May 22, 2013

Obsession: Midi Rings, Above the Knuckle Rings, Mid Knuckle Rings

Mark my words, the next huge trend in jewelry is going to be midi rings, also known as above the knuckle rings or as mid-knuckle rings. For those of you who think this way of wearing rings is too trendy for you, let me put your mind at ease–it’s not a new trend. In fact, people have been wearing rings on their fingers between the first and second knuckle since the Middle Ages (5th to 15th century). Almost every other fashion source that I’ve seen states that this practice originated during the Renaissance but that’s factually incorrect. The practice of wearing midi rings began in the Middle Ages, however such rings were widely documented in art during the Renaissance so people assume that the practice originated later than it actually did. Humphf! Rookies. . .

Once a practice of the aristocracy and uber-wealthy, it was a statement as to one’s status–the more rings one wears the less manual labor one is able to do. So what does one do if one runs out of finger real estate? Build up! Duh. I suppose revolutions and the fall of many a monarchy had something to do with stifling such overtly ostentatious behavior for a few centuries. Well, now it’s back and I’m not ashamed to say that I will be one of the first to get back on the midi ring bandwagon. Maybe if I wear enough rings on my fingers I can get out of dishwashing duty and make Immigrant Husband take on that chore. . .maybe not.

Bernhard Strigel, Portrait of a Woman, ca. 1515

Raphael, Portrait of Maddalena Doni, ca. 1506

Jan van Eyck, Portrait of a Man with Carnation, ca. 1435

I’m going to design myself one with a rose cut diamond and a pave white diamond band set in rose gold. If you would like to recreate the mid ring look, either contact me to have me design one for you or you can buy more modern versions here:

Elise Dray, midi-finger ring with black diamonds; available here.

Jo.Liu, Linear Knuckle Ring; available here.

Maria Francesca Pepe, gold hammered midi-ring; available here.

Urban Outfitters, midi ring; available here.

Big Kiss and Bigger Diamonds,

JZP

May 8, 2013

How to Buy Colored Stones and Why the Four C’s Don’t Matter

The saying that one “knows just enough to be dangerous” was invented to describe a lay person who learns about the 4 C’s of diamonds and then goes to buy colored stones. Well, not really–but it could not be more applicable. Generally, people will google the 4 C’s before they buy a diamond and then head off into the trenches to buy a diamond. OK, no harm done. Worst case scenario they just bought themselves a diamond that is not a great fit for their needs or investment strategy but it won’t be horrible. However, walk into a store to buy a colored stone flashing around your 4 C’s and your wallet and/or ego will get a thrashing. You see, when one buys colored stones, the 4 C’s don’t matter at all because an entirely different criteria applies. The second you whip out the 4 C’s the salesperson knows you’re a rookie.

Colored stones are infinitely more complex than diamonds. When it comes to colored stones, color is king. Duh. Always go for the truest color (as long as it appeals to you). However, having said that it is very difficult for a person who is not in the industry to know what the “true color” of a particular stone should be. I know what exact shade of green radiates from the best emerald, the perfect crisp light blue of a Paraiba tourmaline, or deep complex red of a rubellite, from an investment perspective–but for the retail buyer, personal preference plays a larger role than return on investment. Some people prefer deeper green emeralds that are so dark they are almost opaque, others prefer a vivid grass-green. Prices vary immensely based on color.

Inclusions can matter but generally no one cares about inclusions if the stone is lively. By lively, I mean you want to look at a stone and feel as though it is flirting with you. That is the only way I know how to describe it. I’ve seen perfectly clear stones sit on my dealers shelves and never move and then I’ve seen stones with inclusions that seduce their way to a fabulous home. A flirty stone is like someone with a glimmer in their eyes–you can’t miss it.

26 carat Paraiba tourmaline from Mozambique is such a vivid blue and so clear that it costs more per carat than a diamond. This is one sexy stone. The ones from Brazil are so rare I’ve never seen one this size, color or clear.

For a collector, rarity is also key. Thus, it is always important to ask what treatments the colored stones have had. Certain treatments are normal: emeralds are often treated with oil to improve the inclusions, sapphires and rubies are heated to improve the inclusions and color. All collectors hunt for the non-treated natural stones. However, the difference between a treated stone and untreated stone is often hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars so unless you’ve got the zeros on-call, the normal treatments will not matter. The treatment to avoid like the plague is dyeing. Stay away from a dyed stones–once a stone is dyed it’s not worth anything.

Untreated emeralds with no or minute inclusions are extremely rare. This 12+ carat is one of the clearest untreated stones I’ve seen.

Origin is another factor that affects investment value. Certain stones are worth more when they come from specific geographical regions. For example, Colombian emeralds are more valuable than Brazilian emeralds, Brazilian emeralds are more valuable than Zambian emeralds. Paraiba tourmalines from Brazil are the most valuable followed by ones from Mozambique. Burmese sapphires and rubies are more valuable than African ones but a good sapphire from Kashmir or Ceylon can knock the Burmese ones out of the water. It all depends.

For general purposes, focus on color, make sure you choose a flirtatious stone, make sure the colored stone has not been dyed, ask a few questions and make sure the big ones come with certificates. Those interested in collecting or investing in colored stones should always go through an expert.

Big Kiss and Bigger Diamonds,

JZP

April 24, 2013

Designer Alert: Heaven Tanudiredja Jewelry

Ladies and gents, I’m calling it now: Heaven Tanudiredja will become the Alexander McQueen of costume jewelry. Not because of his pedigree–trained in womenswear at Antwerp’s Royal Academy, worked for Dries van Noten, stint at Dior–but because the Bali-born, Antwerp-based designer’s mind is just that out-there. He draws inspiration for his collections from. . .mental disorders WTF?!?! It’s ok, don’t judge. Tanudiredja recently told B0F in an interview that he tries to “sculpt the beauty behind the chaos.” I adore people whose approaches to design or to life blindside you–it is so refreshing. Despite the vibrant use of color that you will see in Heaven Tanudiredja jewelry, the details in texture and embellishment reference the dark origins of statement necklaces and cuffs bearing names such as ‘Pyromania’ and ‘Anorexia Nervosa.’ Here is a little glimpse of Heaven Tanudiredja’s past and current collections:

Heaven Tanudiredja Fall/Winter 2012/13 Photos by Zeb Daemen

Heaven Tanudiredja Spring/Summer 2013. Photos by Zeb Damen.

Heaven Tanudiredja’s pieces will be sold at 10 Corso Como, Joyce, Dover Street Market and Luisa Via Roma.

Big Kiss and Bigger Diamonds,

JZP

April 17, 2013

Jewelry Styling from the Same Designer: Alexis Bittar

Anna Dello Russo, editor-at-large of Vogue Japan and street style celebrity, has made taking looks verbatim from the runway to real life her trademark. Some call it daring as very few humans live in a world where they can lift an entire runway look and not get carted off to a loony bin, others call it lazy–where is the creativity in styling if one just copies what they see on the runway? Jewelry designers often create a few distinct lines of jewelry for sale in retail platforms. This begs the question: Should we wear matching pieces from the same line or branch out a bit? I use Alexis Bittar as my case study here because he is a costume jewelry designer who comes up with many different lines that are quite dissimilar to each other in aesthetic. He currently has a collection inspired by Georgia O’Keefe, an ‘elements’ line that draws from nature, a modernist line, a lucite line, even a Mauritius monkey line.

My personal inclination is to go against matchy-matchy jewelry. To wear earrings, necklace and bracelet all from the same line feels very dated to me. However, I see nothing wrong with wearing many pieces from different collections of the same designer.

What Not to Do

Please don’t put an entire look together with pieces from the same line (see below). I don’t care how old or young your are, it sends the message that your look was inspired by moth balls.

Alexis Bittar, Ophelia earrings; available here.

Alexis Bittar, Ophelia necklace; available here.

Alexis Bittar, Ophelia brooch; available here.

What to do

Instead, I would pull one piece from the collection and use it as inspiration for a cohesive look that also brings in other elements. If you like the Ophelia earrings from above, perhaps pair it as follows for a much more modern take on matching jewelry by echoing similar materials or colors.

Alexis Bittar, Ophelia earrings; available here.

Alexis Bittar, liquid gold thin collar; available here.

Alexis Bittar, ripped gold cuff; available here.

Alternatively, if earrings + necklace + cuff is not your thing, try just choosing one kind of jewelry like bangles for example, and layering them for an over the top look that doesn’t weigh you down. I would wear the top two cuffs on the same arm and then the third cuff on the other arm for a little bit of asymmetry and interest.

Alexis Bittar, gold parrot cuff; available here.

Alexis Bittar, baroque hinge bracelet; available here.

Alexis Bittar, modernist gold dotted bracelet; available here.

In essence, anything that is too matchy-matchy looks terrible. However, feel free to match different aspects of your jewelry whether it’s the color, material, inspiration, or style.

Big Kiss and Bigger Diamonds,

JZP

April 10, 2013

Jewelry Organizer Extraordinaire

I cannot tell you how many friends ask me about how I store and organize my jewelry. This is something that I have grappled with for years and am still in the process of perfecting. Short of having a custom closet built with drawers for jewelry, there are not many ready-made options out there that can accommodate a large collection. Three years ago, Ikea made a jewelry drawer that fit into their Pax units. I bought one to test it out and to this day I regret not buying an entire wardrobe and fitting it out with only those drawers! Had I had the foresight, my present conundrum would never have come to pass. The drawers have since been discontinued and my search for perfect jewelry storage trudges on.

If you work in the jewelry industry, whether in costume or fine jewelry, you will know that there is one universal truth–jewelry industry insiders store their jewelry in plastic zip bags. We have plastic zip bags of every size and think nothing of throwing a diamond ring or necklace into one and tossing it into our purse or pocket. Atrocious, I know. However, I like to think that I am evolved. I have a different storage system for fine jewelry and costume jewelry but both require a damn good jewelry organizer.

I still have yet to find a jewelry box or roll that is practical and large enough for my fine jewelry needs. All jewelry will scratch if jumbled together (diamonds will scratch anything) so make sure to keep jewelry well-spaced. If you’re like me and have more jewelry than you have space, buy some plastic jewelry zip bags (here) and make sure that you store only one piece of jewelry per bag and then place them in your jewelry box. The zip bags protect the jewelry from abrasion, tangles and all sorts of horrible fates and allows one to store more jewelry in a smaller space. Needless to say, above a certain quantity, fine jewelry should be placed in a safe. If you have a big enough safe, get some lined trays to organize your jewelry rather than keeping them in plastic bags–that would just be outright ghetto.

Bangles can be kept on a tiered bangle tree or in a box. I find that it is far easier to find things on a bangle tree and since in NYC real estate doesn’t come cheap, we need to use as much vertical space as we can.

Bangle tree, available here.

I generally keep earrings in stackable trays. I am obsessed with the ones from the Container Store, the compartments are different sizes and shapes to accommodate all kinds of earrings. They call them “ring stacking trays” but I use them for earrings.

Jewelry organizer trays, available here.

Necklaces can be hung on hooks or kept on a tray. I generally keep mine in stackable trays because I tend to like arthritis-inducing necklaces of immense proportions and too much time spent hanging frays the string and weakens links in chains. Don’t bother with necklace trees–they will drive you insane. It is impossible to take a necklace off without bringing the whole thing crashing down. Even the daintiest touch will send your necklaces cascading and then good luck untangling them. Oh the horror! Stay away from necklace trees! For fine chain necklaces, put them in a plastic zip bag and then in a tray; chunkier statement necklaces can be placed in a tray or on a shelf as is.

My jewelry closet from top to bottom: Stacking trays from Container Store, and felt lined drawer from Ikea that saved my life for about 2 seconds until I accumulated too much jewelry to fit into one measly little drawer.