The Top Drawer

Get a sneak peak into  fine jewelry fashion trends coming in 2012. In the video above, correspondents cover this year’s JCK Las Vegas event, the largest jewelry trade show of the year.  Large statement bangles and cuff bracelets seemed to have a prominent place in every designer’s collection while bold colors still remain a top jewelry drawer staple. Some of the most inspiring Platinum Innovation Award winning pieces included an antique style floral fashion ring, a platinum vintage diamond engagement ring with a modern twist featuring two halos around a round center stone and a men’s platinum and diamond wedding band.

It’s always encouraging to see any organization give back to their local or global community. Le Vian hosted Jewelers for Children fundraiser where $50 would be donated for every person that attended the event promising to donate a minimum of $115,000. This charity benefits children whose lives have been affected by illness, abuse, or neglect.  Simon G. who hosts an annual Summer Soiree coinciding with JCK Las Vegas worked hard in promoting and gathering celebrities to raise awareness for Generosity Water, a charity that helps bring clean drinking water to impoverished countries around the world.

Simon G. Jewelry recently announced an upcoming ‘Organic Allure’ collection which will be available through Firenze Jewels this Fall. The jewelry collection largely consists of gold pendants with fresh natural hues and earthy design elements.  Sign up to our newsletter to receive more info on this collection, including the day it’s released and stay tuned as we update this page with a gallery of “sneak peaks” as they are revealed from Simon G.!

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Firenze Jewels, Inc. is an authorized LeVian retailer. If you would like to purchase any piece from the LeVian collection, please contact one of our jewelry specialists.

A spectacular diamond and pearl tiara owned by Hannah de Rothschild, once known as Britain’s wealthiest woman sold at a London auction on Wednesday for £1,161,250 ($1,900,000, 1,305,908 euros).

The Victorian court style tiara features 13 saltwater pearls, six button-shaped ones and seven pear-shaped pearls all surrounded by diamonds. Also sold at auction was a matching diamond and pearl bracelet and brooch belonging to the heiress. The three pieces of jewelry were sold from a private collection for the first time since they were first created 140 years ago.

“The Rosebery pearl and diamond tiara, bracelet and brooch were at the heart of Lady Rosebery’s vast array of magnificent jewels, which rivaled those of crowned heads of Europe at the time,” said Keith Penton, Head of Jewels at Christie’s London.

“They are a rare survival of 19th century English aristocratic splendour, as so much ancestral jewellery has been sold anonymously, remounted or broken down,” he added.

Hannah Primrose de Rothschild was a socially and politically active heiress whose husband Archibald Philip eventually became prime minister. It is believed the jewels were acquired at the time of marriage. Shortly before their wedding, Hannah’s husband described her to a friend in a letter as: ‘very simple, very unspoilt, very clever, very warm hearted and very shy…I never knew such a beautiful character’. Upon her father’s death in 1874, she inhereted various properties including a turreted mansion in Buckinghamshire, a large collection of jewels and £2million – an extraordinary sum of money at the time.

Last Saturday, Simon G Jewelry held their annual Summer Soiree at The Palazzo Las Vegas. The renowned fine jewelry artisan teamed up with fashion designer Marc Bauwer to launch their latest collection of diamond wedding bands and other jewelry pieces as well as raise awareness for Generosity Water.

The event was held at Azure Luxury Pool where Multi-Platinum recording artist Gavin Rosdale gave an intimate acoustic performance on a 70-foot stage over the pool and guests enjoyed an evening of entertainment and fashion. Some of the designer jewelry pieces debuted consisted of textured rings, cuffs, pendants and earrings designed from various shades of gold, diamonds and other precious stones. Celebrity guests that attended to support Simon G and the cause include America Ferrera, Terri Hatcher, Torri Spelling, Dean McDermott, Tim Urban, Jamie King, Raven Symone and Lindsey Vonn.

Generosity Water helps bring clean drinking water to impoverished countries around the world. Over the last 3 decades this charity has funded over 250 wells in 17 countries and served clean water to more than 100,000 people.

Below are a few snap shots of Simon G’s latest collection taken at the JCK Las Vegas – the jewelry industry’s biggest show of the year.

A rare and magnificent royal diamond and emerald tiara sold at Sotheby’s last week to an anonymous buyer for $12.76 million(11.28 million Swiss francs) simultaneously setting both a world record price at auction for a tiara as well as any emerald jewelry piece. Thought to have belonged to the personal collection of French Emperor Napoleon III’s wife, Eugenie, pre-sale estimates for this piece were between $5 million-$10 million.

The tiara features 11 pear-shaped exceedingly rare emeralds collectively weighing over 500 carats. Each emerald is held in diamond set cusp motifs, with the largest nine emeralds tipped by rose diamonds. Though the emeralds have been said to be of Colombian origin, they have been polished in a manner that indicate they were finished in India. The thick drill holes within the emeralds is typical of the way 17th century royalty wore jewelry where gemstones were often removed and placed in different settings or worn around the neck in a “bead-like” fashion.

In the video below, David Bennett, gives an intimate view of the Tiara and the history that surrounds it. “For me, this is the most glamorous jewel we have offered in the past 30 years. I can think of no other jewel that sums up the glamor and the grandeur of the Belle Epoque as well as this.”

Researches have discovered a way to create a nanocyrstalline diamond aerogel. What’s that you may ask? Referred to as “blue smoke”, “frozen smoke” and “solid smoke”, aerogel is synthetic product first created in 1931 which is currently used today for insulation, water purification, as well as blocking electrical signals and noise. It’s a class of materials that exhibit the lowest density and thermal conductivity of any bulk solid.

Looking for ways to strengthen this creation, lead researcher Peter J. Pauzauskie and colleagues at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory married one of the least dense structures known to science with one of the hardest materials naturally found on earth – diamonds.

Using a laser-heated diamond anvil cell, the California based team mimicked pressures existing deep within planets creating materials and phases not observed under normal circumstances. The result created a substance with a density of around 40 mg per cubic centimeter (approximately 40 times denser than air).

The completely transparent product sparkles just like a diamond. Pliable like plastic, diamond aerogels could have future use in antireflection coatings applied to the surface of lenses such as telescopes, binoculars, eyeglasses or any other device that may require a reduction in reflection. This product also has potential to coat structures within the human body due to its biocompatible nature.  Because diamonds emit electrons, diamond aerogels have a future place in technology as well such as creating better flat screen televisions and ultra strong quantum information processors.

Diamonds have come quite a long way since their use in jewelry and engagement rings haven’t they?

Congratulations to the newly wed Royal Couple! The Royal Wedding ceremony was held 6 a.m. EST this morning at Westminister Abbey where Prince William and Kate Middleton exchanged vows after nearly a decade of courtship. With all the anticipation over her nuptial attire, the now ennobled Duchess of Cambridge looked dazzling by all accounts. Kate managed to harmoniously balance royal tradition with her own sense of modern style. Here’s an overview of her elegant ensamble including something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue:

Something Old – Kate’s spectacular ivory white Alexander McQueen gown was designed by creative director Sarah Burton. Middleton worked closely with Burton in formulating the design of her dress which combines traditional fabrics and lacework with modern structure into the artistic vision that characterizes Alexander McQueen’s work. The Carrickmacross needlework in the beautiful lace sleeves and accents is a technique that dates back to the 1800s.

Something New – The royal bride’s custom made diamond earrings were a personal gift to her from her parents for her wedding day. The platinum earrings feature a pear-shaped diamond set drop oak leaf design and pave set acorn motif suspended in the center inspired by the new Middleton family coat of arms. The earrings were beautifully set off by her hair; a natural “demi-chignon” styled by James Pryce from Kate’s favorite salon, Richard Ward of Chelsea, London.

Something Borrowed – Loaned to Middleton by Queen Elizabeth, Kate’s delicate diamond halo tiara held together her veil and perfectly topped off her gown. The tiara was crafted in 1936 and purchased by the Duke of York for his wife(Elizabeth’s mother). Then Princess Elizabeth received the gift for her 18th birthday.

Something Blue – Perhaps the most famous piece bridal jewelry of all is Middleton’s diamond and blue sapphire engagement ring. Honoring his late mother Princess Diana, Prince William gave the exquisite ring to Middleton when he proposed in November 2010. The 18 carat ring features an oval shaped blue sapphire center worth approximately $300,000. Sapphires are actually rarer than diamonds, but less expensive because the demand is lower.