Couture 2013 – Six Sexy Previews…

May 12, 2013

See You at Couture Las Vegas – Thursday, May 30th through Monday, June 3rd at The Wynn Las Vegas

Read the full article →

Punks in Platinum – Celebrities at the MET Costume Institute Gala

May 11, 2013

Celebrities selected PLATINUM jewelry for the “PUNK: Chaos To Couture” Costume Institute Gala in New York on May 6th:Katie Holmes in Platinum by Lorraine Schwartz-Platinum and diamond earringsJessica Biel in Platinum by Fred Leighton-Multiple…

Read the full article →

Circle of Distinction Honorees To Be Recognized at AGS Event in July

May 10, 2013


The American Gem Society has announced the 2013 Circle of Distinction Honorees, who will be recognized at the Society’s Circle of Distinction Dinner on July 30 at the historic Plaza Hotel in New York City.

The recipient of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award is Beryl Raff, Chairman and CEO of Helzberg Diamonds. The Triple Zero Award recipients are Howard Hauben, CEO of Centurion, and The Bromberg Family: Frank Bromberg, Jr., Ricky Bromberg, Clayton Bromberg of Underwood Jewelers (Florida) and Bromberg Jewelers (Alabama).


“The 2013 recipients are all well-deserving of this honor,” said Ruth Batson, CEO of the American Gem Society and AGS Laboratories. “Each has made a tremendous contribution throughout their career and we are proud to recognize their accomplishments. Beryl is one of the leading industry leaders, Howard has made Centurion a must-attend show, and the Bromberg family are valuable members of not only the Society, but of our industry.”

The Circle of Distinction event will begin at 6:00pm with cocktails, followed by a three-course dinner and the awards presentation at 7:30pm. To order dinner tickets or to learn about advertising opportunities in the Circle of Distinction Tribute Book, contact Christina Davila at 866-805-6500 x1005 or email cdavila@ags.org.

About The American Gem Society
The American Gem Society, founded in 1934 by Robert M. Shipley, is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to proven ethics, knowledge, and consumer protection within the jewelry industry. The American Gem Society is an international professional organization awarding credentials for its members, who are held to the highest ethical and professional standards in the industry and must pass annual recertification examinations to maintain their titles. Less than five percent of jewelers in the country have met the exacting requirements necessary for membership.
Read the full article →

Liljenquist & Beckstead’s New Digital Storefront Website!

May 9, 2013

Liljenquist & Beckstead Launch New 
Interactive Website Featuring Digital Storefront

Brilliant!   I totally LOVE this idea – each Designer shop – introduces the Designer through video while showing the items available in their store …more info below the photo!

Liljenquist & Beckstead Jewelers, in partnership with ARTYSO creative agency, is pleased to announce the launch of its new luxury website www.liljenquist.com. The interactive site built as a “virtual store”, and it allows customers and jewelry lovers to explore and experience Liljenquist & Beckstead’s elegant collections of high end timepieces and designer jewelry.
“We wanted to excite our customers and share our passion for jewelry and watches, and that’s exactly what ARTYSO’s creative team delivered. Our website visitors feel as if they are walking into our virtual store, you can almost touch the beautiful pieces and meet our team of dedicated professionals ” shared Sherrie Beckstead & Sheila Liljenquist, Head of Business Development and Operations at Liljenquist & Beckstead.
The new website offers a glimpse into the world of exquisitely crafted fine jewelry and collector’s timepieces created by such prestigious design houses as Rolex, Patek Phillipe, Omega, Cartier, Chopard, Bulgari and many others.
“The newly redesigned website elegantly intertwines feature-rich functionality with luxurious feel. Innovative integration of interactive Google Maps allows visitor to easily explore and interact with Liljenquist and Beckstead’s boutique locations and friendly personnel ” states Andrew Max Link the CEO of ARTYSO.

About Liljenquist & Beckstead:
Since 1978, Liljenquist & Beckstead Jewelers has demonstrated a commitment to excellence, passion for prestige and a pledge to provide extraordinary service at all times. Founded by college friends turned business partners, Tom Liljenquist and Sidney Beckstead have worked side-by-side for 35 years, as their once small Ocean City, Maryland jewelry shop has blossomed into five flourishing boutiques along the Metropolitan Beltway.
For details, visit http://www.liljenquist.com
Read the full article →

CIBJO Releases Special Report on Advertising Standards

May 6, 2013

CIBJO releases Ethics Special Report,looks at advertising standards and prevention of misleading claims  With the opening of the 2013 CIBJO Congress in Tel Aviv on May 7, 2013, the fifth of the CIBJO commissions’ Special Reports has been…

Read the full article →

Kristall, Russia’s Leading Diamond Company Celebrates 50 Years in the Industry!

May 5, 2013

Kristall Production Corporation to celebrate 50th AnniversaryKristall Production Corporation, Russia’s leading diamond manufacturer, will celebrate its 50th anniversary on May 24, in Smolensk, with an exclusive, by-invitation-only event. Taking part in…

Read the full article →

Kerri Halpern’s MADSTONE Draws You To Her Darkside…

April 29, 2013

Madstone fine jewelry delves into designer Kerri Halpern’s dark side. From her black minimalist uniform to her residence above a cemetery, Halpern’s fascination for skulls culminates in her first newest collection. Mysteriously eccentric and imaginatively gothic, Madstone mixes cool colors, unusual stone setting and master metalsmithing to create an edgy and evocative collection fit for any wardrobe. 

Madstone’s MadSkulls collection boasts stackable skull rings, stud skull earrings and dainty skull necklaces that don’t overwhelm. Tongue-in-check sister collections, MadAnimals and MadSkulls, channel MadeStone’s sinister side. Covet thy gemstone with ruby, tsavorite, blue topaz, amethyst, citrine, garnet and diamond-encrusted skulls, spiders, beetles and bats set in blackened, rose or yellow gold. 

Playing with unusual angles and contours, the Octagon collection revisits bangles, hoops and stackable rings through hard angles and octagonal shapes. The stackable collection is classic and wearable for everyday or dressed up such as Halle Berry did at this year’s Golden Globes.


Read the full article →

“Dramatic Jewelry: The Five Masters” at Aaron Faber Gallery

April 26, 2013


Aaron Faber Gallery Announces May Exhibition 
“Dramatic Jewelry: The Five Masters”


Also Book Signing by Acclaimed Jewelers Tom and Jutta Munsteiner 
and Afternoon Lecture with Legendary Jeweler Michael Good


In the world of women’s fashion, there’s beautiful jewelry, there’s memorable jewelry, and then there’s dramatic jewelry – those statement-making works of wearable art that encourage both compliments and query.  Throughout the month of May, Aaron Faber Gallery, located at 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, will present the latter in an exhibition that explores the striking works of five legendary international jewelry artists known for their sculptural aesthetic, vivid color machination, and dynamic gem play.  “Dramatic Jewelry: The Five Masters” showcases the extraordinary works of British jeweler, Charlotte De Syllas; Italian jeweler,Paolo Marcolongo; American jeweler, Michael Good; and German jewelers Peter Schmid of Atelier Zobel and Tom and Jutta Munsteiners.
The exhibition opens 3pm on Thursday, May 9th, 2013 with a book signing hosted by Tom and Jutta Munsteiner, honoring Wilhelm Lindemann’s  literary work, “Munsteiner: The Young Generation Tom + Jutta Munsteiner”.  Also in attendance will be Bernd Munsteiner, the “Picasso of Gems” and father to both Tom and the optical style of the “fantasy gem cut”.
On Saturday, May 18, 2013 from 2pm to 5pm, Aaron Faber Gallery will also present an “Afternoon with Michael Good”, a reception and lecture where the famed jeweler will discuss his life, his work and his upcoming sold-out workshop at the 92nd Street Y.






Both events are free and open to the public.







THE ARTISTS

·         Charlotte De Syllas is widely acknowledged as one of the finest artist-jewelers working in Britain today. Acclaimed for her daring design and technical bravura, her work is admired for an inspired use of color and a sculptural elegance of spectacular forms. Her distinctive combination of gemstone and metal are achieved through an innovative three-dimensional approach to fine carving, where complex structure integrates into the design with deceptive simplicity.
De Syllas is well represented in the permanent collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. She won the Goldsmiths’ Company award in 2007, the Jerwood Prize for Jewellery in 1995, and a major scholarship by the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust in 1999. Her work is primarily in private collections.
·         Michael Good is an American institution, known equally for his life’s work as a sculptor and jeweler as well as his passion to teach and share his art.  Good was first taught elementary jewelry making techniques by a sculptor for whom he worked with in New York City. For the next ten years, he would continue making jewelry by invention, experimentation and through lessons from books. 
Under the tutelage of famed master metalsmith, educator and author, Heikki Seppa, Good was introduced to a new metalsmithing vocabulary, and began exploring form with direct metal techniques. Good subsequently developed a signature style called “anticlastic raising”, which has come to define his jewelry and sculptures as light, flexible and incredibly fluid.  Good has since won several prestigious awards, including Intergold, Diamonds Today, and Diamonds International.
·         Paolo Marcolongo is an artist, sculptor, curator and teacher. He studied sculpture at Venice Art Academy; in 1984, became an instructor at the Pietro Selvatico School; and in 1996, started teaching at the Padua Art State School ‘Amedeo Modigliani’, where he remains today.  From 1996 to 1998 he was curator of “Pd 362”, an art gallery of contemporary jewels in Padua. From 1996 to 2002 he organized International Summer workshops on the contemporary jewel for the Cultural Association “La Corte”, at Sambruson-Dolo in Venice.
Marcolongo’s ‘Shadow Breath’ blown glass rings and necklaces are original, compelling wearable sculptures of remarkable form combined with experimental color implications in Murano glass. As he notes, “There are very fast but really strong moments, where the blown glass and the eye play a very decisive role on the artifact.”
·         Tom & Jutta Munsteiner represent a German perspective of avant-garde traditions in gem cutting and goldsmithing. Tom is a fourth generation gem sculptor, whose designs are coveted worldwide by collectors, museums and jewelry designers. Jutta is a master goldsmith and designer, who collaborates with partner and husband Tom to create the formidable, one-of-a-kind jewelry for which the duo is celebrated.  Tom’s father, Bernd Munsteiner, is the legendary gem sculptor who revolutionized the gem cutting industry of the 1960s by introducing a cutting style characterized by bold, geometric, precise cuts often giving gemstones a kaleidoscope appearance.
Tom and Jutta both received master’s degrees in gem cutting and goldsmithing, respectively, after ten years of study and apprenticeships.  In 1997, Tom took over the Munsteiner atelier from his father, where he and Jutta continue to create their sought-after designs. Their work is in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Museum of Art and Design New York.
·         Peter Schmid of Atelier Zobel creates dramatic, modern jewelry in precious gems and metals, recognized worldwide for their unique aesthetic.  On one level, his jewelry functions as pure sculpture, where scale is crucial to the viewer; and on another level, the theatricality and extravagance of each piece serves to draw attention and commendations to the wearer. There’s a great sense of fun in Schmid’s play with scale and size; an enjoyment of color and pattern for its own sake and a true pleasure in jewelry as ornament.
Peter Schmid studied goldsmithing at the School for Design and Jewelry in Schwabisch-Gmund, Germany, and then apprenticed to his famed mentor Michael Zobel, who founded the Atelier in 1970. Schmid’s work is in the Museum of Art and Design New York and Museum of Fine Arts Boston as well as many private collections.
About Aaron Faber Gallery
Aaron Faber Gallery was founded in 1974 to present the work of studio jewelers, those artists creating one-of-a-kind jewels that are inspired by creativity and originality, made in the artist’s studio and imbued with the artist’s spirit, concept and style.
The gallery, owned by Edward and Patricia Faber is located on West 53rd Street down the block from the Museum of Modern Art, where its contemporary interior is the backdrop for changing exhibitions by studio jewelers as well as permanent collections by the gallery’s artist group. For more information, please visit www.aaronfaber.com.
Read the full article →

Bulgari’s Blue Diamond Trombino’ Ring Sets New World Record at Bonham’s London Sale

April 26, 2013
Bonhams Takes World Record of £6.2 Million 

For Exceptional Blue Diamond


Bonhams reports a new record was set at their Fine Jewelry sale in London’s New Bond Street,  April 24th. The exceptional stone? a rare fancy deep-blue diamond weighing 5.30 carats which sold for a record $1.8 mil per carat.


The previous world record price per carat for a blue diamond was $1.68 mil. This rare gem was bought by Graff Diamonds, the international diamond house headquartered in New Bond Street. London. Bidding came from round the world via 25 telephone lines as well as bidders in the packed saleroom.

The fancy deep-blue diamond is set in a ‘Trombino’ ring made by Bulgari, the renowned Italian jeweler favored by Hollywood film stars, and the epitome of fashion and innovation during the 1960s. The ring was made circa 1965 and sold for close to four times the estimate of just over £1,000,000 per carat by Bonhams.

Jean Ghika, Director of Bonhams Jewelry Department for Europe commented after the sale: “We are delighted with the price it has made. It was a sensational stone which charmed everyone who viewed it prior to the sale. Blue diamonds, especially those over 5.00 carats, are extremely rare to see on the market and continue to be highly sought-after. We are honored to have handled the sale of such a unique gem.”

Blue diamonds are very rarely seen on the market and fancy-coloured diamonds are among the most valuable and sought-after in the world. They have delighted royals and celebrities over the centuries, with the most famous blue ‘Hope Diamond’ bought by King Louis XIV of France in the late 17th Century. The stunning 45.52-carat diamond, originating from India was eventually stolen from the Crown Jewels by thieves in the French Revolution and then smuggled to London, finally coming to rest in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C.

The Bulgari ring features a cushion-shaped fancy deep-blue diamond, weighing 5.30 carats. It is set horizontally within a mount pavé-set with brilliant-cut diamonds and courses of baguette-cut diamonds.

The term “fancy” is used to describe a diamond of intense color and the color “fancy deep-blue” is one of the rarest. The extraordinary color blue is derived from small atoms of boron mixing with the carbon atoms in a diamond, affecting the absorption of light passing through the stone and lending it a blue appearance. Blue diamonds are structurally very pure and account for less than one per cent of all diamonds mined.

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a further three in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. 
For a full listing of upcoming sales go to www.bonhams.com

Read the full article →

Metalsmiths Sterling™ Names Jim Grohn Executive V. P.

April 25, 2013

Metalsmiths Sterling™ Names Jim Grohn Executive Vice President
Boosts branding power with Goldstein Communications as agency of record
Metalsmiths Sterling™ has recently acquired two new assets to boost the brand’s power and expand its reach. The global luxury designer sterling brand has named industry veteran Jim Grohn as Executive Vice President.
“Jim brings us more than 20 years of experience in brand building, with a complete understanding and combination of sales, marketing and management experience,” says Lee Konidas CEO and company co-owner.
Jim will spearhead an aggressive brand development strategy aimed at furthering the brand’s influence throughout the US and Canada. Additionally, Metalsmiths Sterling™ has appointed Goldstein Communications, its agency of record. Goldstein brings with it more than 30 years of experience in branding and marketing for fine jewelry brands. Social media will play a key role in Goldstein’s marketing plan for Metalsmiths Sterling as a way to interact with both the end consumer and retail partners.
“We are thrilled to be working with such an outstanding sterling silver jewelry brand, and we are excited to implement our expertise in branding, social media and public relations to help bring Metalsmiths Sterling™ to the next level,” states Ari Goldstein, CEO of Goldstein Communications.
Metalsmiths Sterling™ has one goal – to offer people across the world high quality, hand crafted modern jewelry. Metalsmiths Sterling™ pieces feature a landscape of different and unique gemstones and are exclusively designed and manufactured by the company. Every item is stamped with the Metalsmiths Sterling™ hallmark of quality and purity.
Metalsmiths Sterling™ collections are featured in leading independent, upscale jewelers throughout the US, Caribbean, and Canada.
Read the full article →

WordPress Admin