Ka-ching, Ka- Bling!

I admire beautiful jewelry. Always have. And I really have my DM to thank for that. I could’ve grown up loving clothes and makeup, but instead I grew up loving shoes, bags, and bling *oh great*. Hahaha but oye, laugh now– the latter two are now considered “investments”. Good designer bags have resale value and jewelry– well, more often than not, jewelry prices (i.e. diamonds) have always held their own even during recession.

When it comes to jewelry, the possibilities are really limitless. Unlike bags where the holiest of the holy could be the Hermes crocodile birkin with diamonds (which by the way, I find too ostentatious *ok, so I’m sourgraping coz I can’t ever afford one hahahah*), there is really no “ceiling” or Mount Everest when it comes to bling.

Just when you thought the biggest or rarest colored diamond was unearthed, cut, polished, set, then auctioned off in one of the major houses for a record breaking price, another piece of jewelry with very important provenance comes along and yet another record breaking price. I know, it’s like comparing apples to oranges but the big picture remains– it’s a piece of jewelry.

A year or so ago, I wrote about this reclusive jeweller who is known simply as JAR. If I’m not mistaken, he’s the only living jeweller ever to have something of his on display at the Louvre Museum (I remember seeing that beautiful white gardenia bangle *bangle is on the left of the photo below* and noticing that his work of art sat alongside vintage Cartier and Bulgari). JAR became more “mainstream” (though not commercial) to all when actress Ellen Barkin decided to do a jewelry “yard sale” *hehehe* at Christie’s, auctioning off some of his 17 (an unprecedented quantity in a single auction!) pieces.

JAR is easily the “king” of pavé. One of his signature styles is his “thread” diamond ring– the ring band with pavé diamonds is as thin as a thread!

He also works beautifully with colored sapphires He knows how to work with color extremely well. Every piece he designs is a work of art. Like a Picasso 🙂

Very recently, another JAR piece is on the auction block. If you have the big bucks for big bling (sigh, and if you are charitable enough, you can allow me to do time sharing on this piece hahahaha), I would highly suggest you make a bid for this exquisite sugarloaf emerald thread ring, estimated at US$200,000 (I’m sure the ring will sell for well over its estimate, as it always does, since JAR pieces are so “scarce” and are rarely available in the open market.) If there is a “Hermes” *Hermes being the supreme brand of all premier designer brands* of jewellery, it will have to be JAR.

Looking at beautiful jewelry motivated me to pay a short visit to my friend Janina’s jewelry salon in the Mezzanine of The Peninsula Hotel, Makati. I’ve been eyeing something in her boutique for quite some time now, and I just had to go back and get a good look at “her” once again.

It’s a beautiful “floral” ring with rose cut pear shaped pink tourmalines and a large 7 carat cushion cut peridot set in 22k brushed yellow gold by the famous Gem Palace of Jaipur.
Über- successful fashion designer Rajo Laurel visited The Gem Palace when he went to Jaipur and was mesmerized by their jewelry. It’s easy to see why–because Gem Palace pays attention to detail. In this case– the tourmaline “petals” of the peridot ring (above) all move 🙂 It’s a “dancing” ring , and it’s gorgeous!

Just like bags and food, looking at and trying on beautiful jewelry makes me happy. 🙂 I wish we were all financially *very very very* secure so we can all afford to buy all the things that can make us happy (at least even for just a short time). Oh well, last time I checked, dreaming is still free! So I guess we can all dream, can’t we? 🙂

(photos: Christie’s)

x
Mrs.T