Recently in Diamond Category

French brand Etername is launching in the US this fall! If you read foreign glossies, you've likely seen the brand in French Vogue, Elle, L'Officiel, Stiletto, and Le Figaro or oogled the pieces on the likes of Sharon Stone, Diane Kruger, Julie Gayet, and Natalia Vodianova. The line, designed by Sarah Besnaiou (a Dior alum) is simply stunning! The only other place I've seen so many pieces that I'm dying for is at Cartier! Check-out her website (note though that it's still all in French), and start making a mental list of what you'll want come fall:)

We asked Simon G, famed jewelers to the stars, to show us what to splurge and save on when buying jewelry. June brides take note, splurge when buying the most important piece of jewelry of your life!  Read on to discover how you can start a snob worthy jewelry collection!

There has been much discussion over whether to purchase a platinum or white gold engagement ring and to be honest, platinum is best. The engagement ring is something you will have for the rest of your life and may even pass down to future generations, so you want to be sure the ring you purchase will stand the test of time. Platinum is the most pure, rare and eternal metal available and in most cases with the price of platinum dropping and gold rising, purchasing a platinum engagement ring will only set you back 300-1000 more than a gold ring, however the benefits will far outweigh the sting of the greater price, so we believe platinum is definitely a splurge.

(See Simon G collection here)

There are days when practicality goes out the door and it is all about decadent fun. This fringe ring is the perfect accessory for fun nights out, the swinging of the fringe will accentuate your animated talking with your hands. Definitely not something you wear when you need to sit still and be demure! Select strands are dotted with diamonds for more oomph (0.115-karat of white diamonds). The fringes are 18 Karat gold with a mesh base. Comes in a gorgeous black velvet box. At Net-aPorter for $6300.

In my opinion, every mom deserves jewelry (preferably diamonds) for Mother's Day (we gave birth for crissake, created another human being from nothing and provided milk!!! That's what you shout at the hubby if he protests). And if you need help picking something out, I have just the thing for you-- the Jennifer bracelet from Loren Jewels (named for designer Loren Ridinger's dear friend-- that's J.Lo to you) with 22 cts of diamonds. This bracelet is insanely glamorous, each meticulously crafted round ball is covered with sparkling diamonds but it's neither pretentious nor over done, just like the designer herself. This is a piece that will fit many lifestyles-- you'll be able to throw it on with jeans or a cocktail dress and look casually elegant each time. So, whether you're a working mom or stay at home mom, you deserve a piece of Loren Jewels! Check out the addictive jewelry collection here.

I just discovered DAMA, named for the queen in the Greek deck of cards, while shopping at Henri Bendel where the line was discreetly displayed on their second floor. It's designed by Heather Keller who credits Greece and New York City for influencing her work (the piece above is called Helios Choker and she seems best known for her borough ring and gear motif "meant to reflect New York's machine-age modernism and Greek classicism").

As the former editor of Rizzoli and Gloss.com, Keller learned a great deal about accessorizing over the years and when she decided to leave the editorial world for jewelry design she opted to enroll in goldsmithing classes at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. The expertise she acquired have translated into a 70-piece collection which she debuted less than a year ago (I wish there was more on her site since Bendel's just had a limited selection :-( See here for more stores). The collection includes gold, silver and brass statement cuffs and necklaces which retail from about $400 to about $15,000.

Maybe it's only because she's Greek, but I'm totally thinking Keller needs to team-up with Sophia Kokosalaki somehow...the necklace above looks like it was destined to complement one of Kokosalaki's draped dresses!

A few weeks ago I was introduced by a mutual friend to Bianca Pratt while out for a drink at Monkey Bar in NYC. Pratt is a super-chic young designer (and strikingly beautiful mother!), who designs these precious little unassuming pendants inspired by her Brazilian/Canadian heritage. Her pieces sell at Barneys and a few other exclusive outlets  and she will be introducing e-commerce to her site soon. I love the fatima charm (pictured above in the middle), which is also available accented with a small diamond (a number of the pieces incorporate white, cognac, and blue diamonds, as well as rubies and sapphires). The pendant necklaces start at about $500 and include everything from Brazilian saints and Figa, to cold coin and bear charms (all 14K Gold). I love how pocket size and delicate these are. Definitely a thoughtful Mother's Day gift!

A few days ago I was introduced to the work of Catherine M. Zadeh when the designer -- a friend of a friend of my mother's -- called me. Her work, which is sold online and at the likes of Bergdorf and Barneys, is wonderfully chic in a classic and under-stated way. I especially love the Buffalo horn pieces with diamonds (diamonds are so gorgeous against black...as I'm reminded every time I step into Cartier and try on the Double C Decor Ring...ahhh so gorgeous!). The designer has also designed a line of charitable bracelet, Live and Let Live, which has already generated over $60,000 to fight MS (one such piece is pictured below left). Check-out her full collection online (including a number of pieces for men, for those thinking ahead for Father's Day!). 

There's nothing quite like a Delfina Delettrez piece when it comes to giving me the creeps! Her line of jewelry is incredibly popular judging by how many high-end retailers carry her pieces (plus she's heir to the Fendi empire), but I just don't understand who is buying these looks!? I have great respect for the designer, because her nature and anatomy-inspired jewels are truly original in their design, but they're way too gothic for my taste. This particular bracelet costs nearly $30,000 and while it may be interesting to look at from an artistic perspective, it's disturbing and I not only wouldn't want to wear it, I think I would be troubled standing next to someone who was wearing it! 

What do you think about Delettrez's jewelry? Snob or Slob?

In time Spring, De Beers is proud to add to their offering of exquisite jewelry with two special edition series featuring beautifully selected pink diamonds set within some of their most iconic designs.

Enchanted Lotus Pendant
De Beers pink and white diamonds set in rose and white gold. 0.39 total carat weight.
$3,200.00

Enchanted Lotus Ring
De Beers pink and white diamonds set in rose and white gold. 0.47 total carat weight.
*Only available in stores
$3,200.00

Enchanted Lotus Band Ring
De Beers pink and white diamonds set in rose and white gold. 1.14 total carat weight.
*Only available in stores
$10,000.00

De Beers is proud to be the lead sponsor of The Love Ball London in aid of the Naked Heart Foundation, a children's charity. The centre piece of the auction was The Magic Moment Necklace designed by Natalia Vodianova and created by De Beers. This one-of-a-kind piece was inspired by that precious instant when two people meet and immediately connect. Two stunning De Beers diamond hearts fit perfectly together becoming one - symbolic of a great love.

The necklace features a 1.10 carat Fancy Intense Pink heart-shaped diamond set in pink diamond micropave and a 3.06 carat FVS1 heart-shaped diamond set in white diamond micropace. The delicate white gold chain is studded with 1.81 carats of white, round, brilliant diamonds, 1.65 carats of fancy pink, round, brilliant diamonds and 1.94 cars of fancy yellow diamonds.
For more information on the Naked Heart Foundation, please visit us here.

The Tourbillon is Blancpain's most traditional and signature watch. All Jewel Snobs are obsessed with watches and having a Blancpain cements your status as a true and knowledgeable collector. This very unique and special Tourbillon is the mother of all watches, set with 242 baguettes diamonds on the bracelet in white gold with 115 diamonds on the dial, this is a masterpiece of the watchmaking art at its very best. Its power reserve eliminates the necessity of daily winding and guarantees optimum precision due to the slower more regular detent of its barrel spring. Not sure if you should actually go deep sea scuba diving with this on but as a tribute to its craft and invention, this Tourbillon is water-resistant to 30-100 meters. Diamond bracelet, as seen, is $1,812,700, also available with a leather strap instead of the diamond bracelet for $1,342,700. For assistance, please call Jaclyn at the Madison Avenue Store in New York City at 212.396.1735.

Wowza!! Julianne Moore had the privilege of wearing these incredible $3 million Bvlgari emerald earrings to the Globes for being in their Spring/Summer 2010 ad campaign (wearing the same earrings). The Colombian pear shaped emeralds weigh in at 52.86 and 62.32 carats. Colombia has the world's finest emeralds. My mother-in-law is Colombian so she makes sure I know this fact!! =) This pair of perfect emeralds were shown at Bvlgari's first retrospective exhibition at Il Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome last year. I wonder if she pulled a Sharon Stone number and kept them!!

Julia Roberts tops off a simple black YSL dress with a stunning vintage sautoir from Van Cleef & Arpels. As soon as I saw it, I was fascinated and knew that there was something special about it because it was pretty much her entire look. She wasn't going to go unnoticed in just a LDB! The scene stealing pendant is encrusted with 29 citrines and diamonds and is set in 18K gold. How much does it weigh though? She probably needed a massage the next day!

I am Chinese and I am a cheesy romantic who thinks Valentine's Day is sweet so this year being that Chinese New Years lands on February 14th, I have that much more to celebrate! And it is the year of the tiger, which for a Jewel Snob is a good thing because tiger designs are way cool (uh, better than like a chicken or rat). What a perfect gift for your sweetie (or to hint to your sweetie to buy for you) for this Valentine's Day. Also a great gift for babies born this year! If you are a tiger (born in years 1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 and 2010), it would be wrong not to have one of these!! The tiger charm is 18k gold with diamonds, at Tiffany & Co. for $850. Chain sold separately. Tiffany & Co. is bringing their Paloma Picasso Roadshow to Beverly Hills from January 18th-22nd in honor of their 30 year partnership.

Garrard makes the royal jewels for the British Royal Family. And they do custom pieces, which means you can have yourself a royal tiara for the right price (I was told they make a lot of these for serious Jewel Snobs in Malaysia!). The history of Garrard is long and detailed but the one liner is - Queen Victoria made Garrard the Crown Jeweler in 1843 and they've kept the job since, for 6 successive monarchs. The most impressive piece is the Sovereign's Sceptre with the Cross, it was remade in 1910 to add the world's largest and finest diamond, the Cullinan I, weighing 530 carats. They are known for 2 main things, classic engagement rings and their wings. You may have seen these wings in other places but Garrard are the original and responsible for its popularity. They come in a variety of styles and sizes, two wings, single wings, with diamonds, gold, platinum. The Large Wing pendant (approx. 3 inches) with diamonds is $17,250; Mid-size Wing pendant is $6,600; Yellow gold w/out diamonds is $2,150. Chains are sold separately from $700 - $2400 depending on weight and length. For purchasing inquiries contact their only store in the US on 202 North Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, 877 222 1735.

If you follow tabloids, you know Jennifer Meyer as Tobey Maguire's wife, but if you are a Jewel Snob, you know her for her fabulous understated jewelry with a celebrity following that rivals the client directory at CAA. These disco ball earrings make me want to get all dressed up and get my hair properly done for a full blown night out - you know the kind you hydrate for days in preparation for! The disco balls are in rose gold with pink pave diamonds, at Barneys New York for $8000.

This bracelet has a delicate look but has the easy of a cuff. The intricate five rows of circles with interlaced diamonds is the perfect combination of classic and chic with a feminine feel and a cool vibe. I love pieces that can be worn with everything in your wardrobe and this effortless bracelet will undoubtedly be one of them. It is 18K gold with a total of 0.58 carats of diamonds. At Bergdorf Goodman for $4320.

Leslie Greene is a red carpet regular, here her Sterling Silver Collection was seen at the "American's Next Top Model" wrap up party on model Angel McCord (with her sister, 90210 actress Annalynne McCord). The fantastic bold cuffs are great for adding extra volume without getting too complicated with stacking. The Hudson Cuff seen here is $1200. Also seen are the Bica Earrings with diamond embellishments - what a great way to get some bling without going all out, these are only $780. These chandeliers really grab your attention and the intricate craftsmanship will not betray your savings.

I love that she has the silver collection as a starting point for her line. The Silver Levana Cuff has the same details as well as .44 carats of diamonds but it is $1695 compared to the 18K gold and .93 carats of diamonds on the Grande Sasha Cuff for $12,895. Such a smart way to develop a line!

A 203 carat diamond is more like a paper weight than anything you can actually wear. The Millennium Star Diamond is the largest flawless pear-shaped diamond, it was 777 carats in the rough, making it the 6th largest diamond ever found. It was discovered in the early 1990's in then Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo and purchased by De Beers, for an undisclosed amount. The cutting process took intense years of planning, including having over 200 models made in order to calculate where and how it should be cut to get the optimum shine, beauty and weight. The final cut that resulted in the Millennium Star which gave it a pear shape with 54 facets. Mr. Harry Oppenheimer, the former Chairman of De Beers, who has been in the diamond business for more than 70 years, said, "It is the most beautiful diamond I have ever seen." Pretty remarkable coming from someone of his stature. An attempt was made to steal it from the Millennium Dome in London in 2000.

Temple St. Clair is known for exquisite designs that are understated and classic. There are those who appreciate fine jewelery but are modest about the amount of bling. She calls her designs "restrained", I call it fabulous! These pieces from her current collection shows her range and background of art and architecture.

The Tolomeo Pendant with blue sapphire and diamonds is very architectural with an element of engineering feat that is eye catching. I love sapphire and the monochromatic simplicity of this piece because there is already so much going on, but there is also a version with multiple colored stones. For $25,000 (chain sold separately - 18K Classic Extra-Small Oval Link Chain, 18", $1,350).

I love pieces that are versatile and impactful.  The Graduated Necklace with Mango Green Moonstone and Diamonds is exquisite and elegant for formal affairs but this can easily be worn with a simple cocktail dress or even a nice luncheon.  for $85,000.

These Cluster Drop Earrings with Morganite, Diamonds and Green Beryl are gorgeous and of course curbs your pink diamond craving, or at least mine =)  For most, giant pink diamonds are not a reality but that does not mean we can't get the look of our favorite color!  For $15,000.

Cocktail rings are my thing.  I like to keep things simple and have one point of focus and this clearly fits the bill.  This Cluster Ring with Precious Topaz and Rosecut Diamonds is showy but in a modest, "restrained" way.  Yes, I am a sucker for anything pink but this isn't girly in any way, the setting is absolutely sophisticated.  For $62,500.  Available at Temple St. Clair, although not all the pieces shown here are on the website.  Contact their sales department at 800 590 7985 or 212 219 8664.

Modern and edgy is not the first words that come to mind when describing Van Cleef & Arpels-- but the latest from the legendary French jeweler is fit for a rock princess. A leather and diamond collar with 14.22-carat Capriccio pear-shape diamond set in white gold, this is a major statement piece but still carries with it the quiet elegance that Van Cleef has been known for since Estelle Arpels married Alfred Van Cleef over a hundred years ago.  I would actually wear this with a t shirt and jeans and not feel one bit self conscious!  The baguettes are placed to look like a zipper, an ode to the '80s I presume.  I don't even dare ask how much this piece is but if Santa is reading, top of my wish list please!  At Van Cleef & Arpels, price upon request, call 877-VAN-CLEEF

Tiffany's Blue Book Collection was why Holly Golightly went all batty. This is their most precious of jewels and I was able to preview this collection at their Rodeo Drive store. Trying not to faint was a serious feat. Everything was beyond, but these few pieces caught my eye and imagination (wouldn't it be fantastic to just sleep with these?). For those waiting for that proposal, you can keep your eye and heart out for this 6.19 carat brilliant diamond - flawless and colorless with a double border diamond setting that enhances already giant size of the center stone. A cool $1,475,000 for the lucky man who buys this for his lovely lady.

Tiffany brought back many pieces from legendary designer, Jean Schlumberger.  This flower Jardinet Diamond Bracelet in 18K gold is one of the exceptional pieces with amazingly intricate details, so gorgeous you can't believe your eyes!!  For $320,000.

These diamond earrings set in platinum are blingy and fabulous but the best part is that you can wear them every day.  Why invest in something that only gets to come out and play a couple of times a year?  Imagine these with jeans and a sweater.  Rock it out with a mini skirt and boots.  Anything you wear will surely benefit from these dazzlers.  The Pendulum Diamond Drop Earrings are $35,000, Swirl Diamond Drop Earrings are $35,000 and my favorite, the simple but stunning Teardrop Diamond Drop Earrings are $40,000.

What can be more Tiffany than a blue box with perfect ribbons?  How about an enormous Aquamarine with Diamond and Platinum Bow Brooch?  I don't know the exact weight but it was a good 1 1/2" tall.  Totally fun and shows you're true Tiffany fanatic!  For $100,000.  To purchase any of these, contact your closest Tiffany store.

This Enchanted Lotus Collection from De Beers makes the perfect gift for the most precious of family and friends. The prices are in the range that is affordable for those without the luxury of private jets and jewelry bank vaults. Each piece is unique and special for that unique and special love in your life.

Enchanted Lotus Band Ring
An exquisite thread of diamonds, woven together to create a fine band of lotus flowers as a statement piece or as the everlasting wedding band. Set in white gold, 1.41 carats for $4,500.

Enchanted Lotus Ring
Beautifully intricate, this ring stylishly adorns the hand in a never ending loop for a timeless and chic touch. Set in white gold, 0.47 carats for $2,000.

Enchanted Lotus Pendant
A delicate and elegant pendant for everyday, a perfect accessory to complement any style or to mark any celebration in a meaningful way. Set in white gold, 0.39 carats for $2,000.

Enchanted Lotus Bracelet
A lovely bracelet perfect for any occasion, it strikes a scintillating balance between the diamond lotus feature and its exquisitely fine chain. Set in white gold, 0.33 carats for $1,500.

Enchanted Lotus Hoop Earrings
Light and ethereal, these hoop earrings take a modern twist on glamour with a sculptural feel for evening or everyday elegance. Set in white gold, 1.45 carats for $3,200.

Let them eat cake! Meanwhile, give me the most fabulous fancy yellow diamond ring and throw in clusters of white diamonds to go with. This is a bit much, but hey, sometimes you need a little decadence in your life. This show stopper can go from lavishly formal to everyday if you go subtle with everything else. It all depends on how thick you lay it on =) The cushion cut yellow diamond is 3.09 carats and the total weight of the fancy cut white diamonds are 12.40 carats. Marie-Antoinette Yellow Cushion Ring at De Beers from their High Jewelry collection for $250,000.

You will never see another piece like this! The weight of this uniquely shaped brown kite diamond is 7.33 carats. I have a brown cognac diamond and the color is truly mesmerizing, you wouldn't think something that is brown could be so brilliant and multi-faceted in color. But of course, mine is nothing like this, the long kite shape looks like it's from another planet. And not only is the brown kite spectacular, the large diamond right above it is 5.57 carats, D color and flawless!! The total weight of the entire necklace is 50.12 carats. Wow, I might just consider withstanding the neck pain for this! Brown Kite Diamond at Harry Winston for $925,000.