After donating a pile of jewels to charity at Christie’s Geneva today, Lily Safra had the pleasure of seeing them sell for almost twice the estimates – nearly $37.9 million in all – including 18 JAR jewels that went (of course) for well above estimates. So, what do you do when you double your...
As yet another eye-popping jewel by the Bronx-born designer known as "JAR of Paris" goes on the block next month, a few observations of what a designer can achieve by going against convention when it comes to gemstones.
Like Jean-François Fichot, Carolyn Tyler and Penny Berton both found a haven and outlet for their creative expression in Bali. Both invested a chunk of their lives developing a little design industry there, and both have since retreated somewhat to their roots. Tyler (far right) maintains a home in Santa Barbara and Berton (left)...
If you’re ever in Bali, check out Treasures Gallery in Ubud where you’ll find three primary designers – Carolyn Tyler, Penny Berton, and Jean-François Fichot, who died last year but whose jewelry designs are still represented. Together they tell the story of a generation of artists who rebelled against the pressures and conventions of...
As Christie’s prepares to sell the largest private collection of JAR jewels ever offered at auction – at Geneva’s Four Seasons des Bergues on May 14 – I dug up an interview I did in 2006 with François Curiel about Joel Arthur Rosenthal. Curiel, then the Geneva-based head of Christie’s jewelry department, was getting...
If your particular island fantasy is to open a little shop and sell baubles to the tourists, here’s an option for you at the south end of the Caribbean. (If you’d rather make art in lush isolation, see my last post.) Curaçao, tucked between Cuba and Venezuela, is a balmy 85° most of the...
Ever dream of dropping everything, moving to an island and making art for the rest of your life – surrounded by exotic wildlife, crystal blue seascapes, and like-minded individuals who’ve escaped the same rat race? So many islands have become artist havens, the choices are endless. You can move to Bali and become a...
Here are some of the best craft shows open to the public in the U.S. for finding unique, finely-crafted jewelry and, sometimes, gems, beads and materials to make your own. This list is updated regularly as dates become available. JANUARY Jan. 26-Feb. 12, 2012: Tucson Gem Shows FEBRUARY Feb. 24-26, 2012: American Craft Council...
Jewelry lovers – and makers without wholesale I.D.s who want gems and beads – can now get free admission to the popular Intergem shows. Founded four decades ago, International Gem & Jewelry Shows were one of the first to sell commercial jewelry to the public, with the broad selection and prices (from $5 to...
Eighty lots of Bakelite and Lucite jewelry from a private collection will be auctioned off during the Period Art & Design sale at Bonhams Los Angeles on May 20. They show the full spectrum of Bakelite jewelry, from elegant and exotic to splashy, whimsical and cartoonish. (Note the elephant with “googly eyes!”) Invented in...
You know you’re obsessed with a show when you have to watch every behind-the-scenes special feature on the DVD. That’s where I’m at right now with The Good Wife. There’s one feature on the final disc of Season 1 called “Clothing the Characters,” that I highly recommend. It focuses on the show’s costume designer...
In case you were wondering, the Picasso in Picasso to Koons: Artist as Jeweler, opening next month at the Museum of Arts and Design in NYC, is Pablo, not his daughter Paloma, who designed jewelry for Tiffany. Among the 135 pieces of jewelry by famous 20th century artists, you’ll find five by Pablo Picasso,...
Who needs fertility treatments when you can wear jewelry instead – particularly, jewelry like this? Among the earliest treasures on display right now at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts is this Nubian pendant of gold and rock crystal made around 740 B.C. with the golden head of Hathor, a goddess beloved in ancient...
Whether you’re in the mood for avant garde design, breathtaking gems, or historical treasures, here are some temporary exhibits of gems and jewelry worth a trip this year. Bijoux: The Origins and Impact of Jewelry, through February 26, 2012, at Bruce Museum, Greenwich, CT, examines the impact of jewelry on our culture and environment...
Christie’s sale of Elizabeth Taylor’s famous jewels was anticipated to be the most important single-owner jewelry sale in a decade, but the results were staggering. Taylor’s jewelry went for $115,932,000 – the most ever paid for a private jewelry collection. World record prices were also set for pearls, diamonds, rubies and Indian jewels. Recession,...
Christie’s is claiming no less than a dozen world records for the December 13, 2011, auction, known officially as The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor: The Legendary Jewels evening sale. Day after the sale, I posted about five of them. With a haul of almost $116 million, the sale was the most valuable private collection...
Herewith, the most important jewelry and watch auctions around the world, updated regularly as dates are announced and e-catalogs are posted. JANUARY January 10, 2012: Jewellery and Watches, Bonhams, Oxford, UK January 11, 2012: Jewellery, Bonhams London, Knightsbridge January 18, 2012: Jewellery, Christie’s London, South Kensington FEBRUARY February 9, 2012: Important Jewels, Sotheby’s New...
A calendar of the most important trade shows and antique jewelry fairs stateside for folks in the jewelry business.
The spotlight is on Elsa Schiaparelli, once again. She closed her shop in Paris almost six decades ago, yet her whimsical creations look as cutting edge as ever. Lady Gaga or Madonna could wear her shoe hat on stage and no one would bat an eye. Schiaparelli, or “Schiap,” as she was known (pronounced...
Blue diamonds continue to bring top prices at auction, a natural blue diamond being so rare and so dazzling. A ring set with a 6.01-carat cushion-cut blue diamond, flanked by pink diamonds, went for $10 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in October and an 8.01-carat vivid blue emerald-cut diamond ring is expected to sell...
