BV, This Is BS

Bogetta Veneta's website calls these earrings "Champagne Zircon Silver Miniature Earrings."   The more detailed description admits that the earrings are made of silver, a photo, and CUBIC ZIRCONIA (CZ).  This is crap.  

Most people don't know that zircon and CZ are totally different- zircon being a pricey natural gemstone and CZ being a man made diamond simulant that costs less than $5 a carat.  

Jewelers and artists struggle with consumer distrust and ignorance every day.  In this instance, BV compounds the problem by presenting its wares improperly because it is so well known and trusted.  Tricks like this rightly put smaller jewelers out of business.  BV's small-print disclosure that the stones are CZ keeps it from fraudulent claims, but BV failed to meet its obligation as a jeweler to present its jewelry honestly.  The claim that perhaps the copy editor did not know there was a difference between zircon and CZ is not excusable.  BV's responsibility to its customers extends to hiring people who understand the trade well enough to truthfully represent their jewels. 

  

Jewelry Still Life

I love these little jewelry still lifes. They feel like landscapes and illustrations of trophies. Voyeuristic portraits of the people who own the jewelry, they illuminate what an individual thinks is beautiful and what makes them beautiful.  

By Odette

I'm trying my hand at these, so expect more of them of varying levels of success.   

A Cautionary Tale

Mr. Rappaport famously said that guys buy diamond engagement rings to prove that they will suffer for their sweethearts. 

Gold Tiffany bezel set engagement rings

In these economically tight days, would a bike accident do?    

 "I can't believe you did that."  As if he had a choice!  Gentlemen, this is a warning.   (Thank you, Mythbusters.)

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

How did anyone know to put the japor snippit necklace into Padme's hands at her funeral?  Remember, she and Anakin were secretly married.  It's a sweet gesture, but does it work plot-wise?

A love letter

Dear Ms. Druckenmiller,

An ad said that your gallery had Verdura cuffs so it was the first place I visited in Manhattan.  I went to the store after 6 pm, on Valentine's Day, after a day in the gem lab.  I was tired, away from my sweetheart, and felt too scruffy for your gallery.  

A gentleman took my bags and a blond lady let me try on and pet all of the Verdura items (except the chess men- I never asked) even though I blurted, "I can't buy anything today, but I want to try on a Verdura cuff to see if I should save for it."  None of the cuffs fit properly (sorrow and relief) but the rings were wonderful.  There was a tourmaline elephant ring (not Verdura) that I debated about buying- did it look as good as I thought?   I had a wonderful time, not only because of the beautiful, historic collection, but because of the nice lady who played with the jewels with me. 

Today I realized that the store was FD...THE FD, purveyors of amazing jewelry on 1st Dibs.  And I saw a photo of you too.  I think you might have been the person who was so kind to me- if not, your sales lady resembles you.  Thank you, thank you very much for being truly classy.  

Oxinsocks

Is it waiting for me still?

     

For the Holidays

What an idea, straight out of science fiction!  The Novero Blue Tooth necklace made of silver and lapis lazuli!

The handcrafted necklace hides a Blue Tooth device.  Simply decouple the ear bud and talk away- you can look stylishly crazy as you talk animatedly to people who are not present. 

For those more interested in the tech side than the jewelry aspect, it works with Bluetooth-enabled devices, filters background noise and has echo cancelling using DPS technology, enters pairing mode when switched on, has a talk time of up to four hours (so lots of people can think you are a well accessorized crazy person), has a stand by time of more than 100 hours, charges via micro-USB interface, and has Bluetooth core 2.1. 

There is another version if you want to be less dressy.  

This one is silicone and acrylic so it is substantially more budget conscious, but much more casual.  It is arguably more stylish.  Both are available at Saks Fifth Avenue.   

Miss Bianca and the Babe

I actually squealed when I saw this little mousie for sale on 1stdibs.

Doesn't she look like Miss Bianca, the white mouse who was a member of the Prisoner's Aide Society and the special pet of a diplomat's son?  But it is not her resemblance to the heroic Miss Bianca or her lovely opal face that made me sit up and notice...it is Miss Mouse's provenance. 

This beautiful piece was made by Verdura in 1950 and was owned by Ms. Babe Paley, she of whom Truman Capote said, "The only thing wrong with Ms. P is that she's perfect, and other than that, she's perfect."  She worked for and was featured by Vogue and was given the title "World's Best Dressed" 14 times. 

Probably the most famous photo of Babe by Horst in Vogue, March 1948, in which she wore a 21.25 carat Verdura canary diamond ring.  Her bracelets were described as "a scramble of pearls." 

Babe's beauty and style transformed what she wore into personal statements, and she collected Verdura and other fine jewels the way the rest of us collect mismatched socks.  Verdura made many items for her- a pearl and diamond swan wearing bracelets brooch, a diamond kitten playing with a pearl brooch, ear clips, rings, and pearl torsades in contrasting colors as well as others- and called her his muse.  

Bracelet and necklace by Verdura

In fairness, a number of her items were purchased by her husband as trophies to display on Babe.  He was no gem himself, and he had a "thing" about her being perfectly dressed in the richest of taste to underscore his wealth and status.      

Babe and William Paley with the Duchess of Windsor; it took a world class collector to dazzle around the Duchess! 

When Ms. Paley was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1974, she smoked two packs of cigarettes a day, she set her affairs in order.  As part of that, she organized her $5+ million jewelry collection so there would be no question as to who inherited what and wrapped them in colored paper as if they were gifts.  The Verdura mouse was probably one of those.  It is an amazing jewel designed by a one of a kind and owned by a one of a kind.
 

Babe Paley, 1915-1978, in Vogue, 1946