Masterpiece London Archives

Cindy Chao, new masterpieces in London

Published on June 20, 2020

Masterpiece 2020: orecchini con smeraldi colombiani, diamanti gialli, brown e bianchi, tsavorite, granati cangianti, alexandrite e titanio

In 2020 Masterpiece London also had to drop the flag: the famous fair dedicated to art antiquities and high jewelery was suspended due to the coronavirus. Instead of the usual fair, the organizers proposed Masterpiece Online (22-28 june), a web platform which, in some way, replaces the visit to the exhibitors. There was no other choice, but it is a shame, because for jewelry enthusiasts the catalog includes amazing pieces. Like those proposed by Cindy Chao: precious sculptures in the form of earrings, bracelets and brooches, unique pieces that are breathtaking even just looking at them on the web.

Black Label Masterpiece IX Winter Leaves necklace. Diamanti bianchi e gialli, titanio. Premiata a Masterpiece London 2019

Suffice it to say that in January her butterfly brooch, an iconic symbol of her brand, was introduced in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, as part of its permanent collection. Last year at Masterpiece London one of her necklace from Four Seasons collection was awarded the Best jewel of the fair.

Black Label Masterpiece XXI Ribbon Brooch. Diamanti, rubini sangue di piccione su titanoo e oro bianco. Spilla premiata al Masterpiece London 2018

And in 2018, her first year at the London event, she received an Outstanding Object Award for her Ruby Peony brooch. And this year the Cindy Chao The Art Jewel (the name of the maison) offers other extraordinary pieces of its Black Label Masterpiece II such as (just to give an example), the Green Plumule Brooch, made with Colombian emeralds, yellow diamonds, brown and whites, tsavorite, iridescent garnets, alexandrite and titanium.

Spilla con smeraldi colombiani, diamanti gialli, brown e bianchi, tsavorite, granati cangianti, alexandrite e titanio

Masterpiece 2020: orecchini con diamanti bianchi e fancy, zaffiri rosa, granati viola su titanio e oro giallo — Masterpiece 2020: orecchini con
diamanti bianchi e fancy, zaffiri rosa, granati viola su titanio e oro giallo

Masterpiece 2020: bracciale con diamanti bianchi e fancy, zaffiri, oro giallo e rosa — Masterpiece 2020: bracciale con
diamanti bianchi e fancy, zaffiri, oro giallo e rosa

Orecchini con diamanti brown e yellow su ebano e oro giallo

Spilla con smeraldo cabochon, diamanti bianchi e fancy, tsavoriti, su titanio e oro giallo

Bracciale-scultura con perla conch di 12,51 carati, diamanti bianchi per 147,63 carati e diamanti fancy

Spilla con smeraldo colombiano, alexandrite, zaffiri verdi su titanio e oro bianco

Bracciale com smeraldo colombiano, diamanti gialli e brown, zaffiri verdi, granati cangianti, tsavorite, alexandrite su oro giallo

Masterpiece 2019: due spille con diamanti e zaffiri blu su titanio

The Grima revolution continues

Published on July 4, 2019

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Anello con tormalina verde e diamanti, Francesca Grima

The new jewels of the historic London Maison Grima presented at the Masterpiece London ♦

The yellow gold Scarab brooch with carved rubies and diamond decorations is one of the favorite jewels of Queen Elizabeth, who often wears it on her left shoulder. It is a gift from Prince Philip and was designed and made by Andrew Grima in 1966.

La regina Elisabetta con la spilla Scarab di Grima, assieme al principe Filippo

Born in Rome in 1921, but raised in London, Andrew Grima was an Anglo-Italian designer who became known as the dean of modern jewelry design in Britain. He passed away in 2007, but his artistic legacy passed to his wife Jojo and daughter Francesca, who did not betray the spirit of the Maison. Indeed, the new works of the Maison Grima appear every year at the Masterpiece London Fair.

Anello in oro con ametista e diamanti di Jojo Grima, 2014

The Financial Times compared Andrew Grima to Jackson Pollock, which means breaking with any formalism to seek maximum freedom of expression. He was one of the first jewelers, in fact, to consider semi-precious stones on a par with the most celebrated ones. Tourmalines, quartz and opals have been chosen as the protagonists of many pieces of fine jewelry.

Andrew Grima, anello in oro con citrino e diamanti, 1969

Grima was a genius, and according to some, he was the most important English jeweler of the last century, creator of an immediately recognizable aesthetic, very imitated. It was the London of the Sixties, between the rock revolution and Mary Quant. The story tells of how Grima, who worked in his father-in-law’s jewelry, convinced his wife’s father in 1948 to buy a suitcase of large Brazilian stones, such as aquamarine, citrines, tourmalines and raw amethysts, proposed by two South American merchants. That was his take-off track towards the jewelry revolution. Margherita Donato

Una pubblicità degli anni Sessanta di Canada Dry con Andrew Grima

orecchini oro diamanti jojo 2018 — Orecchini in oro e diamanti di Jojo Grima, 2018

Orecchini in oro e diamanti di Jojo Grima, 2015

Orologio Groenlandia disegnato per Omega nel 1970

Anello con quarzi fumé, Francesca Grima 2018 — Anello con quarzi fumé, Francesca Grima
2018

Spilla con agata geode, ANdrew Grima, 2006

News in London with Cindy Chao

Published on June 24, 2018

alta gioielleria

Cindy Chao at the London Masterpiece with new high-end jewelery pieces ♦ ︎

In addition to the jewels we have already presented here at the Masterpiece London (28 June – 4 July 2018) new pieces by Cindy Chao will debut. The Taiwanese designer will show “between eight and 12” new Black Label masterpieces, her most intricate and elaborate jewels. In addition to the Peony brooch, in 18-carat white gold, 18-carat yellow gold and titanium with rubies, diamonds and lacquer, the other Cindy Chao jewels of the Black Label line are part of the designer’s most visible collections.

The jewels will be inspired by nature, but seen with the traveler’s glasses, anticipated Cindy: “The new jewels were inspired by one of my trips to Canada last year, where I was completely immersed in the infinite wonder of nature. The new collection will allow collectors and connoisseurs to experience the world through my eyes”. “Cindy is an artist and the attention she deserves to make her pieces and the beauty that is exemplified by the exceptional works of art that we see in all disciplines at the Masterpiece London: be it a piece of art, design or furniture , made in antiquity or today. We look forward to presenting the unique pieces of Cindy Chao to our international visitors”, commented Masterpiece London president Philip Hewat-Jaboor. Cosimo Muzzano

Nuova spilla della collezione Black Label

Disegno preparatorio per nuove piume della collezione

Cindy Chao, spilla in titanio con rubini e smalto, 2018 — Cindy Chao, spilla Peonia in oro bianco, titanio con rubini e smalto, nuovo pezzo della linea Black Label

Orecchini con zaffiri e diamanti di Cindy Chao

Piuma di Cindy Chao della collezione Black Label presentata due anni fa

Farfalla con zaffiri e diamanti, del 2012

Masterpiece London is coming

Published on June 16, 2018

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On the Thames the high jewelery returns with Masterpiece London 2018. Here are the news ♦ ︎

From 28 June to 4 July 2018, the capital of high jewelery and, more generally, antiques, is Londa. In fact, over the years the Masterpiece London fair has established itself as one of the most important events for works of art, design, furniture and jewelery, from antiquity to the present day. There are 160 international exhibitors. As for jewelry, for example, in this edition there are designers including the Italian Fabio Salini, with a new collection made of carbon fiber, which presents for the first time at the fair. But also Taiwanese designer Cindy Chao and Moussaieff are present at Masterpiece London. There are also period jewelry from Maison such as Cartier, Boucheron and Fabergé offered by specialists such as SJ Phillips, Hancocks, Véronique Bamps and Epoque Fine Jewels. Van Cleef & Arpels, Verdura / Herz-Belperron and Grima also present both their traditional collections and unique contemporary pieces. Giulia Netrese

Boghossian, bracciale con diamanti e perle naturali

Spilla in oro con smalto, brillanti, granati, circa 1850

Paolo Salini, orecchini in oro, zaffiri, diamanti neri, onice

Old and new Verdura

Published on July 2, 2017

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Bracciale a doppia chiusura con pietra luna e diamanti

Old and new Verdura Jewelery at Masterpiece London ♦ ︎
Fulco Santostefano of Cerda, Duke of Verdura and Marchese of Murata la Cerda. With a name so who would ever bet that Verdura would become a symbol of jewelry? Yet it is so. The Sicilian noble (March 20, 1898-15 August 1978), usually abbreviated in Fulco di Verdura, is still a trademark, surviving the disappearance of its creator.
Like designer, Fulco Verdura started with Coco Chanel in Thirties, thanks to the support of Linda and Cole Porter, his fans. Chanel asked Fulco di Verdura to get more brilliant some of the jewels of the Maison. During eight years the Italian aristocrat has played the role of chief designer for Chanel jewels. Fulco left Chanel in 1934 to reach America, with Baron Julian West and Princess Natalia Pavlovna Paley. First in Hollywood and then in New York, where Diana Vreeland, a Chanel’s customer, presented Fulco di Verdura to jeweler Paul Flato. After working with Flato, Verdura opened its small Maison with financial support from Cole Porter and Vincent Astor. His childhood in Sicily and the Italian Renaissance were the two driving headlights for his work.
Disappeared the jeweler’s extravaganza, the Verdura brand was purchased by EJLandrigan, a company led by Ward and Nico Landrigan. The goal is to continue the work of the great Sicilian designer. So at Masterpiece London 2017, for example, the jewelery company presented historic pieces of Fulco di Verdura, along with new jewels, as you can see from this gallery of images. Lavinia Andorno

Collana Leaves, con calcedonio e zaffiri

Bracciale Leaves and Flowers con diamanti, 1939

Orecchini a clip a forma di melograna — Orecchini a clip a forma di melograno, 1939

Orecchini a clip in oro bianco e diamanti

Dogwood, spilla ciondolo con zaffiri e rubini

Anello Raja con zaffiri e turchesi, 1939

Spilla vintage di Verdura con rubini a forma di grappolo

Verdura, orecchini Stardust con zaffiri e diamanti

Anello Triple Wave in oro e diamanti, 1939

Orecchini a forma di grappolo d'uva, con smeraldi e diamanti — Orecchini a forma di grappolo d’uva, con smeraldi e diamanti

Orecchini a forma di grappolo d'uva, con perle, platino e diamanti — Orecchini a forma di grappolo d’uva, con oro, perle, platino e diamanti

Orecchini a forma di viticcio in oro, 1939

Hemmerle still amazes

Published on June 27, 2017

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Orecchini in oOrecchini in oro bianco, argento annerito e diamanti. Photo: Bernhard Rampf, Courtesy Hemmerlero bianco, argento annerito e diamanti

Hemmerle’s High Jewelry still Surprises at Masterpiece London ♦ ︎
A visit to Maximilianstrasse 14, Munich, always surprises you. It’s the adress of the high-jewelery of Germany, under the signs of Hemmerle. Specialist in the refined combination of materials (such as aluminum, copper, wood with precious stones), enclosed in simple and precise shapes, Hemmerle conceives and produces jewelery outside the ordinary.

Only a public of connoisseurs, with noble tastes and, of course, proper economic resources, is able to appreciate the jewelry of the company founded in 1893 by the brothers Joseph and Anton Hemmerle, now led by Joseph’s nephew Joseph Stefan Hemmerle. He is the manager of the company with his wife Sylveli, while the fourth generation, with Christian and Yasmin Hemmerle, is responsible for managing product design and development. For example, the novelties presented at the Masterpiece London 2017, which include a pair of white gold earrings, diamonds and blackened silver. Alessia Mongrando

Bracciale in rame e oro bianco con granati, 2013

Orecchini in oro bianco e argento con smeraldi

Anello in rame, oro rosa e granato mandarino, 2016

Anello in bronzo, oro bianco e diamanti, 2016

orecchini in aluminio, oro bianco , tormalina e zaffiri, 2016

Orecchini in oro bianco, argento e turchesi

Orecchini in oro bianco, bronzo e zaffiri

Collier in rame e oro rosa, con topazi, granati mandarino, corniola

The last news from Grima

Published on June 26, 2017

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Francesca Grima, anello Arabesque in oro e diamanti

The new jewelry by Maison Grima showed at Masterpiece London ♦ ︎
Every year the Maison Grima produces 20 to 30 new pieces. Few, no doubt, but it is the tradition of the brand created by Andrew Grima in the 1960s to reduce the novelties. Only to few expert goldsmiths are entrusted with the designs and the realization of the jewels that are now being carried by the wife of the designer of Italian origin, which became Londoner. Many pieces are now classic that are replicated from time to time, and other pieces are added. They all have the same denominator: they can only be viewed by appointment or at Masterpiece London, the yearly fair dedicated to art, antiquety and to selection of old or new high quality jewelery. Even 2017 was no exception and Maison Grima presented a mix of classics and novelties, that is, pieces designed by Andrew Grima and those designed by his wife Jojo and the daughter Francesca. Like the Arabesque ring, which manages to use a modern styling key in a context that, who knows why, recalls the seventies.
Read also: Grima the ongoing revolution

Andrew Grima, anello con rubini e diamanti del 1967

Anello Gherkin di Francesca Grima, oro giallo e quarzo fumé. Si ispira a un'architettura di Norman Foster — Anello Gherkin di Francesca Grima, oro giallo e quarzo fumé. Si ispira a un’architettura di Norman Foster

Collana del 1972, Supergusci collection, conchiglia con oro e diamanti

Collana Lei, oro e diamanti, vincitrice nel 1965 del concorso De Beers

Orecchini in oro giallo e diamanti di Jojo Grima, 2015

Andrew Grima, anello in oro e perla 1970

Orecchini in oro bianco e giallo di Jojo Grima, 2016

Masterpiece of jewelery in London

Published on June 23, 2017

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Wallache Chan, Damask Silk. Diamanti trillion, tormalina rosa, diamanti fancy, zaffiro rosa, agata bianca

Back to Masterpiece London, art, antiques, but also many jewelries ♦ ︎
Masterpiece London (June 29 – July 5) is one of the highlights for those who love art and antiques. And the jewels. The fair brings together 150 of the best galleries and specialists around the world, and attracts 40,000 visitors on average. As mentioned, there are also jewels and jewelers, with pieces of antiquity, but also new creations. There are Maison like Grima and Hammerle who choose to be present only here in London and Tefaf. From Wallace Chan to Van Cleef & Arpels, from Boghossian to Cartier, Boucheron, Jar and Fabergé, you can find the most interesting pieces with Wartski, Symbolic & Chase, Verdura, Hancocks and SJ Phillips. As always, there there is jewelery created by painters and sculptors, such as Calder, or jewelry that can represent a bridge between different disciplines, such as those of Theo Fennell. Here are some of the most interesting pieces that are present in the exhibition catalog. Federico Graglia

Spilla del 19esimo secolo a forma di ape, con topazi o rosa, diamanti e smeraldi

Bracciale di Louis Osman in argento e turchese, 1968

Bracciale di Boghossian con diamanti e perle

Bracciale di Cartier a forma di due tigri

Collier in oro e diamanti, Afro Basaldella, 1955

Bracciale in platino con diamanti e rubini attribuito a Ruser, 1940

Orecchini in oro, diamanti e granati, firmati Grima

Van Cleef & Arpels, bracciale e clip in oro e diamanti, 1935

Wallache Chan, Bliss and Peace, collana. Una boccetta da fiuto imperiale dal periodo Daoguang (1821-1850) della dinastia Qing si trasforma in un vettore di buon auspicio

The Masterpiece London jewelry

Published on June 26, 2016

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Antiques, but also many extraordinary jewels: Masterpiece London is the leading international exhibition for art and design, which attracts collectors from all over the world. Among the 154 stands of selected exhibitors you will find everything from ancient statue to contemporary jewelry. All this, however, a high level, very high. All works are for sale and certified by international experts to ensure the origin and quality. Are, for example, jewelery signed by Suzanne Belperron, Castellani and even Salavator Dali, or famous Maison as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, Chase, Verdura, Hemmerle, Boghossian, Somlo, SJ Phillips, Véronique Bamps, Chatila and Grima. Do not think, though, to find the same jewelry that you can buy in jewelry. They are a breed apart. And there will also Wallace Chan, who will debut in the UK just for Masterpiece London: the Hong Kong designer will present the 2016 Silk Necklace created especially for the exhibition, consisting of 54 diamonds, 124 pink tourmalines, colored diamonds, sapphires pink and white agate. Federico Graglia
Masterpiece London
30 June-6 July 2016
Royal Hospital Chelsea, South Grounds
www.masterpiecefair.com
Hours: 11: 00-21: 00

Audouard (circa 1850). Spilla mazzolino di fiori in oro smaltato insieme con vecchi diamanti taglio brillante e granati nei boccioli di rosa

Da Boghart, orecchini con oro e diamanti

Bracciale di Boghossian, diamanti e perle

Bracciale Giacinto di Fulco di Verdura, oro, platino, zaffiri, diamanti

Ciondoli a forma di pesce di Fabergé, oro e legno

Spilla-pendente di Boucheron con citrini

Bracciale in oro giallo con due tigri, diamanti fancy, onice, smeraldi (gli occhi)

Collana di René Bonvin, oro giallo, disegnato come una catena, cavo flessibile che sospende una frangia di nappe con diamanti taglio brillante. Consegnata nel 1945 per la principessa Irene di Grecia

Collana di diamanti e acquamarine di Van Cleef & Arpels

Orecchini Persistenza del Suono, di Salvator Dalì

Suzanne Belperron, bracciale con citrini

Castellani, circa 1880. Collana in stile revival archeologico in oro giallo, rubini cabochon taglio e perle naturali. Una collana simile dalla tenuta del nipote di Augusto Castellani appartiene alle collezioni dei Musei Capitolini di Roma