Jewellery Archives - OnceOff

Jewellery, Watches

Gucci banks on high-end gems for growth

Jul 04 2019

Gucci, the luxury brand that powers most of parent Kering’s (PRTP.PA) profits, made its first steps in high-end jewelery on Tuesday with a dedicated store in Paris - part of its bid to expand its reach after a blowout fashion makeover. Sales at the Italian label have grown at a breakneck pace since a turnaround under designer Alessandro Michele over the past three years, beating most industry rivals even as the rate of expansion slowed to 20 percent in the first quarter. With its sights on one day overtaking peers Louis Vuitton, owned by Kering rival LVMH (LVMH.PA), or privately-held Chanel as the biggest luxury brand by revenue, Gucci is branching into new areas, including by recently rolling out cosmetics. Its high-end jewelery venture will see it compete with heavyweights of that sector, including Richemont’s (CFR.S) Cartier and van Cleef & Arpels, with a specialized store on Paris’ historic Place Vendome. Gucci, best known...

Jewellery, Watches

The Pink Promise in Hong Kong

Nov 22 2017

‘The Pink Promise’, an oval-shaped fancy vivid pink Type IIa diamond, will be offered on 28 November in Hong Kong by Christie's Auction House. The ‘Pink Promise’, says Rahul Kadakia, International Head of Jewellery at Christie’s, is ‘the Picasso of the pink diamond world. When you look at the shape of the stone,’ he adds, ‘it’s so elegant. It’s a cross between an oval and a marquise — what we call a “moval”. It’s a fabulous diamond.’ Leading the 28 November Magnificent Jewels sale in Hong Kong, this oval-shaped fancy vivid pink Type IIa diamond, weighing approximately 14.93 carats, is set within a circular-cut diamond surround, gallery and hoop. The stone is enhanced by circular-cut pink diamonds and mounted in platinum. ‘A pink diamond is rare to start with,’ says Lisa Hubbard, Senior Adviser to Christie’s International Jewellery. ‘But an oval pink diamond of this weight is very rare, very hard to find. It...

Luxury Worn by Royalty sold by Christie’s

Nov 12 2016

‘Jewels play numerous and diverse roles in our lives,’ writes Francois Curiel. ‘They have been coveted by the most memorable names in history, heroes and villains, famous lovers, glamorous stars, distinguished families, commanding dynasties.’ The cowardly Empress — The jewels of Marie-Louise of AustriaSold at Christie’s in 1894, 1959 and 1961 Marie-Louise, Archduchess of Austria, niece of Marie Antoinette, second wife of Napoleon and mother of his son, the King of Rome, is as unpopular today in France as she was two centuries ago. Her marriage to Napoleon in 1810 marked the beginning of the end of the Emperor’s glory. Indeed, many blamed her for contributing to his downfall. A pair of 19th-century sapphire and diamond brooches. Estimate: SFr55,000-75,000. This lot is offered in Geneva Magnificent Jewels on 15 November 2016 at Christie’s in Geneva A 19th-century sapphire and diamond bracelet. Estimate: SFr25,000-40,000. This lot is offered in Geneva Magnificent Jewels on 15 November...

The largest gem-quality rough diamond discovered in more than a century

May 09 2016

Weighing an astonishing 1,109 carats, the Lesedi La Rona is the largest gem-quality rough diamond to be discovered in more than a century. Dubbed “the find of a lifetime”, it is expected to fetch more than $70 million at a standalone sale at Sotheby’s London on 29 June. Weighing 1,109 carats, the Lesedi La Rona rough diamond will be on sale at Sotheby's London on 29 June.Experts believe that once it has been cut and polished, this gigantic gemstone could knock the 530.20ct Great Star of Africa off the top spot as the world’s largest top-quality polished diamond. Despite constant diamond mining in many parts of the world, no other rough gemstone approaching its size has been discovered since the 3,016.75ct Cullinan Diamond was unearthed in 1905. This yielded the pear-shaped Great Star of Africa as well as another eight diamonds, all of which form part of the Crown Jewels housed in...

The Art and Science of Gems by Van Cleef & Arpels

Apr 18 2016

On April 23, Van Cleef & Arpels will be bringing some of its best creations to the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands. Titled Van Cleef & Arpels: The Art and Science of Gems, the exhibition will bring guests on a journey of more than 400 creations from the jeweller and 250 minerals from the French National Museum of Natural History collection. This is actually the largest ever heritage exhibition organized by the Parisian jeweller; it documents more than a century of the firm’s history. With pieces from the Maison’s archive collection, and on loan from private collectors from around the world, it blends art, craft, history and geoscience with the characteristics associated with the jeweller rich heritage. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Van-Cleef-ArpelsFlying-Bird-Pendant[/caption] The exhibition will follow seven themes: couture, abstractions, influences, precious objects, nature, ballerinas and fairies as well as icons. One of the most striking pieces that will be on display is the Bird...

25 Valentines Day Ideas for Couples

Feb 16 2016

Here are some creative ways to tell your spouse, “I love you, on Valentines Day" Is it more important to love … or to be loved? Most of us would agree with George Eliot’s words, “I like not only to be loved, but also to be told I am loved.” Valentine’s Day is the occasion when you can experience both. We asked FamilyLife Facebook friends and Marriage Memo readers to share some of their favorite Valentine’s Day ideas. With a little help from our friends, here are 25 creative ways to tell your spouse, “I love you.” 1. On small pieces of paper, write down every kind of kiss that you can think of (examples: passionate, on the cheek, etc.). Then fill an inexpensive red felt bag with your “kisses” and give it to your spouse. Ask your spouse to pull several pieces of paper from the felt bag, and then give your sweetheart whatever...

Diamond’s How to Decide the Four C’s

Feb 16 2016

Decide on Cut - Diamonds The Four C's. The Cut actually refers to two separate aspects of a diamond’s appearance: 1) shape, and 2) quality of workmanship. ===== Shape ===== Popular diamond shapes include :: Round Brilliant Cut Princess Cut Cushion Cut Radiant Cut Marquise Cut Pear Shape Cut Oval Cut Asscher Cut Emerald Cut Heart Shape Cut. There are many other shapes as well. Choose two shapes if possible and write them on your checklist. (You DID print the checklist, right?) There is only one way to find out what she wants for the shape : ask her. But if you’re sneaky, you can find out by having her best friend ask her discreetly and tell you. Either way, you should definitely find out about this before you buy…because some women are very attached to certain diamond shapes. ===== The Make — Quality of the Cut ===== It is extremely important to learn about the Make of a diamond for three reasons: 1) the make varies greatly from one...

The Pearl of Bahrain

Feb 16 2016

Fresh to market, a mint condition 1958 Patek Philippe wristwatch with royal provenance and never-before seen design attributes — offered in the Rare Watches & Important Discoveries sale on 16 December in New York. ‘The Pearl of Bahrain’, an extraordinary Patek Philippe with reference 2573 in rose gold with natural seed pearl hour markers on a pink starburst dial, is one of those beyond-exciting moments.’ Blending extraordinary and never-before seen design attributes, royal provenance, and mint condition, and accompanied by a Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the watch with pearl hour markers in 1958 and its subsequent sale on 26 June the following year, the ‘The Pearl of Bahrain’ is fresh to the market. An original Stern Frères archive image shows a 2573 in the same configuration — perhaps the exact same watch. The image had circulated among elite watch experts for many years, with corresponding speculation of who...

Tessa Packard Professional Jeweller Top 100 founder

Feb 15 2016

Fried eggs, gummy bears and waffles are just some of the shapes immortalised in Tessa Packard’s brilliantly fun fine jewellery collection, Fat Free — the follow-up to her equally enthralling No Smoke Without Flowers range. It’s been an incredible year for the designer, who has seen business boom alongside a fresh dose of collaborations, partnerships and events. Notably, Tessa was asked to guest design a collection for emerging Dutch diamond label House of Eléonore earlier this year, alongside being chosen as one of just two fine jewellers to be featured and promoted by international shopping service, Source Lifestyle. Tessa comments: “I’ve always been rather keen on the idea of global domination, so it has been incredibly exciting to see the brand grow and go from strength-to-strength, both in the UK and internationally.” When it comes to pinpointing the reasons for her success, Tessa believes it is her “perseverance and personal relationships that...