Where Wishes Come True

Astley Clarke's showroom

padded walls are not necessarily a bad thing when inside of them feels like a visit to the interior of a box of antique jewelry. Astley Clarke stunning new showroom, near Paddington, all duchess satin, button-studded walls filled with antique cabinets Parisian poodle-print cushions and some of the jewels of the most heart-breakingly surrounds. And it's not just the showroom to have a renewal: Their website has a new look and a cool new feature that we are very impressed by - a public wish list, which at its inception, donating potential coders see what your heart desires and make sure they get it right. Genius.

Cartier In The Raj

Cartier Patiala necklace

V & A's new Maharaja: the Splendour exhibition Raj is not only a brilliant idea of the size of the Indian ruling class, but also a wonderful opportunity to see the incredible Patiala necklace, the largest single part of the Commission that Cartier has never been implemented . A ceremonial necklace was completed in 1928 and renovated in 2003 and originally consisted of not less than 2,930 diamonds, weighing about 1,000 carats. The show opens tomorrow and is open until January 17, 2010. http://topcartiershop.com/%20for more information.

Links of London Search

Links of London Surfaces Belt

Elizabeth Galton - Director of creating links from London - was driven by his love of fashion to create a second collection of drama and portable Hatton Garden craftsmen took more than 800 hours to create. This season, the collection of Galton London Grid, which in turn was inspired by unexpected surprises in London and the cityscape of the capital. "This season I wanted to take the seam line a little further, merging art, fashion and jewelry - looted historic costume and tribal dress, and then turn them a city on rock 'n' roll ' says Galton collection, covering the waist area to the left. You can see pieces of sewing made http://www.linksoflondon4sale.com/ / News / sewing.

Chanel Very Fine Indeed

 

Chanel fine jewellery necklace

Karl Lagerfeld's Chanel couture juicy collection not only pleased that caught our attention this week. Part of couture week, the brand launched a new series of jewelry, which is based on the grounds of the brand's iconic black and white, pearls, diamonds, pearls and camellias. When Mademoiselle Chanel created the first jewel of Chanel, said he chose the diamond, because "they are the greatest value of the number as low as possible." We think it is very impressed with this dazzling necklace, composed of no less than 287 diamonds weighing 42.5 carats.

Jewelry 2011 Oscar Predictions

The art of predicting the Oscar fashion has not been long, but I can guarantee it will be the smartest person in the world last week, or I'll join the chorus of fashion found the red carpet for the integrity of (bouh!) "surprises clothes. One thing I know for sure? Giuliana Rancic and Ryan Seacrest will drive me to drink. Thus, the champagne is already cold and aspirin strategically placed on the bedside table.

And, as always, on Sunday joined the brightest minds and jewelry in the Twitter-sphere we live Tweet our way through E! Oscar Red Carpet Coverage 18:00 CEST # using oscarjewelry. You do not want to miss the dog jewelry. We all cheeky about 7:00 after the champagne comes in.

One more quick shout to all you fashion forecasters. Jewel Club is having a "Guess What jewelry Anne Hathaway will" competition on their Facebook page (! Love it) and they are giving away jewelry, you guys are some of the brightest diamonds in the box jewelry, click here weighs in and enjoy your loot "work."
2011 Oscar Jewelry Predictions:

1. Dainty, Delicate, Diamonds

Sheer, lacey looks rocked the New York Fashion Week runways earlier this month, and my guess is the trend will trickle down to Oscar jewelry choices. The Golden Globes had a few key light-weight looks back in January (Natalie Portman, Dianna Agron), and I expect the 'less is more' elegance to continue Sunday night.

2. Big Rings

I love big rings. The problem is: we never really get a good look at them on the red carpet. That said, the Grammy's were littered with this statement style this year, and I think Oscar stylists will play that trendy tune as well. Who could forget Zoe Saldana's Oscar amethyst show-stopper last year?

3. Flower Power

According to jewelry guru, Michael O'Connor, this flower cuff was included in the ultra-exclusive StyleLab Oscar jewelry selection that Anne Hathaway (among others) got to peruse this week.

While Nicole Kidman's floral Fred Leighton piece at the SAGs was a 'love it or hate it' choice, I think some key celebs are going to get in touch with their inner flower child and make a statement with this silhouette. Peace out, starchild.

4. Color Blind Couture

While the Golden Globes were all about green and pink, I'm going out on a limb to say that no one color is going to dominate this red carpet. Some folks say red, some say blue - but I think we're in color transition-land right now, and we can expect to see a rainbow of hues. (How's that for hedging my bets?)

Seriously, though, I think stars have the freedom to go in any direction with color in gown choice or jewels - as long as they don't try to copy a winner from past years (a la Michelle Williams in her tangerine Vera Wang winner, Angelina's emeralds, etc).

5. The Statement Necklace: It's BAAAAACCCK

I have a funny feeling that the statement necklace craze that peaked in 2009 and waned to nothingness this past year is going to ramp up again at the 2011 Oscars. You can't keep this baby in the corner long. It's a hunch - but if we don't see at least 3 or 4 big stars in this look, I'll chug an entire glass of champagne. Twist my arm!

So be sure to check back with me Sunday night to see if my predictions come true. I'll post my top looks of the night with some champagne-soaked trend commentary thrown in for good measure. I gawk harder...so you don't have to.

Tiffany & Co On Key

Leighton Meester wearing the Tiffany & Co Fleur de Lis key, £1975

While we have been fans of the highly covetable Tiffany & Co key pendants since their launch, they are about to become a whole lot more popular, thanks to the stamp of approval of one of Gossip Girl's central characters, Blair Waldorf. With filming for the next season underway in the Big Apple, style spies have been eagerly watching the wardrobes of the stars including Leighton Meester, who was recently spotted sporting the dazzling Fleur de Lis white gold key on set. In season one of the series, sales of Erickson Beamon necklaces soared when Blair was given one of their creations for Christmas. We predict the same fate for the Tiffany keys.

Astley Clarke Walpole Winner

Villette Earrings, £185, from ASTLEYCLARKE.COM

Congratulations to Astley Clarke are due after the lavish online jewellery store was awarded the Walpole Award for Best Luxury Brand Online, beating Louis Vuitton, Mulberry, Anya Hindmarch and Mulberry to the honour. "Astley Clarke is only three years old and we are we are particularly thrilled to sit alongside such internationally respected industry figures and well established brands," Bec Clarke, founder and managing director, told VOGUE.COM. The site boasts dozens of designers - including Missoma, Shaun Leane and Agrigento - with new collections launching on a weekly basis. What's next for this rising star? "We will continue to strive for excellence in the development of the Astley Clarke brand," Clarke told us. "There are some incredibly exciting designers joining us next season and - excitingly - interest is growing from international customers."

Links of London Looking Up At Links

Links of London Surfaces Belt from the London Grid collection

Links of London has bucked dominating financial trends to report an encouraging 28 per cent rise in sales in 2009, setting the company on course to top £76 million in sales for the year. "We not only had an excellent Christmas trading period, but a great year as a whole producing record sales," chief executive Andrew Marshall told Metro. Greek watches and accessories company Folli Follie - which bought Links in 2006 - is said to be considering floating the company on the stock exchange

Chanel I Really Like

Chanel fine jewellery necklace

Karl Lagerfeld's couture collection was not the most delicious pleasure that Chanel has attracted attention this week. As part of the week of couture, the brand launched a new collection of fine jewelry inspired by motifs emblematic of the label: the black and white pearls, diamonds, pearls and camellias. When Miss Chanel jewelry Chanel created the first fine, said he chose the diamond, as they represent the best value in the lower volume. " We thought it would be very impressed with this dazzling necklace, which consists of no less than 287 diamonds of 42.5 carats.

Chanel Eastern Promise

Necklace, £5,865

Ahead of the Universal Exhibition, which opens in Shanghai in May, Karl Lagerfeld has turned to the Orient for inspiration for the latest Chanel costume jewellery collection. There is an imperial quality to the range, which sees mythical dragons wrapped around wrists and turned into brooches, and ancient Chinese folklore reinterpreted into necklaces and earrings. It's all very "Forbidden City" and very, very desirable.

Tiffany & Co Announces Profits

 

Kate Winslet wearing a Tiffany yellow diamond necklace to this year’s Oscars.

LUXURY jeweller Tiffany & Co has reported an almost five-fold increase in profits over the festive period against the same quarter last year. The company enjoyed a post-tax profit of £93 million in the three months to January 31 against £20.6 million the previous year. The company's chairman, Michael Kowalski told The Telegraph in light of the figures that he believes "the demise of luxury and full-priced spending [has been] exaggerated".

Links of London Linked In

 

Cat Deeley sporting the Links of London spring/summer 2010 collection

Cat Deeley has been announced as the first ever Links of London brand ambassador and will be appearing in the brand's advertising images from September. The Bafta award-winning star of So You Think You Can Dance will front the campaign for the autumn/winter 2010-11 collection, which will see rose gold combinations introduced to the range. According to Links' creative director Elizabeth Galton, Cat was chosen for her "beauty and fresh London feel - something that embodies the essence of the Links of London brand."

The Astley Clarke Trunk Show

Pippa Small earrings

This Thursday Astley Clarke is throwing open its doors and inviting you into its London showroom for high tea and summer cocktails to meet its creative director and four of its designer jewellers - Pippa Small, Asha by ADM, Carolina Bucci and La Diosa. Try on the jewellery and treat yourself to some springtime bling with a look at the new collections and receive 15 per cent off any purchase made on the day.

London Jewellery Week 2010

 

Earrings by Shaun Leane

London Jewellery Week kicks off today and is set to be a real treat for fans of bling with an exciting, jam-packed schedule of events and activities. Running until June 13, the week is marked by four cornerstone events: The Goldsmiths' Hall will play host to not only the week's launch party but also to the Day of Knowledge - where renowned jewellers, including Shaun Leane and Leo DeVroomen, will share their wisdom. Treasure - a one-of-a-kind exhibition sale to be held at Victoria House on Kingsway - will feature over 80 of the best contemporary designers showcasing their latest bespoke collections. Meanwhile, Hatton Garden Festival will host a family-friendly street festival on Saturday June 12, featuring open-workshops, manufacturing demonstrations, collection launches, activities for kids and opportunities to learn about diamonds, stones, jewellery and the history of the area. Lastly, the Green Street Jewellers' Association, which is based in the heart of East London, represents the traditional centre for London's Asian jewellery trade and will host a series of activities. Visit http://www.3peau.com/ for more information on what's happening.

2011 Grammy Awards Jewelry Roundup: It's All In the Wrist

While the whole "Lady Gaga arriving in a big egg" stunt felt a little (um) tired to me, the jewelry fashion was refreshingly fun at the 2011 Grammy Awards, with huge earrings, creative cuffs, statement rings, yellow gold and menfolk in layered looks ruling the night in the trend department.

Here are a few highlights to get the jewelry juices flowing...

I FINALLY had a 2011 lower-jaw-drop moment when I spotted this crazy cuff on Glee diva, Lea Michele. It's by red carpet staple, Lorraine Schwartz, who is also responsible for my second favorite look of the night:

this yellow gold and diamond serpent cuff on Kim Kardashian.Yay!

I also have to applaud Miley Cyrus and Ciara for the winning the "More Is More" award. Maybe it's because I've been so starved for over-the-top jewelry looks this year, but I was happy to see this much sparkle on these young stars.

Big earring looks dusted the sparkling shoulders of everyone from Cyndi Lauper to Snooki:

And as for the fellas? The usual suspects disappointed (Lil Wayne, Diddy) but Seal, Lenny Kravitz and Adam Lambert all rocked the layered necklace look that won the approval of the Twitter Crew (click here to review our fun-filled chat).

With so many folks getting in touch with their inner wacky (Gwenyth? What are you smoking, sister?) I'm sure the Oscars are going to feel like a quaint evening sipping tea by comparison. But I'm ready. Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is a jewelry wasteland so far.... And I'm starving for more!

Oscar Jewelry for Less

My trip down Oscar jewelry memory lane earlier this week kicked my diamond-infused fantasy life into overdrive.

How amazing would it feel to hold that Taylor-Burton 69-carat diamond - let alone pick it out from your own personal jewelry stash and wear it down the Oscar red carpet in a dress to match your eyes?

Or. OK. How great would it be to hold those Angelina Jolie Oscar emeralds in your grubby little hands or walk the red carpet with your own personal set of body guards like Natalie Portman at the Golden Globes earlier this year.

Who doesn't love body guards?

Thankfully, I'm not alone in diamond dreamland. JewelClub is riding the Oscar jewelry fantasy wave like Laird Hamilton on a tsumani - with a whopping collection of (count 'em) 20! Oscar jewelry looks for less on their smashing sample sale site.

They've got real-life alternatives to Liz's Taylor-Burton diamond dream, Angelina's emeralds, Julia's hoops, Natalie's diamond bib neck, Gwenyth's teardrops. They even have glittering ghosts from Oscar's past - like Sharon Stone's diamond drops and Nicole Kidman's "Tom Who?" earrings from 1995!

It's a strong showing of pre-Oscar jewelry fashion to give us a taste of their Oscar sample sale to come - and it's one doozy of a show stopper.

They claim their price points deserve their own gold statue, and I can't disagree. Check out their Oscar Couture Sample Sale here and let me know what Oscar jewel you want for your own collection!

We may not go home with Brad Pitt every night - but, darn it! - we can certainly have earrings that look like they do!

Tiffany Yellow Fever

Tiffany yellow diamonds

Just in time for Fashion's Night Out (put September 8 in your diary now, if you haven't already done so), Tiffany is introducing a collection of rare yellow diamond jewellery. Only one in 10,000 diamonds is a fancy colour and very few of those meet Tiffany's high standards. With a stake in the Ellendale mine in Western Australia, the brand has access to some of the world's most breathtakingly beautiful stones and, like little sparkles of sunlight, the diamonds are cut with absolute precision to maximise their intensity. There are pendants, rings and devastatingly wantable bracelets in the collection but our favourite has to be the 7.12-carat bezel cut-ring - it's almost blinding. Prices start at £1,825 for a solitaire ring.

Emeralds For Elephants

Lily Cole models the Autore necklace and Dominic Jones ring

Eight of our favourite jewellers have been handpicked from around the globe to create a unique piece of jewellery incorporating a Zambian emerald from ethical company Gemfields.
CLICK HERE TO SEE FULL COLLECTION
Their creations are being showcased as part of the Emeralds for Elephants exhibition in the Selfridges Wonder Room next to The Emerald Queen - a life size fiberglass elephant that has been encrusted with Gemfields emeralds by Sabine Roemer. The pieces from designers including Shaun Leane, Theo Fennell, Dominic Jones, Gem Palace, Sevan Bicakci, Alessio Boschi, J.W. Currens and Francic Mertens will be on show until June 23 when the will be auctioned by Sotheby's at Selfridges, with a percentage of each sale going to the World Land Trust's Indian Elephant Corridor Project. And, for an extra special touch, supermodel Lily Cole has lent her talents (and face) to the cause.

The Windsors' Jewellery Sale

Cartier Flamingo brooch

THE love affair between Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson - the Duke and Duchess of Windsor - was documented with a series of gorgeous pieces of jewellery that are set to go under the hammer at Sotheby's later this year. Twenty pieces that were designed by the couple in collaboration with Cartier will be sold on November 30 of this year, 23 years after their first sale in Geneva in 1987 - a year after Mrs Simpson's death. The collection includes gifts that the couple exchanged, including a diamond, sapphire and ruby Flamingo brooch that Edward bought for Mrs Simpson in 1940 and a gold cigarette case that she gave to him for Christmas in 1935 - when she was still married. Be sure to visit the collection before it's sold.

Cartier Wallis' Jewels Sell

Cartier diamond and onyx panther bracelet

JEWELLERY and other precious gifts exchanged between the Duke and Duchess of Windsor went under the hammer at Sotheby's in London last night, with Wallis Simpson's diamond and onyx Cartier-designed bracelet reaching £4,521,250 - the most expensive Cartier item to be sold at any auction.

SEE PIECES FROM THE COLLECTION HERE

The 20-piece lot, which included pieces designed by the couple in collaboration with Cartier, was being sold by Syrian-born businessman Wafic Said, who acquired the collection at the famous 1987 sale in Geneva - a year after Wallis' death. This sale fetched more than twice the auctioneer's estimate, reaching £7,975,550.

According to The Times, it was rumoured that Madonna - who is directing a film, entitled W.E.,  about the legendary romance between the Duke and Duchess, which resulted in the 1936 abdication - may have been among those bidding for the panther bracelet, after previously trying it on.

Louis Vuitton Party Tricks

Necklace by Louis Vuitton

NEW Year's Eve is your last chance to shine in 2010, so we've hand-picked the most dazzling jewellery for you to twinkle in. 

SEE THE PRETTIEST PARTY JEWELLERY

There's plenty of sparkle - in bracelets, earrings and necklaces from Boucheron, Topshop, Eddie Borgo, Astley Clarke, Pomellato and Louis Vuitton. So glitter and glow in these gorgeous party pieces. 

Chanel Flight Of Fancy

Chanel Plume brooch

CHANEL has looked to the first ever fine jewellery collection designed by Mademoiselle Coco in 1932 for its latest haute joaillerie collection. A selection of the Plumes de Chanel range was unveiled in Paris during Couture Week and the entire collection is set to be exhibited in September as part of the Biennale des Antiquaires, in a 75-square-metre space designed by Peter Marino. In an ode to Coco's creative vision, the jewellery is inspired by the feather motif explored by Gabrielle Chanel in 1932 and the centrepiece is an oversized, fully articulated brooch that can be worn anywhere on the body. 

Folli Follie Santorini Ready

Folli Follie Collection K necklace

OFF-SET your golden summer tan with this On The Rocks necklace - which calls to mind the white-washed walls and turquoise waters of Santorini - from Greek jewellery company Folli Follie. Perfect by the pool or worn with summer's tribal trend, it's part of the brand's K Collection, which means it's from a limited edition and very exclusive - and that's a good thing in our book. £210.