Filed under: Jewelry, Celebrity Shopping

Prince William gave Kate Middleton a pretty pair of expensive antique pearl earrings for her birthday this year but she didn’t get to wear them for long before her black cocker spaniel Otto decided to eat them for dinner. Just days after receiving them, Kate noticed the earrings were suddenly missing from the bedside table where she kept them. After much frantic searching she realized that Otto (who was on the bed licking his paws) had eaten them. Kate was horrified but apparently Prince William thought the whole thing was hilarious, laughing and telling her she’d just have to wait for them ‘to come out the other end.’

And they did, in fact, come out the other end eventually but unfortunately they were chewed and damaged beyond repair. Prince William had originally found the earrings through a private dealer he’d tracked down personally, so no word yet on whether he’ll be able to replace them (but I bet if/when he does Kate will find a new place to keep them!).

Via LuxuryLaunches

Kate Middleton’s Dog Swallows Expensive Gift from Prince William originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry

Last month a new lucky lady, Irina Antonenko, was named Miss Russia for 2010 and given the privilege of wearing what’s being heralded as the world’s most expensive crown. The large, white-gold headpiece features 2,358 diamonds and 14 rare pearls, and is valued at over $1 million. There was so much ‘to do’ at the unveiling that some wonder if the crown didn’t upstage the new Miss Russia herself.

The 2010 Miss USA pageant isn’t scheduled until next month (April 18th) but for a little perspective last year our crown featured 1,936 flawless gemstones set in white gold and platinum and was valued at $202,000.

Miss Russia Wears World’s Most Expensive Crown originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry, Celebrity Shopping, Charity

46664 Bangles are taking the fashion and celebrity scene by storm because not only are they interesting and stylish but they support a good cause — like the luxury version of a plastic Live Strong bracelet. The precious metal bangles support the 46664 campaign, which is an African response to the global HIV/AIDs epidemic and gets its inspiration from the leadership of Nelson Mandela, and its name from Mandela’s Robben Island prison number (466) and imprisonment year (1964).

The bangle program has received renewed interest and attention after Morgan Freeman, nominated for his portrayal of Mandela, wore his bespoke emerald and black diamond 46664 Bangle to the Oscars recently. He’s rumored to never take it off but also says he’ll be auctioning it off at some point to further support the cause. The bangles come in a range of prices from $23.95 for copper all the way up to $12,900 for the platinum model.

Morgan Freeman Wears Bespoke 46664 Bangle to the Oscars originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Apparel, Jewelry

This has a decidedly London tilt, but we can’t help sharing the bounty of The Sunglasses Shop UK. If you’re on The ‘Sceptered Isle or just passing through, it might be worth a perusal.

Of course, sunglass retailers are common. What aren’t common are retailers that make it so easy to find that pair of sunnies you caught while flipping through InStyle or GQ a couple of months ago. The Sunglasses Shop has nearly 40 pages of pictures of celebrities in sunglasses to let you know what was being sported. If you don’t find the particular shades you simply must have, the site has a forum where you can post a picture and ask, “What are these?” If the site’s spotters know what they are, they’ll let you know you and include a link if they sell them. But even if the site doesn’t sell them, they’ll tell you what the model is if they know and suggest something close from their own stores.

If you want to keep up with trends, there’s even a page for best sellers. Last month one of the biggest movers was Tom Ford’s James Bond 007, designed for Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace but seen above shielding the eyes of Marc Antony. If Mr. Lo has made the association a little dubious, perhaps go with fellow bestsellers the Daddy B as worn by Jay Z, or the Carrera Panamerika, a favorite of Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, and Sean Paul. Or wait and see who wears what this month. The Sunglasses Shop has you covered. Or your eyes, at least.

The Sunglasses Shop Makes the Stars’ Sunglasses Yours, Easily originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry

Howard Stern’s beauty pageant for Tiger Woods’ alleged mistresses takes place Wednesday and the winner gets not only a prize of $100,000 from the AshleyMadison.com website but also a ‘mistress’ ring. Jeweler Steven Singer, infamous for his “I Hate Steven Singer” ad campaigns, created a 3.5-carat total weight black diamond ring for the winner of pageant which will be held live on air during Stern’s Sirius XM radio show. A few of the women involved in the Tiger Woods scandal will participate in several categories like “bikini” and “talent” to win the prize. The jeweler says the piece is the “perfect mistress ring.”

Black Diamond ‘Mistress Ring’ To Be Given To Howard Stern Pageant Winner originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Apparel, Jewelry, Celebrity Design

Your list of personal attributes might not include blonde, 6′ 2″ and mean-with-a-backhand. There might not be a Wimbledon trophy with your name on it. You might not even be Russian. But that doesn’t mean you can’t at least look like - kind of - the person who has all of those qualities. To do so, you should probably start with the Maria Sharapova Sunglass Collection by TAG Heuer Eyewear.

Designed by the Grand Slam winner herself, the collection includes aviator frames in motorsports-grade stainless steel, or thick, hand-polished, black acetate large-format frames. That latter variety is available in several trims: black with gray or gradated lenses; ivory frame with blue grey lenses; tortoiseshell with gradient brown lenses; and dark plum with gradient pink lenses. And so that there will be no doubt, her autograph is discreetly laser-etched into the ultra light, shatter-resistant, UVA- and UVB-protected lenses.

The collection goes on sale as of this month, retailing for $250.00 at TAG Heuer Eyewear retailers. Your road to the Grand Slam begins here, and once you’ve mastered the glasses you can work on that backhand…

You’re it with Maria Sharapova’s TAG Heuer Eyewear Collection originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry, Celebrity Design

Padma Lakshmi has the career of seven women. She’s a model, author, a TV host (most notably Top Chef) and now, the new mom has a jewelry line.

PADMA launched in May 2009 and consists of 40+ earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings inspired by Lakshmi’s eclectic past. She was born in India, raised in both India and the US, and has lived in France, Spain and Italy. “I love the rich heritage and beauty of traditional Indian jewelry, but I wanted something more modern and delicate. I also wanted to create something that women would love to wear everyday; pieces that work with jeans and cocktail dresses, jewelry that highlights the myriad sides of a woman’s personality without upstaging her.”

The collection features an India-inspired hand piece, a “back to front” necklace which “adorns a woman’s back as much as her décolleté, cascading down the neck on both sides” and a micro-collection called “the Nav,” which is based around traditional Hindu beliefs, incorporating stones which represent the nine planets and harnessing their energy.

Even her foodie experience has influenced her designs. “In hunting for the most precious spices, I found the shapes of seeds and pods exquisite, a purity of proportion and form that had an inherent sensuality to them.” We find the designs subtle and thoughtful with a distinct womanliness. The collection’s seed and pod themes are exceptionally well-suited to make gifts for pregnant women — how apt that Padma just gave birth to a baby girl, Krishna.

We interviewed Padma via email about her new jewelry collection, her career and her life.

Luxist: How has your multi-faceted career led you to jewelry?

Padma Lakshmi: Even before my fifteen years in fashion, as a child I was always attracted to my mother’s jewel box. Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to gather some beautiful pieces through my travels along the way. But at a certain point, I wasn’t finding exactly what I was looking for in the accessories marketplace and it turned out that others weren’t either. I started reproducing the bespoke custom pieces that I had created for myself; that’s pretty much the organic process of how the company came about.

Continue reading Padma Lakshmi’s Seedy New Jewelry Line

Padma Lakshmi’s Seedy New Jewelry Line originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry, Celebrity Design

Nicole Murphy might be most famous for being Eddie Murphy’s ex-wife (and now Michael Strahan’s fiancee) but she also had a career as a model and now has launched her own line of jewelry. Murphy and her business partner Yolanda Braddy created Friendship, Love and Peace, a line of necklaces and bracelets composed of beads in a variety of materials. Prices range from under $100 for simple lava stone bead bracelets to over $6,000 for a knotted bracelet with champagne diamond-covered beads. The designs are meant to appeal to both men and women and the different textures give the pieces an organic tactile quality. The jewelry can be ordered online and is set to appear in boutiques and department stores later this year. Stars that have worn the pieces include Adam Lambert and Slash.

Nicole Murphy Creates Jewelry Line originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry

Blue diamonds aren’t the rarest of the colored diamonds but they tend to do well at auction, larger stones often command top prices (a 7.03 carat stone sold for $9.49 million last year). Sotheby’s Hong Kong is hoping to get a big result for a 5.16 carat blue dimaond being auctioned off at the Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Spring Sale on April 7. The pear-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond is internally flawless and is the first blue diamond from the De Beers Millennium Jewels Collection to appear at auction. The phenomenal collection was presented by De Beers in 2000 to celebrate the new millennium. Each of the blue diamonds was specially laser-inscribed with a De Beers Millennium number. The 5.16-carat gem being offered in Hong Kong bears the inscription “De Beers Millennium Jewel 11″. Of the 11 blue diamonds, 9 were graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) as Fancy Vivid, the highest color rating for colored diamonds. This stone is prized for its natural sky blue color and is estimated to bring in between $4.6 million and $5.8 million.

Blue diamonds get their color from the presence of the chemical element boron during the stone’s formation. This stone came from the Premier Diamond Mine of Transvaal, South Africa, the main source of blue diamonds in the world. Out of all the rough diamonds extracted from the Premier Diamond Mine each year, generally only one significant blue diamond can be produced.

Blue Diamond Seeks To Dazzle At Sotheby’s originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry

On Monday, the latest edition of ABC’s “The Bachelor” wound up with the traditional teary-eyed proposal and a big rock. Hollywood jewelry designer Neil Lane was the jeweler of choice, showing up to present Jake Pavelka with a choice of sparkling rocks. Pavelka hemmed and hawed over a round cut (representing good girl Tenley) and a princess cut (representing the more saucy Vienna). He ended up choosing Vienna and a Neil Lane princess-cut diamond and platinum ring. The ring is set with 70 diamonds for a total weight of 2.72 carats, the center diamond is a 2.02 carat princess-cut diamond. No word on price, but depending on the quality of the center stone this ring likely cost over $25,000. The ring was custom designed and signed by Lane. We’ll probably be seeing a lot more Neil Lane this weekend on the Oscar red carpet.

The Bachelor’s Big Diamond originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry, Journeys

The Great Frog has been making jewelry in London’s ever-chic Carnaby area since 1972. They are probably best known for their immaculately gothic, daring bespoke pieces for the fashion and music industry — as well as creating all the jewelry for the Harry Potter movies. I was lucky enough to visit their legendary Ganton Street location and get a peek into the magic lair where the sometimes sweet, sometimes scary pieces are created (aka the basement).

The Great Frog’s showroom is designed to look like a French funeral parlor, a darkly appropriate choice for the originators of The Skull Ring. The workshop, however, is appropriately non-designed, with graffiti on the walls and ceiling, an enormous music closet, and cluttered work desks which look like they belong in the props trailer for the Puppet Master series. We’re talking creepy dolls and skulls in beer cases.

It’s fun to imagine the legends that have browsed in the shop and dictated their jewelry desires to talented, biker-chic staff. Get a look at the charmingly grungy room where the magic happens below, and check out more of their client list, including Harry Potter, Aerosmith, Metallica and Iron Maiden, (and do a little online shopping) here.

This trip was paid for by VisitBritain, but the ideas and opinions expressed in the article above are 100% my own.

Inside The Great Frog, Jeweler to Harry Potter and Aerosmith originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry

The 2010 Winter Olympics are over, with the final United States medal count coming in at 9 Gold, 15 Silver, and 13 Bronze. That’s a total of 37 medals making their way back here to the States in the hands of our worthy athletes, and although the sentimental value is truly immeasurable one can’t help but wonder: just how much are those medals actually worth?

Here’s how it breaks down: a gold medal is made of 550 grams of silver covered with 6 grams of gold, a silver medal is made of 41 grams of copper and 509 grams of silver, and a bronze medal is made of a mix of mostly copper with some tin and zinc. This means that in today’s market a gold medal is worth approx $494, a silver medal $260, and a bronze medal just $3.

Interesting to know (I thought the gold medal would be worth more).

How Much is a Gold Medal Really Worth? originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry, Children

As kids, I’m sure that we all loved to dress up. Whether it was with store bought costumes or a combination of our parent’s clothing, once the perfect outfit was before us, we were able to enter the world of make believe to create amazing adventures and fantasies. Clothing and accessories were just about having fun and looking at life with a lightheartedness and innocence. And it seems the design duo behind Juicy Couture have that same approach when it comes to children’s jewelry. Their pieces are made with 14K yellow gold plated and accented with colorful cute cupcakes, glittering hearts, tasty ice cream cones and strawberries. Price: $32-$78.

Juicy Couture Children’s Jewelry originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry

Nan Fusco is a jewelry designer living in Laguna Beach, CA, that not only designs all of her pieces but also handmakes them all herself — a dedication and personalized attention to detail that is getting rare these days. Her creations are a mix of delicate and tough, featuring chains in gold and sterling silver with precious gemstones like pearls, sapphires, and tourmaline. Her designs are pretty earthy and natural, although there are certainly some glitzy pieces in the mix too. One of my favorite features is her unique ‘no clasp’ necklaces that can be worn many different ways depending on your mood and outfit. $400 - $8000

Via Fabsugar

Nan Fusco Jewelry originally appeared on Luxist on Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry

Last fall we speculated that a huge 507-carat piece of rough diamond might sell for $30 million. The result was even bigger than anticipated. Petra Diamonds announced that the stone sold for $35.3 million which was the highest sale price ever for a rough stone, an impressive $69,557 per carat. Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Company Ltd. bought the rock which has been given the preliminary name “Cullinan Heritage,” at a tender in South Africa. The stone is the 19th largest piece of rough unearthed in history and is exceptional both in terms of size and color and clarity.

It is believed that the buyers will seek to sell the stone in China. The rough stone could yield a “D-flawless” clear polished stone of 170-180 carats, a stone which could sell at a huge price. The diamond will be doubtlessly be scrutinized by teams of expert cutters and all possible strategies will be mapped and modeled before the first cut is made.

Huge Diamond Sells For Over $35 Million originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry

There’s certainly no shortage of fairytale-inspired jewelry in the world but I would argue that there’s a definite shortage of ‘not-totally-silly’ designs based on the favorite stories of our childhood. Tom Binns, however, has collaborated with Disney to come up with a set of jewelry designs inspired by the old story and new movie “Alice in Wonderland” and I think they’re refreshingly grown up. The designs are each based on an event or character such as the evil Red Queen, who has a necklace of little red hearts interspersed with thorns and pins, or the bracelet shown here called “Smashing Time” that is made up broken tea party dishes. Look for the pieces to be on sale this spring in the Tom Binns New York store and other boutiques for $1000 - $1500 each.

Tom Binns ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Inspired Jewelry originally appeared on Luxist on Sat, 27 Feb 2010 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry, Charity

We’ve been a fan of Joan Hornig’s cause-centric jewelry for a while. She uses what she calls the Philanthropy is Beautiful model which means that 100% of the profits on each piece go to charity. Her latest pieces for Help for Haiti will be donated to the Haitian relief charity of the purchaser’s choice in his/her honor. The Joan B. Hornig Foundation lets the buyers determine where the money goes and which nonprofits receive funds. Hornig chose the symbolism of a wrench for the Haiti initiative, the wrench has a dual meaning, representing the heartwrenching situation in the earthquake-ravaged nation and the tools needed to repair and rebuild. The sterling silver ‘working together’ necklace features both an open and a closed wrench on a 24-inch sterling silver chain. It sells for $65.

Joan Hornig’s Help for Haiti Jewelry originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry

Baccarat, which is renowned for its unique expertise and bold creativity in the making of fine crystal, has launched the Bouchons de Carafe collection, a new jewelry line designed by Elie Top, a world-renowned jewelry and accessories designer.

Baccarat, which has long created beautiful jewelry collections and fashion accessories, asked Top to create a jewelry line that interprets the Baccarat spirit in his own way. In response, the designer came up with the Bouchons de Carafe Collection, which is the French name that refers to the stoppers made for the fine crystal bottles that graced luxurious dining tables and elegant dressing tables in bygone days.

Continue reading Baccarat’s New Crystal Jewelry Collection

Baccarat’s New Crystal Jewelry Collection originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry, Celebrity Shopping

Singer and actress Hilary Duff recently became engaged to Edmonton Oilers center Mike Comrie. Various sources are reporting that the ring cost the NHL player around $1 million. He bought the 14-carat princess cut diamond ring while in Las Vegas and then proposed to Duff at the Four Seasons in Hawaii while they were on vacation. The pair are also shopping for a home in Beverly Hills.

Think $1 million is a lot for a hockey player to spend? Last year Comrie signed a one-year contract worth $1.125 million to return to the Oilers, the team he began his NHL career with but he also has a family business to fall back on. His family owns The Brick, one of Canada’s biggest sellers of furniture, mattresses, appliances and home electronics.

Hilary Duff’s Million Dollar Diamond Ring originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry

Gemfields has officially announced the discovery of an absolutely enormous rough emerald earlier this month in their Kagem mine in Zambia. The emerald has been named “Insofu,” which means ‘elephant,’ by the indigenous Bemba people to both honor its size and pay tribute to the World Land Trust’s “Wild Lands Elephant Corridor Project.” The emerald weighs in at 6,225 carats and is currently under the scrutiny of experts to determine its value and evaluate what possible futures it might have. Although it has rich color and good translucency the biotite shell is making it difficult to see deep into the emerald’s core, but so far all estimates point to the potential for several cut gems of great size.

Enormous ‘Elephant’ Emerald Discovered in Zambia originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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