As the 72nd British Academy Film Awards celebrates the best of British filmmaking talent, the stars descend on the Royal Albert Hall decked out in jewellery that would give Hollywood’s most prestigious awards ceremony a run for their money. Lily Collins, Glenn Close, Claire Foy and Rachel Weisz were among those to dazzle in Cartier, while other stars turned to independent London-based designers such as Viola Davis in Fernando Jorge and Thandie Newton in Solange Azagury-Partridge. White diamonds reigned supreme on the red carpet, with many stars choosing to wear elegant chandelier earrings- including the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore the most glamorous pair of pearl and diamond earrings in Princess Diana’s collection. Below is a rundown of the stunning jewellery pieces worn by the best of British film talent. The Duchess of Cambridge arrives at the BAFTAs wearing pearl and diamond earrings that belonged to Princess Diana Thandie Newton wearind Diamond Earrings by Solange Azagury-Partridge Amy Jackson wearing a diamond Serpenti Necklace by Bulgari Michelle Yeoh wearing a yellow diamond necklace & matching earrings by Moussaieff with a diamond ring by Messika Lily Collins wearing platinum & diamond High Jewellery earrings by Cartier Cate Blanchett wearing a rose gold, diamond & topaz Ritratto ring, a rose gold, diamond & amethyst Ritratto ring & a rose gold & jet Victoria ring by Pomellato Amy Adams wearing 18ct white gold, pink tourmaline garnet, chalcedony, mother of pearl & diamond High Jewellery earrings; a vintage platinum, white gold & diamond bracelet; an 18ct white gold, emerald, onyx & diamond Panthere de Cartier bracelet all by Cartier from https://blog.jewellerylondon.com/baftas-2019-diamonds-are-a-girls-best-friend/
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When I left Vogue after twenty five years as Editor-in-Chief, I was allowed to choose a print from the incredible archives. Since the magazine was founded in 1916, there was over a hundred years of beautiful era-defining photographs and illustrations of the fashions and styles of the day to pick from. Unimaginably elegant women in taffeta and duchesse silk ballgowns, Swinging Sixties black and white shots of Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton in mini dresses, the mannered poses of aristocratic looking models in Dior’s New Age silhouette, were all among the options. How was one to choose? After many hours of searching I decided on an illustration published in the 1943 Christmas edition by Carl Erickson, one of the famous Vogue illustrators. In pastels and ink it portrays a woman, from the side, her hair swept up to better show off the large double strand of pearls around her neck fastened by a clasp. We can’t see her face but her nails are carmine tipped and she is obviously clipping an earring onto her ear. An enormous cabochon cut diamond is on her wedding finger. The caption read “Give her pearls….not just an anonymous little strand that she might fasten on automatically…..but great big ones like these”. Indeed. The pearls, the diamonds, the suggestion of an earring, together with the delicate and sensuous lines of the image encapsulated so much of not only the subject matter that I worked with at Vogue, but also of something both luxurious and intangible. Certainly this beautiful woman (I assume her beauty even though I can’t see the features of her face) leads a glamorous existence that is demonstrated, along with her sleek up-do and the fashionable neckline of her deep purple dress, by her collection of classic aspirational jewellery. And that might be enough. But as I look at the pearls, the lines of the diamond ring, and imagine the invisible earrings as glittering diamond studs, I am seeing something else. I see privilege, good taste, position in society. She adorns herself in preparation for the evening ahead, the jewellery a statement of who she wants us to think she is. And that’s the thing. Nothing has quite the sweep of purpose as jewellery. It’s one of the great multi-taskers – a trophy, a token of love, an indicator of status. It adorns and decorates us and has done since the earliest human times. And it is of both great emotional and financial worth. Jewellery is a currency valued by all. What defines something as precious? Why do we all, across so many cultures, centuries and civilisations share this understanding of the worth of jewellery? What gives it such value? Generally societies value most, that which is hard to achieve. Things that are accessible to all are likely to be valued less. Gemstones, gold and silver have to be discovered, extracted, polished, cut and alchemised before they can be turned into jewellery. It’s difficult, labour-intensive and time consuming and demands substantial resources and huge commitment. Because of this fine jewellery has an in-built rarity value. But we also regard it as precious not purely expensive and this is because of the unique combination of attributes – monetary worth, emotional resonance and of course visual appeal. Not only does our jewellery mean something to us but it also means something to those that view us. Jewellery is a sure-fire way to tell those around us, something about ourselves. And this has been the case since the earliest days. Primitive man used a kind of jewellery – ornamentation – to enhance sexual attraction as well as believing that it could be used as protection against all manner of disasters from snakes to evil spirits.
Cleopatra employed jewels to demonstrate her wealth and position, creating a tremendous glamour that seduced those who met her and also enhanced her power. She raided every gem mine in Egypt with a special fondness for emeralds, and not only did she cover her body in jewellery but she used precious metals and stones to decorate her home. Centuries later Napoleon too was a fan of emeralds bestowing them on his favourites who would display them as signs of his pleasure. Caesar ruled that only aristocrats could wear pearls thereby anointing them a visible class status that set the wearers apart. Association with jewellery though has not always had a happy ending. Ill-fated Marie Antoinette was said to have further hastened her journey to the guillotine by her suspected involvement in the famous affair of the diamond necklace, a necklace of unimaginable ostentation. In her case even though she never owned the necklace in question, said to cost over £12 million today, her perceived connection to it was enough to exacerbate her reputation of moral corruption and extravagance. When we examine contemporary associations with jewellery, there are, incredible as it may be, many of the same notions in play. Despite the massive changes that have taken place on this planet over the last few millennia, jewellery is still used for pretty well the same purposes as it always has been. The inventions fire and the wheel were of practical use, clothing has both practical and moral purpose and food is essential to our survival, but jewellery which has never had anything like as vital a role has been valued in our societies around the globe for as long as any of these. We all have collections, big or small, of personal jewellery and for most of us this includes pieces that are very much more than adornment. They are tangible markers of an important occasion or they carry a sentimental legacy. Often the items we most mind losing or being stolen are the jewellery and watches that we may have inherited – our mother’s ring, the cufflinks our father wore for best, our grandmother’s brooch. My own collection of jewellery, while not enormous nor particularly valuable is filled with pieces that are a part of my personal history. There is the square gold ring with a tiny diamond that my godmother gave me. She was married to a South African diamond tycoon and long after their divorce she split up a necklace that he had given her into individual diamonds, one of which she had made into identical rings to give to each of her god-daughters. I wear it every day and have done for over forty years. There is the gold and topaz necklace that my father gave my mother on the occasion of my birth – I was the first born of three and I don’t believe a similar gift followed after the other two popped out! A delicate filigree web holds the dozen, faintly rosetinted topaz in a necklace that falls just inside the collarbone. Topaz is my birthstone and eventually my mother passed on the necklace, in its original satin cushioned, black leather case, to me. Strangely it is only now, that I have begun to wear it and each time I do I picture my late father and hear his much missed voice whilst loving the thought of its genesis. There was the beautiful silver and aquamarine antique ring I treated myself to after a particularly successful Vogue event I hosted where we managed to corral a high-profile mix of Prince Charles, Kylie Minogue, Giorgio Armani and Lord Rothschild but like too many pieces of my jewellery, it was lost. I feared thrown by myself in the rubbish bin clearing up a dinner party. And for my last milestone birthday my sister gave me a gorgeous old diamond belle époque necklace created by a jeweller at the Russian court. Our jewellery tells us the stories of our life, so no wonder we treasure it so. And not only does it carry with it our experiences and memories, our family, our lovers and often our successes but it has forever been treasured for its portability. The stories are legion of how jewellery has been invaluable in times of crisis: The aptly named baguette cut diamonds literally exchanged for baguettes in French Revolutionary times, the White Russians fleeing with their heirlooms sewn into their hems. When bank accounts can be frozen, property seized and art bulky to hide away, jewellery is the safest asset of them all. Currently jewellery is riding a new wave in terms of fashion credibility. Since the Sixties fine jewellery has had a hard time positioning itself as part of the contemporary fashion scene. There was no lack of appeal in the glamour stakes but fashion, with its inbuilt need for change has been a harder nut to crack. There was something about rejection of values considered as old fashioned during that period which robbed fine jewellery of its fashion status. Youthquake earrings were pop art Perspex discs rather than chandelier diamonds, bracelets were likely to be hippie silks rather than gold cuffs. Expensive jewellery was regarded as something that belonged to the old folk, mouldering in their stately homes or Riviera villas. Fine jewellery had lost its cool. Of course, due to the lasting values of jewellery it has continued to be big business but, in the main has operated outside fashion. Instead the famous fine jewellers loan jewels for high profile events like the Oscars and Cannes Film Festival for positioning rather than relying on fashion magazine covers. But things are changing…
The growing rejection of fast fashion, the interest in sustainability, the trend towards owning less but better – all lead in the direction of the desirability of precious jewellery. During the Haute Couture weeks in Paris, luxury jewellery houses have started putting on their own events attended not only by clients but now by the fashion press. We are reconsidering our possessions and examining our shopping habits in every area. We want to treasure what we own, rather than enjoying it for a short time and then consigning it to the dustheap. As a result in recent years there has been an explosion of new jewellery brands and designers as we move away from the mentality of a new It-bag every season towards investing in a permanent collection of jewellery. An increasing appreciation of the craft and individuality of the object has also contributed to the fashionability of jewellery. Even the trend for multiple piercings which has now gone mainstream has seen a growth in highly valuable adornments of this kind. For the first time in decades real jewellery is beginning to be seen again as a key part of the fashion scene and this has resulted in the expansion of the demi-fine jewellery category, positioned between fine and costume. This has also played into the fact that the new big sector in the jewellery market is women buying for themselves. No longer do we feel there is something a little tragic about buying our own jewellery, as if the piece is somehow of greater worth if it has been gifted. Instead fine jewellery is becoming one of the most popular ways women reward themselves for a moment of career success, or celebrate a personal event. Gone are the sentiments so brilliantly stated in Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend – “Men grow cold as girls grow old/ we all lose our charms in the end/ but square cut or pear shape/ those rocks don’t lose their shape”. In our fast moving, social media driven, politically motivated world jewellery, as it has always been, is a reliable and cherished treasure. No wonder its future remains sparkling. Alexandra Shulman will be joining us at ‘An Evening with Alexandra Shulman and Dinny Hall’ at Liberty London. This event is now sold out but to be kept up to date and be first in line for tickets to all future IJL events please register your interest at www.internationaljewellerylondon.com/ijlevents from https://blog.jewellerylondon.com/why-jewellery-will-always-be-in-vogue/ International Jewellery London (IJL), the long-established and world-leading jewellery trade event, are hosting an evening with jewellery designer Dinny Hall and journalist Alexandra Shulman. It is the first in a series of year-round consumer events hosted by IJL with top jewellery designers, industry experts and influencers. Dinny Hall and Alexandra Shulman will be in conversation at Liberty London, the store where Dinny Hall Jewellery’s appeal has soared. In this landmark setting they will discuss jewellery, creativity, tomorrow’s talent, and much more. Katie Morris, IJL Exhibition Director said: This event is now sold out however IJL will be running more events like this throughout the year. Keep up to date and be first in line for tickets by visiting: www.jewellerylondon.com/ijlevents and signing up to the IJL consumer events mailing list. IJL 2018 welcomed 500 exhibitors from 39 countries including 15 new countries ranging from South Korea, Czech Republic, Peru and Colombia to Qatar and Sierra Leone. Diamond Club International, which hosts the biggest international buyers, saw attendance up by 60% on 2017, with new attendees in 2018 from Canada and Jersey. from https://blog.jewellerylondon.com/international-jewellery-london-host-sold-out-event-with-dinny-hall-and-alexandra-shulman/ Trade show International Jewellery London (IJL) has appointed Katie Morris as its new event director effective immediately.
An experienced events professional, Morris has worked on numerous shows for IJL’s parent company, Reed Exhibitions since joining in 2010. From head of marketing on The London Book Fair she progressed to event manager in 2015 and became head of buyer programmes in April 2018. As IJL head of buyer programmes, Morris increased the international buyer presence by 15 % in 2018 and has brokered partnerships across other jewellery shows. The newly appointed exhibition director will report to Jacks Thomas, who also has responsibility for The London Book Fair, which she has headed up for over four years. Commenting on the appointment, Stella Layton, non-executive chair of the IJL Advisory Boardsaid: “Katie’s contribution to IJL in the short time that she was head of buyer programmes was very impressive and I am delighted that the show will now have the benefit of her experience and expertise as director of IJL. “Our industry has so much to offer while also undergoing a period of great challenge and opportunity; I am looking forward to working with Katie and the IJL team on taking the show to its next exciting phase.” Katie Morris, IJL event director, added: “IJL is the top jewellery trade show in the UK and a world-leading international jewellery event. Having worked on the show last year, I am excited about learning more about jewellery and in bringing even more international buyers and exhibitors together. I am looking forward to meeting many more people across the UK trade and to collaborating on building greater opportunities for the industry going forward.” In 2018, IJL welcomed 500 exhibitors from 39 countries. The show will return in 2019 taking place at London’s Olympia from September 1-3.
For media enquiries please contact Leighanne Murray, Midas PR, [email protected] / 0207 361 7860 from https://blog.jewellerylondon.com/ijl-appoints-new-exhibition-director/ Selected as one of four up and coming designers for IJL’s Bright Young Gems initiative which steadily grown into one of the most coveted platforms in the industry; Daisy Grice has gone from strength to strength, growing her jewellery business. In the midst of growing her jewellery business, Daisy Grice shares her experience of IJL Bright Young Gems. Q. How did you find out about Bright Young Gems and what made you want to apply? I was already aware of Bright Young Gems from seeing previous winners exhibit their work at IJL and was encouraged to apply by my course tutors. I knew it would be the perfect start to my career and a fantastic opportunity to showcase my first collection, ‘Twisted Tales’ to the UK jewellery trade. Q. What would be your advice to other recent graduates or final year students who are thinking of entering Bright Young Gems? I would advise all designers that are eligible to seriously consider applying to be a Bright Young Gem as it offers you a chance to exhibit your work at International Jewellery London, which is the UK’s largest jewellery trade event. The amount of exposure I received as part of Bright Young Gems was amazing; my work was in magazines as far as India as well as in much of the UK and local press. Alongside having a stand at IJL I was also given mentoring to prepare for the show. Q. How do you think Bright Young Gems helped with where you are now? Did it help you on your journey to success? Being selected as a Bright Young Gem put my jewellery in the press and opened doors for me that I would have struggled to open myself straight out of studying. I was absolutely thrilled to have won the Editors’ Choice award “Innovator 2018” at the show as it was my first recognised industry award and it made me realise just how much you can achieve in such little time with hard work and determination. I made some strong connections at the show and am really looking forward to what the future holds. I can’t thank the Bright Young Gems team enough for their support and the judges for having chosen me as one of their four 2018 designers. To read more terms and conditions about Bright Young Gems, please click here. Submissions for Bright Young Gems 2019 open in January. What is the IJL Journey?As part of our IJL 365 approach, the IJL Journey extends far beyond our three-day trade event. It offers myriad career-boosting benefits, including a mentoring package, workshop days, ongoing pricing, branding and marketing support, and introductions to key industry figures. This invaluable advice prepares each Bright Young Gem, KickStarter and Design Gallery Exhibitor to meet the 9,000 strong jewellery audience at IJL 2018, from September 2-4. Discover more about the IJL Journey, here. IJL is #withyou offering career opportunities and the chance to grow your jewellery business, whether you are a student, recent graduate, emerging brand or established player. Speak to our team to find out more. Quick Links: Listen to our IJL Talks podcast series Quick Links: Discover how to create a press pack from https://blog.jewellerylondon.com/ijl-inspired-interview-with-bright-young-gem-winner-daisy-grice/ Selected as one of six up and coming designers for IJL’s leading initiative, KickStart, Aishleen LeSter has gone from strength to strength, growing her jewellery business, LeSter Jewellery. In the midst of growing her jewellery business, Aishleen Lester shares her experience of IJL KickStart. Q. What was your overall impression of KickStart and how did it help your business in its early stages? It is a really great opportunity to receive the support and guidance from NAJ and the IJL team, in preparing for and participating in your first retail show. I learnt so much, which will help me to develop my business.
Q. Being a KickStarter does involve investing in the cost of a shared stand at IJL 2018 – what would you say to people who are worried about taking the leap? Yes, participating in the show does involve an investment, but since that cost is partly shared between the other Kickstart winners, it is not as much as having a stand on your own. Moreover the PR that all the Kickstarters received is invaluable, and makes it easier to speak with buyers and have incredibly useful conversations with them. Q. How can future KickStarters capitalise on their IJL Journey and the IJL experience? What would be your advice? i) Say yes, to all the opportunities that being a Kickstarter gives you. It was through Kickstart that I did my first interviews on camera and my first written Q&A’s in trade press. They were not perfect, but I know what to expect when it happens again! ii) Give yourself enough time to prepare for the show, I underestimated the amount of work which was involved in contacting buyers, compiling your price lists, writing your own press release etc. iii) Enter all the competitions connected to the show, again they are another opportunity for more people to see your work. Q. How did KickStart help you on your journey to success? KickStart gave me my first opportunity to get feedback from buyers, and facilitated my first stockists. However my most important takeaway is what I learnt through the process, highlighting the areas I need to develop in order for my business to grow.
Q. Finally, how is your jewellery industry career or brand progressing and what are you hoping to achieve in the future? Currently I am on the Setting Out program at the Goldsmiths Centre, concentrating on developing my business acumen whilst developing the collection. An exciting year awaits and I am looking forward to seeing how this will impact the growth of Le Ster, the brand. Heading into it’s 10th Year, KickStart will be open for submissions in January 2019. To read more terms and conditions about KickStart, please click here. What is the IJL Journey?As part of our IJL 365 approach, the IJL Journey extends far beyond our three-day trade event. It offers myriad career-boosting benefits, including a mentoring package, workshop days, ongoing pricing, branding and marketing support, and introductions to key industry figures. This invaluable advice prepares each Bright Young Gem, KickStarter and Design Gallery Exhibitor to meet the 9,000 strong jewellery audience at IJL 2018, from September 2-4. Discover more about the IJL Journey, here. IJL is #withyou offering career opportunities and the chance to grow your jewellery business, whether you are a student, recent graduate, emerging brand or established player. Speak to our team to find out more. Quick Links: Listen to our IJL Talks podcast series Quick Links: Discover how to create a press pack from https://blog.jewellerylondon.com/ijl-inspired-interview-with-kickstart-winner-aishleen-lester/ Since their launch 10 years ago in 2009, Sif Jakobs Jewellery has gone on to be an award-winning brand famous for it’s eye-catching and elegant designs that also have a cool, modern edge. The brand is represented in 20 countries, has a growing international fan-base with many celebrity followers and regular coverage in popular fashion and lifestyle media. We caught up with the inspiring force behind the brand, Sif Jakobs herself, and spoke about her inspirations, how she created a jewellery business that has grown rapidly with world-wide recognition and discussed the brands success in 2018 as well as looking forward to what is to come in 2019. 1) What have the last 12 months been like for Sif Jakobs Jewellery and what have been your most successful collections? 2) You announced some exciting new initiatives such as your affordable jewellery range in 2018, what have you got planned for 2019? 3) Where does your inspiration come from? 4) When did you first discover your love of jewellery and design? 5) What is it like to run such a successful jewellery business? 6) You say in your promotional video that you love how jewellery can emphasise personality… which pieces do you wear that you feel really emphasise your personality? 7) Which celebrity would you love to see wearing Sif Jakobs Jewellery? 8) If you had to summarise Sif Jakobs Jewellery in a couple of sentences, what would you say? 9) You have been attending IJL as an exhibitor for a number of years, what is it about the show you like? 10) What is the proudest moment in your jewellery career? View the Sif Jakobs Jewellery behind the scenes video here: Make sure to plan a visit to Sif Jakobs Jewellery to find out more and view their exciting collections at IJL 2019, 1 – 3 September 2019, on stand D91 from https://blog.jewellerylondon.com/ijl-inspired-interview-with-sif-jakobs-founder-of-sif-jakobs-jewellery/ With Christmas just around the corner we have rounded up some of the best pieces from IJL 2019 exhibitors that have been designed with Christmas as their main inspiration. These pieces are sure to delight and add a little sparkle to Christmas morning. 1. Clogau ‘Holly’ Pendant (£620) and Earrings (£250)“Deck the hall with boughs of holly”. The melody for this famous yuletide carol has its origins in the 16th century Welsh carol ‘Nos Galon’. The graceful evergreen holly, a wonderful symbol of the joys of Christmas, is beautifully crafted in 9ct yellow gold and Clogau’s signature rose gold. 2. Fei Liu Fine Jewellery ‘Kaleidoscopic Snowflake’ Pendant (£65) and Bracelet (£55)These sparkling pieces are part of the limited edition, Snowflake Collection, from Fei Liu Fine Jewellery. Designed to epitomise a shimmering winter wonderland and to imitate the beauty of a snowflake as it flutters through the air, this truly is a wonderful Christmas gift. 3. Midhaven Silver ‘Christmas Cheer’ Star Necklet, Angel Bracelet and Angel Wings EarringsAdding a festive touch to the Midhaven Silver lines are a lovely group of angel and stars design pieces in 925 sterling silver with white cubic zirconia. The pretty angel motifs and twinkling stars adorning these pieces make them the perfect present to add a bit of Christmas sparkle to any outfit. 4. Nova Silver Christmas Tree and Snowflake Pendant (£20 each) and Leaping Deer Pendant (£20) and earrings (£20)Add a touch of affordable Christmas glamour to your loved one’s jewellery collection this year with these stunning Christmas inspired pieces from Nova Silver. The delicate designs will be sure to put a smile on anyone’s face this festive season and add a touch of Christmas magic to any outfit. 5. Sif Jakobs ‘Novara Christmas Collection’ Earrings (£159) and Ring (£199)The incredible Christmas collection from Sif Jakobs is sure to light up anyone’s face this season. Perfect to add a splash of colour and glamour to any outfit, especially important during the festive season, this is a truly wonderful gift. Eye-catching, elegant and exciting – we would love these under our Christmas tree this year. 6. Clogau Milestones Christmas Charms (from £89)From cherished memories shared with loved ones to once-in-a-lifetime occasions, each charm on your bracelet tells a story in a beautiful and unique way. Especially designed for the Christmas season, our seasonal charms are a contemporary heirloom gift to mark precious moments in your lifetime. For further details or prices please contact the brands directly using their websites. Make sure to also visit them at IJL 2019!
from https://blog.jewellerylondon.com/the-ijl-christmas-wish-list-inspired-by-christmas/ With Christmas just around the corner we have rounded up some of the best pieces from IJL 2019 exhibitors, that not only perfectly reflect the ‘I’m Perfection’ trend for SS19 but will also put a smile on anyone’s face come Christmas morning. Get your gift list ready with IJL this year! Trend Recap: Neo ClassicThe pearl continues its renaissance in modern designs. Myriad colours, from golden, peachy pink and white South Sea to silvery-black Tahitian, are inspiring designers to craft new collections with the pearl as the star. To nail this trend, think classic designs with a twist set in precious yellow or white gold. Pearls as stack-able charms for necklaces, or combined with a medallion or collection of beads, is likely to shine through. 1. Ora Pearls ‘Keshi Mermaid’ Pearl Earrings (£100);
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