A pearl’s color depends on the species of the mollusk it comes from and usually the color of the pearl matches the inside of the mollusk’s shell. They can range from white to pink to black. This being said, Tahitian pearls (also referred to as Black Pearls) are considered to be some of the rarest and most beautiful pearls in the world. This is due to the fact that the black lipped oyster only produces one pearl at a time, if at all.

Pearls were extremely rare and valuable all the way up until the mid-1900s. Pierre Cartier purchased the mansion on 5^th Ave in New York for only $100 in cash and a double stranded natural pearl necklace which at the time was valued at over a million dollars!

The double stranded necklace today is only worth around $170,000 but the Cartier store is considered a New York City landmark and is valued at over $20million.

The decrease in the value happened with two major events: the stock market crash of 1929 and Mikimoto’s discovery of the cultivation of pearls. By the late 1930’s Mikimoto was producing about 10 million pearls a year. It was also rumored that he believed so much in pearls and their medical uses that he swallowed two Akoya pearls a day. Mikimoto died in the mid-50’s but his legacy and brand are still thriving today.

 Even though cultured pearls brought a decrease in value, they also brought increased popularity. In the 50’s the staple to any woman’s outfit was a strand of pearls and some pearl earrings. Some pop icons that also promoted the popularity of pearls were Jackie O, Grace Kelly, and Audrey Hepburn in the ever classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

The one pop icon that stands out when it comes to pearls is of course, Elizabeth Taylor. She was owner to one of the most famous pearls, the La Peregrina. This pear shaped pearl weighs 203.84 grams is the largest perfectly symmetrical pearl in the world. Other famous owners of the La Peregrina were Mary I of England and Phillip II of Spain. When Richard Burton presented it to Elizabeth Taylor, she hired Cartier to redesign it in a necklace with pearls, diamonds and rubies.

To explore Hyde Park’s wonderful pearl selection please visit:

http://www.hydeparkjewelers.com/pearls/Search

Q: How has it been these past several months with Arabella?

A: It has been incredible.  Arabella is such a joy.

Q: How do you balance motherhood and the various projects you have going on?

A: It has definitely been a balancing act! I generally wake up, feed Arabella, exercise and read through a copious amount of newspapers.  I arrive at the office somewhere between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m – my brothers and I are always the first ones in.  My days are often filled with a large volume of meetings – everything from hotel design, to building management, to jewelry initiatives, to new deal and property developments, to marketing strategy, and certain months, filming for the Apprentice. I try to schedule some time between those meetings to go home to feed and spend time with Arabella. I live close to my office, so I usually go home several times a day.

Q: Do you have any special plans this Mother’s Day?

A: I’d love to spend time with my family this Mother’s Day.  It is an incredibly important holiday to me, being my first year as a Mother to Arabella.

Q: What piece of jewelry from your collection do you believe is the ideal Mother’s Day gift?

A: Wearable items that are modern yet timeless and classic are always a great gift idea.  A fabulous cocktail ring, such as the Rose Gold Cocktail Ring with Rock Crystal and Diamonds is a perfect way to transition from day to night.

I love the femininity, warmth, and elegance of Rose gold, which is what inspired me to use it when designing the new pieces from the Octagonal and Bow collections.

Q: Do you have high expectations for your children, as your father had for you?

A: My father always taught me that hard work never goes out of style. My upbringing has prepared me for a challenging career that requires ambition, a strong work ethic, and determination, and I would like to prepare my children for adulthood in the same way.

Q: Any style tips for Moms on the go?

A: I’m always on the move, so I don’t usually have the time to put together a creative outfit.  Everyday pieces of jewelry that are versatile are essential to every mom’s wardrobe – the long Rose Gold Chain with Rock Crystal and diamonds is a great example – it can be worn long for a contemporary look, doubled as a chic necklace, or even wrapped around your wrist for a bolder style.

The perfect accessories will always instantly update a look.  A great pair of earrings like my Medium Signature Oval Earrings, a necklace, and fabulous shoes is a great way to effortlessly make a statement.

Also, every Mom on the go should have a great pair of flats to run around in!

Q: Any advice to other Mothers out there?

A: I try to stick to a very strict schedule and I am never late – this is something that I learned from my father, and this knowledge has been extremely helpful in balancing my time now that I’m a parent.

Q: How has your style changed now that you are a Mom?

A: Comfort definitely has become a necessary part of my style ideology, as any Mom can attest to!

Thank you to all of the bakeries who helped with this year’s Bridal Event window display.

Cake by Cake Crumbs

From Executive Pastry Chef Christopher Jordan of Four Seasons Hotel Denver

Cupcakes and Pastries from Happy Cakes

Cake from Gateaux

Cupcakes by Big Fat Cupcake

Candy by Sugarlicious

Temple St. Clair

Temple St. Clair established her jewelry brand in 1986 in Florence, Italy. Temple was a southern girl studying Italian Renaissance Literature when she was discovered by a buyer for Barneys. She was wearing one of her personal designs at the time of discovery. Her first collection debuted at Barneys in the fall of 1987 and since then has been sought after by companies such as Bergdorf and Saks.

Temple St. Clair is an avid world traveler and draws inspiration from the world around her. Her jewelry is a refreshing take on a modern classic look.

Here are some of our favorites

Temple St. Clair Signature Charm 18K Yellow Gold 3 Charm Necklace & Set

Temple St. Clair Angel 18K Yellow Gold & Pave Diamond 10MM Angel Pendant

Temple St. Clair 18K Yellow Gold 10MM Rock Crystal Heart Pendant

Cento by Roberto Coin

Roberto Coin launched his jewelry empire in 1977 in the city of Vicenza, which is referred to as the “City of Gold”. The company was established for the sole purpose of creating and manufacturing for other Italian lines of jewelry. In 1996 the Roberto Coin Brand was introduced with great success. That year, Mr. Coin decided to set a ruby inside each of his pieces because the Ancient Egyptians believed that when the stone touched the skin, it would bring the wearer good luck, health, and happiness.

This month we are highlighting Roberto Coin’s Cento Collection. Cento was added in 2003 as an extension to the Roberto Coin line. The collection was began as a gift from Roberto Coin to his wife; a gesture as lovely as the pieces themselves. In Italian, “Cento” means 100, which is the number of perfection. A Cento diamond has 100 facets, making it one of the most scintillating diamond cuts in the world. Mr. Coin has been quoted saying that the Cento diamond is “my exclusive invention; a masterpiece.”

Here are some of our favorite pieces from Cento:

Roberto Coin Cento “O” 18K White Gold & Diamond Open Circle Ring

Roberto Coin Cento Florentine 18K Rose Gold & Diamond Engraving Bangle

Roberto Coin Cento Tulip 18K White Gold & Diamond 8 Drop Line Earrings

The largest diamond that has ever been found is the Cullinan Diamond weighing in at 3106.75 carats. This diamond was eventually cut into 105 different diamonds; the largest and most famous being the Star of Africa weighing in at over 530 carats.

Today the Star of Africa can be found with the rest of the crown jewels in the sceptre with the cross.

Diamonds can be any color, the most popular being “clear” but the rarest being pink or blue. A popular example of this is the Hope Diamond.

This diamond is a vibrant blue color and is 45.52 carats. It is housed at the Smithsonian National Museum and is supposedly a “cursed” diamond. Amongst many of the owners were Louis XV and his wife Marie Antoinette who had the diamond stolen from them and were killed shortly after.

Diamonds can come in different shapes or more properly known as cuts. For some examples of different cuts we look no further than the collection of diamonds that Elizabeth Taylor owned.

This diamond is the famous Krupp Diamond that Richard Burton gave to Elizabeth Taylor. It is 33.19 carats and is an asscher cut. She wore this ring nearly every day.

Another one of her diamonds was named the Taylor-Burton Diamond. This 69.42 carat pear shaped diamond was mounted on a pendant and was another one of Richard Burton’s gifts to Elizabeth Taylor.

Perhaps one of the most uncommon diamond cuts is the heart shaped diamond. This diamond was referred to the Taj Mahal Diamond and was given to Elizabeth Taylor by Richard Burton on her 40^th birthday.

“Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without one”

-Chinese Proverb

For a complete guide to buying diamonds please visit:

http://www.hydeparkjewelers.com/diamond-buying-guide.aspx

To learn more about natural color diamonds please visit:

http://www.hydeparkjewelers.com/natural-color-diamonds.aspx

To learn more about the unique diamond cuts that are offered at Hyde Park Jewelers please visit:

http://www.hydeparkjewelers.com/signature-diamonds.aspx

Chopard:

This year Chopard introduced their new Mille Miglia Ladies watch. For the past 20 years Chopard has partnered with the legendary Mille Miglia car race, creating beautiful mechanically inspired watches. This year’s watch features a white rubber strap with the tire tread design. It also features a mother-of-pearl dial and diamond bezel.

Breguet:

Breguet introduced a new watch to their tradition collection, the Tradition GMT. Just like the other watches in the Tradition Collection this watch has the mechanical elements visible from the front side of the watch. The main dial is located at the 12 o’clock and the 2^nd time zone is located at the 8 o’clock. This watch comes in either 18K rose gold or 18K white gold with a 40mm case.

Rolex:

Rolex has introduced a brand new watch called the Rolex Sky-Dweller. This watch features two time zones & an annual calendar. The date change on this watch is linked up to the local time and changes within a few milliseconds at midnight. This watch is 42mm at the case and comes in white, rose, or yellow gold.

Richemont Watches from the SIHH Show:

Panerai:

Panerai introduced their new PAM 438 which is a GMT watch made up of black matte ceramic. This is the first ceramic bracelet made by Panerai. The dial is black with vintage brown Arabic numerals. The black ceramic case is 44mm and the watch features an automatic movement developed in house.

Cartier:

Cartier came out with a new tank watch, the 3^rd tank in the collection, called the Tank Anglaise. The main feature of this watch is the integrated crown. The crown is hidden below a crown protector.  This watch is available in either white, rose, or yellow gold and comes with or without diamonds.

Jaeger Le Coultre:

The new watch for JLC was the Deep Sea Vintage Chronograph. This watch was inspired by the 1959 Tribute to Deep Sea model. This watch has the same design qualities as the original even down to the stainless steel case back which features an engraved frogman surrounded by bubbles. This watch is 40.5mm at the case and is on a black leather strap that mimics the original.

]]> http://blog.hydeparkjewelers.com/2012/04/baselworld-2012-overview-part-two/feed/ 0 http://blog.hydeparkjewelers.com/2012/03/spring-jewelry-trend-bold-colors-geometric-patterns-art-deco/ http://blog.hydeparkjewelers.com/2012/03/spring-jewelry-trend-bold-colors-geometric-patterns-art-deco/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:40:03 +0000 Jennifer Olsen http://blog.hydeparkjewelers.com/?p=2983 Spring is in the air and so are the new fashion trends in jewelry. It is time to say goodbye to the dreary hues of winter and hello to these bright new styles. We have seen the reemergence of art deco designs and the hot new trend of bold colors and geometric patterns.

Art deco is a design style that came about in the 1920s and gained popularity all the way to the 1940s. This design style uses geometric patterns and especially in the case of jewelry, symmetry.

Here are some top picks to emulate the art deco style:

These Ivanka Trump earrings are set in 18K white gold with the deco design in black onyx and diamonds.

These Penny Preville drop earrings are set in 18K white gold with diamonds.

If the geometric trend is more your style may we suggest this this Ippolita rock candy 18K yellow gold bangle.

Or this geometric ring also from Ippolita featuring green amethyst and diamonds set in black rhodium.

If you want to make a statement in bold colors try these Marco Bicego Paradise multi-strand mixed gemstone earrings.

Get noticed wearing this Tacori 18K925 cocktail ring featuring red onyx layered with clear quartz set in 18K yellow gold and sterling silver.

 Bell & Ross:

Bell & Ross released their BR-01 Horizon watch. The design of this watch was inspired by the altitude gauge on the instrument panel of an airplane’s cockpit. The dial is composed of two colors: grey representing the sky and black representing the earth. (Limited Edition of 999).

Breitling:

The big release for Breitling this year is the Transocean Chronograph Unitime. This watch features a movement developed and produced entirely in-house. The Unitime displays 24 time zones simultaneously. This 46mm watch comes in your choice of either steel or rose gold.

Patek Philippe:

This year Patek Philippe released its first ever complicated ladies’ wristwatch. The 7140R-001 features a perpetual calendar and moon phase function. Despite all of the complications of this watch it has a very thin 18K rose gold case, making the appeal to women even greater. This watch also features a mother-of-pearl dial and diamond bezel.

T.W. Steel:

T.W. Steel had many new releases in Basel but perhaps their most stunning was the new CEO Diver. The CE5001 and CE5000 is a multi-function watch with an automatic movement, one of the only watches made by T.W. Steel that features an automatic movement. This handsome watch comes in 48mm or 44mm.

Omega:

Omega released their limited addition James Bond 007 50^th Anniversary Seamaster. Only 11, 007 of these watches are being made. They will be coming in two sizes: 41mm and 36.25mm. This watch features a ceramic bezel with the number 50 highlighted in red. One of the most stunning features is the bullet decoration on the rotor.

Tag Heuer:

Tag released their new ladies’ Link watch at Basel and introduced Cameron Diaz as their new ambassador and “muse” of the ladies’ Link series. “The Link Lady is modern, sexy and elegant and I’m equally comfortable wearing it on the red carpet or in my day-to-day life”-Cameron Diaz. This watch is available in stainless steel, rose gold and a two-toned stainless steel and yellow gold. The watch also comes in a variety of different bezel and dial options.

To achieve some of this year’s looks here are a few recommendations:

If you loved Gwyneth Paltrow’s big statement cuff

Go for Ivanka Trump’s black onyx & diamond cuff from her Noor Collection.

This cuff features a diamond deco scroll pattern on black onyx

If you loved how Viola Davis accentuated her dress with bright colored gems,

Make a statement with Hyde Park’s cognac diamond and green onyx drop earrings.

These earrings feature green onyx and cognac diamonds set in rhodium plated silver and 14 karat yellow gold.

If you loved the chandelier earrings on Sofia Vergara,

Add some cascading elegance with Ivanka Trump’s rock crystal, mother-of-pearl, and diamond chandelier bubble earrings.

These earrings feature rock crystal over mother-of-pearl with diamonds set in 18 karat white gold.

]]> http://blog.hydeparkjewelers.com/2012/03/lights-camera-glitz/feed/ 0 http://blog.hydeparkjewelers.com/2012/02/the-horse-bit-a-gucci-icon/ http://blog.hydeparkjewelers.com/2012/02/the-horse-bit-a-gucci-icon/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:01:20 +0000 Kim http://blog.hydeparkjewelers.com/?p=2874 A horse bit is a piece of metal placed between a horse’s teeth, near the back of the mouth, and is attached to the bridal and reigns. The horse bit design has become a staple aesthetic of Gucci and has appeared in a variety of transformative ways since its introduction in the 1950’s. The horse bit made its initial appearance on tan leather saddle-stitch Gucci bags and now has been integrated into a luxurious jewelry line. The Gucci horse bit Jewelry collection is comprised of 18-karat yellow, white, and rose gold with a high polish finish and pave set diamonds. Here are a few of my favorite pieces.

This lovely 18-karat white gold double interlocked horse bit ring features 0.98 cttw of pavѐ set round brilliant cut diamonds and a high polish finish that makes for an intriguing balance of texture and shine.

Sport this charming 18-karat yellow gold high polish horse bit link bracelet. Perfect for both casual and evening wear.

Gucci Horsebit Collection 18K white gold and diamond multi-chain marina chain necklace, featuring 2 diamond horsebits.