Notes on an Obsession - Amazon Web Services · diamond (GIA Certified), 2 zirconium free form (8.10cts) and 127 brilliant-cut diamonds. POA. An 18K white and yellow gold bracelet,

Notes on anObsession

by Olivier Dupon

• April 2019 •

Each month in this column, I will share my se-cret jewellery discoveries with you; a selec-tion of up to five jewellery pieces based on their craftsmanship and inspiring creativity. Only one-of-a-kind (or limited edition) jew-els, chosen from all around the world, will make the cut. It is not about value (pieces could start from a few thousands up to mil-lions), yet these pieces could be as much a good financial investment as an emotion-al one. There will be no theme other than uniqueness in all aspects. It is exclusively on Deluxe Pad for you to peruse, appreciate and eventually make your own.

Olivier Dupon

Notes on an Obsession

Notes on an ObsessionApril 2019

Retail boutiques routinely open and close, come and go, but more rarely when it comes to the top-end avenues of the capital cities. That is why any new opening on these prized streets is deemed for the long haul and an event well worth noting. On one of those most important locations for high jewellery, New Bond Street in London, Tasaki has recently opened their first stand-alone flagship store outside Japan (however this is their second European outpost after the one in Paris, in-side the Ritz hotel on Place Vendôme). As such, they have selected an historical build-ing on a prime spot, and magically replicated the vastness of their Tokyo flagship boutique in Ginza for the inside, although they had to deal with a much smaller, listed site. The first

consequence of that latter restriction was to keep the grand wooden staircase intact. This did not prevent them from carefully apply-ing the codes of the house for the rest of the space. The outcome is more a mix between the interior design of Tokyo and that of Paris. The three retail floors all have distinct identities and functions, with the top one serving as a contemporary salon for important collectors. Black, silver grey and salmony red marbles delimit the surfaces (floor, walls and display tables) and create clean lines, while textured reflective metal panels dress the shaft of the lift. Interestingly this highly sharp vessel hosts the most ravishing natural wonders: pearls. Nothing less than monolithic marble coun-ters to present delicate pieces.

www.tasaki.co.uk / www.tasaki-global.com

Ground main floor of Tasaki London Flagship boutique at 170 New Bond Street, Mayfair London.



Necklace in 18K white gold set with South Sea pearls and diamonds; Tasaki London Exclusive High Jewellery, Brilliant Grace Collection. POA.

Earrings in 18K white gold set with South Sea pearls and diamonds; Tasaki London Exclusive High Jewellery, Brilliant Grace Collection. POA.


The exclusive to London high jewellery Brilliant Grace collection has been launched to mark the occasion of this important opening. Two superb pieces from that collection have already been featured in our Valentine’s Day Wish List earlier this year, so now is the opportunity to present you some additional cre-ations, all by Tasaki head designer, Prabal Gurung. These high jewels make the most of the finest qual-ity pearls – through a rigorous selection in terms of nacre quality, lustre, colour and shape – paired with Gurung’s signature play on curves and lines. Here di-amond-paved parts form foliage motifs while the rest of the designs is made a simple rows of pearls (either Akoya or South Sea depending on the size, and with the occasional Mabe pearl as a large accent). Some compositions are fiercer than others, some play on op-tical illusions, all are strikingly elegant. A big enough incentive to entice you to visit the Tasaki London bou-tique; only there can you see these beauties.


Earrings in 18K white gold set with Akoya pearls and diamonds; Tasaki London Exclusive High Jewellery, Brilliant Grace Collection. POA.

Bracelet in 18K white gold set with one Mabe pearl, Akoya pearls and diamonds; Tasaki London Exclusive High Jewellery, Brilliant Grace Collection. POA.

Façade of Tasaki London Flagship boutique at 170 New Bond Street, Mayfair London.

All the talks about how to reach cloud nine and now a parure (neckpiece, matching ear-rings and cuff) that is literally delivering on that promise. From the Cloud Formation Collection by German fine jeweller VIERI, this delightful set associates rainbow quartz (whose attributes allegedly include the trans-fer of hope and light) with an elegant col-our palette of precious gems in various sizes (brown and white diamonds, blue and orange sapphires, garnets, a blue topaz, a citrine, and a smokey quartz). The clouds are plush pillows of smooth carved quartz, which con-trasts with the sharp round-cut of the gem-stones, the same way sunrays pierce through

a cloud canopy. The composition is enchant-ing and is even more rewarding once you know that VIERI uses ethically sourced and recycled gold as well as silver for every piece they make. “We believe that this is the first step towards taking responsibility. VIERI own-er Guya Merkle created the earthbeat founda-tion in 2013 after visiting regular working min-ing communities in Peru and it became evident to her that besides building VIERI on sustain-able pillars she wanted to go one step further and create a positive vision for gold and its future”, the team explains. For fine jewellery that procures well-being as well as style, you now know where to turn.


Necklace in 18K rose gold with rainbow quartz (216.78cts), brown diamonds, blue sapphires, orange sapphires, white diamonds, one 4.95-carat Malaya garnet, one 8-carat blue topaz, garnets (0.94ct), one 0.54-carat citrine, and smokey quartz; Cloud Formation Collection. POA.

Earrings in 18k recycled rose gold with rainbow quartz (60.85cts), white diamonds (0.62ct), orange sapphires, blue sapphires, citrine, garnets and one 1.1-carat smokey quartz; Cloud Formation Collection. POA.

www.vieri.com / www.earthbeatfoundation.org


Here is a selection of jewels that will make you be green with envy! “As one of the world’s foremost im-portant colour gemstone connoisseurs and gemmol-ogists, Stephen Silver has collected and curated fine emeralds from around the world for decades, seek-ing out exceptional emeralds of the highest quality for his custom jewellery designs”, his bio indicates. That said Stephen Silver’s expertise concerns all the highly precious gemstones, including rare em-eralds (from Colombian or Zambian origins). Either set on their own (with diamonds) or paired with a stunning sapphire, the selected emeralds come in all shapes and sizes (shield-, cabochon-, cushion-, step-cut or carved). This means that each rendi-tion is obviously a one of a kind and the overall de-sign is stemming from the attributes of each main stone. The outcome is old-world elegant, timeless and unfussy. The phenomenal ring that combines two step-cut emeralds set on either sides of an un-heated Burmese sapphire is an exercise in perfect proportions, while the basket, shanks and band are fully diamond-paved without interruption…the perfect robe for the triumvirate. Another emerald / sapphire coupling, however with a different re-sult, is to be found in the exquisite pendant ear-rings that feature carved and leaf-shaped emeralds, cabochon-cut sapphires, bullet- and trapezoid-cut diamonds. The delicate appearance belies the ex-treme preciousness of the components. As in all of Stephen Silver’s creations, the play on uncon-ventional cuts and colours is what makes his work more than what meets the eye.

www.shsilver.com

Important Ring set with one 12.22-carat unheated and

tumbled Burmese sapphire flanked by matching 4.45-carat step-cut emeralds, each prong

set in 18K yellow gold on a platinum mounting, paved in 4

carats of diamonds on nearly every surface. POA.

Important Drop Earrings in platinum set with unheated, cabochon-cut Burmese sapphires (17.61cts), carved, leaf-shaped Zambian emeralds (45.53cts), bullet- and trapezoid-cut diamonds. POA.

Antique and vintage jewels teach us one thing (that I keep repeating like a mantra): it has all been done before. Beyond offering a who’s who repertoire of pieces from the most in-teresting artists and jewellers primarily from the mid-to-late twentieth century, the Mahnaz Collection is simply a fantasy trove. Just take a look at their new acquisitions, and see by yourself how current and desirable they are. Let’s start with the bracelet made of braid-ed gold by Emil Meister, the famous gold-smith from Zurich. The gold work is sensa-tional and perfectly mimics the weaves of a textile, yet the pattern created by the two tones of gold is completely random, a fact that reinforces the handmade quality. Then

there is a totemic ring by Donald Claflin, the American artist who lent his talent to David Webb and most notably Tiffany & Co when not creating chimerical renditions under his name. The ring shows Claflin’s knack for in-laid and carved hard-stones such as lapis la-zuli as seen in the double-headed ibex whose coat is diamond-paved. Lastly are the mag-nificent earrings signed Marina B. , the brand founded by Marina Bulgari when she bravely left her family’s famed Maison in 1976. Called Mitzuko, these pendants transport us to Japan by evoking Samurai headdresses in shape, and depicting what could be abstract clouds and cherry blossoms for the mismatched gem-setting. How elegant these are is undeniable.


www.mahnazcollection.com

One pair of earrings in 18K white gold set with one 5.39-carat D / IF, Type IIA pear-shaped diamond (GIA certified), one 6.03-carat D / IF, Type IIA pear-shaped diamond (GIA Certified), 2 zirconium free form (8.10cts) and 127 brilliant-cut diamonds. POA.

An 18K white and yellow gold bracelet, by Emil Meister, c. 1965, 7” long. POA.

A pavé-set diamond, carved lapis lazuli and 18K gold crossover Ring with stylized rams, by Donald Claflin for Tiffany & Co., c. 1960. POA.

A pair of diamond, ruby and blackened 18K gold “Mitzuko” Fuji Earrings, by Marina B, 1986. POA.

Of all the symbols that could represent the love between two people, the tie (le lien) is the most obvious. Other designs such as arrows, bowknots, ribbons and feathers have also been used to sig-nify commitment, and the latter in particular has been chosen to express how love can make one feel invincible. In the Twisted Romance collection, London fine jewellers Patcharavipa have opted for the rope motif, a tie literally with a twist and so as to point out that love is not always a smooth ride but “the result of tension between the strength of nature and mankind’s desire to control”, the team says. A fine rope is the stylish signature of the fine jewellery line of the same name, and a com-mon denominator shared with the one-of-a-kind Couture pieces that are a high-end spin-off of the former. In this higher category, centre stones are the stars, yet the twisted gold may have the last word as it entwines and captures the gems in its grip. The duality between the fluid lines of the rope and the solid geometry of the precious stones is expressive enough that no other compo-nent is necessary, except for touches of sparkle occasionally brought in by little gems here and there. Of course, the colour of the gold is adapt-ed to what suits best the main gem: black rhodi-um-plated gold for the dazzling flat-cut blue sap-phire, yellow gold for diamonds and emeralds, and grey gold for the flat-cut pink sapphire. No need to choose, there are enough rings for you to wear on each finger.


www.patcharavipa.com

One pair of earrings in 18K white gold set with one 5.39-carat D / IF, Type IIA pear-shaped diamond (GIA certified), one 6.03-carat D / IF, Type IIA pear-shaped diamond (GIA Certified), 2 zirconium free form (8.10cts) and 127 brilliant-cut diamonds. POA.

Twirl Ring in black rhodium-plated 18K Siam gold set with one 15.48-carat flat-cut blue sapphire and additional small blue sapphires; Twisted Romance collection. POA.

Sail Ring in 18K Siam gold set with one 11.27-carat Russian emerald; Twisted Romance collection. POA.

Topsail Ring in 18K Siam gold set with one 1.31-carat marquise-cut diamond and additional small diamonds; Twisted Romance collection. POA.

Hitch Ring in 18K Siam gold set with one 28.11-carat

round flat-cut pink sapphire and additional small

pink sapphires; Twisted Romance collection. POA.

Documents

Notes on an Obsession - Amazon Web Services · diamond (GIA Certified), 2 zirconium free form (8.10cts) and 127 brilliant-cut diamonds. POA. An 18K white and yellow gold bracelet,