I have discovered this great material on vintage costume jewelry designers. A great lesson indeed. With a little bit of patience you can find out a lot of precious info. Take a look!

Needless to say that splendid jewelry comes from all over the world. Brazil is quite a precious resource of splendid gemstones, everyone has heard of the famous Brazilian emeralds. But there is much more to Brazil than beautiful stones, sensuous shapes and vitality. Brazil brings forward a couple of great jewelry designers, some already in the top, some striving to get there. Let’s have a look!

1.H. Stern

Howard Stern is already present on our blog, but more than here, at Hollywood and all over the world, with an ascending trend in popularity as we speak.

www.hstern.net

2. Manoel Bernardes

Manoel Bernardes is a top jewelry designer in Brazil but expanding it’s business also to other parts of the world, like Russia. Their desire is to develop new forms, new gem-cutting methods, new textures, combining current technology with skillful handwork. I’ll present some exceptional and innovative pieces, presented in international competitions.

www.manoelbernardes.com.br

3. Yael Sonia

Yael Sonia is a Brazilian jewelry designer oh-so-present in Paris, but due to her traveling, with complex views. Having won multiple prizes in international design awards. What sets her modern designs from other is the unique kinetic jewelry approach with rolling spheres and swinging pendulums. Have a look:

www.yaelsonia.com.br

4. FR Hueb

FR Hueb has a more romantic approach to jewelry. The company started out as a small scale local business, but recently gaining a great reputation nationally and internationally. Their efforts have been rewarded in several competitions.

www.frhueb.com.br

5. Vancox

Vancox designs are present in numerous international jewelry exhibitions and markets like Brazil, USA, Russia and countries in the Middle East like Bahrain and UAE.

www.vancox.com

“Carolina Queen Emerald” is said to be the largest, finest and most significant emerald ever found in North America. It has 18.88-carat and a pear-shaped cut. The only emerald rivals are the finest of the fine emeralds of Muzo and Chivor mines of Colombia.

Carolina Queen Emerald

The “Carolina Queen Emerald” was discovered by James K. Hill, president and CEO of North American Emerald Mines, in his 94-acre family estate in Hiddenite, North Carolina, in 1998, was named “Carolina Queen” to reflect the state of origin of the emerald as well his intention to start a series with royal names.

Carolina Queen Emerald mounted

Gem cutter Allan Koo shaped the 71-carat rough stone into two exceptional quality emeralds, the 18.88-carat, pear-shaped “Carolina Queen Emerald” and the 7.85-carat, cushion-cut “Carolina Prince Emerald.” initiating what is known as the Royal Family collection.

The “Carolina Queen Emerald” surpassed the “Tiffany Emerald” both in weight as well as quality. After cutting and polishing the AGL certified the “Carolina Queen Emerald” as the largest and finest emerald of North American origin to ever pass through its laboratory. Mr. C. R. Beasley  the internationally renowned gem appraiser has placed a value of over $1,000,000 for the “Carolina Queen Emerald.”

Made by Mikimoto, this 18-inch pearl strand, took 10 years to gather the 27 perfectly round cultured pearls. The pearls are White South Sea AAA quality and are extremely rare. No wonder it took so long!

The expensive strand also has a noval clasp with 11,92 carats of diamonds, but its beauty realy lies in the cultured pearls. The high quality is showed in their 15.06 x 17.24 mm diameter, in the way pearls reflect light and a very special luster. Even so, $1,000,000 for a pearl strand?

The Fabergé Eggs are today more than ever a symbol of rarity, luxury and tradition. The jewelry beaded precious metal eggs were created by Peter Carl Fabergé and his assistants. 69 eggs were created between 1885 and 1917, and their main purpose was to be offered as gifts to the great czars of Russia, as Easter Eggs.

There are some quite famous eggs with a whole story behind then like The Swan or the two undelivered eggs Constellation or Karelian Birch.

The first egg was created in 1885 for czarina Maria Feodorovna as an Easter surprise from her husband. On the outside it looked like a while gold enameled egg but inside having a golden yolk. Inside the yolk there was a golden hen and inside the hen a small golden crown with a ruby. The idea of this egg is the one of the traditional Russian matryoshka dolls (and also the one of Kinder [giggles]).

The Fabergé Imperial eggs are not only splendid and precious on the outside, but also on the inside, each usually containing a surprise. They are unique in appearance and also in theme, each one having a different significance.

Fabergé also created some pieces for his private clients but they were less original and expensive.

The Lesotho Promise is the wonderful creation of Graff, a necklace that truly takes the breath away. The awesome 603 carat stone was found in the Letsenf mine, in Lesotho, the 15th largest diamond found.

Graff payed quite a sum for it, the diamond ads up to $12.36 million. After thorough analysis, the diamond was cut in 26 pieces that vary in size, from just a little more than half carat to the superb pear shaped 76.41 carat diamond, the centerpiece of the Lesotho Promise necklace.

The whole process of creating the astounding diamond lasted 18 months but the result is more than satisfactory.

The Lesotho Promise necklace is made by diamonds all coming from the Lesotho Promise rough diamond. The 26 white D-flawless diamonds, set in white gold, sum up to 223.5 carats and are estimated at around $50 million. Might be just a little too much for me…

The British crown jewels are so precious that they travel in secret and can only be handled by one person – the Crown Jeweler!

The Napoleon pearl, also know as “La Regente Pearl” is the fifth largest natural pearl. Its splendor come from that fact that despite of the big size, it has a uniform shape. It is called the Napoleon pearl because it was the centerpiece of a pearl tiara he had made a present for his queen Marie Luise.

La Perle Regente or Napoleon

The Regente Pearl with its outstanding characteristics regarding shape, quality, brilliance and others, has become the most expensive single pearl, arriving at an amazing price of $2.5 million in 2005, at the Christie’s sale in Geneva.

The pearl sautoir with La Regente pearl

The shaped of the pearl is described to be that of a pigeon-egg, and has been fitted during history to several diverse mountings: centerpiece of a tiara, of a corsage, pendant to a pearl sautoir, hair ornament and pendant to more necklaces.

La Pelegrina and La Regente pearls

When it was first discovered the pearl weight 346.27 grains, but with time it became 302.68 grains. It still continues to be the biggest regular form pearl in the world, and the fifth from all.

The lastest piece of jewelry montage with La Regente

Costume jewelry is not made to give women an aura of wealth,
but to make them beautiful. Coco Chanel (Cera, pg. 178)

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel – Coco Chanel – was born in France in 1883. With her enormous talent she created a fashion empire which encompassed clothing, jewelry, and perfumes. Coco Chanel’s fashion legacy managed to free and empower women throughout the world with this unique style.

Luxury is not the opposite of poverty, it is the opposite of vulgarity.

Coco Chanel (Mauries, pg. 48)

Being a great fashion designer she created her jewelry in pure contrast with the simplicity of her designed clothes. Therefore her jewelry is bold an theatrical, embracing the primitive and barbaric in her accessories. With such complex pieces and tidy clothing she created a look so womanly and sophisticated that it has never gone out of fashion since she first imagined it more than 90 years ago.

Her approach to jewelry design was very similar to the clothing creation. She will not sketch nor draw but compose on the model’s body her art pieces. In her studio she kept pieces of flexible modeling plastic which she shaped into jewelry, embedding real and fake gemstones into the plastic as she worked, moving them around to get exactly the color combinations and balance she desired.

Using a lot of custom jewelry, Chanel draped herself and her models in ropes of faux (fake) pearls and gold tone chains. Her early experiences of poverty had made her an expert at making do and using odds and ends creatively. The Paris activity expanded into a house of couture and she was no longer dependent on Boy Capel’s generosity (her lover).

Chanel was the first fashion designer to use costume jewelry to create the finishing touch to her overall look. Although the jewelry trend of Art Deco set by Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpelswas was a hit, Chanel, however, developed her own style. She proposed the use of brightly colored fruit salad glass stones meant to imitate the carved precious and semi-precious gemstones. As always, her approach was innovative and unique.

The 1923 introduction of her trademark perfume, Chanel No. 5, cemented her fortune and her supremacy in the field of fashion. As for her attitude twards jewelry she always said:

A woman should mix fake and real.
To ask a woman to wear real jewelry only
is like asking her to cover herself with real
flowers instead of flowery silk prints.
She’d look faded in a few hours.
I love fakes because I find such jewelry provocative,
and I find it disgraceful to walk around with millions
around your neck just because you’re rich.
The point of jewelry isn’t to make a woman look rich
but to adorn her; not the same thing.

In 1971, at the age of 88, Chanel died in her beloved Paris. She was still working and designing until the very end. Friends joked that it was no coincidence that she passed away on a Sunday, since that was the only day that the salon was closed, so it was the only day she had time to do it

Italy is well renowned for its exquisite design and fashion taste. Design is at home in Italy, since they are just incredible at designing quite about everything: clothes, shoes, purses and what we are most interested in … jewelry. I have come up with a list of one of the best designers in Italy but at the same time in the world.

• Bulgari

You might also recognize it as BVLGARI is i think one of the most famous brands in the world. The company has various areas of activity. It creates high luxury products including perfumes, handbags, watches and jewelry. The jewelry of Bulgari has exquisite design, incredible gems and high craftsmanship.

www.bulgari.com

• Damiani

Damiani Group has won 18 Diamond International Awards,the Oscars of the jewelry world, meaning it has won the title of best jewel with diamonds a good 18 times thanks to the quality of its design and craftsmanship. Hollywood stars like Isabella Rossellini, Brad Pitt, Chiara Mastroianni, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sophia Loren have worn their jewels.

www.damiani.com

• Buccellati

Gianmaria Buccellati has given his design special care and attention. What sets him apart from other jewelers is that personal touch that give the jewelry more than a design, thus a story. The two main designers personally follow the creation step by step, and succeeding in giving it a defining style.

www.buccellati.com

• Favero

Favero works mainly in 18 carat gold with the finest quality diamonds as well as precious gems creating powerful, colorful collections.

www.faverojewels.com

• Unoaerre

Is one of the main companies in the world that specializes in production, distribution and export of gold jewelry. Their design combines high technology and artisan traditions.

www.unoaerre.com

• Pomellato

Has an extended collection of luxury products all over the 5 continents. Pomellato designs are highly appreciated.

www.pomellato.com

• Di Modolo

The image of Di Modolo is Katherine Zeta Jones. Browse through their collection.

www.dimodolo.com