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17 September 2023

Clothes and precious stones by Christopher Esber

Christopher Esber will be presenting his work in Paris for the first time during Fashion Week on September 28th. The Australian fashion designer launched his brand in 2010, and enjoys incorporating gemstones into his unstructured, asymmetrical, and intricately cut clothing. In the areas that expose the skin, such as the hip, between the breasts, and on the stomach, he places red jasper, dalmatian quartz, and obsidian. Similar to piercings, these gemstones complete the metal frames that support various parts of dresses, suits, and tops. Beyond aesthetics, Christopher Esber believes in the positive virtues that certain crystals worn directly on the skin possess. Let’s see what he has in store for us for the summer of 2024.

 

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Christopher Esber will be presenting his work in Paris for the first time during Fashion Week on September 28th. The Australian fashion designer launched his brand in...

22 January 2023

Botter's small car jewelry

In their latest collection entitled “Venus Comb, Murex Shell” Botter, the Dutch creative duo made up of Lisi Herrebrugh and Rushemy Botter have turned colorful little cars into jewelry. Necklaces and rings adorn unstructured suits, lagoon-blue undershirts and striped rugby jerseys. Always on the look-out for hidden meaning, Botter’s style aficionados will search for significance in this departure from the norm, as the designers from the island of Curacao have until now always produced protest collections railing against climate threats. Regressive and playful, these toy jewels are also reminiscent of the pretty necklaces made from fishing hooks by the duo in 2021. Why not try to make some yourself, while you’re at it?

In their latest collection entitled "Venus Comb, Murex Shell" Botter, the Dutch creative duo made up of Lisi Herrebrugh and Rushemy Botter have turned colorful little...

09 January 2023

Responsible, recycled or mined gold, who’s using what?

Over the past 10 years, most designers and jewelers have opted for responsible gold. Some defend mined gold, extracted by local communities which have adopted respectful practices, and bearing labels such as Fairmined, Fairtrade, SMO (Single Mine Origin) for larger-scaled mines, etc. Others advocate recycled gold, metal that’s already been used in jewelry, electronics, ingots, etc. A third approach is to mix the two.

Who’s using what? Recycled or/and mined gold ? In this issue we offer a non-exhaustive overview of pieces heralding these new jewelry values.

 

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Over the past 10 years, most designers and jewelers have opted for responsible gold. Some defend mined gold, extracted by local communities which have adopted...

18 November 2022

"Fly me to the moon" – Noor Fares' Wing Shop

The emblematic jewel (my favorite) by Lebanese designer Noor Fares is her pair of “Fly Me to the Moon” earrings. She has already created versions of these delicate, airy, contemporary wings in turquoise, agate, jade, lapis, etc. Not forgetting those tye-and-dye marvels. With her new e-shop entirely dedicated to “Fly Me to the Moon” earrings, you can now also customize them. You can choose them in pairs or individually. The frame is available in gold (including 9 carats), colored or not, paved or not. Meanwhile, the wings are currently available in tiger eye, malachite, rainbow printed bamboo, etc. Hours of fun!

 

Related article:

The Navratna of Noor Fares

The emblematic jewel (my favorite) by Lebanese designer Noor Fares is her pair of "Fly Me to the Moon" earrings. She has already created versions of these delicate,...

01 November 2022

Rouvenat returns!

Almost two centuries on, four industry insiders (including Marie Berthelon CEO and Sandrine de Laage, Artistic Director) are reviving Léon Rouvenat, who made his mark on jewelry during the Second Empire (cf “The mysterious disappearance of Rouvenat”). Based on two fundamental motifs drawn from the archives (the rosette and the tassel finished to a point), the positive values initiated by Léon Rouvenat are modernized. The twenty-first-century Rouvenat now uses only already extracted gold and precious stones. The emphasis is on digital technology and customization thanks to an exclusive, user-friendly configurator: in the e-shop, customers create their own jewelry by choosing their stone, chain, gold finish, etc. And at each step, you can preview the result. Rouvenat also integrates the blockchain to secure each piece of jewelry. See you from 15 November at “416” (rue Saint Honoré) – a venue with a large glass roof, reminiscent of Leon Rouvenat’s original jewelry factory.

Almost two centuries on, four industry insiders (including Marie Berthelon CEO and Sandrine de Laage, Artistic Director) are reviving Léon Rouvenat, who made his...

28 October 2022

205,000

During the conference organized by the jeweler L’Or du Monde (pioneers in the use of recycled gold), the Systext association painted an apocalyptic picture of gold extraction. The World Gold Council (the leading official body in the sector) estimates that 205,000 tons of the precious metal have been mined from ancient times until now. Systext said these 205,000 tons would fit into a cube measuring only 22 meters on each side! Recycled, this gold would more than meet the needs of the various industries. Remember that jewelry still uses 55% of the gold mined each year, with 25% being reserved for investments and 12% for central bank reserves. Jewelry also uses 17% of the silver and 22% of the platinum mined.

 

Image @ Systext

During the conference organized by the jeweler L'Or du Monde (pioneers in the use of recycled gold), the Systext association painted an apocalyptic picture of gold...

15 October 2022

Barrie x Goossens, cashmere medals

“Les Métiers d’Art” unites the twenty-two art houses and factories bought by Chanel since 1995. Two of them have pooled their expertise: Barrie, famous for its cashmere, and Goossens, known for its antique-style golden couture jewelry. The Goossens medal, stamped with the 12 signs of the zodiac, lies at the center of this ” exchange of signatures”. In the first part of the collection it remains unchanged: only the signs of the zodiac are replaced by Barrie’s signature signs of the thistle, bandana, rose and lion. In the second part, the medal is transformed into a cashmere motif, situated at chest-level on a sleeveless sweater or a pointed scarf. The same pattern is repeated across entire sweaters, waistcoats and miniskirts. A daring move – one that deserves a medal?

"Les Métiers d'Art" unites the twenty-two art houses and factories bought by Chanel since 1995. Two of them have pooled their expertise: Barrie, famous for its...

25 September 2022

Mazarin, the new brand from Louise de Rothschild and Keagan Ramsamy

Unlike other great figures in the history of jewelry, Cardinal Mazarin has not hitherto been honoured by brands. Yet it was he, so they say, who passed on his passion for diamonds to Louis XIV, bequeathing him the 18 extraordinary specimens in his collection. Today, Louise de Rothschild and Keagan Ramsamy, two gemology enthusiasts, have given his name to their shiny new recycled gold and synthetic diamond brand. But apart from the use of diamonds, there’s no other real reference to Mazarin – the inspiration is contemporary. They showcase an ultra-realistic elephant, seen from the front, on a yellow or white gold cuff. The stylized version represents a brushed gold tusk that wraps around the wrist or finger. This abstract piece is my favorite.

Unlike other great figures in the history of jewelry, Cardinal Mazarin has not hitherto been honoured by brands. Yet it was he, so they say, who passed on his passion...

02 September 2022

The first Instagram ad: a Michael Kors lady's watch

The app wasn’t always flooded with ads to the point of nauseating its users, as explained in the fascinating recent Arte documentary Instagram: the vanity fair. In April 2012, when Mark Zuckerberg bought Instagram for $1 billion, it had 25 million users and no ads. It still wasn’t turning a profit – in fact it was losing money! Eighteen months later, the day the app passed the 150-million user mark, Mark Zuckerberg imposed advertising to make his purchase profitable. At first, there was only one advertiser and one ad per day! The first to go for it, in November 2013, was Michael Kors promoting a lady’s watch. The brand’s account then gained nearly 34,000 followers in 18 hours. The rest is history…

The app wasn't always flooded with ads to the point of nauseating its users, as explained in the fascinating recent Arte documentary Instagram: the vanity fair. In...

21 August 2022

Balmain's jewelry

The Balmain fashion house launched its first jewelry collection during the last Paris Jewelry Week. Unsurprisingly, it covered a wide range of prices (from €1 500 to around €30 000) and followed the company’s traditional look. This first opus in yellow gold features the maze symbol dear to Pierre Balmain along with the Balmain coat of arms, formed by a crown and two lions framing a rectangular emerald. The precious mesh, worked in gold and onyx, is reminiscent of the Fabergé egg – a strong source of inspiration for Olivier Rousteing. While Rousteing of course oversees the creation of the jewelry, the company also relies on the expertise of Adorisa. This brand new group, founded by two seasoned professionals (François Delage formerly of De Beers and Albert Ben Soussan who worked at Louis Vuitton jewelry), supports brands wishing to enter this segment – a sector that’s more buoyant and competitive than ever.

The Balmain fashion house launched its first jewelry collection during the last Paris Jewelry Week. Unsurprisingly, it covered a wide range of prices (from €1 500...
  • Christopher Esber

  • Botter FW2023 - "Venus Comb, Murex Shell" collection

  • Botter FW2023 - "Venus Comb, Murex Shell" collection

  • Botter FW2023 - "Venus Comb, Murex Shell" collection

  • Lisi Herrebrugh and Rushemy Botter

  • Cartier - 80% recycled gold, 10% responsible gold from artisanal mines, 10% from banks

  • JEM - 100% Fairmined gold

  • Mené - Mené - Responsibly mined gold (in Nevada, USA and Ontario, Canada) and recycled gold

  • Fernando Jorge - Responsible mined gold bearing the SMO label for pieces made in Italy

  • Rouvenat - 100% recycled gold

  • Piaget - 100% recycled gold

  • Pomellato - Responsibly mined gold including Fairmined gold

  • Boucheron - 100% recycled gold

  • Paulette à Bicyclette - 100% Fairmined gold

  • L'or du Monde - 100% recycled gold

  • Ute Decker - 100% Fairtrade gold and recycled silver

  • Vever - 100% recycled gold

  • Frank Darling on thefuturerocks.com - 100% recycled gold

  • Héloïse et Abélard - 100% recycled gold

  • Viltier - 100% recycled gold except for mined gold engagement rings bearing the Fairmined label

  • Courbet - 100% recycled gold, 50% of which comes from electronic waste

  • Noor Fares - Earrings in 18K or 9K gold available to customize your "Fly Me To The Moon"

  • Noor Fares - Lapis lazuli, ocean jasper, malachite... Carved wings available to customize your "Fly Me To The Moon"

  • Noor Fares - Jade, aventurine, turquoise, painted bamboo : some carved wings available to customize your "Fly Me To The Moon"

  • Noor Fares - 18K gold earrings and painted bamboo wings: some ideas to customized the "Fly Me To The Moon" earrings

  • Marie Berthelon CEO of Rouvenat / Sandrine de Laage, Artistic Director of Rouvenat

  • Rouvenat - "Jeton" necklaces in recycled gold and gemstones

  • Rouvenat - "Jeton" rings in recycled gold and gemstones

  • Barrie x Goossens

  • Barrie x Goossens

  • Barrie x Goossens

  • Louise de Rothschild and Keagan Ramsamy, co-founders of Mazarin

  • Mazarin - Cuff-bracelet depicting an elephant's head and "Eboris" bracelet in recycled gold and synthetic diamond - €46 200 and €18 000

  • Mazarin - Ring depicting an elephant's head in recycled gold and synthetic diamond - €7 500

  • Mazarin - "Eboris" necklace in recycled gold and synthetic diamond - €33 360

  • Balmain - "Emblem" bracelet in gold, one tsavorite and diamonds - €31,000

  • Balmain - "Emblem" ring in gold, one tsavorite, black lacquer, diamonds - €17,500

  • Balmain - "Labyrinth" collection in gold - Bracelet €6,500, pendant €3,950, rings €12,000 and €3,950

  • Balmain - "Emblem" necklaces in gold, black lacquer, onyx beads, one tsavorite, diamonds - €21,000 and €17,000

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