Jewelry Trends: Fall 2010

As fall eases in, it brings along the wonderful autumn palate of burnt orange, olive green, and all shades of brown. The runway is sporting a more masculine look with tailored jackets, trim button downs and flattering trousers.

The statement necklace is still a must: big yellow gold links by themselves, with warm complimentary colored stones, even with fur. I love the mink and gold-plated links necklace by Louis Vuitton; fur is one of the season’s hottest trends. Necklaces are being worn shorter now so they can be left inside the clean lines of a tailored blouse or jacket. I plan on pulling-out my yellow gold vintage pocket watch and watch chain, which also pairs with the season’s military inspired looks.

Cuff bracelets and chandelier earrings continue to be hot trends for the fall. Cuff bracelets are showing up everywhere from the office to the red carpet. They are a chic piece of jewelry even if they only peak out from under a blazer. I love the colors and texture of stingray bracelets, which are an economical way to keep current. (available at Amazon.com)

Chandelier earrings trump all jewelry for evening. The fashion of the moment seems to be less is more when accessorizing, but more is more when it comes to dangling earrings like these earrings from Faso. So, don’t be afraid to put on a little black dress and over the top earrings.

Style Setters: The Jewelry Brief Interviews Evelyn Huang

Evelyn Huang is the talented jewelry visionary behind the designs of evelynH. Jewelry. Initially exposed to the world of gems and diamonds through her father’s fine jewelry business business, Evelyn left her family company and earned a degree in Economics from UC Irvine. After spending a few years in Asia she returned to the US and to her love of jewelry. Evelyn earned her Graduate Gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of American and began work as a brand ambassador for De Beers in Beverly Hills. For the delight of jewelry collectors everywhere, in 2006 evelynH. was launched. And the accolades have not stopped.

The focus of evelynH. is fine, custom, one-of-a-kind pieces. Working under the motto “Everything is considered and nothing is overlooked”, unique pieces are crafted incorporating precious gemstones with breath-taking attention to detail.  Shown here is evelynH’s 2009 award-winning necklace from the Rio Tinto’s Champagne Diamond Design Competition. The “Bulles de Champagne Collier” is an attention grabbing whimsical neckpiece featuring champagne colored diamonds set in a design that mimics bubbles. The creative, daring neck piece is one which we might expect to see from the finest French jewelry houses. But Evelyn Huang’s scope of work is very vast. The architectural and edgy ring which won the 2010 International Red Dot Jewelry Product Design Award proves that brilliant design is her trademark, not one particular style.

evelynH. produces several thoughtful, well designed collections. The bridal line is especially noteworthy with its “his and hers” wedding bands which capture the essence of various design themes in masculine and feminine versions. The Infinity rings (shown here) won a Women’s Jewelry Association 2007 award for Platinum and Diamonds Design. My favorite is the Trellis, where one design is at the same time a heavy and masculine band and a diamond-set elegant ring that would make any woman smile (every day).

What is the main source of your design inspiration?

Everything around me can inspire my designs.  The experiences in my life, the people I meet, the places I visit, and things I see in my day-to-day life.  There is not one particular source for inspiration.

Who has been the most influential in your life?

Different people have been influential at different points in my life. On a personal relationship level it would be my family, friends and colleagues.  On the other hand, I have been inspired by public figures with different point-of-views and who are currently pushing or have pushed the boundaries in different aspects of design, including fashion.  It might sound cliché, but I find a figure like Coco Chanel inspiring.  She was willing to push certain boundaries during her time.

What do you see as up and coming trends in jewelry design?

Jewelry design is such a broad category, we have high-end couture jewelry at one end and mass produced costume and fashion jewelry on the other end.  This makes identifying trends more rigorous to classify.  For example, fashion jewelry can be very wild and over the top, however with fine jewelry’s high intrinsic value, you wouldn’t want to purchase a piece at $100,000 and have it look out of fashion in a year later. In general as a custom designer, I have found the fine details have become very important to consumers. The little things found on a piece of jewelry make it different and more personal, as well as implementing textures and the utilization of new materials in jewelry.  I think uniqueness, customization, value and alternative materials all have become major trends in the fine jewelry industry.

How would you describe your own personal [jewelry] style?

I am a chameleon…I would like to think I don’t have an exact personal style.  I know it might seem strange since most designers have a certain design aesthetic, but I’m always open to new ideas and love trying new things.  Everything around us is always changing; trends come and go, so I don’t want to hold myself back by sticking to one specific style. Of course, there is a link between all of my designs, and after looking at a few pieces you can find a common thread or feeling.  I would never consistently feature something very obvious and concrete such as swirls or flowers, or anything else limiting like that.  The only common links you may see in my creations are things like movement, textures and intricate ornamentations.  It is my goal 30 years from now, to be able to still create pieces that are fresh and different and will continue to surprise people.

What is your favorite luxury in life?

Time with loved ones.

Style Setters: The Jewelry Brief Interviews Sami Zeira

Sami Zeira studied classical jewelry making at the Jewelry Arts Institute and with Fred de Vos, learning the ancient art of granulation.  In Zeira Signature, he translates his love for ancient pieces and its techniques into chic jewelry for the modern woman.

Zeira Signature line offers bold pieces crafted from 22kt yellow gold. My favorites in the collection feature Italian coral. The deep red combined with the yellow of high carat gold simply radiates warmth. Turquoise and other gem stones hold a prominent place in Zeira’s designs; most stones are bezel set, as in ancient jewelry, and often accented by granulation. This technique is best associated with Etruscan jewelry, although it can be dated to pieces of even earlier times, where the goldsmith applies small spheres of a precious metal to a jewel in a decorative pattern.

Zeira Black is Sami’s second collection and features the hottest trend in jewelry: oxidized silver. While still applying ancient jewelry techniques, these pieces are hip and very fashion forward.

What is the source of your design inspiration?

It’s very hard to pinpoint one particular thing. From the concrete to the abstract, I can walk in the streets and be inspired by a building, a car or nature. The ironwork in gates, the head lights of a car, the curves of a woman’s body…beauty is all around us, we just have to open our eyes.

More concretely, I can look at ancient jewelry and be inspired by the richness of design, technique and concept. Sometimes from just looking at stones I envision a finished piece.

There is a great emphasis on color in your pieces. How does color fit into your creative process?

Life is full of colors. Sometimes my pieces are made up of one color and sometimes it’s the harmony of the colors blending together that makes a piece of jewelry attractive. It’s color that makes the world so diverse and beautiful.

Who has had the greatest influence on your life?

My mom. She is strong, loving, giving and sees the good in the most challenging situations.

What do you love most about what you do?

I make women feel beautiful. And I do it by expressing my own creativity. My jewelry gives elegance to the entire presentation of a woman: the sophistication of a personal timeless accessory.

It is through my work that I get to meet a variety of people and some of them have become my best friends and art is one of the only things that is not bound by religion, race or ethnicity.

Style Setters: The Jewelry Brief Interviews Faraone Mennella

This is the first post of a “Style Setters” series brought to you by The Jewelry Brief. In each post of the series, the Brief will reach out to the creative minds behind today’s best jewelry, and ask the about their inspiration, style and influences.

Faraone Mennella by R.F.M.A.S. was founded in New York City in 2001 by two longtime friends, Roberto Faraone Mennella and Amedeo Scognamiglio, who moved to the United States to further their professional design interests after growing up in Italy surrounded by art and beauty. Faraone Mennella by R.F.M.A.S. produces jewelry of timeless style and elegance for every woman, from collections sold at major retailers to one-of-a-kind jewelry couture featured on the large and small screen made for some of the world’s most glamorous women.

Their complete collections can be viewed at www.rfmas.com

A while back, Amedeo sent me a thank you e-mail for a post that I had written about Faraone Mennella earlier this year. Amedeo and Roberto graciously agreed to answer a few questions for The Jewelry Brief, reaffirming once again my belief that the world is small and people are kind.

What is the source for your design inspiration?

We like to think of ourselves as “artisans” of the jewelry design, so while we draw inspiration from many sources (Capri, the 60′s Dolce Vita, Romy Schneider…) we are mostly driven by the beauty of creation. The “bench” is our main source. It drives our work.

Is there a secret to your contemporary yet timeless style?

The secret is staying focused on the message: We want our pieces to be a beautiful adornment for women, constructed with elegance. Classic is discreet, when jewelers conceptualize too much they get lost in the process.

Who has had the greatest influence on your life?

Our grandmothers: Augusta (for Amedeo) and Stella (for Roberto).

What do you love most about what you do?

When a woman stops us in a restaurant to say she loves our work and that she gets compliments every time she wears our pieces. That is the ultimate goal, the look on that face.

What is the greatest luxury that you treat yourself to?

Luxury is quite an overrated word nowadays, and overused. To us luxury is a not repeatable “experience”. Having dinner with friends on my terrace, overlooking the Capri’s marina and the entire bay of Naples in Summer, is priceless.

What Titles are on Your Summer Reading List?

Overused, but still one of my favorite interview questions. This Summer my plans are to dust off a couple of classics along with two new, albeit ambitious, books.

“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a favorite of mine. Perfect reading for a warm Summer night. If you don’t remember the end, it is a must read.

I am currently reading “Leo & His Circle: The Life of Leo Castelli” by Annie Cohen-Solal. Ms. Cohen-Solal tells the complete story, beginning with the family in fifteenth century Italy, of one of the 20^th century’s most influential art dealers.

This year “To Kill A Mocking Bird” turns 50! I always enjoy re-reading this book because inevitably I finish feeling like I just read it for the first time.

“Priceless: How I Went Under Cover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures” by Robert Wittman, the founder of the FBI’s Art Crime Team. Having heard a radio interview with Mr. Wittman, a wonderful story teller, I added the book to my list. A real life Thomas Crown Affair tale, which has received many rave reviews. By the way, Mr. Wittman also received training from the Gemological Institute of America, and I am looking forward to the diamond heist chapter.

Let the Jewelry Brief know what you are reading. Any good jewelry-related novels?

Rubies: The Color of Summer

Ruby is the birth stone for the month of July.  This month when we think of red we recall boiled lobsters, strawberries and the Red Sox! Red is, however, a very emotionally charged color. It is the color of fire, but also of love and passion. Rubies have every bit of the allure as the color they bear.

Rubies are a variety of the corundum species, the same as sapphire, so they are relatively durable, scoring a 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness (diamond scores a 10). Rubies are red, ranging in color from an orangy-red to a purplish-red. The very finest rubies come from Burma. In September of 2008 the US government placed an embargo on these stones.  These are the stones that earned the now outdated, but descriptive, term “Pigeon Blood Red”. Rubies are also found in Thailand, Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and parts of Africa.

Throughout history Kings, Queens and even the King of Diamonds, Harry Winston, have sought to assemble and exhibit the finest color rubies. Red has long symbolized courage, which is why it is present in many national flags; and energy, which are the pure emotions drawn from the color itself. Red jewelry is very vibrant and attracts attention. Rubies “pop” right out of a piece when put next to diamonds.

Happy 4th of July!

Tales from the Appraiser’s Desk: Update Insurance Appraisals

There is no better time than the present to update your jewelry insurance appraisals.

Everyone, myself included, is talking about the rise in the price of gold, but just yesterday, while playing with a new app, I realized just how much gold has increased. In June of 2005, the low for gold was $419.00per oz. Today gold is $1,227.50per oz. Wow! This is bad for those of us that did not take advantage of the 3:00am infomercial in ’05 encouraging investment in gold, but it also means that your jeweler could not replace (at wholesale) your beloved gold bracelet for your current insurance replacement value, if the value has not been recently updated. And, you are still paying a premium to an insurance company!

This same tale is true for larger, high quality diamonds. I recently updated an appraisal for a (real) gentleman, who explained that his wife’s ring was insured for what he paid twenty-five years ago. While the story is endearing, he could not replace his wife’s 4ct. diamond with a 2ct. diamond of the same quality for what the ring was insured for. While most jewelry has a sentimental value that can not be quantified, it also comes with an investment level price tag, which should be protected against loss.

Looking for a jewelry appraiser in your area? Visit the website for The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers.

Photograph of platinum and diamonds bangle bracelets courtesy of Etienne Perret.

Jean Schlumberger and the Colors of Summer

Summer afternoons: a crisp linen tunic paired with the bright, colorful enamels and warm, sunny yellow gold of my favorite bracelets designed by Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co.

Jean Schlumberger was born in Mulhouse, France in 1907. It was not until after WWII that he moved to New York and open a jewelry salon. In 1956 he became the first designer invited by Tiffany & Co. to stamp his own name on the designs that he created for the famed retailer. Jean Schlumberger is most known for his use of precious gem stones together with semi-precious stones to create interesting color juxtapositions in naturalistic forms. Mr. Schlumberger died in 1987, but his pieces are still offered by Tiffany & Co.

Tales from the Appraiser’s Desk: Artists Jewelry

Not too long ago a piece came across my desk with a story that I just had to share. The piece belonged to a client, with whom I have been working for years cataloging her collection for estate purposes, but it was not like her other jewelry. It was a piece of artist jewelry, eye-catching and well made, but clearly more avant guard in aesthetics than her other jewelry.

She presented to me an over size cuff bracelet composed of copper and brass, purchased at a flea market. With a twinkle in her eye she told the story of a Summer day in New York, falling in love with the bracelet and how at the end of a long day of back and forth dealing the bracelet went home with her for $10. The bracelet was signed and she asked me to do some research on her purchase, for fun if nothing else. The bracelet was signed by Art Smith.

Art Smith (1917-1982) was an American modern jewelry designer. He worked in New York, the village to be specific, and was influenced by Alexander Calder as you can see by Mr. Smith’s Galaxy Necklace circa 1962. The Brooklyn Museum just closed a retrospective of his work, but the catalog, “From the Village to Vogue: The Modern Jewelry of Art Smith” is still available.

My client fully enjoys her bracelet, but it is nice to know she could have a sizable return on her investment. Happy hunting!

Harry Winston: Extraordinary Diamonds

It is almost impossible for me to think of diamonds without thinking of Harry Winston. Harry Winston has owned many of the world’s most famous diamonds, including The Hope Diamond which was donated to the Smithsonian by Mr. Winston in 1958. He also had an amazing eye for fine jewelry design that featured the diamond.

Born in New York City in 1896, Harry Winston began working in the jewelry business at the age of 15. By the age of 24 he had opened the Premier Diamond Company, and in the early 1930s Harry Winston had begun to manufacturer jewelry under is own name. Mr. Winston was responsible for cutting of many famous, named diamonds including the Jonker, the Taylor-Burton and the Star of Sierra Leone. To many he is “The King of Diamonds”.

Harry Winston was one of the first designers to use fancy shape diamonds to create free flowing designs so popular in the 1950s and 60s, which I particularly love. As demonstrated through his love for large diamonds, his focus was on the stone. The diamonds in Winston jewelry seem to float in the air, using very fine layered (or jointed) mountings, as seen here in the classic “Cluster Earring”.

Mr. Winston died in 1978, but the Harry Winston retail tradition of exquisite diamonds and diamond jewelry has carried on.

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