee caovilla, ReneeCaovilla, rubies, sandals, sapphire, sapphires, security, shoes, snake, snakes

Kickbars, Diamonds For Your Shoes

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Shoes

If you are running out of places to put your diamonds, consider your sneakers. The perfect accessory to those pricey limited edition sneaks just might be Kickbars, jewel-encrusted shoelace clips. The bars, which feature emeralds, sapphires, rubies and diamonds set in white gold, can also be used on bracelets and necklaces. The original Kickbar has 54 G color, VS1 diamonds pave set into the rectangular bar (a total weight of 2 carats) and sells for $7500.

An LA Times article earlier this spring highlights another way to make your shoes sparkle, a company called Greedy Genius is selling interchangeable diamond eyelets.

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Tags: bling, diamonds, fashion, gemstones, jewelry, kickbars, kicks, rubies, sapphires, sneakers, sneaks, trends

Mikimoto Love Knot Earrings

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

I've written about Mikimoto's designs by Giovanna Broggian before. The designer puts a whole new spin on classic pearls. Now, for your pre-Valentine's Day shopping you can meet the designer and check out the latest collections, Eden and Delfina which ornament diamonds and precious gems with pearls. Designer Lisa Broggian will be appearing at both the New York and Costa Mesa, California Mikimoto boutiques in early February. The earrings shown here are Love Knots that feature South Sea cultured pearls and blue sapphires and sell for $10,000.

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Tags: earrings, jewelry, mikimoto, pearls, sapphires