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marylin monroe
Showing posts with label Valentine's Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Valentine's Day. Show all posts

Survey: Valentine’s Day Jewelry Sales Expected to Sparkle


Jewelry sales for Valentine’s Day are expected to total nearly $1.5 million, a year-over-year growth of 11.3 percent, according to industry research firm IBISWorld.

“Luxury spending is already on the rise, so it will come as no surprise that bracelets, earrings, necklaces and rings will be the go-to gift choice for many Americans,” said IBISWorld retail industry analyst Nikoleta Panteva. “This year, IBISWorld expects jewelry to make up 7.8 percent of all Valentine’s Day sales, making its way back to pre-recessionary levels.”

Only flowers, at 16.8 percent, is expected to grow at a more rapid pace, according to IBISWorld, which tracks sales in seven categories, including greeting cards, candy, dining out, clothing and lingerie, and romantic getaways.

Sales for the romantic holiday are expected to grow in all categories, making the day pretty sweet for retailers, IBISWorld said. Consumers are forecast to spend 5.8 percent more on Valentine’s Day purchases in 2011 than 2010, totaling $18.6 billion or about $125 per person.

Jewelry and Watch Gifts for Valentine’s Day

Miiori 'Flash Set' heart pendant

Below are a variety of jewelry and watches at various prices that should make exceptional gifts for Valentine's Day. The big day is Thursday, which gives you just enough time to buy something special and thoughtful for the person you love.

‘Flashy’ Heart Pendant
The Miiori heart pendant with diamonds and pink sapphires in 18k white gold (top photo). The jewelry employs the company’s patented “Flash Set” technique, where diamonds and colored gems are cut in a way that creates two different images (like a holographic image) as the piece of jewelry is moved. For more information on where to purchase the item contact the company at info@miiori.com.


Pink Diamond Heart
This 0.30-carat fancy intense pink SI1 diamond is rare in several ways. First the heart-shaped cut is something you don't see every day. Then there's the rarity of color. This pink diamond is from the Argyle mine in Western Australia, the primary source of pink diamonds throughout the world. About 55 to 60 of these diamonds are sold each year in a private tender at secret locations throughout the world to invited dealers and collectors. Their rarity is increased because the mine is estimated to have a lifespan of about 10 years. It is available for purchase on the Leibish & Co. website for $14,774. The specifications may be found here. The only drawback is that the unusual shape of the diamonds makes it difficult to set to create a jewelry piece. 


Valentine’s Day Necklace
Montblanc’s Valentine’s Day necklace in pink-gold color and steel is designed to symbolize the eternal bond shared between two souls. A large heart in warm pink-gold is paired with the Montblanc star in stainless steel. Overlapping, the heart is the universal symbol of eternal love, while the Montblanc star logo represents the luxury brand’s enduring passion for the finest European craftsmanship and design. The layered pendants are firmly tied together at the end of an adjustable leather cord that can be adjusted to deliver dramatically different looks. The necklace is available in Montblanc boutiques worldwide.


Valentine's Day Timepiece
The Saint-Valentin 2013 from Blancpain features a white mother-of-pearl dial enhanced by diamond hour-markers and five red-lacquered mother-of-pearl hearts. There also is a date display. The 34 mm steel case is topped by a bezel set with two rows of full cut-diamonds, while the case middle is adorned at 9 o’clock with five liquid ceramic hearts. This three-hand model, on which the seconds hand counterweight takes the shape of the Blancpain logo, is equipped with mechanical self-winding Calibre 1150 with a 100-hour power reserve. Even the rotor is decorated with hearts. It is available in a 99-piece limited edition and is delivered in a white wooden presentation box encrusted with white hearts evoking the dial design. Fort availability, contact the Montblanc New York boutique, 212-396-1735. 


Rose Gold Heart Chain
Designer Lisa Nik specializes in colored gemstone jewelry but she can also deliver quality designs in precious metal as with this 18k rose gold chain, decorated with little rose gold hearts. It retails for $1,260. For retailers who carry the item, visit www.lisanik.com


Floral Earrings
A pair of floral earrings ($148,500) paved in 20 carats of fancy pink diamonds by the famed jewelry designer Fred Leighton whose jewelry continues to be worn by Hollywood A-listers at awards shows and on the red carpet. Each earring boasts seven fancy pink diamonds at its center, with five petals encrusted in additional fancy pink diamonds. They are available at M.S. Rau Antiques in New Orleans. If you want to purchase them you’d better act fast as these earrings wLisa Nikill be offered at the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show taking place February 16-19. For more information, visit www.rauantiques.com.


Egg Pendants
Fabergé just released its Les Palais collection of signature Fine Jewellery egg pendants in opalescent pastels. Inspired by the summer palaces of Imperial Russia, each jewel is hand-crafted in 18k gold and guilloché enamel creating an iridescence which lends light and three-dimensional depth to each of the distinctive colors. The designs are overlaid with a refined gold embellishment, echoing the baroque motifs of the legendary Tsarskoye Selo summer palace. The collection is available at Fabergé flagship boutiques in New York, London and Geneva as well as at concessions within Harrods in London, Lane Crawford IFC in Hong Kong and other exclusive retailers. Selected items are also available via Fabergé’s online boutique at Fabergé.com.


Leopard Watch
The Hublot Big Bang Gold Leopard chronograph timepiece is set with a leopard-print dial and andalusite stones, dark smoked quartz and transparent quartz baguettes. The wild timepiece is available at Hublot’s Madison Avenue boutique.


Colorful Gold Collection
The Garavelli Dune collection uses shapes created with hammered 18k gold then covered with diamonds of various size. The line includes rings, bracelets, earrings and pendants. For more information on where to purchase the items contact Garavelli at garavelliusa@garavellialdo.it

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes Web site.

Valentine’s Day: 10 Lovely Ladies’ Watches with Muscle

The Margot by Christophe Claret

Women deserve timepieces that are not only beautiful and stylish but also have the power and complexity of men’s watches. In other words they should have watches with robust movements and advanced complications. 

During the past few years watch companies have been listening to women who want their watches to be more than just pretty face. 

Keeping this in mind I curated 10 watches in which the majority combine beauty with muscle.

The Margot watch from independent watchmaker Christophe Claret  (top picture) creatively answers the timeless French question, “He loves me... he loves me not.” The center of the dial has a daisy. At each press of a pusher at 2 o’clock one or two petals of the flower disappear. At the same time a “sentiment” is displayed on the dial at 5 o’clock, along with a chime: un peu (a little), beaucoup (a lot), passionnément (passionately), à la folie (madly) and pas du tout (not at all). Both the petals and expressions are presented randomly. Pressing the reset pusher at 4 o’clock makes all petals reappear around the pistil. The blue mother-of-pearl outer dial has pear-shaped diamonds at 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock. The display back reveals the EMT17 automatic rotor, a carved, flower-shaped carrousel of colors, with a central cabochon concealing the rotor’s ball bearings.


The Breguet Reine de Naples is a highly complicated watch in a bejeweled oval-shaped case. The 18k white gold bezel and case are set with 131 baguette diamonds. The flange is set with 73 brilliant-cut diamonds and the crown is set with a briolette diamond. Dial in 18k gold enhanced with 147 brilliant-cut diamonds. Complication showing the day and night in the upper half, with the sun represented by the Breguet balance-wheel and a hand-engraved titanium moon, together rotating in 24 hours. The watch is powered by Breguet automatic movement.


The Chopard Happy Sport Tourbillon Joaillerie houses a Chopard L.U.C 02.16-L tourbillon movement. Available in 18k white or rose gold, the diamonds represent snow that entirely carpets the dial. The tourbillon bridge is gem-set and the bezel is embellished with 36 trapeze-cut diamonds. The crown features baguette-cut diamonds and a briolette-cut diamond. Seven diamonds on the tourbillon spin between two sapphire crystals. 


Bulgari Lucea Black is housed in an 18k pink gold case and crown and cabochon-cut pink stone set with a diamond. Powered by the caliber B77 automatic movement with the date window at 3 o’clock. Black dial with sunburst guilloché motif, pink gold-plated hands, hour-markers and Roman numerals.



Baume & Mercier Promesse is a watch practically created for Valentine's Day. Polished and satin-finished steel, this 34 mm watch is powered by a Swiss-made automatic caliber. The silver-colored “drapé guilloché” dial is accented by gilt Roman numerals and diamond-set indexes.


The sale of the Frédérique Constant Ladies Automatic World Heart Federation supports the World Heart Federation’s “Hearts of Children” campaign. The 34mm bi-color stainless steel and plated rose gold case has a bezel set with 48 diamonds. The dial has the WHF logo in the center. It is powered by the FC-303 caliber, automatic movement decorated with the WHF logo and “Hearts of Children” on engraved sunray bridges.



As the name suggests, Girard-Perregaux Cat's Eye Anniversary, celebrates the collection’s 10-year anniversary with a dial blanketed in metallic rays. The dial features a gray-tinted white mother-of-pearl backdrop with 73 sapphires at tips of the rays ranging from bright to pastel pink. The bezel of the iconic oblong case is adorned with 62 brilliant-cut diamonds. It is powered by the GP03300 automatic movement.


Harry Winston Avenue Classic Diamond Drops is set with 29 brilliant-cut diamonds. The white gold case of this watch serves as a frame to showcase the composition of the dial, like a window gazing out towards the sky. The textured base of the dial is shown in shades of grays, creating a contrast to the sparkle of the diamonds. A snow-setting featuring 190 brilliant-cut gems cascades down the dial, providing movement and emotion.


Carl F. Bucherer Pathos Diva stainless steel and 18k rose gold watch is powered by the caliber CFB 1963 automatic movement.


Tissot T-LADY T072 features a rose-gold, PVD case, brown MOP dial surrounded by mother-of-pearl and a two-tone bracelet. It is powered by the Powermatic 80 automatic movement. 

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes website.

Valentine's Day: 10 Watches for the Man in Your Life

Graham Chronofighter Oversize Superlight Carbon. The 47 mm superlight black carbon nanotube composite case results in a watch that weighs less than 100 grams. TheG1747 automatic chronograph caliber has the date at 8 o’clock; with an Incabloc shock absorber; 48 hours power reserve; black carbon fiber trigger, dial and bezel; and smoked sapphire crystal case back.

Love is love and men deserve tokens of appreciation as much as women. Well … maybe not as much but close. 

For Valentine's Day I selected 10 watches, most of them for those with an active lifestyle but a few that can be worn at more formal occasions, that would make any man (watch geek or not) happy. The remaining nine are below:

MB&F Legacy Machine 1 Platinum. The three-dimensional manual winding movement was developed for MB&F by Chronode and created by Jean-François Mojon and Kari Voutilainen. The bespoke 14mm balance wheel has four traditional regulating screws floating above the movement and dials. Two dials display the hours and minutes in two time zones. The platinum timepiece is available in a limited edition of 33 pieces.

Girard-Perregaux Neo-Tourbillon with Three Bridges is powered by the GP09400 caliber with the tourbillon case at 6 o'clock position and a micro-rotor mounted under the barrel at the 12 o'clock. The titanium tourbillon completes a full rotation in one minute.

Alpina Alpiner 4 Chronograph combines the 4 essential features for a sports watch to be called a sports watch: 1) antimagnetic, 2) antishock, 3) water-resistant and 4) stainless steel. 

Breitling Chronomat 41 Airborne Sierra Silver Dial. This 30th anniversary edition of Breitling's best selling pilot watch is distinguished by its satin-brushed rotating bezel equipped with four raised rider tabs serving to count off flight times, while facilitating rotation even with gloved hands. It is powered by the Breitling Caliber 01 automatic movement.

Carl F. Bucherer Patravi ScubaTec diver's watch is powered by Automatic, calibre CFB 1950.1. The bezel of the watch can only be rotated counterclockwise to avoid accidental manipulations. A luminous coating glows light blue so the dial can be easily seen underwater. 

Fred Leigton Converted Pocket Watches, a collection of antique pocket watches converted to wrist watches.

Montblanc Meisterstück Heritage Automatic Date is classic timepiece that displays the date at 3 o'clock. It is powered by the MB M13.21 caliber.

Arnold & Son Royal TEC1 combines a tourbillon, a column wheel chronograph and an automatic winding system. It contains the Arnold & Son mechanical movement A&S8305, tourbillon chronograph, self-winding, anthracite dial inside a 45mm 18k red gold case.


Zenith El Primero Lightweight, this carbon watch with a striking 10th of a second function is powered by the El Primo 400B titanium automatic movement. The date window at 6 o'clock features a red dot with a small seconds window at 9 o'clock.

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes website.





Valentine’s Day: 20 Jewelry Gifts That Say I Love You

Rubelite cushion ring by Fusaro Jewelry

I am aware that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world and I’m just as aware that readers of this blog are also from all over the world. 

With this in mind, I selected jewelry that is available in the US, in other countries and online. Some of the pieces are extremely rare and others are more easily available. For example, one yellow gold ring in the group can only be purchased at the jeweler’s store on the famed Parisian shopping street, rue de la Paix. Two other pieces are available in very limited numbers at a handful of company boutiques. Most of the items are available at retailers throughout the US. One fancy colored diamond company is almost a pure-play e-commerce firm. So no matter where you live you can order from them.

As of this writing Valentine's Day is only 10 days away. So no matter where you live, there's little time left to buy that thoughtful, unique jewelry gift for Valentine's Day.

Rubelite cushion ring by Fusaro Jewelry (top photo) flanked by marquised diamonds set In platinum ring. www.fusarojewelry.com


18K rose gold ring by Mary Esses features her signature fabric texture in an interlaced band design adorned with 0.35cts of white diamonds. www.maryesses.com


Amour collection by Leibish Fancy Diamonds with pavé-set heart-shaped diamond jewelry, each designed with fancy intense yellow or fancy pink diamonds. www.leibish.com


London blue Topaz ring by Lisa Nik with diamonds and secured with prongs in the shape of little hearts. www.lisanik.com


Flora Centrix diamond necklace by McTeigue & McClelland hand-made in 18k yellow gold and platinum featuring 19 old European-cut diamonds. mc2jewels.com


Paraiba ring by Oscar Heyman featuring platinum and 18k yellow gold centered with a 7-carat oval Paraiba tourmaline surrounded by 6 oval diamonds and 6 round fancy yellow diamonds. www.oscarheyman.com


Diamond, sapphire and tsavorite ring by Lydia Courteille in 18k gold that covers the finger. www.lydiacourteille.com


Bella Ring by Robert Procop, ruby and pink sapphires are the main gems in this 18k yellow ring embellished with diamonds. www.robertprocop.com


Maxi Earrings by Carrera y Carrera feature flowers in hand-made 18k gold with diamonds from the Seda Imperial collection. www.carreraycarrera.com


Verdura 75th Anniversary Limited Edition 'Theodora' Cuff made of sapphire, emerald, and amethyst in high relief, surrounded by rubies, diamonds, aquamarines, garnets, citrines and peridot, set in 18k gold, on a hinged cuff of black enamel over gold. www.verdura.com 


Heart earrings by Piaget in white gold paved with brilliant diamonds to accentuate the playful shape of the heart. www.piaget.com  


Bizzotto Firmamento Bracelet in 18k rose gold chains embellished with 1.53 cts. of diamonds. www.bizzottogioielli.com


Evanescente Ring by Mellerio dits Meller Médicis, a gold openwork motif in the shape of lily petals embellished with diamonds is used for this ring. Part of the Médicis collection designed by French jewelry designer, Edéenne, it celebrates the 400th year anniversary of the Parisian jewelry store. www.mellerio.fr/en


Teddy Bear Pendant by Shawish in 18k white gold with pink sapphires, black diamonds, brown diamonds and white diamonds. This is perhaps the most popular jewel I've ever written about. www.shawish.ch


Diamond Heart Pendant by Lagos in sterling silver beading frames a heart of pave diamonds finished on a 16- or 18-inch ball chain. www.lagos.com


Amorfus Earrings by Vianna, 18k white gold, set with blue topaz and diamonds from the Brazilian jewelry design firm. www.viannabrasil.com


Australian South Seas Pearl Earrings by Yoko in 18k white gold, 3.10 carats of G-VS diamonds and 26.74 carats of sapphires with the 10-11mm pearls. www.yokolondon.com


Cento Flowers necklace, earrings and ring by Roberto Coin in white gold with Cento diamonds, known for its 100-facets. us.robertocoin.com


A cabochon ruby and diamond bracelet by Suzanne Belperron available at Fred Leighton New York, with more than 50 carats of rubies and over 2 carats of baguette diamonds. www.fredleighton.com


Starfish by Gismondi in 18K rose gold with pink sapphires and natural white diamonds from the Italian jewelry company. www.gismondijewellery1754.com

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes website.