Damiani Basks in the Glow of its Movie Star Power

Tilda Swinton wearing Damiani Chignon earrings in "Io sono l’amore."

Tilda Swinton and Sophia Loren provide the star power for Italian jewelry house Damiani for two separate events in different parts of the world. 

Damiani Chignon ring

First, in Los Angeles the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced its nominees Tuesday for the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards. The Italian film, Io sono l’amore (I am Love), directed by Luca Guadadigno, was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film in 2010. Damiani played an important role in the stylish film by adorning the star of the movie, Tilda Swinton, in jewels throughout the entire production.

Swinton portrays the patriarch of one Milan’s upper class bourgeois dynasties. Her depiction is rendered all the more credible by the addition of Damiani’s jewels from the house’s Masterpieces collections, among which are the ring and earrings from the Chignon collection. (Left, Swinton and Silvia Damiani on the set of  "I am Love")  

This is not the first time the actress and Damiani shared the spotlight with the luxury jewelry house. In 2008, when Swinton was presented with the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, she donned herself with Damiani jewels. It continues to be a winning combination.

Giorgio Damiani and Sophia Loren arrive at the Damiani boutique in the Thuraya Mall in Kuwait

Meanwhile, in November, Sophia Loren was the undisputed star during a tour of the Middle East promoting the Sophia Loren Collection. Loren, along with Giorgio Damiani, Damiani Group VP, and the local Damiani partners, visited Kuwait, Qatar and Dubai to meet local VIPs, personalities and customers at the Damiani Boutiques.

Sophia Loren jewelry by Damiani earrings

Events were held at Damiani boutiques in the Dubai Mall in Dubai (with the former captain of the Italian Football National Team, Fabio Cannavaro); the Thuraya Mall in Kuwait; and the Blue Salon in Qatar, with H.R.H. Sheikh Hassan Bin Mohamed Bin Ali Al Thani.

Loren first introduced in the jewelry collection in March during the Oscar awards in Los Angeles.

Sharon Stone, Damiani Designed Jewelry to Benefit Water Projects

Actress Sharon Stone recently unveiled a new jewelry collection co-designed with Damiani in which part of the proceeds will be used to construct clean water wells in Africa.

Called “Maji,” which means water in Swahili, the collection for women is crafted in brushed yellow gold with rough diamonds arranged in irregular patterns, creating an “unfinished” effect, Damiani said in a statement. The materials are designed to evoke Africa. The collection includes rings, pendants, earrings and tennis bracelets. There's also a men’s Maji collection.

Proceeds from the sale will go toward Drop in the Bucket, an organization that provides ways to bring water to sub-Saharia Africa.

At the unveiling in Beverly Hills, Calif., Stone and Silvia Damiani, vice president of the Italian jewelry house, presented a $200,000 check to John Travis of Drop in the Bucket, which, along with a private donation from the Damiani family, will underwrite the construction of 50 new water wells in Africa, providing clean water to more than 10,000 people.

Damiani Designs $2M Victoria Secret Diamond Bra

Lingerie retail brand Victoria's Secret unveiled its $2 million Bombshell Fantasy Bra Monday. Designed by Damiani, the once-off undergarment is made with 60 carats of diamonds and 82 carats of sapphires and topazes in patterns designed to evoke a heavenly display of swirling stars and constellations.

The bra consists of 3,000 brilliant cut white diamonds, light blue sapphires and oval-shaped topazes, set in 18k white gold. It took six Damiani craftsmen 1,500 hours of full-time labor to complete the wearable art.

Victoria's Secret Angel Adriana Lima has been chosen to wear the bejeweled bra, which is featured in the 2010 Victoria's Secret Christmas Dreams and Fantasies catalog and on the runway at the "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show" which airs November 30 on CBS.

New Italian Jewelry Designs from VicenzaOro

The subtle differences of the two tones of gold color and the texture of the precious metal are the hallmarks of Anna Maria Cammilli. The simplicity of this nature-inspired motif is used throughout the collection in complicated ways. Diamond accents enhance the design.

The recently concluded VicenzaOro Fall jewelry tradeshow may have marked a turning point for the Italian jewelry industry, which has been suffering due to the global recession, the spike in gold prices and high labor costs.

The butterfly from Damiani uses yellow gold accented by brown and white diamonds, and amethysts. Each butterfly is made with a variety of material combinations and can be worn as a pendant, brooch or set onto a ring.

At this year’s show, held September 7 -11, approximately, 1,200 Italian and foreign brands from 30 countries presented a breadth of jewelry products to more than 18,000 buyers (10,879 from Italy and 7,160 from 111 other countries).

18k yellow gold cuff with diamond pavé accent by Chimento.

Show officials were particularly excited about the “return” of some Italian retailers, seeing it as “an encouraging sign considering the much-desired end of the most critical phase of the recession.”

A silver star-shaped ring with a white pearl by Mayumi.

The show numbers coincide with data from the Italian government reporting second quarter growth for Italian jewelry exports, after two years of decline. Growth was recorded in terms of value (6%) and quantity (2.6%) over the same period of the previous year. Exports to the US, the world’s largest jewelry market, increased 12 percent in value in the second quarter.

From Fope’s Flex’it collection, patented ‘roll on’ mesh chain bracelets are crafted in 18k gold and fully flexible, without clasps. The Niue line is designed with a refined version of the classic gold mesh, enriched with black or white diamonds, multiple rondels and limited edition pink sapphire or gold cognac diamond balls.

“Among the industry players there is an atmosphere of moderate confidence,” show officials said.

Rose gold bracelet in a flowing design partially covered with white diamond pave by I Gregori Milano.

VicenzaOro, held four times a year, serves as a showcase of beautiful objects that combine artistry, international fashion trends and technical knowhow. Italian fine jewelry in terms of design and craftsmanship is unparalleled in the world of jewelry making. On this level, the show did not disappoint.

Inspired by the Boboli Gardens this collection of handmade jewellery by Nouvelle Bague uses in gold and diamonds, combined with colored enamel.

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Rings from Porrati with white pearls and rose gold; with pink sapphires set on rose gold; a rose gold ring; and a thin rose gold band set with pink sapphires.

 

I added a piece from Brazilian designer Carla Amorim who was inspired by the formation of sand dunes for these rose gold earrings.

Damiani’s New Rings Showcase its Color Pallet and Design Breadth

Paradise ring in white gold, diamonds and sapphires

Damiani, continues to demonstrate its excellence in Italian design with new collections that sparkle with a liberal use of colorful gold and gemstones. During the Baselworld Tradefair in Basel, Switzerland, and the Couture Show in Las Vegas, the Milan-based jewelry house unveiled a seemingly limitless supply of new colorful products. I decided to focus on new rings from four collections that help define how the company combines aesthic content with refined design to create classical jewelry with a modern sparkle.

Paradise

Volume, light and color are the foundation of Damiani’s new Paradise collection in which it uses these elements to capture the beauty of starry skies and the mysterious, distant allure of celestial constellations. The collection combines gold, diamonds and precious gems for sparkling effects.

Paradise rings come in white gold with diamonds; white gold with diamonds and sapphires; and yellow gold and fancy diamonds. Pictured: Paradise ring in white gold, diamonds and sapphires.

Moon Drops

For its Moon Drops collection, Damiani looked to italian jewelry designer Ludovica Andreoni Montezemolo. Known as a style-icon and trend-setter, the designer created a collection that plays with different shades of yellow, rose and white gold and with black, white and brown diamonds.

The rings are versatile and easy to match, available in the three shades of gold and with precious and semiprecious stones of different colors. They can be worn one by one or mixed together.

The soft and rounded shapes are designed to attract contemporary women who can create a personal style by combining different pieces. Pictured: Moon Drop rings in three shades of gold with precious and semiprecious stones of different colors. They can be worn individually or mixed together.

Macramè

Patterns of light and space are the hallmarks of Damiani’s Macramè collection. As the name implys, the textile technique was the inspiration behind the design of the line includes six models (three rings, two jewels and a bracelet). To me, it’s most reminiscent of the Cavandoli macramé, which uses geometric and free-form patterns like weaving.

The rings in the collection come in two chromatic versions: A classical one in white gold with diamonds and a more innovative and trendy one in rose gold with brown diamonds. Pictured: Macramè ring in rose gold with brown diamonds. 

Metropolitan Dream
The company added to its successful Metropolitan Dream collection with three solitaire rings in rose, white and black gold. The inspiration for this line comes from the skylines of major cities at various stages of the day. The rounded edges of the gold rings, earrings, bangles and pendants are shaped by miniature squares that provides a textured look and feel. It is a modern design that the quality of its tradition. Pictured: Metropolitan solitaire rings in white, black and rose gold.

Damiani at the Tony Awards

Actress Nikki James, who received a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for Book of Mormon, accepted her award wearing the San Lorenzo ring and bracelet, and  Vulcania earrings by Damiani.

The 65th Annual Tony Awards were held Sunday night at New York City’s Beacon Theater and televised live to a national audience on CBS.

New Colorful and Golden Jewelry Designs from the Couture Show

The NightFall collection by Lagos was one the many new collections unveiled by designer Steven Lagos. It consists of black spinel, 18k gold and diamonds. It is available exclusively at Neiman Marcus through October.

Colored gemstones, which were widely used in place of diamonds during the recession, have continued to find acceptance among designers, retailers and consumers. A variety of bold, precious gems, ranging from dark blue lapis to red spinels to multi-colored sapphires were on display during the Couture Show in the Wynn Las Vegas. Of course, emerald, the color of the year, was prevalent among the designs as well as citrine. In many cases these gems were matched with high-karat gold, which has made a striking and glittering return to the jewelry stage.

Below is a listing of some of the jewelry shown at Couture. 

A faceted citrine center stone is mounted on sterling silver with 18k gold beaded accents by Lagos.

Damiani Butterfly necklace made of 18k gold with sapphires, emeralds and other colored gems.

The deep, rich blue of lapis lazuli is prominent in this necklace by Coomi.

The Marina B Kashan bangle made of 18k gold combined with oval-shaped precious and semi-precious gems.

Black rhodium gold earrings with round brilliant and rose cut diamonds by Michael John Jewelry.

A set of mismatched emerald and opal drop earrings by Arunashi.

A half-white, half-yellow 60-carat citrine surrounded by diamond pave set on 18k gold by Parulina.

18k rose gold crescent ring with brown diamonds, red garnets, light orange sapphires and citrines by Octium.

Large green amber drop attached to an 18k setting with champagne diamond pave by Syna.

18k yellow gold necklace with champagne pave diamonds by Bavna.

18k oxidized gold earrings with pink opals and black diamonds by Ivanka Trump

Gold beaded bracelet by Marco Bicego.

Rings in 18k yellow and rose gold with brown and white diamonds, pink, smoky and lemon quartz, pink tourmaline, ruby mandarin garnet and aquamarine by Brumani.

Red spinel and diamond pave earrings by Erica Courtney

A variety of jewelry pieces made with fossilized materials such as woolly mammoth tusk and gemstones from Monique Péan. 

Independent metalsmith, Victor Velyan’s 22k crocodile-skin bracelet with emeralds.

Aquamarine and Roman coin replica earrings by the 1884 Collection.

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The Colorful New World of Damiani

The Damiani Group has been extremely busy lately. The Italian luxury jeweler has introduced a number of lines that marks a new direction for the venerable company. Primarily it has brought color to the party. 

Wendell Figueroa Ruiz, Damiani director of communications, showed me a number of designs Thursday that use color diamonds, color gemstones, and gold (including various shades of pink, rose, brown and champaign). When white diamonds are used, they are often offset by oxidized gold. The black background intensifies the sparkle of the diamonds.

An example of this trend is the company’s Metropolitan Dream collection (pictured), which uses yellow, pink, black and brown gold. The rounded edges of the gold rings, earrings, bangles and pendants are shaped into miniature squares. The inspiration for this line comes from the skylines of major cities at various stages of the day.

Another design innovation is the introduction of hoop earrings that fit sideways.

Ruiz said societal pressures and economic conditions spurred customer demand for more color. “People feel less guilty about buying a piece with color.” 

Damiani Opens Flagship in Osaka

Italian luxury jewelry brand, Damiani, opened a flagship boutique in Osaka, its second in the Japanese city. 

The 1,076-square-foot store in the city’s Umeda section is the first Damiani flagship boutique in the Kansai district and the second Damiani flagship store in Japan, after the Tokyo boutique in Ginza. It’s the tenth Damiani boutique in the country.

Warm and intense shades of natural tones—bronze, gold and copper—that reflect the sunset from Italian islands in the Mediterranean represented the inspiration for the boutique on the first floor of the Hilton Plaza West. 

The project was devised and developed in-house by an all-Italian creative team, included furnishings that were designed and made in Italy. It’s based on the new boutique concept first unveiled by the brand at its recently reopened Montenapoleone boutique in Milan.

Guido Damiani, group president and CEO, was present at the opening on March 5. Japanese actress Yoshino Kimura was the guest of honor.

Damiani Sparkles at the 2011 Golden Globe Awards

Joanna Garcia

Italian luxury jewelry house Damiani was present on the screen and the red carpet during the 2011 Golden Globes, held Sunday in Los Angeles.

In Luca Guadagnino’s I am Love, actress Tilda Swinton wears Damiani throughout the movie, nominated in the Best Foreign Film category. On the red carpet, Damiani was the choice of several stars.

 

Brenda Vacc

For example, Brenda Vaccaro, known for her performances in Once is not Enough and Midnight Cowboy, wore pieces from the Flutti collection. She co-starred with Al Pacino and Susan Sarandon in You don’t Know Jack, nominated for a Golden Globe this year in the Best Motion Picture Made for Television category.

Joanna Garcia, star of the comedy series, Better with You, walked the red carpet wearing Damiani’s Mimosa earrings and Vulcania ring. Jeryl Prescott, star of The Walking Dead, nominated in the Best Television Series – Drama category, accented her elegant look with a set diamond and emerald Sorgente earrings and the Damianissima bracelet.

10 New Jewelry Designs from the Centurion Show

8k gold ring with diamond pave is centered with a large emerald cabochon.

It appears that luxury jewelry designers are through experimenting with less expensive materials (due to the economic collapse and high cost of materials) and have returned to producing creations with high-karat gold and platinum as well as big bold gemstones and lots of diamond pavé, if the Centurion Jewelry Show is any indication of what’s to come this year. And I believe it is.

The first major U.S. tradeshow of the year was held Feb. 3 - 5 in Scottsdale, Ariz. The invitation-only event caters to the luxury end of the market. One of the things it provides is the first chance for those in the U.S. to view new designs for the year. I presented an early appetizer of the pieces on display with the Centurion Design Award winners. Now here are 10 more jewelry designers that caught my attention during the show. Enjoy.

Erica Courtney is one of the few designers who can be on trend while maintaining exceptionally high standards, presented an entire collection based on green, including this 18k gold ring is centered with a large emerald cabochon (top photo). The intricate, sculptural-like details of gold are further enhanced with 18k diamond pave.

The Tilley engagement ring by Jeff Cooper Designs features a single row of pave diamonds that tapers toward the center, giving extra emphasis to the center stone. It is available in platinum or 18k gold.

Damiani has come out with a ceramic jewelry line called D.Icon, which includes this ring made of white ceramic with pink gold and diamonds (0.21 cts.).

The Mimi So Phoenix Stackable Band has18k rose gold and leaf work covered in diamonds. It is stackable with other rings in the collection.

Fope Gioielli introduced a flexible cross-over bracelet with elastic wrapping features to the Flex'it Solo line. It is made of 18-carat gold, with or without diamonds.

18k white gold heart shaped hoops with detachable London Blue Topaz drops by Lisa Nik.

Syna Jewels, a new exhibitor, presented a series of highly polished chalcedony drops set with 18k yellow gold from the Mogul collection.

All of the operations of the Frédérique Constant Classics Manufacture Worldtimer is done through the crown, which simplifies setting the time and date, and calibrating the worldtimer. The watch is powered by the FC-718 caliber movement, built in house. The dial is available in a guilloché design or with a silver world map in its center. The watch is also available in steel for $3,450 and rose-gold for $4,150.

The Links of London 8-carat rose gold necklace with a rose gold and black pearl pendant from the Effervescence collection.

18k white gold diamond band in a leaf pattern with yellow gold accents sprinkled with diamonds by Beverley K.

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