Magazine
Class Getaway
Our Exclusive Q&A with Ivanka Trump
Something Old, Something New
Going for the Throat
The Exotic Style of John Hardy
One-of-a-Kind
AU T U M N / H O L I D AY 2 0 1 1 • I S S U E O N E
welcome to J.R. Dunn Magazine
L I V I N G
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A Family Affair… James Robert Dunn started his career in 1967 as a sales representative for IBM. During a sales call to a jewelry company in Malden, Massachusetts, Jim picked up a magazine about the jewelry business and became intrigued. When his schedule allowed, Jim took correspondence courses in gemology, and went to New York to learn about diamonds and colored stones. “I bought a little microscope and I was playing scientist at home,” he says. While at IBM, Jim met his future wife Ann Marie Pelliccia, who was working as an executive secretary. Ann Marie, like Jim, was also driven by an entrepreneurial spirit. She was ten years old when her family immigrated to this country from Italy. It didn’t take long for Ann Marie to master the English language and become the interpreter for her father’s cabinet making business. From the age of 11, she went to work every day after school with her father until she graduated high school and soon after, she joined the team at IBM. “It was IBM that helped us forge our philosophy about customer service and business ethics” says Ann Marie. The couple married in 1969 and together, they decided to take a chance and start a jewelry business. With their savings of $10,000, the couple purchased a small house in Hanover, Massachusetts and converted it into their first jewelry store, The House of Gems. During the first year, their store was burglarized and every piece of jewelry was taken, including customers’ repairs. To make matters worse, the Dunn’s were in between insurance policies. The couple went from door to door informing and reassuring each client that their prized possessions would be replaced. Ann Marie and Jim paid for the stolen jewelry out of their own pockets to preserve their reputation for integrity and trust. The Dunn’s misfortune turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Word spread when the couple made good on their promise and business began to grow by leaps and bounds. The House of Gems soon outgrew its tiny location. Jim and Ann Marie relocated the store to a nearby mall in South Weymouth, Massachusetts and changed the name to J.R. Dunn Jewelers, placing an emphasis on the importance of the family-owned and operated business.
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In 1978, the couple relocated to South Florida and opened a small jewelry boutique, which served a select clientele by appointment only. This is when the Dunn’s were fortunate enough to have Robert Pelliccia, Ann Marie’s brother, come on board at the age of 18 and eventually start creating one-of-a-kind custom creations for their discerning clients. It didn’t take long for J.R. Dunn Jewelers to outgrow its location once again. That brought about the monumental decision to purchase a 6,000 square-foot building on Federal Highway in Lighthouse Point, Florida. Today the Lighthouse Point store has expanded to 8,000 square feet. Jim, Ann Marie and their son Sean run the business together. Sean earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Florida as well as his gemological degree from GIA. Jim credits Sean with much of the technological advancement achieved at the store, including the creation of the company’s e-commerce website, JRDunn.com, nearly seven years ago. Fortunately, the faith Jim and Ann Marie placed in Sean paid off and JRDunn.com now serves clients in over 20 countries. “My father always told me I could be whatever I wanted,” says Sean. “He has given me so much latitude to try new things and the
confidence to take steps forward. One of the most entrepreneurial things about my father is that he has no fear of taking risks. He’s not afraid to try new things. If it doesn’t work, it’s not going to devastate him. Tomorrow he’ll wake up with another great idea and go for it.” In addition to being a close knit family that supports one another, the Dunn’s have forged many great relationships with their employees, clients and in the community. “If you’re in business and the people in the community are supporting you, then you should go back and support the community,” says Jim. The Dunn’s credit these relationships for having allowed J.R. Dunn Jewelers to persevere and thrive even in tough times. While a lot has changed since Jim and Ann Marie started the business in 1969, their values haven’t. On any given day you are likely to find multiple family members on the premise at J.R. Dunn Jewelers. Even Ann Marie’s mother, Fernanda, at the age of 86 might be the one who greets you at the door. Every guest entering the store today is treated with the same standards of excellence and friendly service established many years ago in that tiny house in Massachusetts. It is truly a family affair...
J.R. Dunn’s first Lighthouse Point store
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ROBERTO COIN
p37 Marco Bicego’s jewelry is the very definition of modern luxury
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Living the American Dream Concours D’Elegance Flying High Robert Pelliccia Dunn’s Run Class Getaway
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Something Old, Something New Chopard Mafia Bride Accessible Luxury Dressy–Year 2011 One-of-a-Kind Mything the Point The Exotic Style of John Hardy The Most Expensive Cars in the World
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Our Exclusive Q&A with Ivanka Trump The Mikimoto Mystique Going For the Throat Webster’s World Top 10 New Jewelry Trends
Todd Tufts • Editor in Chief, Publisher Carol Besler • Editorial Director Vence Vida • Production Manager J. R. Dunn Magazine is published by Tufts Communications, 1201 E. 5th Street, Suite 1009 • Anderson, IN 46012 T: 765-608-3081 • E: todd@tuftscom.com © 2011, Tufts Communications. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. All prices subject to change.
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Our visit in Italy with
p44 Roberto Coin
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extravaganza
T
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WITH
The first Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance came to fruition in 2007. Although it was successful for an inauguration, it showed even greater promise and potential for things to come. With each and every year, the event has grown and prospered thanks to the amazing support of individual and corporate sponsors, not to mention the hard work and dedication of all the board members including Rick Case, Jamie McDonnell and Jim Dunn. We got the chance to sit down with Rick and learn more about this impactful event on the entire community and especially the kids in Broward County. How did you come up with the idea to start the Concours d' Elegance in Boca Raton and what is the history of the event? I got together some of my closest friends, “car guys” and their wives, for a big dinner. We had maybe 24 or so at the dinner. I’ve been doing events with the Boys & Girls Clubs for over 25 years and I felt I had found an impactful event idea. I said, “Why are we all here?” I told them I wanted to create a Concours event based on the Pebble Beach model and I wanted to have the event at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. We will be celebrating our 6th Annual Concours d’Elegance in Boca Raton on February 24th, 25th and 26th, 2012. Today, this event, combined with our other events, have helped the Boys & Girls Clubs annual budget grow from $1 million to $10 milllion in funding. We’re most proud of the fact that this is an all volunteer event. Over 200 volunteers are involved each year. The charity does it all. We produce it. We promote it. And we run it.
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What makes you so passionate about the Boys and Girls Clubs? Well, this is all about providing services for some very needy kids. Most come from single parent homes and have nowhere to go after school. These are kids that need the tools to grow and develop and learn about life’s opportunities. We want to help them realize their dreams. And to do that, we want to inspire them and point them down the path towards a future career, doing something they have a passion for. It is about helping kids who cannot help themselves. I just feel it is all about providing opportunity for these young people. It is our understanding that the monies raised from the Concours stay local and go to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County is that correct? Correct. All of it goes to the 12 Boys & Girls Clubs in Broward County. How did you get such big celebrities involved? We know people who know people but when all else fails, I just pick up the phone and call them. In our first year we had Jay Leno here. He was here again this year. We’ve also had Bill Cosby, Howie Mandel, Dennis Miller, Roger Penske, Helio Castroneves and Al, Bob and Al Unser Jr. as well. Each year we present the Automobile Lifetime Achievement Award. Over the years, we’ve had several of the most celebrated race car drivers at the Concours receiving this prestigious award. What were some of the challenges you faced? The first event is always the most challenging. We had to sell people on the event. We had to sell sponsors, participants and guests. First and foremost, we had to create awareness. What sold so many great people on the event was our passion for the Boys and Girls Clubs. Once people saw this was truly a charity event, they began to come from all over the country. The challenge each year is to come up with new sponsors, new entertainment and find new celebrities to join in.
“Ours is the fastest growing Concours d’Elegance in the world. In addition, last year we raised a world-record $3 million for the Boys and Girls Clubs — the most money ever raised for a charity at an automobile event.”
extravaganza
Who and what are the other driving forces behind the success of the Concours? Every year we have special celebrations, awards and auctions. For instance, each year we get the first of one of the new exotic cars coming to market. That is correct, the first car offered to the American public. And we auction it off. This coming year, we’re celebrating a wonderful milestone in automotive history — the 50th Anniversary of the Shelby Cobra. We’re auctioning off two 427’s, a 289 as well as a GT500 Supersnake and a GT350. I have to say that Jay Leno has been extremely helpful as well. We just have a great team of people at the Boys and Girls Clubs too. We have a fantastic committee who come up with terrific new ideas, are highly motivated and inspire the many volunteers who jump into this event each and every year. I know you have had a lot of loyal supporters, can you tell us about J.R. Dunn Jewelers participation in the Concours? J.R. Dunn has been there since the beginning. My wife, Rita, and I have known Jim and Ann Marie Dunn for over 20 years. As a Corporate Board Member, Jim has been a great supporter of the Boys and Girls Clubs for the past 15-20 years. The Dunn’s have their own event as well called the Dunn’s Run — I participate in it every year and my dealerships are sponsors. When we started the Concours, I wanted the top high-end jeweler in the area as part of our team. The Dunn’s were great friends and as clients of the store, I felt it was a natural fit. I brought the opportunity to Jim and the rest is history. Jim’s time, effort and monetary contributions have more than surpassed our expectations. Our organization is truly grateful to have a supporter of Jim Dunn’s caliber.
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What is your ultimate goal for the Concours? Pretty simple, to make money for the Boys and Girls Clubs. We’re now able to help over 12,000 kids in 12 clubs in the county. We’ve built ten Boys & Girls Clubs centers over the past 25 years and this Concours event has accelerated our ability to help kids since 2007. What makes the Boca Raton Concours different than the others? There are no paid staff members, producers or promoters. 100% goes to charity and it is run by the charity. That makes it very different from all others. What is on the table in 2012 to make the Boca Raton Concours bigger and better than ever? As previously discussed, the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Shelby Cobra will be big. Carol Shelby will be here to receive the 2012 Automobile Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, we’ll be celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Aston Martin. To commemorate this milestone, our gala event will have a James Bond theme and the original 1964 Aston Martin DB5, driven by Sean Connery in the film Goldfinger, will be on display. Lastly, we’ll be handing out the Lee Iacocca Award. The award recognizes one’s achievements in mainting the heritage of the automobile. Last year, Jay Leno was honored with the award. Thus far, how much has been raised for the Boys & Girls Clubs through the Concours? Last year we raised a world-record $3 million for the Boys and Girls Clubs — the most money ever raised for a charity at an automobile event — this includes events held in Indianapolis and Le Mans– everywhere! Over $6 million has been raised for the Boys and Girls Clubs since the first Concours event in 2007.
born
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CA R O L
B E S L E R
The iconic, high-performance sports watch brand is one of the original makers of instrument watches for pilots
Breitling is widely known as the watch brand dedicated to aeronautics. The Swiss company, founded in 1884, made its first chronograph aviator’s watch in 1915, then went on to develop the first independent chronograph pushpiece in 1923, with a start and return-to-zero function. Today, Breitling makes a full range of pilot’s and other sports watches and is actively involved in the aviation world. The brand sponsors the Breitling Wingwalkers, for example, as well as the Jet Team of high-performance display jets, which recently performed at the Paris Air Show alongside the new Airbus A380. Both the Jet Team, with their L-39C jets, and the Wingwalkers perform breathtaking displays at air shows and sporting events around the world.
//// The new Chronomat GMT in steel.
//// The Super Constellation is the latest model in the brand’s iconic Navitimer collection.
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born
One of the brand’s most fascinating sponsorships is its relationship with Yves Rossy, also know as Jetman, who recently sustained an eight-minute flight through the Grand Canyon, powered by a jet-propelled wing attached to his back and steering only by the movement of his body. Breitling also sponsors the National Championship Air Races, and has even released a game application for ipads and iphones with an aviation theme, called Breitling Reno Air Races. Breitling’s watch collections reflect this aeronautic theme, from the iconic Navitimer and Chronospace series to the Cosmonaut. This year, the brand introducd the new Chronomat GMT, which contains a new Breitling caliber movement. Its outstanding feature is that the watch’s second time zone can be set without affecting its accuracy. The watch is also a high-performance column-wheel chronograph. Another high-performance aviation watch introduced this year is the Airwolf Special Naval Centennial limited edition, an electronic timepiece that offers pilots the finest technology. It contains an alarm, a 1/100th of a second chronograph with split-second and add times, a countdown function, dual time-
Breitling’s watch collections reflect this aeronautic theme, from the iconic Navitimer and Chronospace series to the Cosmonaut. zone with independent alarm and perpetual calendar. Its most striking feature, perhaps, is a turbine-shaped caseback that serves as a resonance chamber for the alarm and other audible indications. Some of the proceeds from sales of the watch will be donated to the 100th Anniversary of Naval Aviation Foundation, which raises awareness for naval aviation. Breitling also makes a full range of ladies’ watches, including several new models in its Galactic collection, including solid rose gold, steel and two-tone gold and steel versions. The new models also feature mother-of-pearl dials and diamond markers, proving that even the makers of some of the world’s most extreme-sport watches are designing feminine-styled timepieces for ladies!
//// The Breitling ladies Galactic, in solid rose gold, with seconds counter at 6 o’clock.
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//// The Airwolf Special Naval Centennial limited edition.
PROFESSION: PILOT CAREER: ACTOR People are acquainted with the star, the multi-faceted actor. But John Travolta is also a seasoned pilot with over 6,000 flight hours under his belt, and is certified on eight different aircraft. He nurtures a passion for anything that embodies the authentic spirit of aviation – like Breitling wrist instruments. Since 1884, Breitling has shared the finest hours in aeronautical history. Its chronographs, all of which are chronometercertified by the COSC, meet the highest standards of precision, sturdiness and functionality, and with its Manufacture Caliber 01, Breitling has created the most reliable and high-performance selfwinding chronograph movement. One simply does not become an aviation supplier by chance.
Breitling Navitimer A cult object for aviation enthusiasts, equipped with the high-performance Manufacture Breitling Caliber 01.
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spotlight
robert pelliccia your dream beautiful reality.
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Robert Pelliccia heads our team of incredibly talented designers. His distinguished designing career has been decorated with national awards reserved for the best of the best. Robert is one of the most well respected designers in the jewelry industry. It is widely considered to be a staggering honor to bring home the highly coveted DeBeers Diamonds Today Award. Robert has won this prestigious award three times; this makes owning an original by Robert Pelliccia, as enviable as owning a work of art. “Every piece of jewelry can and should be special from top to bottom, inside and out,” says Robert. Unique jewelry is a major factor in making J. R. Dunn Jewelers a step above the competition. And award-winning designer Robert Pelliccia is the primary player in producing J. R. Dunn Jeweler’s renowned unique jewelry designs. The entire Dunn staff feels extremely fortunate to have Robert as the driving force behind the exquisite designs that adorn the store's isles of elegance. Robert, who is Ann Marie Dunn’s brother, has been designing quality jewelry for 30 years. As a true artist, Robert found jewelry design as a wonderful way to express his design aesthetic and countless clients of J.R. Dunn, both here and abroad, wear his creations every day. “I feel a great sense of satisfaction in knowing that someone can be made so happy by one of my designs. The best part of my job is when I see the client’s reaction and I haven’t just met their expectations — I’ve exceeded them. I try to put my heart and passion into every one of my designs so they will be unique and different and hopefully excite the customer’s hopes and desires as well.”
Robert Pelliccia Designs Exclusively For
1993 DeBeers Diamonds Today Award 1994 Modern Jeweler Buyers Choice Award 1995 DeBeers Diamonds Today Award 1999 DeBeers Diamonds Today Award 1999 AGTA Spectrum Award 2000 AGTA Spectrum Award 2001 AGTA Spectrum Award 2002 AGTA Platinum Honors Award 2005 AGTA Platinum Honors Award 2005 AGTA Spectrum Award 2006 AGTA Spectrum Award 2007 AGTA Spectrum Award 2009 AGTA Spectrum Award 2009 AGTA Buyers Choice Award 2011 AGTA Platinum Honors Award
The
Message Locket
Inspired by Romeo & Juliet
To be worn always with your loved one’s written thoughts tucked away inside
By Award Winning Designer Robert Pelliccia exclusively for J.R. Dunn Jewelers
15th Annual Dunn’s Run & Walk for the Kids 2011 5K Walk & Run | 5 Mile Run The 15th Annual Dunn’s Run was held on October 2nd at Deerfield Beach benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. Dunn’s Run has become one of the largest racing events in the Tri-County area and now attracts over 2,000 runners, walkers and participants. The events founder, Jim Dunn is humbled by the growth Dunn’s Run has achieved. “I am in awe every year when I see the sheer number of runners and walkers coming over the bridge to Deerfield Beach.” Jim credits much of the growth of this event to the hard working volunteers and the generosity of corporate sponsors and individuals. New to Dunn’s Run this year is title sponsor Reagan Wireless Corp. who contributed $20,000 towards the cause. Company spokesman, Mark Laffler, said that they would be delighted to participate when the volunteers at the Boys and Girls Clubs had asked the Deerfield Beach firm to become a sponsor. “We believe in giving back to our community and providing a foundation for young people to build upon and become productive taxpaying citizens in society. We are a strong believer in our free market society,” Laffler said. Through the years this event has raised an estimated $3 million for the Boys and Girls Clubs. Jim Dunn feels the charity run will continue to grow because it is a real feel good event set against the gorgeous backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean and Deerfield Beach. People of all ages come out to have fun in the sun, beat their personal best times and show terrific support for a worthy cause in the community.
The Mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs:
"To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens." It’s a tough time to be a kid. There are pressures of peers, drugs, gangs, broken homes and overcrowding and the circumstances of poor education, low income, unemployment, and homes where love and attention are lacking. At the Boys & Girls Clubs, there is a place a child can go to get away. Away from those pressures and temptations. A place for some fun and companionship or just to hang out. And more often than not, once a child becomes a member, their life is positively changed forever. The purpose is to help young people, ages 6-18, improve their lives by building self-esteem and developing values and skills during their critical period of growth. Services and programs provided focus on everything from education, social recreation, health and physical education, to leadership and citizenship development, cultural enrichment, and personal adjustment with one-on-one counseling. The goal of the Boys & Girls Clubs is to assure and to enhance the quality of life for children as participating members of a diverse urban society. Events like the Dunn's Run help offset the cost of these services so these children are given a chance at a positive life. Today more than 4.2 million young people are served annually through membership and community outreach. There are more than 4,000 facilities throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, plus domestic and international military bases. These Clubs are staffed by over 50,000 trained employees. If you interested in learning on how you can help or make a contribution to the Boys & Girls Clubs please contact, Danielle Cox at 954-537-1010.
Jim Dunn and Congressman Allen West
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“The Inspiration” I grew up in Braintree Massachusetts. My mother was a visiting nurse and I remember delivering food and clothing to needy families in our small town, especially around the holidays. She was always helping in any way she could–7 days a week. My father passed away when I was seven leaving my mother alone to care for my brother, two dogs, and me. Somehow my mother had the strength of character to continue her good work and instill in us how important it is to give back to the community and to others who are less fortunate. My mother was truly the “Florence Nightingale” of our time. With my mother’s teaching, we knew in our hearts that when we started our business we definitely wanted to give back to the community. Therefore, Dunn’s Run emerged 15 years ago to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County. It’s been very rewarding for us to hear about all the stories of latchkey kids making successful lives. – J I M
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Rick Case and Paul Castronovo 2007 Jim Moran Corporate Challenge trophy presented to Jan Moran
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Randy Rogers, Jim Dunn, and Curtis Shoffner
by melissa walker
You deserve a celebrity-style break. Try one of these A-List resorts where stars hide away.
Jumby Bay, Antigua, West Indies Hilary Swank, Thandie Newton and Queen Latifah have all vacayed at this 300-acre private enclave two miles off the coast of Antigua. Accessible only by boat, the secluded hideaway offers outdoor garden bathrooms, private to all but the sun and moon. Star Features: If Angie and Brad wanted to bring the brood, they’d be pleased with the Pampered Parents Program, which includes a full day of child care. They might also enjoy the Sorbet Butler, who serves free refreshments each morning, and the kiddie swag bag.
jumbybayresort.com
St. Regis Resort, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
stregis.com
The St. Regis in Bora Bora is so hot that celebrity visits overlap. Eva Longoria and pro basketball player Tony Parker happened to crash Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s romantic getaway. Star Features: Spa Miri Miri’s treatments include local beauty ingredients like luminescent pearl powder. For the ultimate in elite, book one of the two secluded beach villas with private pools, complete with exclusive helicopter pads for a Diddy-like entrance. 20
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San Ysidro Ranch, Santa Barbara, California Before Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony started vacationing here, the ranch was the site of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh’s wedding—not to mention John and Jackie Kennedy’s honeymoon. Star Features The Privileged Pets Program ensures that your mini dog will have maxi luxury; after he signs his paw print into the animal guest book, he can enjoy an in-room pet massage. And don’t miss the private yoga instruction, fresh-baked pastries delivered daily to your door, 17 miles of walking trails and organic vegetable garden.
sanysidroranch.com
Turtle Island Resort, Fiji Both Blue Lagoon movies (’49 and ’79) were filmed on Turtle Island—one of Fiji’s Yasawas Islands—where a 500-acre couples-only resort is located. No wonder Britney Spears and Charlize Theron have both spent more than the minimum sixday stay in one of the 14 private beach villas. Star Features: There’s a 5-to-1 guest-to-staff ratio, so all your needs are taken care of, from deepsea fishing to fourhanded massage. Musicians lure guests to a nightly outdoor dinner party for fresh-caught seafood. turtlefiji.com
Hotel Metropole, Monte Carlo Refurbished in 2004 by architectural designer Jacques Garcia, the famed Hotel Metropole is a modern classic. Garcia’s goal? To create a space where a rock star could hang out with a duchess. With Gwen Stefani and the Monaco royals roaming the halls, we’d say, mission accomplished. Star Features: A spa with an amethyst crystal steam room, caladarium (a steam/inhalation bath), ice fountain and showers with a burst of cool mint mist or tropical rain. Not to mention an outdoor heated seawater swimming pool. metropole.com
Melissa Walker is a writer who has worked as ELLEgirl Features Editor and Seventeen Prom Editor. In late 2008, she launched I Heart Daily with fellow ex-ELLEgirl Anne Ichikawa. It's a daily newsletter about likable stuff.
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beautiful bridal sets
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Elegant, timeless and modern: fine jewelry for today’s bride The 1960s, 1970s and even the 1980s make regular comebacks in fashion design, but for bridal jewelry, there’s no era more timeless and inspiring than the 1920s. When Art Deco exploded onto the art scene in 1925 in Paris, it took the international design world by storm. Well into World War II, the clean, modern lines of Art Deco supplanted earlier, more ornate styling in everything from architecture to furniture to graphic arts to fashion and jewelry. Indeed, many of the jewelry world’s most prized collectibles — such as vintage Cartier or Van Cleef & Arpels pieces — date from the Art Deco era, and the clean lines and delicate proportions of Art Deco jewelry look as modern today as they did more than 80 years ago.
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Tacori
Today’s hottest bridal jewelry evokes
“People love the classic beauty of the
The newest must-have for today’s
the sensibility of that era. What’s old is
round diamond and the vintage elegance
bride is the “halo” setting. It’s all about big,
new again, says Amanda Gizzi, bridal
of the cushion,” adds Greg Kwiat, a
says Gizzi. With a halo of smaller dia-
expert at the Jewelry Information Center
fourth-generation member of the epony-
monds surrounding the center stone, this
in New York. Older diamond cuts, such as
mous jeweler.
setting increases the visual scale of the
rose or old mine, are surging, while other
Roberto Coin’s Cento collection,
center, so when your appetite for dia-
romantic shapes like ovals, cushions and
meanwhile, features a special 100-facet
monds is bigger than your budget, it’s one
Asscher cuts also capture the imagination
round diamond that has a floral pattern
way to get the proportions you want.
of brides looking for something distinctive.
visible in the crown. Other new Coin
Luckily for brides on a budget, “big” today
Nick Ozkan of Verragio says round
engagement rings celebrate romance with
doesn’t mean just a headlight-sized center
will always be most popular, but the firm
delicate platinum wire and diamond pavé.
stone. It’s now all about the overall visual
The radiant cut — which resembles a
effect of the ring: how much sparkle it has,
is getting more and more requests for cushions and princess cuts.
classic emerald-cut diamond but combines
and its total diamond weight.
the elongated facets of the step-cut emerald
But not all couples think bigger is
with the fiery kite-like facets of a brilliant
better. Coast’s Gilbert gets requests to
cut — has women taking a second look at
accommodate smaller center stones —
the oblong shape, another vintage favorite.
half to three-quarter carat — for couples
Scott Kay
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Robert Pelliccia
that want to scale back. Regardless, quality is paramount. “We may live in a tough
ruby or the many hues of sapphire.) Speaking
the
Duchess
brides like the idea of a ring that’s virtualof
ly indestructible. Some of these highly
time but brides still don’t want a silver
Cambridge, her classic yet modern wed-
affordable new materials are almost
ring with a CZ,” he says.
ding day attire is sure to inspire brides of
impossible to cut through even with a metal saw!
Another trend is engagement rings
all ages. While a diamond tiara is probably
that don’t look like typical engagement
not going to be de rigueur for most non-
Whatever your taste or your budget,
rings. For example, diamond eternity
royal brides, her diamond drop earrings
your jeweler can ensure that when your
bands are being chosen by couples that
were simple, elegant, and timelessly pro-
wedding day arrives, the jewelry you
want a fresh, less traditional style to mark
portioned — not too big, not too dainty.
choose to celebrate the beginning of your
their engagements, says Gizzi. Along those
Giving a bride a gift of precious jewelry to
new life together will be just right from
same lines, both pink and blue sapphire
wear on her wedding day is a most mean-
that day forward.
rings were already gaining steam, but the
ingful way to celebrate and create an heir-
day Kate Middleton received Princess
loom.
Diana’s sapphire and diamond engage-
But let’s not forget the groom. While
ment ring from Prince William, interest in
the bride is focused on the look of her
the velvety blue stone rocketed. (A bit of
ring, guys are fascinated by technology.
gemological trivia: Did you know that sap-
One of the biggest trends for men is a
phire comes in every color of the rainbow
post-space-age wedding ring made from
except red? Once a pink sapphire has
thoroughly modern materials like cobalt,
enough color saturation to be considered
titanium, palladium, tungsten carbide, or
red, it’s called by the name of sapphire’s
even stainless steel. Guys like the idea that
twin sister, ruby. Both are corundum, but
their ring is made from the some of the
different trace elements create the red of
same stuff that’s on spacecraft, and their
Robert Pelliccia
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Robert Pelliccia
spotlight
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele
Louis-Ulysse Chopard would doubtless be delighted to see how his company has developed. Celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2010, the firm is still pervaded by the spirit instilled in it by its founder and nurtured by a blend of fine hand craftsmanship and daring technical developments.
Vertical integration Eager to reduce its dependence on suppliers, Karl Scheufele has persistently striven to achieve vertical integration of production. “We make almost everything ourselves, from cases to straps. Ideas are almost instantly translated into reality thanks to our two watch and jewelry design studios�. Chopard is thus endowed with a considerable sum of expertise and innovative capacity. Chopard hosts an impressive range of engineers, prototype makers, designers, goldsmiths, watchmakers, turners, tool-makers, polishers, smelters, engravers, mechanics operating CNC machinery, uniting 45 professions in one complete entity. Chopard even makes its own gold alloys. In order to pass on its expertise and to nurture innovation, Chopard has its own internal training division. Each year, 25 apprentice watchmakers and jewelers taking four-year training courses are supervised by an apprenticeship master active on all three sites. The 2008 Best Training Company prize awarded by the State of Geneva in the category of Applied Arts rewarded Chopard’s long-term commitment to education.
From the founding family to that of Karl Scheufele which took it over in 1963, Chopard continues to be governed by its enduring principles, including a taste for excellence, the pursuit of quality, creativity, innovation, independence, and fundamental human respect. After modest beginnings, Chopard established itself in the 19th century as a benchmark in the field of precision watches. From the first Happy Diamonds model to the latest Haute Joaillerie, the whole world knows and wears Chopard.
A PA S S I O N F O R E X C E L L E N C E
BAR REFAELI we ar ing CHOPARD
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HAPPY DIAMONDS COLLECTION
Chopard brings stars good luck at the Oscars. Chopard has become the lucky jeweler and watchmaker to the stars. Over the past eight years, nine actresses and actors adorned in Chopard have won Academy Awards: Charlize Theron, Hilary Swank, Rachel Weisz, Helen Mirren, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz, Mo’Nique and Colin Firth.
Birth of the Chopard look
Renewed creativity
Happy Diamonds
In the modern era, the Chopard look was nurtured in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements. In 1972, Karl Scheufele III reinterpreted Art Nouveau in a series of plant life-themed watches, starting with Belle Epoque and following on with other nature-inspired collections such as Cascade, Happy Diamonds in 1976, Moonlight, and Paradiso. The Chopard style signature was as multi-facetted as the men and women it won over: deliberately round watches reflected the sensual curves and vivid colors of the 1970s, while broad cuff-watches in onyx, malachite, coral and turquoise combined daring shapes and beautiful gemstones. In 1972-74, women readily adopted the Jeans watch and its famous denim strap.
During the 1990s, Caroline Scheufele and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele formed a new leadership tandem, just as their parents had done before them. Each reinterpreted the family tradition in their own way: Caroline reinvented the ancestral Pforzheim jewelrymaking tradition by launching splendid Haute Joaillerie collections, while KarlFriedrich did the same for watchmaking in Sonvilier by founding a fine watchmaking “Manufacture” in Fleurier 1996. The two complementary partners already shared the same office as they wrote a new chapter in the epic Chopard adventure.
In 1976, an original expression of horological creativity — Happy Diamonds — gave an unprecedented twist on the theme of diamond-set watches. During a stroll in the Black Forest, Chopard decorator and designer Ronald Kurowski marvelled at the sight of a waterfall: the drops of water bursting from it reflecting the sunlight and shimmering like the colors of the rainbow. This vision sparked his brilliant idea of enabling diamonds to shine more brightly by freeing them from their retaining claw settings and enabling them to move about. The first Happy Diamonds models were men’s watches with an onyx base. When she caught sight of them, Karl’s wife, Karin spontaneously exclaimed “these diamonds are happier because they are set free.”
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“Our family history is the cornerstone of Chopard, laid by artisans and handed down from generation to generation. This know-how is infinitely precious.” — KARL-FRIEDRICH SCHEUFELE
The clown: a young woman’s master stroke: As a teenager, Caroline Scheufele already enjoyed drawing jewelry models. In 1985, a first major sketch of a clown with disarticulated legs and a tummy full of diamonds and colored stones propelled her firmly into the creative world. This humorous design rejuvenated the Chopard image and was an instant hit, to the point of becoming the brand mascot: a dramatic stage entrance for the bosses’ daughter! After the success of the clown, Caroline created a real Happy Diamonds jewelry line, which appealed to a younger audience. Caring for others The Scheufele family regards serving just and noble causes as a natural duty. The company has been involved for many years in a number of patronage activities covering a variety of fields including medicine, ecology, art, and culture. The José Carreras Leukaemia Foundation, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and The Prince’s Foundation are all dedicated to improving the well-being of others. J. R .
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New Year’s eve 1958 in Havana. The Batista regime is coming to a chaotic end. Fidel Castro’s revolutionary forces are literally at the doorsteps of the Cuban capital. An elegant silver-gray 1957 Chevrolet Impala convertible comes to a screeching halt at the main entrance gate of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba. In the backseat of the car sits a nervous man — Meyer Lansky, kingpin of the American Mafia in Cuba. Lansky’s concern: get as much of the Mafia money as possible out of Cuba before the communist mob storms the casinos. Millions are at stake. Lansky’s brand-new casino, The Habana Riviera, made three million dollars in its first season, the recently opened casino of the Nacional is doing equally well. He tells his Cuban driver, Armando Jaime Casielles, “We’ve got to make the rounds to all the casinos. We’ve got to make sure the counting rooms are secure, that the money is secure. You know, the island is going to fall. It could get violent. It could get heated, and we have to protect our assets.”
Fifty-two years later: An air-conditioned tour-bus with the bright omnipresent logo of Cuba’s tourism agency Havanatur stops at the same spot at the roundabout in front of the Nacional as Lansky’s car did so many years earlier. On board, guide Ricardo explains the significance of the building: “This is where the American Mafia met and made their decisions how to operate in Cuba.” He has information from a firsthand source. After the victory of the revolution, Lansky’s driver Casielles wrote The Secret Life of Meyer Lansky in Havana, relaying his experience as a Mafia chauffeur: “The gigantic projects of gaming, drugs and sex; channels of heroin to the United States, and cocaine powder for the consumption of thousands of American tourists who visited the wildest spots in Havana...were condemned to disappear as soon as Batista’s tyranny fell apart.”
Cuba’s Hotel Nacional
mafia bride
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Gone are Lansky and the American suits and costumes of the decadent ’50s. Instead, sandalclad British and Canadian tourists, coming from the all-inclusive resorts of Varadero or Holquin, leave the tour-buses, and are received by the stone-faced underpaid porters of communist Cuba, who deeply depend on the convertible pesos spent by these Western tourists. Even the famous 426-bed Nacional is not spared by this hunger for tourism money.
Making our way to the reception, it takes a while to take in the stark contrast between Bermuda shorts of the visitors and the grandeur of this storied building. The hotel looks like a palace in the way it majestically perches on a rock, overlooking Havana’s skyline. Designed by the famed American architects McKim, Mead & White in the 1920s, it displays neomoorish styles, dashes of art deco and neoclassical elements like its prominent twin-towers. The reception hall and its surroundings resemble the cloisters of a cathedral, and, thanks to a $64 million restoration in 1992, every building material is the finest: Carrara marble, Seville tiles, and tropical cedar wood. The grand-dame of hotels celebrates her 81st birthday on December 30th, 2011. On that occasion Cubans and international celebrities will once again look fondly back at the intriguing history of the hotel. They will marvel at the portrait pictures of the galleria, the Nacional’s own hall of fame, where its most prominent guests smile from the marbled walls, ranging from Buster Keaton and Winston Churchill to Kevin Costner and Naomi Campbell. Famous stories will be told, such as how Johnny Weissmuller, famous as Olympic gold medalist in swimming and Tarzan actor, inaugurated the garden pool during the hotel opening at the peak of the global depression in 1930 with a jump straight out of his room window. Or how a group of aristocratic Cuban army officers barricaded themselves in the hotel during their failed uprising against dictator Batista in 1933. “When the Nacional opened in 1930 the society reporters of the local tabloids had to work for days,” says Cuban historian Estela Rivas Vazquez during a tour of the hotel. It feels like the ghosts of these glorious days still roam the halls of the Nacional and if you believe British actor Jude Law, quite literally. The movie star, known for his liking of Cohiba cigars and Cuban rum, visited the Nacional with his ex-wife Sadie Frost and their children during Christmas 2007. According to Law’s own account of events, he surprised Frank Sinatra’s ghost while raiding his mini-bar. Even though believers said that the actor didn’t know that he stayed in the singer’s former suite, skeptics would rather point towards the extensive sampling of vintage Cuban rum that Law reportedly sampled before the encounter. 34
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Ghosts or no ghosts, it requires neither the vivid imagination of an intoxicated Hollywood actor nor a paranormal event to picture Frank Sinatra relaxing with his wife Ava Gardner on the lounge chairs of the hotel garden during their honeymoon in 1951. A Mojito from the outdoor bar in hand, we find the part of the hotel park that Sinatra and Gardner particularly cherished, a spot on the hill which overlooks the Malecon, Havana’s oceanfront promenade. And while an electrical storm blows over the city’s sky line, all that is missing is Franky Blue Eyes singing, “In the wee small hours of the morning.” But the Nacional is not only the right place to reminisce about the romantic Frank Sinatra, it’s also an important road marker when it comes to the singer’s Mafia connections. Sinatra started visiting Cuba in 1946 on the invitation of prominent mobsters living in exile there, including Charlie “Lucky” Luciano, the Fischetti brothers, and, of course, Meyer Lansky. On December 20, 1946, a Sinatra concert at the Nacional served as cover for one of the most important events in the history of the American Mafia — a meeting so important that it even got immortalized in a scene of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather II: Jewish mobster Hyman Roth, a character based on the real-life Meyer Lansky, is having a birthday party in his hotel suite in Havana. “These are wonderful things that we’ve achieved in Havana, and there’s no limit to where we can go from here. This kind of government knows how to help business, to encourage it. The hotels here are bigger and swankier than any of the rub joints we’ve put in Vegas, and we can thank our friends in the Cuban government, which has put up half of the cash, with the Teamsters, on a dollar-for-dollar basis; has relaxed restrictions on imports,” Roth boasts.
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These lines may be from the Godfather script, but every word in it is true and could have been spoken by Lansky at the famous Mafia conference of ’46 at the Nacional. Not less than five hundred mob leaders took over the hotel, which was closed to ordinary guests that week. It was the biggest and most important conference of underworld leaders since the notorious Chicago meeting in 1932. Alibi provider Frank Sinatra arrived with two cousins of Al Capone and two golden cigarette boxes for the guest of honor, Lucky Luciano, who was about to be crowned the king of the Mafia’s international operations with his headquarters in Havana. At this conference at the Nacional, mobster banker Meyer Lansky shared with his partners a dark vision for Havana. The city was about to become a Latin Vegas, a place ruled by drug trade, gambling, prostitution, labor racketeering, and extortion. Lansky’s vision quickly became a reality. Casinos, hotels and nightclubs sprouted like mushrooms in Havana after the ’46 conference with the Nacional itself getting its own casino in 1955, inaugurated with a grand gala featuring Eartha Kitt. Twenty percent of the profits were used to finance the Batista dictatorship. By the 1950s, Havana was teeming with American tourists staying in the mob hotels like the Nacional, gambling, dancing the mambo and visiting brothels. Eighty flights from the United States landed at Havana airport every day. Pan American Airlines, which had controlling interest in the Nacional, offers round-trip tickets from Miami to Havana for $39, promising “an international swirl of race, language, and social class.” Says T.J. English, author of the book Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba, Then Lost it to the Revolution, in a radio-interview, “A flood of tourists, mostly from North America and from Europe, came to Havana, seeing it as one of the great entertainment scenes throughout history, in a way, because it really was a confluence of a kind of entertainment and a sort of slightly dangerous feel to it, particularly as the revolution began to unfold.”
It is this decadence and exploitation of Cuba that fueled the Castro revolution. They watched how the American Mafia teamed up with legit corporations like the Hilton Group or Pan Am and split up the spoils of Cuba. To communist propagandists, it provided proof of capitalism’s evils. According to English, this era defines the American-Cuban relationship still to this day: the deep resentment and hatred. “This has been used over the many decades, by Castro and others within the Revolution, as a kind of a call to arms, a reason why we could never trust the United States government because of its criminal connections and criminal roots,” explains English. So when the revolutionaries stormed the Nacional and the other mob hotels in 1959 and closed the casinos not much later, they removed the symbols of the hated lifestyle that spawned their movement. The mob realized that they would never be able to buy Castro, so the mafiosi put their profits into big suitcases and fled the country. It was the end of an era. Only once after that did the Nacional make international headlines, when, during the missile crisis of 1962, the Cuban army moved its head command into a cave underneath the hotel. The Nacional fell into a deep slumber from which it only awoke with its restoration in 1992. The communist government had lost its financier, the Soviet Union, and was in desperate need of tourism money. Good news for the hotel, which experienced a resurrection. And even though the glorious days for the grand old dame of Havana’s skyline may be over, there is hope for better times, at least from an economical perspective. U.S. President Barack Obama has said that he wants a “new beginning” with Cuba, and, already, tour-operators prepare for the return of millions of Americans to the island. Will there be a new craze of indulgence? At least some travel experts believe so. If it happens soon, it will be atravel experience not to be missed. And if the opportunity arises, why not stay in the place that has become a symbol of Havana’s history like no other — the Hotel Nacional de Cuba?
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Marco Bicego’s jewelry is the very definition of modern luxury: it embraces the values of old-world craftsmanship and blends them with the principles of everyday, modern style
Jaipur Link necklace crafted in 18k yellow gold.
If
If you grow up, as Marco Bicego did, surrounded by precious
gems and metals, there is a natural substance to the desire to cre-
signature style – plenty of color and meticulously worked gold surfaces – has become internationally recognized.
ate beautiful jewelry. Bicego learned the craft of jewelry making at
Bicego’s appreciation for the beauty of finished gold surfaces
the side of his father, Guiseppe, who had a manufacturing studio
lies at the heart of his collection. While many jewelry makers are
in their hometown of Trissino, in Italy’s jewelry-making Veneto
letting small gemstones or minerals replace gold surfaces, due to the
region. Since launching his own brand, only nine years ago, Bicego’s
rising cost of gold, Bicego refuses to abandon his trademark style.
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The presence of glorious gold sur-
stacked and still comfortable – the
faces in his collections makes
more the better.”
him especially unique today.
When
“Gold is our primary raw material
at
if
he
believes gold jewelry is an
Marco
investment, Bicego replies
Bicego,” he says. “The
yes but that, above all, it is
entire line is crafted from
an investment in personal
18k yellow and white
style. “All fine jewelry is an
gold. We will always design
investment, but I strive to cre-
using gold, as it is intrinsic to
Jaipur Link bracelet crafted in 18k yellow gold.
our brand DNA and my per-
ate pieces that women can use every day and wear from the
sonal goldsmithing heritage.” That
beach to a cocktail party. It’s what I
heritage dictates that each piece is
like to call ‘everyday luxury’ – minimalist
hand-tooled and hand-chiseled, with at
and clean-lined design. Our customers def-
least ten specialists working on every piece.
initely see gold as an investment, but it’s
Colored stones are also an important part of the Bicego style. “In many of my collections, I work with semi-precious stones, including the Paradise and Jaipur collections. Usually they feature an assortment of citrines, amethyst, tourmalines and peridot. This year I’m also incorporating sapphires, emeralds and lapis as the evolution of color is very important to Marco Bicego.” Wearability is also essential. “Our jewelry is meant to be worn every day – not saved in the jewelry box for that special occasion.
I love seeing how my clients
interpret the Marco Bicego style, and how they layer pieces.” For example, he wanted the gold Jaipur bangle, introduced last year and now a classic, to be wearable and relaxed, so he designed the gold to be flexible. “A woman can wear it all day without knowing it is even on her wrist,” he says, adding, “our flexible bangles can be easily
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“Our jewelry is meant to be worn everyday — not saved in the jewelry box for that special occasion. I love seeing how my clients interpret the Marco Bicego style, and how they layer pieces.” Marco Bicego
also important to remember the element of craftsmanship. We create in Italy, and our artisans are trained in a way that blends old-world Italian hand craftsmanship with tradition, passion and imagination.” Ultimately, Bicego says, “we encourage our customers to buy what they love and what they feel great in.” The collection travels easily from day into night; it’s collectible, stackable and versatile, and many of the collections can be mixed and matched with others. “Our customers know that if they purchase something from our Siviglia collection, for example, they could come back in a few months or next season and work a new piece from the Jaipur collection into their wardrobes,” says Bicego. Customers therefore tend to become collectors, with each new collection representing an opportunity to build a wardrobe of quality, stylish jewelry.
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Necklace by Mikimoto
This ain’t no disco Put Studio 54 garishness out of your mind. Today’s evening attire is more mink wrap and Manhattans than fun-fur and shooters.
It’s just one more thing to credit Mad Men for. Or rather Janie Bryant, the hit TV show’s costume designer, whose work has single-handedly made early ’60s style hotter than a curling iron for the past several seasons. Admittedly, Bryant was handed the best time slot to work in: the mid-1950s through the mid-1960s represents the ultimate in sophisticated women’s fashion, and nowhere is that more evident than in the understated elegance of that period’s evening attire. This fall and winter, we’re attempting to recapture the same soignée ’60s attitude with a series of designer dresses and gowns that leave a little less in plain sight and a little more to the imagination. We start with shimmery full-length evening gowns, whose de rigueur sheen derives from satin fabrics in saturated jewel tones, such as deep emerald, sapphire, topaz, and, our favorite old flame, flaming red. Or it might come from faux fish scales made from overlapping plaques of opaquely iridescent or translucently colored plastic. Lots and lots of little hand-sewn sequins or jet-black bugle beads can also be used for scintillating effect.
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Rock Tradition.
time
Photo Courtesy of PAULE KA
Plainer gowns, say a simple black or wine-red velvet, as well as cocktail ensembles, may get their glitter on through gussiedup accessories. Fish scales, beads, metals, and other reflective materials can easily decorate any one of this season’s small evening clutches or, indeed, a strappy pair of sandals. They can also be used to transform ordinary stockings into head-turning leggings covered in beadwork, metallic threads, colorful floral prints, or a symphony of all three things at once. Other dressy accessories this season include a major statement necklace in heavy silver or bronze, with maybe a matching pair of gauntlet bracelets (earrings, on the other hand, stick to small, understated presentations), an elegant evening cape lined with lustrous satin, and the early ’60s staple of a natural or colored fox fur stole. As for the way today’s dressy dresses, cocktail and evening, are cut and styled, think high, round necks (with or without a cheeky keyhole opening beneath), as well as expansive vee shapes front and back whose ends neatly turn into capped shoulders. All very 1960s, in fact, just like the general insistence on womanly curves, knee-length hems in the cocktail category, and elbow-length evening gloves worn with absolutely everything. (Although given our penchant for the period, these cotton or kid leather gloves oddly enough come colored in anything but classic white).
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Like the femme fatales on Mad Men, our cocktail dresses may use fabric frills, poufs, and swags for dramatic effect — a hugely bowed organza sash around the waist, an asymmetric silk balloon pouf draped negligently off one hip, or ripples of taffeta bunched to the side of the waist and descending in a simulated waterfall down one leg. What these bulky fabric add-ons really should not do, as a few designers mistakenly assume, is sit centred on a dress, or get strapped to each hip like saddle bags, or indeed morph into huge side pockets. Here’s a hint for you guys: Any style that makes a size 00 runway model look ungainly or pregnant is probably not going to go over well with real women. ’Nuff said. On the whole, though, viewing the new season’s slate of eveningwear puts me in mind of my grandmother’s highest word of praise: These styles are “swish.” They are indeed such a pleasure to look at that it makes me wish Janie Bryant had a couture collection of her own to present – if only so that she could receive proper credit for creating this chic phenomenon in the first place.
Today’s woman dresses
modern
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designer spotlight A suite of 18k gold jewelry by Roberto Coin.
When Roberto Coin began to design and produce jewelry in 1977 on behalf of some of the most prestigious international brands of fine jewelry, he found himself quickly becoming one of the most sought-after designers in the business. He eventually launched his own brand in 1996, and has never looked back. Coin’s quirky yet elegant style, combined with the highest standards of craftsmanship, not to mention his winning personality and warmth, have brought him loyal admirers from around the world. In May 2011, Roberto Coin had the pleasure of inviting its most dedicated and ambitious retail partners to Vicenza, Italy to share with them the history and culture of his luxurious brand. Among them were Ann Marie and Jim Dunn of J.R. Dunn Jewelers. The trip included fantastic sightseeing excursions as well as a visit to the Roberto Coin jewelry factory. Mr. Coin’s appreciation for the Italian maestros from whom he learned jewelry design was ever evident in his esteemed workshop. Ann Marie and Jim witnessed firsthand the meticulous detail and care that is put into each Roberto Coin piece. The visit allowed this select group to watch as one of Mr. Coin’s latest innovative designs was transformed into a reality: Bollicine, meaning “little bubbles” in Italian. The free-form enamel process was of utmost importance during their perusal of the factory as it is a true representation of fine Italian Craftsmanship. Not only did these top partners enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at this prolific brand, but they also spent valuable time with Mr. Coin himself. “When you meet Roberto you immediately feel the love and passion that goes into his designs,” says Ann Marie, “His ultimate goal is to make women happy and awaken their senses.” For the Dunns, the time
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“I have no doubts whatsoever that the future belongs to culture and style.”
Cocktail rings from the Haute Couture collection.
Ann Marie sharing a light-hearted moment with Roberto Coin in Verona, Italy
designer spotlight Coin’s home is in Vicenza, Italy, the heart of the country’s gold jewelry production, but Coin’s interest in jewelry extends far beyond the borders of the medieval piazzas of Vicenza. His mastery extends from his world view of design, often inspired by the arts. “I have no doubts whatsoever that the future belongs to culture and style,” he says. When he designs his jewelry, he imagines how his clientele would be dressed “in their different ways of living” and goes from there. “The result always points to style,” he says. Coin’s home may be in a gold region, but the master jeweler draws upon a broad range of other precious materials, some of which he popularized in modern fine jewelry wardrobes, including enamel, black sapphire, pearls and his impressive proprietary round brilliant diamond cut, the Cento. This special cut boasts 100 facets, nearly double the number found in traditional round brilliant diamonds. The Cento diamond is set into exclusive bridal and fashion jewelry collections. Whether wearing a formal design with high-quality diamonds or a playful high-jewelry scorpion, Roberto Coin’s greatest wish, in keeping with his philosophy of life, is that it be worn with pleasure. Scorpion bangle in black and colorless diamonds in rose colored gold.
Octopus-motif bracelet in shades of brown and colorless diamonds set in yellow gold.
Factory visit in Vicenza, Italy
Ann Marie and Jim in Vicenza, Italy
spent with Mr. Coin and the Roberto Coin team was a truly memorable experience and one they look forward to sharing with their own clients. The secret to Coin’s success goes beyond talent; this man genuinely loves and understands the particular aesthetic of fine jewelry. “For me, it is more than high karat gold and sparkling diamonds,” he says. “Luxury is a complicated challenge in this more complicated world. Every person has his own idea of what luxury really means. In the end, it might be as simple as doing whatever you want, whenever you want, as long as it pleases you and all the people that you care about.” Among his latest creations — for people who wear “what they want” — is a line of eye-popping rings in the Haute Couture collection that are set with tone-on-tone gemstones in shades of green (peridot, tsavorite), red (tourmaline, pink sapphire), (citrine and topaz) and blue sapphire. In keeping with his extraordinary sense of whimsy, Coin has also designed a collection of Octopus-motif rings, which playfully cling to the finger in shades of brown diamonds, colorless diamonds and black sapphire. A scorpion bangle and earring collection in Coin’s trademark peach gold, set with colorless and black diamonds, rounds out this year’s collection of creatures! J. R .
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spotlight
by t a y lor e a son
Mything the point As much as writers try to cut through the endless BS perpetuated by wine snobs, there’s still a lot of misleading info out there. Take the old story about sniffing corks. This age-old ritual only yields a snootful of cork and no revelation, yet lots of people still think they’re supposed to do it. Myths about everything from wine storage to wine pairings abound, and people go on believing them because nobody tells them otherwise. Consider what follows a myth-busting forum:
Plaid’s Triumphant Resurgence
MYTH: Red wine is best with red meat Although the protein in red meat can soothe a savagely tannic red wine, there’s no rule against drinking white wine. Don't let the establishment lay guilt or shame on you, be the rebel. In fact, the creaminess of chardonnay is kinda refreshing with a juicy grilled sirloin.
MYTH: Serving wine at room temperature A long time ago when wine rules were born, room temperature in European wine cellars meant 62-66 degrees Fahrenheit. Here in the new world, room temperature falls in the low-to-mid-70's range, and even higher in the south. But keep in mind that aroma and flavor of wine change radically at different temperatures, and too much heat kills off a wine's subtleties and interesting characteristics. To demonstrate, try chilling a bottle of red wine for several hours (or better yet, freak out a waiter by asking for an ice bucket with your red). Taste it right after opening, then again every 10 minutes. As it warms up, different flavors will emerge. This is also pretty remarkable with white wines, which are often served way too cold in restaurants. MYTH: All red wines can age Fact: 90- 95% of all wines are meant to be consumed within the first two years after bottling. For the most part, the remaining age-worthy percentage is cabernet sauvignon, syrah or grenache based wines, sturdy pinot noirs, some barrel-aged chardonnays, and dessert wines. Aging tames tannins and acidity, and allows the natural fruit to come forward. MYTH: ”Reserve” wines are better than regular wine In California, the word “Reserve” gets thrown around a lot, but there’s no official definition. This means Joe Blow’s Winery can slap the word on the label and charge extra for no reason at all. Although some wineries use it legitimately for their better bottlings, without official regulations to set quality standards, be wary. MYTH: ”Single Vineyard” wines are better than other wines Single-vineyard wines (those that feature the name of the vineyard on the label) may be trendy, but they don’t guarantee quality. These wines express the character of a certain vineyard – good or bad. Blending wines made from the fruit of multiple vineyards can actually improve a wine by balancing out its flavors, acidity levels, etc. MYTH: Rinsing your glass at wine tastings is a good thing I have no idea where this ritual came from, but there’s no need to rinse. Essentially, this exercise will only water down the flavor of the next wine. There is, however, one situation where you'd want to rinse: if you're changing from red to white wine because the red will discolor and change the flavor profile of the delicate white. MYTH: Opening the bottle lets the wine breathe Oxygen exposure can help tannic reds mellow out, but only if you pour the wine into a glass or decanter. Simply pulling the cork isn’t gonna do squat because the space between the bottle neck and the wine is too small to give the wine enough air contact. Fruity reds and most whites don’t usually need to breathe. Taylor Eason is the wine columnist at Creative Loafing in Atlanta.
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spotlight
The John Hardy jewelry collection is unique in several ways, not the least of which is its origins. While many luxury jewelry brands have roots in Italy, France or the United States, John Hardy started in Bali, in 1989. “The inspiration behind the brand is diverse,” says the designer Guy Bedarida. “The rich local culture and impressive techniques of the local Balinese artisans was instrumental in the conception of John
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Inspired by the beauty of Bali and crafted for everyday wear, the John Hardy collection is an American favorite
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Silver pendant depicting the Colibri hummingbird, with amethyst, rhodolite and blue topaz.
Hardy Jewelry. The designers, carvers and goldsmiths are all highly talented, with a long tradition of jewelry making; many of their ancestors designed for Indonesian royals throughout the past centuries.” John Hardy continues to use these techniques as well as find inspiration in nuanced details in the Bali culture and landscape, such as the pebbles found in the river that lines the brand’s compound, which makes up the Kali collection. This collection was one of the first the brand ever created, yet it is updated every season with new design elements. “I like to design beautiful jewelry inspired by what surrounds me,” says Bedarida. “It can be the nature surrounding me in my atelier in Bali or some extravagant painting that I see when I travel around Japan. Travels and nature are the most important elements that influence my designs.” John Hardy jewelry is made by hand from the beginning of the design process to the actual handcrafting in silver or gold. “We like to
Bangles from the Bedeg collection, which is rooted in the rattan motif and decorated with hummingbirds.
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“The Palu collection – which is hammered – is now half hammered and half smooth, creating a contrast between a very shiny surface and one that is uneven. It was inspired by the sailboats in Bali.” think it is jewelry that has a soul, because no machine is involved and every person who contributes to its making puts their heart and soul into the work,” says Bedarida. The latest collection is a variation on the Palu, a favorite of brand collectors. “The John Hardy customer is a loyal one. A lot of the customers have responded to the classic John Hardy designs, which I have revisited in my most recent collections, but with a twist,” says Bedarida. “The Palu collection – which is hammered – is now half hammered and half smooth, creating a contrast between a very shiny surface and one that is uneven. It was inspired by the sailboats in Bali.” Bedarida also recently created the gold Kali collection, which he describes as “sophisticated. This season we have developed and incorporated more gold pieces into the collection, which is very much in demand anytime there is a financial crisis,” he says. Another favorite is a one-of-a kind collection called Cinta. The design is sometimes reminiscent of John Hardy’s core collection, but it can also be inspired by the stone itself. “Many pieces are designed around the beauty of the stone,” says Bedarida, who believes that American jewelry lovers are “looking for bold, unique pieces that will define or reflect their personality. I think they respond well to brands that are authentic and have integrity in their design. Our collections, from one season-to another, are always new and fresh but still reference the brand DNA.” He says the five essential pieces for any woman’s jewelry wardrobe are: a cocktail ring; a pair of hoops; a statement necklace; a cuff; and an everyday pendant.
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The Most Expensive Cars in the World What’s the most expensive car in the world? I had reason to think about this while writing about the Porsche 918 Spyder, which is a plug-in hybrid with 16 miles of all-electric range. But it’s also a fire-breathing supercar that can reach 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and top 199 mph. The bottom line? A mere $845,000. Wow, that’s a lotta loot. But it’s not the most expensive car you can buy right now. I thought the top spot was held by the 1,001-horsepower Bugatti Veyron 16.4, which I seemed to recall costs a million dollars. It turns out the price is actually way more than that — the bottom line is well over $2 million if you opt for the Grand Sport version. Which, of course, you’re going to do, because who'd want to pay that much for a car knowing there was a more exclusive version out there? And it turns out there are really, really expensive cars on the market that are so exclusive I’ve never even heard of them. Here are a few:
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For every single week of the year.
TThe he PPatravi atravi Calendar Calendar is is the the ďŹ rst ďŹ rst watch watch in in a round round case case equipped equ with a movement manufactured m anufactured entirely entirely by by Carl Carl F. F. Bucherer. Bucherer. The The CFB CFB A1004 A1004 functional module, tthe he pperipheral eripheral rotor, rotor, the the big big date date switching switching mechanism mechanism and an the week display p y are eeloquent loquent pproof roof that that the the Patravi Patravi Calendar Calendar is is the the perfect perfect timepiece timepiece for for aesthetes aesthetes and and llovers overs of of complex complex technology technology alike. alike. www.carl-f-bucherer.com w ww.carl-f-bucherer.com
automobile extravagance The Pagani Zonda Cinque Coupe. This Italian supercar is a mere $1.738 million and is built in an edition of only five. Exclusiveness outweighs the fact that it’s kind of ugly. The prettier Zonda F Roadster is a mere $1.44 million. But you’ll want the Cinque, because its 678-horsepower V12 takes it to 217 mph and because you're not going to see another one in the WalMart parking lot. They made only one of the Absolute variant and shipped it to Hong Kong. I couldn't find a fuel economy rating, but it isn't going to compete with a Prius.
Koenigsegg CCXR: This oddly named entity offers a stunning 806 horsepower from a twin-supercharged V8. You pay for engines like that, in this case $1.2 million. The car delivers just 11 mpg, but it can run on E85 ethanol!
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Maybach Laundaulet. This is one of the few cars here built for parades, not the race track — though it’s fast, too. A proud descendant of the Mercedes 600 Pullman, which was mostly bought by African dictators, the Maybach Laundaulet allows its potentate owner to enjoy al fresco waving to his subjects, and for just $1.38 million. The Maybach, a Daimler product, gets 10 mph in town and an amazingly good 16 on the highway. If you don’t need the parade roof (or if the population is restive), go for the enclosed Maybach 62 Zeppelin, which is less than half the price and still plenty exclusive. It comes with champagne flutes.
Spyker C8 Aerilon Spyder. This is the supercar company that bought Saab. I interviewed CEO Victor Muller and found him refreshingly candid, very in touch with American slang although he’s Dutch. The mid-engined C8, with a 40-valve V8, tops out at 187 mph. Since that’s well short of 200 mph, the price is a mere $219,190. Muller is making Saabs now, but Spyker survives to bedazzle other kazillionaires. Expect just 13 mpg.
The millionaire playboy market can't be huge, but there's a lot of competition. In addition to the above, there are such cars as the Leblanc Mirabeau ($861,798), the Lamborghini Reventon ($1.45 million) and the SSC Ultimate Aero ($740,000). If you have an open shirt, medallions and millions of dollars burning a hole in your pocket, there are plenty of people willing to take your unearned money. Jim Motavalli is an online contributor to the New York Times, CBS Interactive, Hearst and the Mother Nature Network, as well as author of six books including Forward Drive: The Race to Build Clean Cars for the Future.
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Ivanka Trump, wearing diamond chandelier earrings with faceted black onyx drops.
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the 30-year-old daughter of Ivana and Donald Trump, is a businesswoman, socialite and model. She is the executive vice-president of development & acquisitions at The Trump Organization and the author of Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life. In 2006, she designed her first jewelry collection. In our exclusive interview, she tells us something about her love of jewelry and the inspiration behind her collection.
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1. Why did you decide to create a jewelry collection? My mother's Legacy jewelry collection always inspired me, and my love for the classic aesthetic helped propel my vision. I realized the luxury fine jewelry market was missing a fresh, young design approach. The vision for my collection is that it's a modern twist on jewelry's most important classics. I've always had a passion for jewelry, but I wanted to make women of my time feel comfortable buying fine jewelry and I wanted to give them the ultimate shopping experience. 2. What was the inspiration behind your new 2011 collection? My 2011 collection is named “Noor,” meaning “light” in Arabic. It is an exquisite new line of art-deco style jewels inspired by the sensual transparency of vintage lace, the play of light through its delicate pattern, and the intricate ornamentation of Byzantine architecture with its mosaic and arabesque patterns. I drew inspiration for the Noor collection beginning in 2010 while traveling to Morocco, Turkey and Baku, Azerbaijan. Design elements from these rich cultures were incorporated into the interior of the Trump Soho lobby and spa, while some references were transformed into sketches for the new jewelry collection. 3. What is your greatest inspiration? Heirloom chic is the creative vision behind my jewelry line. It puts a modern twist on classic jewelry, capturing a sense of fine workmanship, tradition and off-hand elegance. I’m influenced by every-
Diamond chandelier earrings with faceted black onyx drops.
thing around me, especially my travels and architecture 4. How would you describe your personal style? My personal style is classic and chic. I tend to stick to clean silhouettes by wearing tailored pencil shirts and flowing silk or chiffon blouses as well as wrap dresses. 5. What is meant by the motto “Rock Tradition?” Rock Tradition is a modern twist on jewelry’s most important classics. It is the youthful reinvention of key classic pieces that every woman should have. The collection pays homage to the past, while embracing the future.
6. What gems do you like to work with? My line is comprised of diamonds, black onyx, white agate, rock crystal, pearls and yellow gold, white gold, rose gold and platinum. A colorless palette is elegant and wearable. It can transcend the season and remain timeless. 7. Enamels and unusual gemstones are important in jewelry right now. Are you working with these? I am working with white enamels and also hand painted black coral and white enamels.
Diamond and black onyx linked bracelet.
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8. Who is the Ivanka Trump jewelry customer? I design jewelry for the modern, sophisticated, selfpurchasing woman of today. I wanted women to see the jewelry and be able to buy themselves an important piece of jewelry right away. My audience is women of all ages, all types – a woman who knows exactly what she wants and a woman who is not afraid to express herself through jewelry. 9. What are the five essential pieces of any woman’s jewelry wardrobe? 1) A fabulous cocktail ring. I love the architecturally
Heirloom chic is the creative vision behind my jewelry line. It puts a modern twist on classic jewelry, capturing a sense of fine workmanship, tradition and off-hand elegance. Cushion-shaped black onyx ring with half overlay diamonds, in a deco scroll pattern.
unique south sea pearl with black enamel work ring from my Noor Collection. It is truly a work of art! 2) A delicate diamond bangle. I love stacking timeless thin black or white diamond bangles from my collection. 3) A great pair of statement earrings such as the medium ovals from my signature collection. They are understated but bold! 4) A classic strand of pearls. 5) An effortless everyday necklace, I love the rose gold and mother of pearl necklace from my collection. Worn long or doubled, it is an easy, chic, everyday piece.
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Rose gold chain with mother-of-pearl and diamonds.
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Generations of jewelry aficionados continue to patronize the original maker of the cultured pearl Mikimoto, one of the world’s original luxury brands,
the brand has been selling the finest cultured pearls to the
remains highly sought-after today because of its ability to
world’s most glamorous women. Today, this 118-year-old
combine old-world tradition and craftsmanship with con-
jewelry brand is captivating a whole new generation of jew-
temporary design. It is this articulate balance between con-
elry lovers, while at the same time maintaining the confi-
vention and innovation that continually draws jewelry lovers
dence and admiration of generations of women who grew up
from around the world of every age group to Mikimoto’s cul-
with the knowledge that owning a strand of Mikimoto cul-
tured pearl creations.
tured pearls means owning the very best.
In 1893, Kokichi Mikimoto created the world’s first cul-
What is it that is so alluring about this brand
tured pearl. So prized were these pearls that, before long, he
that it appeals equally to fashionable twenty-
had opened a store in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district, estab-
something women as well as those with
lishing one of the world’s original luxury brands. Stores in
more classic tastes? “Today, Mikimoto is
Paris, London and New York soon followed, and since then,
as much a modern jewelry company as it
Golden South Sea cultured pearl ring, with diamonds, from the Twist collection.
White South Sea cultured pearl necklace with signature ball clasp, in 18k gold.
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THEY WILL GO.
T H E O R I G I N ATO R O F C U LT U R E D P E A R L S . S I N C E 1 8 9 3 .
is a traditional pearl house,” Says Meyer Hoffman, COO of Mikimoto America. “Because of that, we consistently introduce new collections. Of course, we always have the classics, the simple and timeless white Akoya cultured pearl jewelry, but over the years, we have evolved as an important brand for accessorizing contemporary wardrobes.” A look at Mikimoto’s latest styles reveals why the brand appeals to women of every age: each collection reflects current trends in fine jewelry: LONGER LENGTHS: The newest look in Mikimoto cultured pearl necklaces is a collection of longer strands, ranging in length from 32 inches to an astounding 100 inches long. These versatile, longer strands make a captivating fashion statement when worn alone or layered with another piece of jewelry. Taking the classic beauty of a traditional choker to a whole new level, these necklaces add glamour to any occasion. BLACK SOUTH SEA CULTURED PEARLS: Because of their breathtaking natural hues, Mikimoto’s Black South Sea cultured pearls are considered by fashion mavens and connoisseurs alike to be among the most distinctive of all gems. With their exotic origins and mysterious color palette, these pearls are versatile musthaves for anyone looking to make an edgy fashion statement. In direct contrast to the classic, feminine elegance of white pearls,
Black South Sea cultured pearl necklace with diamond and morganite enhancer. Black South Sea cultured pearl and diamond earrings from the Classic Elegance collection. Both set in 18k white gold.
Black South Seas are pearls with attitude, lending an air of confidence to the modern women who don them. Day or night, from the boardroom to the runway, Black South Sea cultured pearls are always appropriate. BAROQUE SOUTH SEA CULTURED PEARLS: The natural beauty of Mikimoto’s Baroque South Sea cultured pearls is derived from their superb luster and beautifully asymmetric silhouettes. The unique, organic shapes of these cultured pearls make them a constant marvel to behold and a true fashion statement. Each jewel, seemingly the polar opposite to the traditional view of pearl jewelry, is a conversation piece. Baroque Couture is an exclusive
PEARLS IN MOTION™: In this collection, a patented mechanism gives the wearer the ability to reposition each pearl along the chain, creating an infinite number of looks, from a single necklace to a lariat or even a single long strand. Mikimoto designs classics. Despite the many new collections introduced every year, the company still produces pieces that were designed 20 years ago. Mikimoto’s longstanding reputation for quality is key to this continuing cachet.
collection of one-of-a-kind Mikimoto jewelry designed around the distinctive shape and size of each pearl. Nature determines the setting and Mikimoto designers fulfill each pearl’s destiny. GOLDEN SOUTH SEA CULTURED PEARLS: This is the rarest of all the South Sea colors and these pearls are especially prized because of their exclusivity and unique tones, ranging from champagne color to a deep golden hue. TWIST: Twist is a collection of organic, free-form designs utilizing South Sea cultured pearls. These jewels are intended to showcase the pearl from all angles, and Mikimoto craftsmen meticulously set and individually fit each pearl to accomplish this objective. Twist is easy-to-wear 18k gold jewelry, featuring white, black or golden South Sea cultured pearls, some accented with diamonds.
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Baroque White South Sea cultured pearl ring with diamonds, set in 18k white gold.
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is better
Do you know how you felt when you learned that muffin-top pants on girls and big, baggy britches on boys were finally, finally on their way out? Well that’s how we felt on seeing that slimmer knotting ties were at last, thank heaven, coming in. This season’s biggest news from Europe, where all that ungainly, fat-knotting neckwear started in the first place, is that ties are now being made less heavily lined, are not meant to be twisted into Windsor-ish pretzels, and should, in fact, do what they do best: sit comfortably nestled within a vee-shaped collar enclosure that actually meets in or near the middle, where the neckwear will offer a welcome dash (not huge dollops) of color and pattern. Not everybody, of course, went overboard on the oversized tie trend. Some followed the dress code precept that one’s tie blade should be the same approximate width as one’s suit lapels; therefore, the narrower the jacket lapels, the narrower the tie width and the smaller the knot. Some wisely hedged their bets, winding only a single extra loop over their tie’s neckband for a relatively subdued halfWindsor knot. This, by the way, was the style the Duke of Windsor preferred, having grown to loathe the thicker knots known by his name.
going for the Smaller tie knots — and the collars that go with — are big, big news this fall. J. R .
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[Gentlemen, let’s not panic here. Remember it was men like Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, and perhaps even your father, who carried off this look with such distinction, panache and flair. This is not a young mens look but rather a return to the refined sophistication of a bygone era.]
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Photo Courtesy of SAND
www.jrdunn.com
is better
So perhaps now would be the right moment to remind you of a few a standard tie and standard collar facts: 1. Use the regular four-in-hand knot that takes one twist around the back end and then is pulled through the loop at the front. Easy-peasy. If you insist on a slightly bigger knot, use two tie twists; but remember that the front tip of the tie blade should still graze the top of your trouser waistband. 2. The best-looking collars, no matter what their size or spread, form a proper, pointed vee shape when the top button is done up. 3. Always buy your dress cotton shirts a half-collar size up. This allows for natural material shrinkage on first washing, ensuring that you will be able to comfortably do up your top button thereafter. 4. Always wash and press your new shirts before wearing them. This gets rid of any stray bacteria and fresh-out-of-the box wrinkles. Plus, no new clothing should ever actually appear new. 5. Contrast collars and cuffs, usually pure white on a shaded or striped shirt body, work only on semi-spread and spread collars, and appeal to the same type of man who loves big knotting ties. If you do happen to love the look, then, of course, you must keep wearing it. Just be aware that this style can comes across as a tad pushy. 6. Whereas spread collars best suit a narrower face, the same angle-softening trick can come from a small, rounded point collar, commonly known as the club collar. Luckily, these are also right back in fashion. 7. Standard point collars tend to suit every face and, in fact, can lessen the roundness in a wide face. Men with the latter should eschew collar tabs and bars (yes, they too are trending back) in order to avoid looking like a balloon on a string. And one further note: Consider purchasing yourself a tie slide. It’s an inexpensive way to add panache, is very much in the Mad Men now, and has the added bonus of holding your tie in its proper place. Yes, we know the jacket is supposed to do this, but so many guys take theirs off the moment they arrive at work that it makes a slide a worthwhile accessory to own. Remember, too, that you receive extra style points if you angle your slide slightly downward instead of placing it at the strict horizontal.
Photos Courtesy of STENSTROMS, LUIGI BIANCHI MANTOVA AND ROBERTO CAVALLI
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webster’s Stephen Webster’s awardwinning “rock-glam”jewelry rocks the foundations of traditional jewelry design London-based jewelry designer Stephen Webster has been widely recognized by the world’s jewelry establishment over the past 30 years, during which he has won countless awards, yet his designs are anything Crystal Haze cuff from Les Dents de la Mer collection, with shark’s teeth as the primary motif.
but conventional. Although made to high-jewelry standards and according to the principles of classic design, Webster – who is nicknamed the “rock ’n roll jeweler – is noted for a personal style that is gothic and often edgy, with thorns, shark’s teeth and skulls as signature motifs. The secret to this versatile designer’s success is his commitment to embracing the leading edge of design and creating collections that are accessible to a new generation of jewelry lovers. His line includes pieces from $150 to $1-million. “Things have changed,” Webster says. “The fear factor, the reverence and the rather staid formality surrounding fine jewelry have all but disappeared. Magazines now have fashion shoots featuring H&M jeans accented by $10,000 diamond rings. Adding a diamond-studded detail to a watch or a piece of jewelry no longer marks a customer as a flashy, ostentatious type. It just makes a person look more…lively,” he says.
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Webster’s down-to-earth philosophy has also led him to embrace a policy of social responsibility in his jewelry operation. He recently started using Fair Trade Gold, which, he says, “is sourced in a way that seeks to reduce dependence on harmful chemicals. Fair Trade Gold is a certification granted by the London-based Fairtrade Foundation in partnership with the Alliance for Responsible Mining. “The certification standard specifies that they don’t use chemicals like mercury,” says Webster, who adds, “it’s hard to get a large supply at this point, but we use all we can.” Webster, a lover of unique gemstones, is also diligent about acquiring the latest unusual and new specimens. He recently designed a collection using zultanite, a newly discovered colorchange gem that is mined in Turkey. “Not many new things are coming out of the ground these days,” says Webster. “It’s new, it’s rare, and that makes it special. My customers are loving it.” Webster blends his love for traditional craftsmanship with a pas-
Zultanite and diamond ring by Stephen Webster.
sion for contemporary music, fashion and art, to produce modern, unconventional yet beautiful fine jewelry. His is a unique and edgy approach that has been over 30 years in the making and has won him a huge loyal global customer base. Webster is a three-time winner of British Luxury Jeweller of the Year Award, and winner of the UK Jewellery Brand of the Year in 2008. Stephen also holds the honor of a Freeman of the City of London. His latest collections include Les Dents de la Mer, of which the predominant motif is shark’s teeth; and Murder She Wrote, which takes its inspiration from crime dramas, with motifs such as daggers, grenades and smoking guns – and of course, gorgeous colored gemstones. The Stephen Webster brand philosophy is to offer the consumer a true lifestyle experience through expert craftsmanship and a “glam-rock attitude,” says Webster, who maintains one of the largest jewelry manufacturing and design studios in London’s West End. His jewelry is sold through exclusive jewelry stores in the United Kingdom, United States, Russia, Dubai, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Kuwait and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Stephen’s stellar celebrity client roster continues to grow. Over the past few years he has designed one-of-a-kind pieces for the likes of Madonna, Sharon Stone, Kate Moss, Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Pink and Christina Aguilera. He has also created jewelry for Elton John, Jay Z, Ozzy Osborne, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke and Russell Brand to name but a few.
Ruby and white and black diamond ring in white and rose gold, with black enamel fingernails, from the Murder She Wrote collection.
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new looks for the new season
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The hottest looks of the moment in jewelry focus on unique expressions of personal style, combined with updated classics — which never go out of style.
one Slices. To some, they’re slices of carbon. To others, diamond slices are slivers of heaven. The diamond or gemstone slice is a type of cut that is typically quite flat with either no or very few facets which creates a subtle sparkle. Slices are loved for their organic and rugged appearance, and are one of this year’s most sought-after jewelry trends. Many designers are using slices with ideal-cut or highly-faceted diamonds or gemstones for a dichotomous look.
two Beads. The bead is back! Beaded jewelry has been revived and completely transformed into contemporary jewelry designs that offer a big, multi-dimensional look at an accessible price point. Whether carved from gold or precious minerals like cat’s eye, malachite, or gems such as chalcedony and quartz, the bead is the best thing to happen to jewelry this year. Combined with dangling gold or diamond charms…stack them on! The look is lush and exotic.
three Rose Gold. The beautiful glow of rose gold is created by adding a copper alloy to pure gold. All gold is alloyed with other metals, since in its pure form, it is too soft for jewelry. Rose gold is quickly becoming the standard because of its warm, soft tones, its compatibility with a variety of colored gemstones and its versatility – it can be formal or casual depending on the design. Mixing and matching pieces in rose, yellow and white gold adds dimension and vibrancy to your jewelry wardrobe. Sydney Evan Jewels
four
Lace-like Jewelry. Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes, made by machine or by hand. Intricate lace work is one of fall fashion’s biggest trends, which is now influencing jewelry. Lace-like patterns lend themselves to jewelry making today because of the cost of some precious metals – creating patterns by open-working the gold allows for the creation of large-scale pieces without the weight.
five Statement Earrings Red carpet glamour is all about making a big impression in a few seconds. Stars know their pictures are going to appear mainly as head shots, and there is no better way to pull it off than with a pair of bold, beautiful earrings. When you wear statement earrings, you don’t need a necklace. It’s also a great way to place color and shine next to your skin, bringing out your natural glow.
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seven Sapphires. Ever since Prince William placed his mother’s famous sapphire ring on the hand of his bride, Kate Middleton, desire for the ultimate blue gemstone has surged. A gift of velvety blue sapphire symbolizes a pledge of trust and loyalty and is therefore a favorite for engagement rings. It is one of nature’s most durable gemstones – the only thing harder is a diamond, which is the hardest mineral on earth. Combined with diamonds, sapphire is the ultimate in classic jewelry.
six Custom Designs. Most people today take pride in their sense of individual style, so it is no surprise that custom-made jewelry is a growing preference. The best way to demonstrate your individual taste is to personalize your jewelry. A good jeweler can work with you, one-on-one, to create the design of your choice, with gems, metals and finishes all tailored to your own signature look, even adding heirlooms or sentimental elements from another favorite piece — something you will want to wear forever.
Robert Pelliccia
eight Black and White Diamonds.
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From Truman Capote’s iconic Black and White Ball to this season’s runway fashion trends, the beauty of black and white continues to reign as the world’s most sophisticated color combination. The ultimate expression of this trend revival is the pairing of black diamonds with white diamonds. The look is dazzling and contemporary, yet subtle and classic at the same time.
jewelry trends
nine Mixed Stones and Irregular Cuts. Irregular shapes and random-cut stones, particularly in hand-finished metals, creates a look that is organic and dressy without being flashy. Jewelry designers are also playing with the shape of gemstones to create pieces that fit like a mosaic pattern rather than the traditional row-on-row settings, a creative, casual look that corresponds to the toned-down look of today’s luxury.
ten Blackened Precious Metals. Black is back...not that it ever went out of fashion. Today, oxidized metals, especially blackened sterling silver and even gold, are taking the jewelry industry by storm. Designers love the finish for its tough, not so prissy, appeal. Blackened precious metals create fresh unpretentious-looking jewelry for both men and women. Styles, finishes and metal combinations are abundant. Check out the hottest trends and influences in oxidized jewelry.
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IMPERIALE COLLECTION