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Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Top 5 Top Jewelers and Jewelry Stores in the World
For most of
us, buying an engagement ring is going to be a carefully considered purchase
that we will make only after creating a budget, researching price comparisons,
and probably saving up for some time. But imagine for a moment that money was
no object, that you could buy the best engagement ring from the most famous
jewelers in the world. Where would you go? Would you choose the over-the-top
glamour of Bulgari or the refined traditionalism of Tiffany and Co? All of the
world’s most famous jewelry stores have a few elements in common—superb
customer service, incredible quality and design, and of course, sky-high
prices. At the same time, each of these famous jewelers have a few unique
characteristics that give them their distinctive place in the pantheon of great
jewelry design.
1. Chances
are, if you’ve ever seen that distinctive shade of powder blue, you immediately
thought of famous jewelers Tiffany and Co. That’s no accident—the world-famous
jewelry store, founded in 1837, has trademarked the particular shade of blue
used in all their advertising and packaging. Tiffany and Company is known for
their classic, clean-cut diamond jewelry designs, such as the classic
tiffany-style setting popularized by the brand, and for it’s iconic stature in
popular culture. From the days when all the prominent New York families from
the Astors to the Vanderbilts wore Tiffany’s, to its status as the “best place
on earth” in the Truman Capote novella and film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the
iconic jewelry company continues to connote luxury and effortless class.
2. Founded
by Louis-Francois Cartier in Paris in 1847, the Cartier jewelry and wristwatch
company is one of the world’s most famous jewellers and the only one that can
truly claim to the be “jeweler to the kings.” From the crown worn by King
Edward VII at his 1904 coronation to the tiara worn by Kate Middleton at her
2010 wedding to Prince William, Cartier has outfitted literally dozens of royal
family members from ten different countries. Although it is a jewelry company firmly
rooted in tradition and the past, it has also moved boldly into the 21st
century, with 200 stores currently operating worldwide, including flagship
boutiques in New York, London, Paris and Tokyo. Cartier is currently most
famous for its popular and modernized LOVE collection, as well as its’ Tank
collection of men’s watches
3. Although
the company has been around for three generations, the jewelry firm now known
as Lorraine Schwartz Diamonds & Fine Jewelry only rose to prominence ten
years ago, when actress Halle Berry wore pieces by the jewelry designer to the
SAG Awards. Since taking over her family business in 1989, celebrity jewelry
designer Lorraine Schwartz has achieved international renown, through a
brilliant combination of luxurious design, Hollywood aesthetics, and glamorous
inaccessibility. Schwartz limits the sale of her collections to the jewelry
department of Bergdorf Goodman’s, private appointments at her Fifth Avenue
showroom, and private commissions from elite individuals. This inaccessibility
has made wearing a jewelry item by Lorraine Schwartz a powerful symbol of
celebrity, which helps explain why her jewelry is consistently popular among
celebrities like Beyonce Knowles, Elizabeth Taylor, Heidi Klum, Barbra
Streisand, and Blake Lively. Picture: Kim Kardashian Engagement Ring
4. Of all
the most famous jewelers in the world, the Harry Winston Jewelry Company is one
the few whose fame and reputation was built by a single brilliant individual.
Harry Winston, who lived from 1896 until 1978, was one of the finest jewelry
designers and craftsmen the world has ever seen. His instinct for gem quality
was said to be inborn—legend has it that at the age of 12, Winston recognized a
two-carat emerald being sold as a faux gemstone, purchased it for 0.20 Euro ($ 0.25) and
resold it for 620Euro ($800) days later. Once he took over the family jewelry business,
Winston established his place on the famous jewelers world scene by purchasing
the famed but outdated Arabella Huntington jewelry collection and re-setting
its stones into more modern pieces, which won him instant fame and recognition
as one of the most talented jewelry designers ever known. He later developed a
reputation for owning some of the world’s most famous diamonds, including the
Hope Diamond, which he later donated to the Smithsonian Institute. Today, the
Harry Winston Company lives on, carrying on his tradition with eight US
locations and twelve international stores.
© Passion4Luxury 2012
5. From its
humble beginnings in a small Greek village, the Bulgari jewelry company has
risen to become one of the most famous jewellers in the world. Founded in the
1870’s by Greek jeweler Sotirios Voulgaris, Bulgari opened its first Italian
store in Rome in 1884. The company soon became known for its bold, distinctive
designs, especially its architectural styles featuring heavy gold links and its
creative use of colored stones such as sapphires. In the 1970’s, Voulgaris’
descendants diversified the brand to include timepieces, fragrances, and other
luxury goods, and opened stores in Paris, New York, Geneva and Monte Carlo.
However, they continued to spell Bulgari with the ‘V’ traditional of the Latin
alphabet. Today, Bulgari operates almost 300 stores around the globe, and was
sold in October of 2011 to the LVMH luxury goods conglomerate for a
record-breaking $6.01 billion.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Luxurious design Nettleton 199 Home , Cape Town
StefanAntoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects and OKHA Interiors Cape Town-based architects
and interior designers have designed the Nettleton 199 house. The chic home can
be found in Clifton, Cape Town, South Africa.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Van Cleef & Arpels Luxury jewelry
Van Cleef and Arpels is one of the very best luxury French jewelry designers. The company
was founded by Alfred Van Cleef and Salomon Arpels and they introduced their
very first luxury boutique in 1906 in Paris. The pair quickly became known for
the amount of expertise in excellent precious stones and in particular for
their settings, known as the mystery setting.
The company
saw the second generation of family join them in 1942 and the Arpels moved to
America where they opened a luxury boutique on 5th Avenue. The luxury jewelers
were the first French jewelers to open luxury stores in Japan and China. The
family run business of some of the very best jewelers has always been managed
by a member of the Arpels family right until it was taken over in 1999. During
the reign of Van Cleef and Arpels the company has seen members of royalty and
industrial magnets become clients. Today the brand name is located throughout
Europe, the USA, Asia and the Middle East and is recognized as being among the
very best for luxury jewelry.
Since the
founding the company has marked many milestones. They were the first luxury
jeweler to manufacturer a watch with a leather strap, they designed the padlock
wristwatch, the Cadenas, a luxury zip necklace that is opened and closed the
same as a traditional zipper. Collections have consisted of such as the Couture
collection, the Pierres de Caractere collection and the Jardins collection in
2008. Van Cleef and Arpels are considered to be among the very best due to the
excellent stones used in their jewelry. The stones are said to be among the
very best in the world, some of the most unique and beautiful, the finest
around the globe. Rare luxury stones have in the past included aquamarines,
mandarin garments and unexpected luxury treasures such as mother of pearl. The
unique mystery setting is something else that is unique to the luxury French
jewelers. The excellent paving has no visible claws and the setting has been
perfect and protected by the company over the years. The quality of stones used
in the setting is of the very best; only the most excellent and finest of
stones are used. Stones are chosen based on their clarity and color. These
stones are then set on a very fine net of gold or platinum.
Van Cleef and Arpels have attracted famous clientele over the years: The Duchess of
Windsor, Princess Grace of Monaco, the Queen of Spain and the Princess of Wales
have all purchased their luxury jewelry. Stars of the stage and screen have
also chosen the French jeweler as being the very best. Names such as Jacqueline
Kennedy, Mariah Kennedy and Annie Lennox have been seen wearing the luxury
creations.
Love Story..
© Passion4Luxury 2012
McLaren Bespoke Project 8
It is a
privilege to own any McLaren, regardless of model, color, or specifications.
McLaren cars have never needed tuning to be completely irresistible. However,
sometimes we have the opportunity to witness some really astonishing improved
versions of the cars we love, and today was one of those special days.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Cartier at the 26th Biennale des Antiquaires Paris 2012
Cartier:
jeweller supreme at the 26th Biennale des Antiquaires
From 14 to
23 September 2012
Since 1964,
Cartier has figured among the most prestigious exhibitors of this elite
gathering and reaffirms its allegiance to the Biennale des Antiquaires with
each edition.
Bracelet - White Gold, Carved Rock Crystal
Bracelet - white gold, lavender amethys
Bracelet - White gold, Onyx
A cultural
event of international renown, this Parisian showcase of decorative arts from
around the world unfurls splendidly over seventeen days under the dome of the
Grand Palais.
With its
250 m2 stand – the largest of all exhibitors at the 2012 edition – Cartier
unveils the full extent of its jewelled supremacy at the Biennale. Entrusted to
the talent of French designer Tristan Auer, known for his refined approach and
bespoke decorative work, this spectacular setting is a fitting reflection of
the scope, creative power and legitimacy of the king of jewellers. This year,
Cartier will present 148 pieces of high jewellery and 12 precious objects plus
a selection of pieces from the Cartier Tradition collection.
Crafted in
the great jewellery tradition of the Maison, each of these pieces required up
to two years of work, calling on Cartier’s full range of expertise, including
the artistic crafts of engraving and stone carving.
Bracelet Brooch Tiger
An
unprecedented demonstration of inventive high jewellery displaying great
technical prowess, a selection which travels the world in its evocation of
changing landscapes, ranging from lush to sun-drenched, from urban cityscapes
to the cool beauty of the North.
Bracelet full paved diamonds
Bracelet Tiger
A real
change of scenery, therefore, and an opportunity for Cartier to push back the
frontiers of style through its mastery of a three-dimensional menagerie in
which a panther playfully graces a ring or through its expression of an Arctic
spring evoked by a briolette-cut aquamarine frosted with icy diamonds.
Necklace - platinu
Necklace - White Gold
Ring - Platinum Sapphire
Ring - White old, Brilliants
Ring - White old, Brilliants
A real
change of scenery, therefore, and an opportunity for Cartier to push back the
frontiers of style through its mastery of a three-dimensional menagerie in
which a panther playfully graces a ring or through its expression of an Arctic
spring evoked by a briolette-cut aquamarine frosted with icy diamonds.
Ring Platinum Yellow light diamond
Ring Platinum Yellow light diamond
Bracelet Tiger diamonds paved
© Passion4Luxury 2012