ROCKS & MOUNTAINS!
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There really is gold in them there hills. I’ve lost count of the number of people who’ve lost precious jewellery while skiing, including myself.” So says Belinda Hadden who heads Heavenly Necklaces, a company that, ironically, sells the finest fake diamond jewellery to royalty and celebrities all over the world. ‘In my case, it was all because of a kid who was ‘skating’ on the Hörnli t-bar. He let go of the bar at the top and it flew smack into my head, taking a rather beautiful gold earring with it. I never saw it again! Lesson learned; leave the real stuff at home and wear fakes if you really want to sparkle on the slopes. That way it won’t break your heart – or the bank – if it’s lost, broken or stolen.’ Faux diamond jewellery has never been so popular, and is worn by the most surprising people. Who’d have thought that The Duchess of Cambridge would wear Heavenly Necklaces’ fake pearl and diamond earrings to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in 2012? And that another member of the royal family only travels with HN’s replica pieces. ‘In days gone by the great families only travelled with copies of pieces that they kept in the bank, and it’s the same thing now,’ continues Belinda. ‘Good faux jewellery is the totally acceptable alternative – or addition – to your real pieces. ‘It’s the ‘Topshop/Prada thing – anyone can look good with unlimited funds, but combining High Street with designer takes skill and style. Smart girls fake it shamelessly!’ says Belinda. ‘And if you’re travelling, you don’t need to worry about insuring it and locking it away all the time – just throw it on the bedside table.’ It’s worth adding that Belinda certainly knows a thing or two about life on the slopes. In 2015 she married Donald Scott, long-time Zermatt resident, co-owner of luxury ski company Mountain Exposure, and masterful skier, on and off the piste. Somehow Belinda manages to look glamorous even when joining his hard-core adventures! The most popular designs are simple ‘diamond’ studs, The Zermatt Snowflake earrings and pendant, the ‘diamond’ tennis bracelet (so called because tennis star Chris Evert lost one on court during Wimbledon, and the match was halted while it was sought and found). All these pieces are made from Sterling Silver, plated with rhodium, a metal more pure and precious than platinum for its anti-allergy and anti-tarnish properties. Seek out Belinda’s jewellery at www.heavenlynecklaces.com. In Zermatt see Belinda’s Snowflakes worn by waitresses at Gees. You can buy her collection at the Pharmacie Testa Grigia.
www.zermatttimes.com
Duchess of Cambridge
Back-to-front pearl earring
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