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sterling silver

The $85,000 Custom Diamond & Alligator Guitar

Filed under: Gadgets

The $85,000 Custom Diamond & Alligator Guitar
Rock Royalty, a new Nashville-based luxury design house that manufactures one-of-a-kind, custom guitars, is offering the ultimate in rock star decadence: an $85,000 custom alligator skin, diamond and sterling silver Fender Telecaster. The eye-popping instrument comes wrapped in exquisite natural black alligator skin from Louisiana, and features black diamond and sterling silver volume knobs, a selector switch set with rubies, and six handmade diamond tuning keys set in sterling silver. They also have a custom Gibson Les Paul for $125,000, set with almost 50 carats of black and white diamonds if that's too cheap. The company promises never to duplicate a design so that each piece remains totally unique. The Telecaster and Les Paul are two of nine original designs created for the brand's debut; other models come wrapped in stingray skin and various other exotic finishes. The only question is whether to play them or hang them over the fireplace.

[via JustLuxe]

Luxist Giveaway: Janet Setter Amoeba Necklace

Filed under: Jewelry

We love giveaways from small companies so I'm pleased to present to you the work of Janet Setter jewelry. Setter got her start in the automotive industry but it's clear that her calling is jewelry. Setter's unique one-of-a-kind pieces were inspired by the designer's keen interest in the outdoors. Janet Setter began her career in the jewelry industry over ten years ago after an intensive study at a silversmith studio in Oregon. Her work reflects classic accessory pieces that have been formulated for today's trends in the fashion-driven world. Although pieces can be duplicated, each piece is unique and no piece is the exactly the same. Primarily working in silver, Janet has began to introduce other metals such as copper and 14K gold as well as semi-precious stones into her designs. Currently, Janet sells exclusively at shows at Bloomingdale's and through her e-commerce website, janetsetterjewelry.com.

The Amoeba pieces are her newest designs for Fall 2010 and feature a sterling silver design with 14K goldfilled jumprings as accents. The piece shown at right is wearable as a pendant style necklace and as a center piece style necklace. You can also add a charm at the bottom of the the pendant style piece for a completely different look. This piece is part of a collection that includes more necklace styles as well as earrings and bracelets. Today we are giving away one Janet Setter Amoeba necklace on a 16-inch sterling silver chain. The length of the amoeba is almost 1.75 inches and the necklace sells for $114.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before August 16, 2010 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive one Janet Setter Amoeba necklace valued at $114.
* 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.

Vanessa Gade Jewelry

Filed under: Jewelry

vanessa gade jewelryArchitectural quality isn't something you always see in jewelry, but clean lines can make a powerful statement. But Vanessa Gade's jewelry is kinetic and sculptural sussing out relationships between angles and curves. The simple curving shapes and crisscrossing chain provide a sense of movement and the body becomes part of the piece, the negative space in the designs serving as a showcase for the wearer's skin. Gade describes her work as contemporary, with clean lines and a minimalist aesthetic reminiscent of Japanese and Scandinavian design Her inspirations are varied, her study as a historian no doubt leading her to ponder the import of art deco architecture, suspension bridges and even criss-crossing power lines, the stuff of civilization. The pieces are rendered in sterling silver, oxidized silver and 14K gold vermeil. The ellipse necklace shown here is $148.

New Grateful Dead Jewelry Line Debuts

Filed under: Jewelry

grateful dead jewelry
Calling all Deadheads, A new silver jewelry collection features symbols from the large collection of Grateful Dead art. Designer Cynthia Gale has created a new line with Grateful Dead Productions and Rhino Entertainment that is available on the official Grateful Dead website. Pieces include sterling silver cuff links, earrings, bracelets and necklaces featuring Dead favorites like the dancing bears and the "Steal Your Face" and "Space Your Face" logos. National Jeweler reports that a Grateful Dead Archive initiative is underway at the University of California Santa Cruz and a Grateful Dead exhibit is now open at the New York Historical Society. Pieces range from $54 for a pair of mother-of-pearl lightning bolt earrings to $295 for the faceted garnet and silver Space Your Face skull and roses necklace shown above. There's been plenty of inexpensive Grateful Dead jewelry in the past but the new line is meant to appeal to the consumer looking for a more substantial way to display love for the band.

Woodford Reserve & Tiffany Unveil World's Most Exclusive Mint Julep

Filed under: Spirits, Events, Charity


Woodford Reserve, the Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, has created the world's most exclusive mint julep in collaboration with Tiffany & Co. Only 73 of the sterling silver cups will be available at $1,000 apiece; purchasers will be served a julep in the cup at Churchill Downs on Derby Day, May 1st. Not just any old julep either. The elite cocktails are crafted from raw-cane sugar made from 100 percent organic sugar cane grown in Brazil; Kentucky Colonel Mint from Louisville, KY which was grown in a used Woodford Reserve bourbon barrel; ice made of water from a 10,000-year-old glacier in the far northern region of the Pacific Ocean near the Gulf of Alaska; and a small batch of the Master Distiller's personal selection of Woodford Reserve super-premium bourbon.

Proceeds from the cups will benefit The Barnstable Brown Kentucky Diabetes & Obesity Center. Each individually numbered cup is presented with a sterling silver sipping straw and features the Woodford Reserve logo along with a unique horse racing design. The handmade silver cups come with a sterling silver sipping straw. Each cup will be presented in a unique Tiffany & Co. "blue box" and will be set in a Woodford Reserve casing made from the same oak as Woodford Reserve barrels. Consumers age 21 years and older can log on to www.woodfordreservemintjulep.com through April 28 to purchase one of the 73 cups (first come first serve basis).

Kaiser Wilhelm II's Silver Cigar Set for $85,000

Filed under: Cigars, Men's Style


A stunning bespoke sterling silver traveling cigar set in a leather carrying case made in 1885 for Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia, if being offered for sale by London's Pullman Gallery for $85,000. The leather case contains four matching sterling silver cigar boxes, a giant matchbox holder and a set of 10 monogrammed cigar holders. Each piece features an applied gold and red-enameled 'W' with the Royal Prussian crown on the lid, and the cover of each box is also engraved inside with the signature "Victoria", for Wilhelm's mother Princess Victoria (1840-1901), wife of Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, later Emperor Friedrich III. The fitted purple grained leather felt-lined traveling case features an applied gilded bronze Royal Prussian crown and is marked J. Wagner und Sohn, Berlin.

Tamlin & The Fall Miniaudieres, Handbags of the Day

Filed under: Handbags


Miniaudiere's have always been less handbag and more jewelry, a sort of half-ling of the accessory world. These creations by Tamlin & The Fall are no exception, practically taking the place of a beautiful bracelet or other adornment (quite literally in the case of the Shell design) when you carry them as a handbag.

All made to order and cast individually using over a pound of precious metal, shown above is the polished sterling silver version with other options including blackened (oxidized) sterling, matte (acid finished) sterling, or solid 18k polished gold. Linings come in matte black alligator or natural rattlesnake, tassels are hand-dyed feathers, and all miniaudieres come snuggled in a handmade wooden box lined in deerskin. Prices start at $19,800.

Jan Leslie Sterling & Enamel Bee Cufflinks

Filed under: Men's Style


Here's a whimsical wardrobe addition from men's jewelry and accessories designer Jan Leslie: hand-painted enamel and sterling silver bee cufflinks. Recently introduced at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, the luxe links have become an instant bestseller at $595 a pair. In Leslie's sterling silver hand-painted enamel collection, which also features designs such as racecars, jockeys and spiders, artisanal methods produce unique works of quality and understated elegance. Leslie's creative process begins with the study of the actual subject - insect, animal or otherwise; next a wax prototype is sculpted then cast in sterling silver and polished smooth. The creation is then individualized through a technique of meticulously hand painting layers of enamel, creating the desired blend of color and luminescence. The overall process "transforms a simple statement into a commissioned piece of art."

Tragic John Lennon Sterling Cartier Box at Auction

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping


On June 14 Bonhams & Butterfields is auctioning off a sterling silver Cartier cigarette box with an extremely interesting provenance as part of their Entertainment Memorabilia sale in Los Angeles. For Christmas in 1980 John Lennon and Yoko Ono commissioned 12 of the boxes from the famous French jeweler and had them engraved "Double Fantasy / Xmas 1980 / N.Y.C. / John & Yoko." Shortly before they were being readied to send out however John was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman outside their New York apartment house, the Dakota, on December 8th. Despite the horrific tragedy, Yoko ended up sending out the boxes because as their Dakota neighbor Marnie Oetrozze Hair, who owned this one, noted, Lennon had made out the list of recipients back in October. The box, which comes with a letter of provenance handwritten by Hair, is estimated at $3,000 - $5,000.

Woven Silver Filigree Clutch, Handbag of the Day

Filed under: Handbags

celestina clutch
This is a unique clutch that I absolutely LOVE. It's the Woven Silver Filigree Clutch by Celestina and it not only looks different than a lot of clutches, but it handles differently also -- by opening at the middle into two halves. Made of woven sterling silver with a wooden base filigree detail, it's small (only about 6" x 5" x1") and has hard curved sides. There's no fabric lining inside, just a small wooden plaque embossed with the designer's logo and a wood-backed vanity mirror. $1,695

Sterling Silver Diamonds

Filed under: Jewelry

sterling silver diamond ringThey don't look like diamonds and they certainly aren't diamonds, but these Sterling Silver Diamond rings could still have their place in your jewelry box. Designed to be worn alone or stacked in multiples, the design also comes in acrylic colored versions for a completely different fashion statement. I'm not sure if I would wear a ring like this or not (they look a little immature somehow) but then often it's more about how you wear it than anything else when it comes to pulling off something like this. $160 - $260

Tiffany & Co. 1837 Tennis Ball Can

Filed under: Sports


Think Tiffany's & Co. and you probably think fine jewelry, diamonds, and little blue boxes. But they have other offerings as well, some of them not what you'd expect, like this 1837 Tennis Ball Can. Designed to hold 4 tennis balls and keep them at optimal playing temperature, the can couldn't be simpler in design. Made of sterling silver shined to perfection, one of the tennis ball can's few adornments is a Tiffany's logo stamped on the lid along with the numbers 925 and 1837. $1,500

David Yurman Celebrates Pavé this Season

Filed under: Jewelry

ringI haven't had an opportunity to share this on Luxist yet but I adore David Yurman. His style is always consistent but fresh with new designs and changes in metals and stones. This particular partnership between sterling silver and pavé diamonds is my new favorite! The signature cable is still incorporated with glittering diamonds literally paving the way around each piece. It is truly stunning and you'll find everything from rings to bracelets, necklaces to earrings that you can mix and match together. Is it too late to put these on my wish list for the holidays?

Bottega Veneta Sterling Desk Set

Filed under: Men's Style


Italian luxury goods firm Bottega Veneta has come out with a stunning sterling silver desk set (above) which cleverly translates the company's signature leather weave, known as Intrecciato. The stylish set includes a ruler ($1,670), letter opener ($1,070), magnifying glass ($820), business card case ($790) and bookmark ($180). Creative director Tomas Maier, who was installed following Gucci's acquisition of the brand in 2001, has recently expanded Bottega Veneta's offerings beyond the traditional leather goods and apparel, to elegant effect.

Cast Your Memories in Precious Metal

Filed under: Decor

Whether you're looking to preserve the memory of your new baby's tiny foot or your favorite pet's scruffy paw, Wrightson & Platt can help you lock those precious moments and keep them forever in the form of sculpture or jewelry. They use a fast setting jelly to take a cast of the desired body part (they can capture everything from a wiggly baby's fingers to a woman's pregnant belly) and then put that cast through what can only be described as a fascinating process to create the final product in your choice of materials including bronze, glass, platinum, and sterling silver. Prices start, for the smallest pieces like pins and cufflinks, at about £1200 and go up from there.

Via Lussorian

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