LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Chanel
The house of Chanel is marking two significant anniversaries as part of their enduring legacy. Ninety years ago, Gabrielle Chanel created the “Bijoux de Diamants,” the brand’s first high jewelry collection. Last year marked the 100th anniversary since the inception of their iconic N°5 perfume. In honor of these extraordinary milestones, Patrice Leguéreau, director of the CHANEL Fine Jewelry Creation Studio, has conceived “Collection N°5,” the first high jewelry collection ever to be dedicated to the iconic perfume.
The 123 extraordinary pieces are designed around an attribute of the fragrance, including sets inspired by the stopper, bottle, number, flowers, and sillage. “Gabrielle Chanel approached these two universes with the same visionary values, focusing on audacity and the quest for excellence,” says Leguéreau. “I wanted to rediscover that creative gesture with this collection, which has been conceived like a journey through the meanderings of the N°5 perfume’s soul, from the architecture of the bottle to the olfactive explosion of the fragrance.”
EXCELLENCE IN GOLD
Roberto Coin
“Gold is an immense universe,” says designer Roberto Coin. “To me it is like the Carrara marble for a sculptor, and I love all its colors, although my favorite is the peach orange one.” With such passion for his creations, it is no surprise that Coin’s namesake line is such an exquisite showcase for the treasured metal.
Since the launch of his brand in 1996, Coin has been creating an homage to all things that glitter with more than 1,000 different types of gold chains and a plethora of artistically designed collections. They include their iconic Love in Verona line, which features the brands seminal four-petaled floral motif. “This tireless creativity of new gold designs, developed through a mix of tradition and innovation, has made us able to satisfy the most demanding international clientele,” says Coin. “It has made the Roberto Coin brand an icon for gold creations worldwide.”
ENVIROMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS
Oris
Luxury watch purveyor Oris is no stranger to making an impact. For more than 110 years, their unique chronometers have enticed customers, and their varied environmental initiatives have also been highly praised. Now they are taking on their newest project under the brand’s conservation campaign, Change for the Better, in a partnership with the environmentally conscious deer leather manufacturer Cervo Volante.
Every year, around 15,000 wild red deer are culled in Switzerland. The operation manages deer populations to protect the Swiss countryside and is highly regulated by the government. However, the skins were rarely used until now.
The Oris x Cervo Volante collaboration comprises three Big Crown Pointer Date watches. Each has a gradient dial inspired by Alpine hues and deer leather strap. Each comes with a Cervo Volante pouch and cardholder.
ICONIC BRAND
Sidney Garber
Last year, Sidney Garber celebrated its 75th anniversary—and owner and creative director Brooke Garber Neidich says the milestone, more than ever, got her thinking about the legacy her father Sidney Garber created, and her own contributions. “He would confer with all the craftsmen and jewelers, who also worked in the building, about every detail of jewelry production,” she says. As a child, Neidich spent time at the shop, later joining her father on trips to Europe. About 20 years ago, she returned to the business. “My style is rooted in my father’s aesthetic but it also has my imprint as a woman who wears and loves jew- elry,” she says.
One of the most striking Sidney Garber pieces is the set of Feathers That Move earrings, made of 18k gold set with white, gray or black diamonds, rubies or tsavorites. “There’s a sensuality to them because they move and sway as you do,” she explains. “Our jewelry is flexible, it has a sensuous ease that’s uncommon with fine jewelry.”
NEW LAUNCH
Chopard
Last year was an exciting one for the reknowned Swiss jewelry house. It launched its first iteration of the Mini-Froufrou into its Precious Lace Collection and, looking to create a more accessible and wearable collection somewhere between haute and fine jewelry, the brand managed to create a spectacularly precious assortment of everyday pieces. While the first offering was exclusively diamonds, Chopard is now expanding the collection with ruby versions. Inspired by the lightness and delicateness of antique lace, the collection features a stylized flower, designed with scalloped borders and pear-shaped ruby petals on an airy openwork rose gold setting. The motif can be found on a ring, earrings, pendant, and bangle.
BRIDAL BRILLANCE
Christopher Designs
The crafting of jewelry has always been an art form of function and design. Christopher Slowinski founder of Christopher Designs, combined his engineering background and classic jewelry training to change the way that traditional gemstone cutting is done.
Through exacting research of symmetry, proportion, angles and light performance within a diamond, Slowinski’s patented Crisscut design provides a superior brilliance, brightness and a silhouette that appears 35 to 60 percent larger than another similar carat weight stone. “I have always been intrigued with taking something established and making it even more beautiful,” says Slowinski.
EXCELLENCE IN EMERALDS
Manfredi
Emeralds have been adorned by royalty from Cleopatra to Princess Diana. After falling out of popularity the past few years, brands are once again embracing the emerald as a must-have hue. Lovers of these verdant beauties can wander into the prestigious jewelry retailer Manfredi Jewelers in Greenwich, CT, and New Canaan, CT, and find an unparalleled collection of these exquisite gems.
“The emerald’s striking green hue has long been viewed as a symbol of love and truth, tracing all the way back to ancient Greece and associated with the goddess of love, Venus,” says Roberto Chiappelloni, owner of Manfredi. “Emeralds are often used as alternative stones in engagement rings with such examples as Jackie Kennedy to, most recently, Megan Fox. Eye-catching stones, revered for their calming presence and rich history, emeralds are the perfect addition to your personal jewelry collection.”
US LAUNCH
Bucherer Fine Jewellery
In honor of its inception, the Swiss fine jewelry and watch retailer Bucherer has opened its first US flagship in New York City. The Bucherer 1888 TimeMachine store is a landmark destination for the company, offering a carefully crafted selection of truly unique pieces. (The Swiss jewelry titan acquired Tourneau in 2018.)
In celebration of their American debut, the brand is releasing a series of one-of-a-kind Haute Joaillerie pieces inspired by Swiss nature. Among them are several pieces from the Fleur des Alpes series, which features eight stunning rings, each with a different multi-carat center stone and designed to resemble a modern take on
Alpine flowers.
BEST IN RAINBOW JEWELRY
Pomellato
For a brand known for its rich goldsmithing traditions, Pomellato has managed to create a wholly enchanting collection that perfectly encapsulates the rainbow trend with its Iconica collection. While rainbow jewelry has been steadily making its way around the market, the brand’s artistic way of combining a dazzling array of gemstones including the likes of blue sapphire, red spinel, tsavorite, blue zircon, pink tourmaline, demantoid, amethyst, orange sapphire, and tanzanite sets it apart from its contemporaries.
UPCYCLE SERVICE
Faye Kim Fine Jewelry
As the saying goes, what’s old is new again and Faye Kim, owner of Faye Kim Fine Jewelry in Westport, CT, has been perfecting the art of upcycling for almost 20 years. “I was providing the upcycle service before it actually had a name,” says Kim. She offers clients advice on everything from how best to build their collections to helping them determine value of a piece to reworking their jewelry that is outdated, ill-fitting or damaged.
“Having had prior work experience in many sectors of the jewelry industry, I have a thorough knowledge of how pieces are made. From designing to sourcing and choosing stones, wax carving, and fabricating, I understand the entire manufacturing process and what is possible to do and what is not,” says Kim, who graduated from New York’s Gemological Institute of America and has worked as a buyer for Tiffany’s and Bergdorf Goodman.
The service has grown organically and become an important part of her business. “Jewelry plays an emotional role in our lives and treating each piece with respect is important,” says Kim. For example, she created a pair of pearl and diamond earrings (shown below) for a bride to wear on her wedding day from a necklace and brooch of the bride’s grandmother.
SUPPORT OF FEMALE DESIGNERS
Judith Ripka
Collaborations always make for great collections—and this past season, Judith Ripka did just that, launching creative partnerships, including most recently, with Florida-based designer Danielle Rollins.
The limited-edition Ocean Reef Collection, a joint effort with Rollins, features eight nautical and ocean-inspired pieces. The collection includes an 18k gold vermeil necklace—which can be converted into two separate bracelets, a statement ring with green chalcedony, and a pair of earrings, also in 18k gold vermeil with green chalcedony. “The earrings and necklace system have quickly become top sellers; truly a collection that is fun and fabulous!,” says Janice Winter, president of Judith Ripka.
“At the heart of this iconic brand is a history of beautiful jewels created by a woman, for women,” says Winter. “Recognizing that jewelry is worn as a celebration of oneself, one’s loved ones and one’s life, Judith Ripka created pieces that would connect a woman to her most cherished memories. It is no surprise that we continue the legacy and bring the collections forward in a modern way that honors the past and embraces the present.”
Next up this year, they’ll feature collaborations with two more celebrated female architects, with the first collection debuting in May. “We are excited and proud to support female designers through these unique collaborations,” says Winter. “What better way to deliver style and fresh perspective than from today’s creative women.”
