Monday 31 October 2016
Amber Valletta Wows in David Webb Jaguar Choker
Amber Valletta has flawless legs, a wrinkle-free face and a super toned figure. It’s hard to believe that she’s already 42 years old! The gorgeous actress showed off her enviable model body in the most perfect little black dress at ELLE’s “Women in Hollywood” Awards.
Amber’s black mini dress, which featured subtle ruched detailing, had a very classic and polished look. Amber chose a stunning statement choker and a couple of edgy mismatched ear cuffs to punctuate the frock.
The star of the ensemble was definitely the David Webb choker, which just effortlessly stood out on the red carpet. The chunky spotted jaguar necklace featured yellow gold and diamond accents. Amber tied her hair in a slicked up ‘do to make sure the focus was kept on her necklace. Everyone surely got a full view of that stunning jewelry!
View more David Webb jewelry here.
Credit: WENN/FayesVision/Adriana M. Barraza
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Friday 28 October 2016
ART IN JEWELLERY: FAIZA SHEIKH BY FEHMHIDA LAKHANY, LOULOU’S LONDON
Last week I was at LouLou’s, a private members club famous for its dancing and eclectic nightlife, but on this occasion, it was an art-inspired jewellery collection called Sufi by Fehmida Lakhany in collaboration with artist Faiza Sheikh that brought me here.
You may have seen my previous posts on art-inspired jewellery with the Arcimboldo-inspired Matillo collection or the Brazilian artist Gustavo Rosa and his line of jewellery, and already know how much I just love it when art and jewellery collide.
This Sufi-inspired jewellery collection created by Fehmida Lakhany introduced me to a new world of art, poetry and spiritualism that was exciting and enlightening at the same time. The collection evokes the famous poem by Rumi – Love is reckless; not reason – and transforms it into a glamorous line of jewels that twinkle with love and mysticism, and the art of Faiza Sheikh.
Reason seeks a profit.
Love comes on strong,
consuming herself, unabashed.
Yet, in the midst of suffering,
Love proceeds like a millstone,
hard surfaced and straightforward.
Having died of self-interest,
she risks everything and asks for nothing.
Love gambles away every gift God bestows.
Without cause God gave us Being;
without cause, give it back again.
SHOP THE LOOK:
I found myself wanting more of this poetic venture into the Middle East, so after the event I checked out Rumi and his magical and very romantic poetry – simply irresistible! I think I lost a few hours reading his poetry. All his life he searched for love and even created a special dance:
Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re perfectly free. ― Jalaluddin Rumi
One of the elements of Fazia Shaikh’s art is her use of calligraphy and Arabic lettering. Fehmida Lakhany picks up on this element in her Sufi collection for an added depth of poetry. I fell in love with this pearl, diamond and ruby bird ring, and simply adore the cascading waterfall of Arabic letters, symbolising love and peace.
Rumi’s endless search for love is delicately depicted in this mother of pearl and diamond pendant. So beautiful and romantic! I love how real and raw the jewellery is presented. There’s a strong sense of power and modernity about the collection that lies in sharp contrast to the ancient texts it evokes.
It is all started with a pinky promise 16 years ago, when Fehmida Lakhany and her daughter Fariha opened the doors to her London boutique. With a passion to remove the stigma surrounding fine jewellery, Fehmida refuses to keep her jewels under wraps. She says, “There’s nothing wrong in dressing up jeans with a cocktail ring or diamond earrings!”
GEMOLOGUE by Liza Urla features exquisite global discoveries, trendy urban street style, exclusive interviews and rare jewellery reviews – a celebration of fine jewellery, fashion jewellery and vintage jewellery.
*Photographed by Julia Flit. Styling and Art Direction by Liza Urla.
All photos belong to GEM Kreatives for GEMOLOGUE. Material on this website may not be copied, broadcasted or adapted without written consent.
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Thursday 27 October 2016
GEM TALK WITH ANNYA SAND, ARTIST
The series of interviews with women and men who have personalities, story to tell and their own GEM style. They make it happen for themselves all over the world and follow GEMOLOGUE by Liza Urla.
As a budding self-taught artist, Annya Sand loaded all her pictures in a van and drove it to every gallery in London. Her perseverance paid off, and since then she has exhibited from Saatchi Gallery to the Houses of Parliament. Her art is often political and thoughtful, in a diplomatic rather than subversive manner.
Annya is the epitome of a crazy jewellery aficionado, so she was the perfect candidate for my GEM TALK series. She has a deep personal connection to jewellery: her father was a well-known and respected jeweller in Kazakhstan so she was surrounded by it since she was a little girl. For herself, Annya carefully chooses one-off pieces, and every jewel in her collection comes with a special story. In addition, as a polymath creative soul, she is currently working on a lot of sketches of jewellery herself inspired by my late father’s work: a new talented player in the jewellery world to watch!
Name: Annya Sand
Alma Mater: American Intercontinental University and Public Affairs, London School of Economics
Occupation: Artist
Hometown: Almaty, Kazakhstan
LOCATION AT TIME OF INTERVIEW:
I am currently in London enjoying the short-lived autumn sunshine at The Ivy Chelsea Garden. I love London, it’s my home after-all! I enjoy visiting and exploring the city and its restaurants and galleries. I am consistently on a path of discovery so also like to discover new places of interest. Being an artist, I spend a considerable amount of time in the Serpentine Gallery, the Tate Modern, and wondering around West and East London for artistic stimulation and inspiration.
IN THE BEGINNING:
I started painting at a very young age and consider myself self-taught. Art has always been an essential part of me and comes naturally. Plus I have always had creative influences in my family – my father was a jeweller and my grandfather was an architect. They both nurtured my love for art and inspired me to develop my own artistic style.
ART JOURNEY:
I sold my first collection at the age of 20 and the excitement of this inspired me to pursue art as my main career. However, I must be honest, it was not easy in the beginning. I was constantly pushing my work and emailing various galleries in London looking for representation. I did this for over a year and hardly got any responses, which was very upsetting. However, it didn’t stop me pursuing my dream! So, one day I decided to rent a van, loaded it with my work and drove to each and every one of the galleries in London. After a long day and a lot of shocked faces, one gallery responded in a very positive way. Funnily enough, having that one gallery liking my work then generated more and more interest amongst the other galleries. The snowball effect!
SHOP THE LOOK:
LONDON DEBUT:
My first solo exhibition in London was titled ‘Expressions from Kazakhstan’ at the King’s Road Gallery back in 2008. Since then, I have shown at various spaces all over London from Asia House, to The Saatchi Gallery, to Gallery Elena Shchukina and even at The Houses of Parliament for the ‘Study of Russia’ exhibition. I regularly participate in large-scale art fairs and public events too.
UNESCO:
In July this year I took part in an international art forum, the Art Camp, organised by the Andorran National Commission for UNESCO. The purpose of the Art Camp was to create a pool of original works of art to reflect creative and artistic expressions of the participants of the programme. More than 30 countries were represented at this programme and I was chosen as the only representative of the UK and Kazakhstan, after a specific selection process. It was such an amazing experience which opened my mind and heart to new cultures, experiences and point of views. The works which we created at the Art Camp will be exhibited at the UNESCO and UN headquarters in Andorra, Paris, New York, Geneva and Venice.
POLITICAL ART:
Political art started to play an important role in my work in the last few years. I started to create installations to reflect my view on the current state of the world in general. The first one is called “Reflection of Our Generation”, carries the thought that nowadays any seemingly ‘junk’ idea can be turned into a kind of ideology. In my eyes, many that were considered beautiful and moral by the previous generations, are no longer viewed as such anymore, and arguably vice versa. I wanted to portray my view of confused, brainwashed generation who seem willing to sacrifice their lives for skewed ideas and continue to invent new principles to suit them. My second installation, called “Suppression, Limitation and Manipulation”, reflects the state of mind, and way of life, of an “ordinary” human being living in our times. It shows that we live in a Marionette Society and that modern society is being manipulated by religious beliefs, politics, social media, ignorance and narrow-mindedness.
RELIGION:
My three bracelets represent three main religions – Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. All three of them represent a part of me, my family, and my upbringing. By wearing them I would like to show that I am not willing to choose one or another, but rather to be proud practising all three and be tolerant of everyone and everything these religions represent.
POWER COMES FROM:
My main strength and power come from within, but I also gain power from outside influences. I love life and people, and everything that comes with it. I draw inspiration from the world around me and I use my own experience and knowledge to live my life as I do.
BEAUTY ESSENTIALS:
A good moisturiser, eyeliner, and plenty of sleep (if I am lucky to get it! )
SHOP THE LOOK:
TOPSHOP OR CHANEL:
I love patterns and I tend to buy designers who use patterns in their work, either Etro, Marni or upcoming young designers. I often tailor the clothes that I buy, or design and make them myself. My style reflects my personality – I like to combine elegance with modernity and, most importantly, comfort. I don’t like obvious glamour and I have become very anti-fur lately. The last item I bought was a pair of funky Lucy Choi casual shoes in an electric blue colour.
ONLINE SHOPPING:
Yes, I do, but only for the essentials. I tend to buy the main pieces of my wardrobe in person. I need to see and touch the fabric and feel the clothes on me before I decide if they can become a part of me.
GEM STYLE:
Jewellery is quite an important part of me. It is a personal connection to my family and its history. I wear my pieces daily and I rarely take them off. This is because they are very symbolic to me. I also have one-off going-out pieces and something that my friends gave or created for me. I try to choose unique pieces with outstanding quality. I am doing a lot of jewellery sketches at the moment that are inspired by my late father’s work. I am also writing a book about my father and planning to publish my sketches in it.
RUBY:
Ruby is my birthstone and I always wear a ruby stone given to me by my mother. It is an inspiration for my own design – a ring of ruby and black diamonds set in white gold. As an artist, I appreciate the intensity of colour of the ruby. This ring from my mother is one of my favourite pieces.
FIRST JEWELLERY:
The first piece I remember was a golden cross that my father created for me. I was six, and I started wearing jewellery ever since then. I believe stones have a strong energetic force and some people can benefit from wearing their birthstone.
MY EVERYDAY JEWELLERY:
In addition to my engagement and wedding rings and three bracelets which were created by an independent designer; I wear my ruby ring from mum, and two wing bracelets by Garrard.
PERFECT ENGAGEMENT RING:
For every woman, the perfect engagement ring is the one given to her by the man she loves. In my case, my perfect rings are Bucheron engagement and wedding rings given to me by my husband.
ROLEX OR CARTIER:
I have a few beautiful watches but I never wear them. I don’t feel the need to wear one. I do keep time, but I prefer to wear a piece of art instead, and not be constricted by ‘the weight of time’.
MEN’S JEWELLERY:
It depends on the man, in my opinion. Some men carry it off better than the others. However, men’s jewellery can be very beautiful and I believe that there is a certain lack of interesting pieces for a man to wear, so this area is open to creative exploration.
FINE JEWELLERY:
Because I have my own style and most of my jewellery is tailored for me, or designed by me, I have no strong segregation between the fine jewellery, costume jewellery and simple accessories.
JEWELLERY AS AN INVESTMENT:
I look at jewellery from a creative viewpoint as well as from an investment and heritage perspective. I do understand people who choose to invest into it.
VINTAGE JEWELLERY:
I do love vintage jewellery. To me, it represents history and heritage.
FASHION JEWELLERY:
Not really. I am wearing my own designs or one-offs created for me.
PERFECT GETAWAY:
I just got back from Andorra which was lovely discovery. I also love visiting Tel Aviv, Sardinia, my native Kazakhstan, and rural England.
DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT:
My phone – it is my diary, sketchpad, camera, communicator, and my life!
COACHELLA OR BURNING MAN:
To be honest, neither. I get claustrophobic in places like that. I also don’t have that much free time for things like that. When I want to relax I spend time in the studio as I truly love it or I visit exhibitions and art fairs like Masterpiece, Venice Biennale or other art events which can inspire me.
MY WEAPON OF CHOICE:
My Art.
WILD WISH:
I love my cognac.
GEMOLOGUE by Liza Urla features exquisite global discoveries, trendy urban street style, exclusive interviews and rare jewellery reviews – a celebration of fine jewellery, fashion jewellery and vintage jewellery.
*Photographed by Flit Photography. Styling and Art Direction by Liza Urla
All photos belong to GEM Kreatives for GEMOLOGUE. Material on this website may not be copied, broadcasted or adapted without written consent.
The post GEM TALK WITH ANNYA SAND, ARTIST appeared first on Gemologue.
source http://gemologue.com/gem-talk-annya-sand-artist/
Wednesday 26 October 2016
RIVALRY: SCHLUMBERGER VS VERDURA, SCHIAPARELLI VS CHANEL, SOTHEBY’S
What a treat it was to be invited to Tea and a Jewellery Masterclass with Sotheby’s own jewellery expert, Daniela Mascetti. At this event I spied eccentric pieces by french-born Jean Schlumberger and instantly thought of his collaboration with Elsa Schiaparelli.
I have been reading up on Elsa Schiaparelli and mesmerised by the rebirth of her fashion brand with her unforgettable designs that shocked the world – the surreal high-heeled shoe hat, a collaboration of his sweetheart, Salvador Dali, her fashion statement of zippers and the wrap around dress much loved by Diane von Furstenberg.
YELLOW SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND BROOCH, SCHLUMBERGER FOR TIFFANY & CO., 1973
Jean Schlumberger is the man behind Elsa Schiaparelli’s costume jewellery designs, and they are just as collectable as any costume CHANEL jewels (though Coco Chanel was ahead of the game with her over-sized and ostentatious fakes that she called jewellery!). Schlumberger made a habit of visiting the local flea markets in search of old Victorian glass beads and serpents so he could create costume jewellery for his friends.
SHOP THE LOOK:
GEM SET AND DIAMOND NECKLACE, ‘JASMIN’, JEAN SCHLUMBERGER, 1973
His creations were a hit and his friends couldn’t get enough of them. Pretty soon the requests started rolling in, so he set up a jewellery making business with his sister that catered to the likes of Daisy Fellowes, Princess Marina, and the Duchess of Kent. It was at this time that fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli sat up and took notice and took notice and commissioned her own line of costume jewellery.
It was a collaboration that took off immediately and word soon spread across Paris to the outer reaches of the world. Everyone wanted one of those crazy iconic buttons – starfish, pebbles, shells, and rough gemstones fashioned in offbeat settings. The pair continued to work together and created gilt cherubs with fake diamond torches, spiders, insects, creatures from the sea, hearts pierced by swords. There was no end to what could be turned into an original piece of jewellery. It seemed no matter who Elsa Schiaparelli teamed up with – Salvador Dalí, Jean Cocteau, the poet Louis Aragon – the world couldn’t get enough.
It was an exciting time in fashion. There was Fulco Verdura designing costume jewellery for Coco Chanel and Jean Schlumberger designing costume jewellery for Elsa Schiaparelli. There was fierce competition and rivalry between these two powerful women and there’s a famous story by Bettina Ballard that recounts how Coco set fire to Schiaparelli one night at a costume ball. Responding to Coco’s dare to dance with her, Schiaparelli, dressed as a surrealist tree, was skillfully led straight into a burning candelabra and caught fire at once. The flames were doused by a bunch of eager guests only too delighted to shower the flaming Elsa with their soda water.
The rivalry between the two jewellery designers travelled with them to NYC, where the two men individually set up shop to win the hearts and adorn the necks of Hollywood’s elite.
Schlumberger’s career continued to soar and in 1946, he partnered with his dear friend, Nicolas Bongard who was the nephew of a fine jeweller called Paul Poiret from Lacloche and Boivin fame. Together they opened a boutique on New York’s East 63rd Street and created pieces like these ones I found at Sotheby’s today. Not your usual diamond necklace and certainly a conversation opener.
These beautiful Jean Schlumberger jewels are part of Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels Geneva Auction on November 16th.
GEMOLOGUE by Liza Urla features exquisite global discoveries, trendy urban street style, exclusive interviews and rare jewellery reviews – a celebration of fine jewellery, fashion jewellery and vintage jewellery.
*Styling and Art Direction by Liza Urla
All photos belong to GEM Kreatives for GEMOLOGUE. Material on this website may not be copied, broadcasted or adapted without written consent.
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