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How to choose a real pearl necklace

Published on April 8, 2024

Vicenzaoro, Yoko London. Copyright: gioiellis.com

Do you want to buy a real pearl necklace? Do you want to add a natural pearl necklace to your drawer because you are missing this indispensable jewel? Good idea. But you have to be careful because pearls are not all the same. Read what the differences are and how to choose a natural pearl necklace.

Collana di perle naturali, diamanti e rubini — Necklace of natural pearls, diamonds and rubies

You may have noticed that there are a lot of jewels around that are very cheap and use pearls, especially for necklaces. They are certainly not real pearls, but synthetic pearls, imitations created in a fake pearl factory. If you want a necklace of real, natural pearls, you have to spend a little more. But it’s worth it, because a pearl necklace is a classic piece of jewelry that has two advantages: it can be worn with virtually any outfit and on any occasion. And, moreover, it will maintain or increase in value over time.

Collana in oro 18 carati con diamanti colorati e perle barocche multicolori — 18k gold necklace with colored diamonds and multicolored baroque pearls

If you are looking for a natural pearl necklace, however, you will have to choose between two different types of pearls: cultured and natural ones. What is the difference? We explain it immediately.
Let’s start by saying, however, that both types of pearls, cultured and natural, are authentic pearls.

A cultured pearl is a pearl through and through. In fact, it is formed inside an oyster or a mollusk just like non-cultured pearls. The difference is that in cultured pearls the pearly spheres that will end up on your necklace are the result of human action. In the large farms in which they are immersed, tiny irritating elements or tiny beads are inserted into the shells around which a larger pearl is then formed. This system was born in Japan at the end of the nineteenth century and was invented by Kokichi Mikimoto, who then patented this process. It’s a big job: for example, a jeweler and pearl producer like Autore, in Australia, gets around 350,000 pearls from his aquatic farms every year.

Una farm per la coltivazione delle perle — A farm for pearl cultivation

Cultured pearls have another advantage: the control of producers allows you to have oysters that produce very quickly and with greater consistency. They are high quality authentic pearls, with a large variety of colors and sizes, and are sold at a moderate price (but don’t think they are cheap).

Cultivating pearls, either in salt water or in fresh water, also allows you to obtain different sizes and colors more easily. In fact, there are many shades that pearls can have. In addition to the white ones, there are golden, purple, blue and pink pearls. Furthermore, they can have different sizes and volumes in addition to the classic sphere.
All about pearls

Perle sulla spiaggia — Pearls on the beach

Natural pearls, on the other hand, are defined in this way because they are formed without human intervention. It is the case that pushes a grain of sand or an impurity around which the mother of pearl is formed inside the oyster or mollusk. Obviously, it is a rather rare event. Also, the pearl is formed over a longer time than cultured pearls. For this reason, natural pearls cost much more than cultured ones. The large number of ships and pollution have increased the difficulty in identifying a mollusk with a natural pearl: only one shell out of thousands contains a pearl that was formed in nature. A strand of natural South Sea pearls, for example, can cost as much as 100,000 euros or dollars. And the fact that natural pearls are increasingly rare suggests that they will cost more and more.

Collana di Cartier con perle naturali — Cartier necklace with natural pearls

Bottom line: both cultured pearls and natural pearls are authentic pearls. But all pearls, both cultured and natural, can be very different. It is therefore important to buy a pearl necklace from a trusted seller, preferably with a guarantee certificate from a gemological laboratory or institute.

Collana di perle naturali grigie e diamanti — Necklace of natural gray pearls and diamonds

Jewels and nature with Daniela Villegas

Published on March 23, 2024

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Anello in oro, acquamarina, tormalina, zaffiri blu di diverse sfumature

Daniela Villegas, one of the most imaginative designers, continues her representation of the nature of her native country, Mexico. Among the new features it offers is the Imprints of the Heart collection, dedicated to people or places that leave a mark. It is composed of a series of large evocative pendants that resemble the objects used for stamping, made of gold and semi-precious stones.

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Un post condiviso da Daniela Villegas Jewelry (@danielavillegasjewelry)

Her jewels, conceived and made in Los Angeles, where Daniela Villegas lives and works, are always surprising, like the Papalote earrings, inspired by a type of scorpion. They are crafted in 18k yellow gold, with multicolored gems surrounding kite-shaped amethysts. In fact, the word Papalote means kite in Spanish. They are part of the Chromatic Paradise collection and have been proposed, together with other jewels, in a trunk show on Tiny Gods.

Orecchini Papalote in giallo 18 carati, tormalina, ametista e zaffiri — Papalote earrings in 18k yellow, tourmaline, amethyst and sapphires

Daniela Villegas has always been a passionate observer of nature. In her jewelry she uses organic elements such as beetles, porcupine quills, feathers, shells, pebbles and wood with 18 karat gold in every color mixed with precious and semiprecious stones. But the designer is also inspired by what surrounds nature, even from a cultural point of view. As evidenced by the series dedicated to the English director and journalist David Attenborough, specialized in documentaries on natural life. The necklace is made of 18k yellow gold, champagne diamonds, emeralds and opal.

Collana David Attenborough in oro giallo 18 carati, diamanti champagne, smeraldi, opale — David Attenborough necklace in 18k yellow gold, champagne diamonds, emeralds, opal

Anello con smeraldi — Ring with emeralds

Anelloc Atabey in oro giallo 18 carati, quarzo rutilato, occhio di gatto, tormalina, granati che cambiano colore — Atabey ring in 18k yellow gold, rutilated quartz, cat’s eye, tourmaline, color-changing garnets

Orecchini della collezione Into the Deep, conchiglie naturali, opali d -fuoco, oro rosa e smeraldi — Earrings from the Into the Deep collection, natural shells, fire opals, rose gold and emeralds

Mini orecchini a forma di granchio tempestati di diamanti e incastonati in oro rosa — Mini crab-shaped earrings studded with diamonds and set in rose gold

Collana Say Cheese a forma di macchina fotografica. Oro giallo 18 carati, topazio imperiale, tormalina rosa, verde, verde acqua, anguria, zaffiro rosa, giallo, occhio di gatto, alessandrite, apatite — Say Cheese necklace in the shape of a camera. 18k yellow gold, imperial topaz, pink tourmaline, green, teal, watermelon, pink sapphire, yellow, cat’s eye, alexandrite, apatite

The combinations of Roule & Co

Published on February 26, 2024

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Pendente in oro rosa 8 carati con zaffiri rosa e diamanti

Playing volumes by Christopher Roule and Laurin Lucaire: a precious Tetris of jewelery ♦ ︎
Maybe Christopher Roule and Laurin Lucaire are passionate about Tetris, the game that consists of combining geometric geometric shapes. Perhaps yes, because the jewels of their Roule & Co brand, born in New York in 2010, who for the second consecutive year arrived among the finalists at the Las Vegas Couture Design Award, seem to be assorted by combining the simplest geometric shapes, such as triangles , circles, squares. Only combinations are multiplied and the same volumes of jewels are covered by other small areas, in turn triangles, circles, hexes, and so on.

Bracciale in oro giallo 18 carati e diamanti4 — 18k yellow gold and diamond bracelet

Like the forms of Tetris must be complementary, so is the work of Christopher and Laurin, husband and wife who founded the jewelery brand. The simplicity of the style is only apparent: in fact jewelry often surprising with the possibility of the enclosed elements, as small precious stones. But jewels also have architectural references, as in the Wired collection inspired by the hyperbole of engineering used by archistar and past characters, such as Buckminster Fuller, Gustave Eiffel and Antoni Gaudí.

Orecchini in oro brunito e rubini — Blackened gold and ruby earrings

Ciondolo in oro rosa e rubini — Pendant in rose gold and rubies

Anello in oro rosa 14 carati e diamanti champagne — 14k rose gold and champagne diamond ring

Anello in oro bianco annerito con ametista cabochon e diamanti bianchi — Blackened white gold ring with cabochon amethyst and white diamonds

Ciondolo in oro rosa 14 carati e diamanti bianchi — Pendant in 14k rose gold and white diamonds

Ambush, a 4334 euro brass necklace

Published on January 4, 2024

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Collana in ottone argentato venduta a 4334 euro

Can a simple brass chain necklace cost 4,334 euros? Yes, if it is signed by Ambush, an emerging fashion brand, which has added accessories and jewelery to its catalogue. Judge for yourself whether the price is appropriate. The online marketplace Farfetch offers it. The model presented is made with a lobster clasp, clip closure and silver-colored metal components. However, the same brand also offers a version in the classic yellow brass colour. Also in punk style is the Choker Spike model, again in silver-colored brass, available at 2245 euros.

Ambush was founded in Tokyo by Korean-born designers Yoon and Verbal. Ambush’s clothing has found admirers in Rihanna, M.I.A., Lady Gaga, Pharrell, Jay-Z and Kanye West, and he has collaborated for the jewelry line, also in brass or silver. The brand is based, they explained, on innovative pop art-inspired designs that capture a distinctive Tokyo aesthetic. For now, for sure, they have captured the attention of the media.

Anello a fasce in argento — Silver band ring

Anello con il segno della pace — Ring with the sign of peace

Collana con pendente in ottone — Necklace with brass pendant

Collana con porta sigarette — Necklace with cigarette holder

Muisca jewels by Muzo Emerald

Published on December 29, 2023

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Unique jewels with the best emeralds in the world presented by Muzo Emerald ♦ ︎

Muisca is the name associated with a Chibcha civilization that formed a confederation encountered by the Spanish during the conquest of present-day central Colombia. Muisca is also one of the four original civilizations of the Americas. According to legend, the tribe performed El Dorado, a ritual in which a ruler covered his body with gold dust, offering precious objects and emeralds to the gods.
And it is also the name of a series of precious jewels by Muzo Emerald, the big company that operates in the department of Boyacá, in Colombia. Muzo is the world capital of emeralds: here you can find the highest quality green stone mines. And Muzo Emerald extracts these emeralds from the earth: a good part sells them to jewelers all over the world. A small, selected quantity of emeralds is used instead to make Muzo jewels.

Muzo Emerald, collana Muisco — Muzo Emerald, Muisca necklace

An example is, indeed, the jewelry series from the Muisca collection. Like the necklace with over 228 carats of emeralds along with yellow and white diamonds set in 18 carat yellow gold, which is sold at a price of 91,000 dollars. It is, obviously, made with the best quality emeralds, with the same deep shades of the forest that extends (for now) between Brazil and Colombia. This is also a precious commodity.

Orecchini della collezione Muisca — Earrings from the Muisca collection

Orecchini con 43,76 carati di smeraldi — Earrings with 43.76 carats of emeralds

The precious passions of Selim Mouzannar

Published on December 10, 2023

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Mandarine garnets & orange sapphires earrings

Almost all jewelers spend their time making jewelry. Almost. Some, like Selim Mouzannar, also engage in civil battles. The Beirut-based jeweler, in fact, is part of the Executive Committee of Achrafieh2020, a citizen-led environmental initiative to reinvent the Lebanese city’s historic Ashrafieh neighborhood as a sustainable and liveable space. Furthermore, he is one of the founders of Right to Nonviolence, an NGO engaged in legal activism and defense. Mouzannar, tells his biography, was involved in the non-violent revolution of the cedars of 2005 which forced the Syrian army to leave Lebanon.

Bracciale con diamanti rose-cut — Bracelet with rose-cut diamonds

But, of course, his main activity remains that of jewelry. He comes from a family of artisans originally from Damascus, and learned the art of working precious metals and gems in his father’s jewelry in the souk of Beirut, during the heyday of the cosmopolitan city. In 1980, during the civil war, Mouzannar went to study in Paris, where he graduated in mineralogy and gemology. He then worked for a jeweler based in Saudi Arabia and he moved to Bangkok, Thailand, where he dealt with gems.

Collana Basilik serpent in oro e diamanti taglio rotondo — Basilik serpent necklace in gold and round cut diamonds

In 1990 Mouzannar returned to Paris, where he acquired further skills in mineralogy from the Institut National de Gemmologie. Finally, he opened his Maison in Beirut, and in 2012 received a certification in Jewelry Design from the GIA Gemological Institute of America, followed by a certificate from the École supérieure des affaires (Beirut) Lebanon) in Marketing De Luxe in 2014. The jeweler is known for his crafting technique, known as Falamenk (means Flemish in Arabic), which combines rose-cut diamonds and silver-backed bezels.

Colla o bracciale in oro rosa, smalto, diamanti, zaffiri — Necklace or bracelet in rose gold, enamel, diamonds, sapphires

Collana in oro rosa con tormaline tonalità pastello e diamanti — Rose gold necklace with pastel-tone tourmalines and diamonds

Pendenti in oro rosa, smalto, diamanti, zaffiri rosa e tormaline — Pendants in pink gold, enamel, diamonds, pink sapphires and tourmalines

Anello in oro rosa, smalto, tormalina verde e acquamarine — Ring in rose gold, enamel, green tourmaline and aquamarines

Anello in oro rosa diamanti, tormalina verde — Ring in rose gold diamonds, green tourmaline

The noble jewelry of Pippa Small

Published on October 15, 2023

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Quatra, hand-made gold vermeil egg chains by artisans of Turquoise Mountain, Afghanistan

Social activity and jewelery: this is how Pippa Small got a the title of Lady of the Order of British Empire ♦

She creates jewelry, but is also a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, an order of chivalry that rewards contributions to the arts and sciences, collaborates with charitable and welfare and public service organizations outside the civil service. But Pippa Small, in addition to being a designer, is also an anthropologist, a human rights activist and an ambassador for survival. The London-based designer who also shops in Los Angeles and New York, not surprisingly, is liked by a (former) members of the royal family, such as Meghan Markle, who often wore earrings by Pippa Small.

Bracciale in oro 18 carati e pietre semi preziose, collezione Galaxy — Bracelet in 18k gold and semi-precious stones, Galaxy collection

To this list one could add that she is in love with stones (but this aspect is common to many jewelers) and that she often frequents the East, from Thailand to India, in search of gems and to restore the spirit, as well as to carry out activities of charity. The stones of her jewelry are often simply cut, as was often the case at the time of the maharaja. Among his initiatives, for example, he took part in the Turquoise Mountain initiative, in Afghanistan, to revive goldsmith craftsmanship. The activity was then extended to Myanmar and Syrian refugees in Jordan. In short, Pippa Small is also active in the social field, but this does not mean that her jewelry production is neglected.

Anello in oro 18 carati con ematite, zaffiro color miele, quarzo fumé, occhio di tigre, pietra luna e quarzo rutilato — 18k gold ring with hematite, honey-colored sapphire, smoky quartz, tiger’s eye, moonstone and rutilated quartz

Bracciale in oro con peridoto — Gold bracelet with peridot

Collana in oro giallo e bianco con cristalli — Necklace in yellow and white gold with crystals

Collana in oro giallo 18 carati, pietra di luna, quarzo e tormalina — Necklace in 18k yellow gold, moonstone, quartz and tourmaline

Orecchini a bottone in oro giallo 18carati e fiore di rubino — Stud earrings in 18k yellow gold and ruby flower

Orecchini pendenti in oro giallo 18 carati e tormalina — Dangle earrings in 18k yellow gold and tourmaline

Anello in oro e cianite — Gold and kyanite ring

The bohemian style of Gigi Clozeau

Published on October 2, 2023

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Gypsy-style bracelets and necklaces, perfect for the beach or hot summers: the jewels by Gigi Clozeau recall Saint-Tropez, a glass of pastis and the scents of the Mediterranean. But they are sold in America, where Gigi Clozeau moved from her native France: she lived in the Marais district of Paris, where her father’s laboratory was based. She did not abandon her professional roots, however, since her father Alain was a jeweler and designer, her mother an artist. You made your debut designing jewelry with emeralds, before choosing a path less tied to luxury and classic models.

The Gigi Clozeau brand focuses on lightness, simplicity, colors, with a Seventies nuance that allows you to wear bracelets and necklaces with an informal style, regardless of the rest. The jewels are made with thin 18-karat yellow, pink or white gold chains, diamonds, coral or resin beads. They are jewels designed to be worn with several turns, better if different models together.

Bracciale e ciondolo con l'immagine della Madonna in oro giallo e resina turchese — Bracelet and pendant with the image of the Madonna in yellow gold and turquoise resin

Bracciale Classic Gigi Flower in oro 18 carati, perle in resina e diamante — Classic Gigi Flower bracelet in 18k gold, resin pearls and diamond

Gig Sun, oro giallo e perle in resina di rame — Gig Sun, yellow gold and copper resin pearls

Orecchini in oro perle di resina — Gold resin pearl earrings

Collana in oro giallo e corallo — Necklace in yellow gold and coral

Bracciale in oro giallo e perle in resina bianca — Bracelet in yellow gold and white resin pearls

Cannabis and jewelry, the odd couple

Published on July 30, 2023

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Marijuana leaves also inspire fine jewelry, from Bulgari to Daniela Villegas and … ♦︎

The New York Times has also written about this: the world of jewelery and high jewelery has discovered the new leaves and flowers for its inspiration. After the lotus flower, the roses, the daisies and the innocent calla, the new vegetable to arouse interest is cannabis. Yes, the plant that, when properly pruned and dried turns into marijuana.

Bulgari, collier ispirato alla marijuana in oro bianco, diamanti, smeraldi

Bijoux at low prices that reproduce cannabis leaves have been on sale for years. They are sold to an alternative youth audience and are quite simple. Now, however, even the world of high jewelry has decided that marijuana leaves are a subject to be transformed into jewelry. Even following the decision by some countries, such as Canada or California, to liberalize cannabis use. Bulgari, for example, has recently presented a collection, Wild Pop, which also features pieces that reproduce marijuana leaves, like a necklace with diamonds and emeralds. A provocation? Maybe. But it’s calculated. In California Daniela Villegas has proposed a series of necklaces with pendants in the shape of pipes for smoking grass, made in gold, tourmaline, prehnite and topaz.

Daniela Villegas, collana con pendente vaporizzatore di cannabis, oro, diamanti, tormalina, lapislazzuli

Also in California lives another designer who added marijuana leaves to her Sweet Leaf collection, Jacquie Aiche. A little more related to the alternative, but luxury world, is the Sapphire Collective in Los Angeles, which created the Stoned collection with necklaces and pendants in 18k gold with sapphires that they have the shape of joint, worn by a model who smokes visibly.

Brent Neale Winston ha deciso di portare al Couture di Las Vegas le sue creazioni in oro, diamanti e malachite

Nikki Erwin of the Established brand has instead created a pair of diamond earrings and a bracelet coordinated with a series of cannabis leaves, which are often mistaken for innocent stars. And Brent Neale Winston decided to bring his gold, diamond and malachite creations to Las Vegas Couture. A stone that is perfect for her jewelry with the shape of marijuana leaves.

Orecchino di Jacquie Aiche in oro e diamanti

Un braccialetto d'oro con foglie di cannabis, spesso scambiato per stelle, di Established — Un braccialetto d’oro con foglie di cannabis, spesso scambiato per stelle, di Established

Le collane della collezioen Stoned di Sapphire Collective — Stoned collection by Sapphire Collective

Orecchini di Brent Neale Winston in oro, malachite, diamanti

Orecchini di Brent Neale Winston in oro, malachite, zaffiri, tormalina

Ondyn’s aquatic philosophy

Published on July 24, 2023

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Big Bang and Supernova Rings, Polaris earring

Ondyn’s jewels, winner of the Couture Design Awards in the Best in Diamonds Below $40,000 Retail category.

Ondyn, the creature of New Yorker Tara Maria Famiglietti, has distant origins. Tara’s father created bespoke suits and shoes for Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, John Lennon and Jimmy Hendrix. Her mother and aunt owned the Boutique Menage at Trois on Madison Avenue, New York, and designed dresses for Diana Ross, Bianca Jagger, Barbara Streisand and Diane von Furstenberg. She, the founder of Ondyn, started making jewelry at the age of twenty. Her contemporary jewelry Maison uses diamonds and 14 or 18 carat gold, accompanied by diamonds set to form long threads that are used for necklaces, rings or earrings.

Anello con sirena in oro 14 carati e diamanti — Siren ring in 14K gold and diamonds

Tara graduated with a degree in jewelry design from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, she has collaborated with some of the big names in the fashion industry to create pieces that have been sold in exclusive boutiques and department stores around the world. Alongside her jewels, she also cultivates another passion: the sea. For a while, the designer lived on a sailboat, traveling across the French Riviera, the Amalfi Coast, the Balearic Islands, the African Coast and the Caribbean. And it is no coincidence that her brand is called Ondyn (a name that resembles the Italian word onda, wave). And, after all, New York is also a seaside city.

Anello Avalon in oro 14 carati e diamanti — Avalon ring in 14K gold and diamonds

Bracciale Magisterial in oro 14 carati e diamanti — Magisterial bracelet in 14K gold and diamonds

Orecchini Eminence in oro 14 carati e diamanti — Eminence earrings in 14K gold and diamonds

Orecchini con frange in oro 14 carati e diamanti — Fringed earrings in 14K gold and diamonds

Orecchini Dalliance in oro 14 carati e diamanti — Dalliance earrings in 14K gold and diamonds

Collana Zen in oro 14 carati e diamanti — Collana Zen in 14 carat gold and diamond

The colors of Venice by Linea Italia

Published on June 29, 2023

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Collana multifili con goccia in vetro di Murano e argento

Not far from Venice, in Costabissara, Murano artisans bring elaborate glass beads which are transformed into jewels by Linea Italia, a company managed by the Loison family since 1986. Linea Italia is now led by Tranquillo Loison, who has accumulated extensive experience in goldsmithing as an entrepreneur and as a trade representative in the goldsmith sector. In addition to making silver and Murano glass jewelery, Linea Italia develops jewelery lines for other companies in the sector.

Orecchini pendenti in argento e vetro di Murano — Pendant earrings in silver and Murano glass

The Murano glass used for Linea Italia jewels is the name that characterizes the artistic glass made in Murano, an island in the Venice lagoon: a tradition that has its roots over the centuries. The first documents on Venetian glass art date back to the year 982. Linea Italia, however, also creates classic-style 925 silver jewelry. The multi-strand necklaces represent the top of the production and are added to the series of jewels with colored Murano glass.

Collana con pendente in vetro di Murano e perline blu — Necklace with Murano glass pendant and blue beads

Murano glass, an island in the Venice lagoon, is generically defined in English as Venetian glass. It is elaborately decorated glass, with various techniques of hot forming, gilding, enameling or engraving. Production has been concentrated on the Venetian island of Murano since the 13th century. Murano was Europe’s leading center for luxury glass from the early Middle Ages to the Italian Renaissance. In the 15th century Murano glassmakers created crystal, which was almost transparent and considered the finest glass in the world. Murano glassmakers also developed a white-colored glass (milk glass called lattimo) that looked like porcelain. They later became the best mirror manufacturers in Europe. Venetian glassmakers developed secret methods of glassmaking: Murano is still home to numerous glass factories and a few individual artists’ studios.

Collana con pendente in vetro di Murano — Murano glass pendant necklace

Orecchini a bottone in vetro di Murano e argento — Murano glass and silver button earrings

Orecchini pendenti in vetro di Murano e argento — Pendant earrings in Murano glass and silver

Also jewelry for Metrocity

Published on June 25, 2023

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Collana in argento colore oro rosa e cubic zirconia

The Korean brand Metrocity also expands its offer to jewelry. After entering for the first time in Europe, in Milan, with a flagship, the company has expanded its catalog from bags to clothing and now also jewelery is arriving in Europe. Metrocity has Italian origins: it was founded in 1992 in the Braccialini Group. It has been present in Korea since 1997 and is now part of Mt Collection, a Korean company that has developed 130 Metrocity single-brand stores at home.

The 14-karat gold jewelery line is characterized by the brand’s letter M and on four motifs: Tubular, Frame, La Rosa Bianca, and Cuore. The jewels with Tubular motif, handmade, are offered in different variations with respect to the original distinctive logo of the house, the Tubular Circle which embeds an M in the center. The cornice motif has a rounded rectangle shape. The White Rose, flower and identifying symbol of the brand, is reinterpreted through small three-dimensional roses with overlapping petals. Finally, the Heart motif was conceived with the intention of describing eternal love. Metrocity has already opened two boutiques dedicated exclusively to jewelry collections in South Korea.

Bracciale con oro 14 carati — Bracelet with 14 karat gold

Orecchini argento colore oro rosa — Rose gold tone silver earrings

Orecchini argento colore oro giallo e cubic zirconia — Yellow gold-colored silver earrings and cubic zirconia

The East-West in Michelle Ong’s Carnet

Published on June 2, 2023

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Orecchini con diamanti, zaffiri e tormalina paraiba

Michelle Ong was named one of the 15 most influential women in Hong Kong. Promotes the art of Italian Renaissance. And she is also the designer of the refined Maison Carnet ♦

You don’t need to fly to Hong Kong to learn who is Michelle Ong. The designer founded Carnet together to Israeli Avi Nagar in 1985. Since then he has become a kind of Jar of East. So much so that the legendary Joel Arthur Rosenthal gave her compliments and has written for her the preface of a book by Vivienne Becker that collected the images of the work of the designer. His curiosity has produced a strange cross between Art Nouveau and Ming tradition. Actually the two terms simplify a lot of the complexity of the creativity of Michelle Ong. In reality, what matters of most it’s see the virtuosity to jewelry with great and precious stones. His pieces, not surprisingly, are appreciated by those who can and want to show off their fine jewelry, like the soprano Renee Fleming and Kate Winslet.

Orecchini con tanzanite, rubellite, tormalina, zaffiri e diamanti — Earrings with tanzanite, rubellite, tourmaline, sapphires and diamonds

On his style they were wasted many adjectives: stately, exuberant, expressive … But the truth is that with a few words don’t sum up a production so dense it is very difficult. And to say that Michelle Ong is self-taught. She started designing jewelry as a hobby. He loves perfectionism: even after reaching the success continues to follow closely the artisans who make her designs. “The materials we use are a means to an end,” she explained. The absence of a school behind her also has advantages: for example, the Hong Kong designer began using the titanium 17 years ago, in advance of the others. Here are some pieces of her production.

Spilla a forma di conchiglia in oro bianco 18 carati e diamanti — Shell-shaped brooch in 18K white gold and diamonds

Michelle Ong is also a refined art lover. She has been appointed president of the Marco Polo Society, a non-profit organization that promotes cultural exchanges between Italy, Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China. And in the city, her former British colony, she promoted Shaping the Human Body: Florentine Sculpture of the Italian Renaissance, an exhibition of ten key masterpieces of the period, at the University of Hong Kong.

Spilla a forma di farfalla con diamanti, rodolite — Butterfly-shaped brooch with diamonds, rhodolite

Orecchini a forma di foglie con diamanti colorati — Leaf-shaped earrings with colored diamonds

Spilla con diamante nero briolette, tormalina violacea briolette, 260 rubini e zaffiri rosa — Brooch with black briolette diamond, purplish briolette tourmaline, 260 rubies and pink sapphires

Collana con pendente di diamanti e smeraldi — Diamond and emerald pendant necklace

Il libro Carnet scritto da Vivienne Becker e edito da Thames&Hudson — The book Carnet written by Vivienne Becker and published by Thames&Hudson

Kathryn Elyse’s second life

Published on May 24, 2023

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Her favorite phrase is from Claude Monet: “Color is my obsession, joy and torment for the whole day”, said the king of the Impressionists. A statement that is shared by Kathryn Elyse, a jewelry designer based in Seattle, United States. She describes herself as attracted to colored gems, their cut or their unique imperfections. The designer uses 14 or 18 carat recycled gold, combining colored stones with small diamonds. Her collections are a bridge between natural beauty and modernism. Her jewels, as well as in the Seattle boutique, are also sold by large online marketplaces, such as Moda Operandi.

Orecchini in oro, tanzanite, diamanti — Earrings in gold, tanzanite, diamonds

And to say that after graduation you started working in the personal banking sector, and during this time you also faced the shock of an armed robbery. An experience that marked her choices: it is better to cultivate one’s passion, jewels. The designer then restarted her second life and enrolled at the prestigious Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco. And after learning the secrets of the trade she started her own business. And with good success.

Collana in oro 14 carati con labradorite e diamanti — 14 karat gold necklace with labradorite and diamonds

Orecchini in oro 14 carati con pietra luna, larimar e diamanti — Earrings in 14 carat gold with moonstone, larimar and diamonds

Orecchini in oro con turchese e diamanti — Gold earrings with turquoise and diamonds

Orecchini in oro con pietra luna e diamanti — Gold earrings with moonstone and diamonds

The jewels born on the beach by Cvc Stones

Published on May 15, 2023

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Charlie de Viel Castel is managing partner in Stelac, a New York-based financial company. But he has also become, surprisingly, a very special jeweler with his Cvc Stones. The jewels he produces, in fact, are made with pebbles found on the beach or on the bottom of rivers. With a peculiarity: they have small diamonds set and hang at the end of a gold chain. It all started when the financier’s grandmother died and inherited a diamond in the rough to Charlie. An event that prompted Charlie de Viel Castel to consider the stones he collected as a child in a different light.

Collana Rosalina in pietra, oro e diamanti

Thus was born the idea of setting one or many diamonds surrounded by a gold border in the natural, raw stone, without changing its shape. The stones come from the beaches of different locations around the world, but the jewels are made in New York. The philosophy is to combine a precious material, the diamond, with a precious inspiration, the one that children have in front of nature. The result is pieces that are certainly different from everyone and also one of a kind.

Ciottolo da spiaggia Aurora con catena in oro 18 carati e diamante

Pendente con catena in oro 18 carati e diamanti

Pendente con pietra, catena in oro 18 carati e diamanti

Collana Rococo in oro 18 carati, pietra e diamanti

Lauren Harwell Godfrey, geometries and perfumes

Published on February 11, 2023

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Anello modello cigar band in oro, turchesi, tormalina

Adidas, Levi’s and Ray-Ban. But after 15 years Lauren Harwell Godfrey has grown tired of working, albeit with a creative role, for brands intended for mass-market. So she went to California to found in 2016 Harwell Godfrey, a line of 18ct gold jewelery and handmade gemstones. But her first serious jewelry collection was launched in 2017 at Paris Fashion Week, with For Future Reference.

Bracciale a disegno geometrico in oro con smeraldi — Bracciale in oro con smeraldi

In short, Lauren Harwell Godfrey is in the strange position of almost debutante, but with so much experience behind his back. Certainly, she presented herself to the public with its own identity, a style already defined. We must therefore forgive her belief that the stones also have magical powers (healing, spirituality, etc.), even if the only power they really have is to make the women who wear them happy. In short, we fly over the baggage of medieval convictions applied to jewelry, to focus on the reality of her style: inlays, enamels, pavé, engravings, stone cuts, are used in an original way. As in the large necklace of spinels of different colors and shades. And often the jewelry is combined with perfumes selected by the designer. Also worth mentioning are the medallions that open and may contain pills.

Pendente Pyramid in oro 18 carati, lapislazzuli, zaffiri

Pendente a forma di spicchio di luna in oro, diamanti, madreperla

Orecchini pendenti in oro giallo 18 carati con corallo, ametista, turchese, peridoto, perle — Orecchini in oro giallo 18 carati con corallo, ametista, turchese, peridoto, perle

Anello in oro giallo 18 carati, con diamanti, zaffiri multicolori, topazio azzurro e dettagli in ametista

The jewels with the secret of Santo by Zani

Published on January 8, 2023

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Pendente in oro giallo con smeraldi, rubini, zaffiri blu, orange, e gialli

She studied jewelry design at Bowdoin College, Maine, and after graduation trained in jewelry design with Cecilia Bauer, known for her classic jewelry making techniques. But then she worked in public relations. A short-lived betrayal: Zani Gugelmann immediately returned to her first love, even if she then left Peru, following her maternal origins. And upon returning to the States she launched a jewelry line in 2002 and, in 2016, she founded the Santo by Zani brand, which she defines as a conceptual jewelry collection.

Anello con citrino, diamanti e smalto — Anello Shield con citrino, diamanti e smalto

Curiously, she is inspired by the design of the rings that in the sixteenth century hid poison inside them. The concept is used by Santo by Zani above all for the pendants, which can be worn open and have the shape of stars, flowers or crosses, or closed. Each piece is designed with complex mechanical movement and delicate engineering of pins, axes and hinges. The jewels are in 14 and 18 karat gold, with precious stones and ceramic inserts.

Pendente con la lettera E in oro giallo, diamanti, smalto

Anello con smalto azzurro, diamanti e tormalina

Pendente a forma di stella in oro, ceramica rossa e diamanti

Orecchini in oro giallo, tanzanite, smalto turchese

The imperial jewels by Vivienne Westwood

Published on December 30, 2022

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Collana in ottone placcato con l'emblema Orb, perle sintetiche

Pearl jewels are one of the main trends of 2021. A great comeback, like that of Vivienne Westwood, who died at the age of 81, but who had returned to occupy the pages dedicated to fashion. And her pearl necklaces have become a Google certified trend. One of the most frequent searches on the search engine, regarding jewels, is related to the pearl necklaces signed Vivienne Westwood. And on TikTok the British designer experienced a second youth. In short, in addition to dresses, Vivienne Westwood’s pearl necklaces are popular. And not only that: even the rings are among the most clicked jewels of the London Maison.

It must also be added that the prices are absolutely compatible even for the wallets of the youngest. Cubic zirconia and pearls Swarovski, metal and crystals. A distinctive stylistic element is the use of the Orb emblem, a symbol of royal power. It consists of a sphere surmounted by a cross. It symbolizes the cosmos, the universe as a harmonious whole, which originates with the ancient Romans, who associated with Jupiter and, therefore, with the emperor as his earthly representative. And, after all, Vivienne Westwood is a queen of fashion.

Anello canna di fucile, perle sintetiche

Bracciale in ottone con perle Swarovski by Vivienne Westwood

Anello in argento riciclato e placcato oro rosa, con zirconia cubica

Pandora calls Spider-Man

Published on November 6, 2022

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A new feat for Spider-Man: hooking onto the wrist, or neck, of girls. Nothing inconvenient: the company concerns aesthetics and is made with a special thread, created by Pandora. The new Marvel x Pandora collection features jewelry inspired by the super hero created by writer-publisher Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, who first appeared on the pages of the Amazing Fantasy comic in August 1962. But it was mostly cinema. , with a successful series of films, to make Spider-Man even more popular.

Pandora’s jewels dedicated to Spider-Man were made with a particular technique. A bracelet inspired by the Spider-Man mask is made of cubic zirconia and charms that reflect the movements of the hero. The jewelry has been hand finished in 925 sterling silver and features a cubic zirconia pave, alongside enamel inserts. The bracelet was engraved with the iconic phrase “From great power comes great responsibility”. Perhaps it also applies to wearing it.

Modella con bracciale e collana indossati — Modella con bracciale e collana

The delicate flowery necklaces by Christopher Thompson Royds

Published on October 13, 2022

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Collana a forma di veronica, in oro 18 carati dipinto a mano

A sculptor? A designer? Or a nature lover? Christopher Thompson Royds is all of this in one person. Really different from the others. His collections have been exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Coda Museum in Apeldoom (Holland), the National Museum in Zurich, the Museum of Fine Art in Houston and many other museums and galleries. Because Christopher Thompson Royds jewels can be worn, but only after having admired them as if they were a painting. And to be precise, a still life. His Natura Morta collection (still life in Italian) is of disconcerting purity: his necklaces are composed with the shape of wreaths of wild flowers. Daisies, buttercups, cornflowers: they are made of hand-painted gold or silver.

Orecchini in sottile foglia d'oro e colori applicati a mano — Orecchini in sottile foglia d’oro e colori applicati a mano

Before starting his work, Christopher Thompson Royds obtained a master’s degree in goldsmithing, silverware, metalworking and jewelry at the Royal College of Art in London, and first studied at London Metropolitan University. He decided to combine the passion for jewelry with that of nature, in particular of the English countryside: he lives in Oxfordshire after leaving London.

Collana ranuncoli n oro 18 carati e colorata a mano

His jewels, unique pieces, require a patient workmanship and a lot of inspiration: an 18-carat white clover necklace costs about $ 12,000, but other pieces have a lower price. To obtain a realistic effect, the designer picks real flowers in the meadows, presses them and then shapes the border on paper. Another peculiarity: the jewels are sold in a marbled box reminiscent of the Hans Sloane Herbarium at the Natural History Museum in London.

Orecchini margherita in oro 18 carati e diamanti

Collana Daisy in sottile foglia d'oro 18 carati dipinta a mano — Collana Daisy in sottile foglia d’oro 18 carati dipinta a mano

Orecchini a bottone a forma di papavero, in oro 18 carati, diamanti, colorati a mano