Start To A Green Year

This month, Pantone announced the 2017 annual ultimate color: Greenery (vegetation green). This yellow-green is reminiscent of fresh foliage and the various green hues throughout nature, evoking certain shades of grass and trees. Although lighter and brighter, Greenery reminds one to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, explains: "The vigor and vitality of the greens can inspire our self-confidence, let us have the courage to live the life we ​​want, to redefine success and happiness. "

Speaking of vegetation green. It is pleasing to the eye and gives the feeling of comfort and happiness. Hence, it is known as the "stone of happiness."

(Above) Bulgari- Inlaid 275-carat round convex peridot and 38-carat red spinel.

Peridot was first discovered about 3500 years old in ancient Egyptian territory of St. John's Island. Its clear and beautiful color is very pleasing to the eye, therefore it has been one of the most loved color gemstones by Bulgari.

(Above) Isabella Langlois-  This piece was inspired by nature, and made from 18K gold featuring a peridot as centerpiece surrounded with diamonds.

(Above) Tamsen Z- 18K black gold inlaid with peridots and colored diamond earring. The top two peridot weight 7.26 kt. The lower peridots weight 30.42 kt. Ann Ziff, founder of the Tamsen Z brand, is not only an excellent designer but also a connoisseur. From the rare Australian black opal to the precious Paraiba tourmaline, Ann Ziff has become the world's most outstanding private gem collector.

(Above) Asprey- Asprey is the British Royal Queen brand. Launched in 1781, and is still the most prestigious British luxury brand after 200 years. Its design is simple yet subtly extravagance.

(Above) Henry Dunay- Peridot inlaid diamond earrings. Henry Dunay's work has won several times the Best in Design award. He is one of the most famous jewelry designer in New York. The top materials are used.

(Above) Hemmerle- Based in Germany, this beautiful tassel earrings is embellished with peridot and sapphires. Hemmerle opened its own jewelry store in Munich, to provide customers with classical style of jewelry and impeccable quality.

Jewelry designer feature: Wallace Chan

“Let’s just say I don’t choose business just because of money. Each work is from my heart, my hands. I suffer through each one. The buyer needs to understand that it is from my heart — that they are taking my child.”

“If someone just says, ‘I have money, I want it,’ and they don’t understand, then I don’t want to give it to them.”

Not often do I come across jewelry designers that strike me. While browsing through the internet I happened to stumble across Wallace Chan's work. His work inspired me and left me speechless, I wish I had discovered him sooner.

Wallace Chan- an international renowned jewelry designer and sculptor started creating jewelry at the age of 8. He is not only known for the magical jewelry he designs but also the carvings he does with the stones. "The stone tricks the eye. I can see its flaws and angles. There are elements I want to hide and elements I want to bring out. I am chasing its light." he said.

One of his most well-known work that would become part of China's long history of jewelry design was the project; "A Heritage in Bloom". The world's most expensive diamond necklace, at an estimated cost of $200 million. (image below)

The project started in 2010 when Chow Tai Fook acquired an extremely rare unpolished 507-carat diamond found in the Cullinan mine in South Africa. “I looked at that rock for three years before I touched it.”, he said. The final product took 47,000 hours of work from 22 craftsmen.

Moreover Wallace was also known for his "Wallace Cut". It involved drilling a hole into the back of a multifaceted stone and then carving and etching an image, in reverse. It then caused the image to reflect multiple times when viewed from the front. Sometimes the stone gets so hot from friction caused by the drill that Wallace had to carved the stone under water to prevent himself from getting burnt. One of his most famous (and my favorite) Wallace Cut piece was the head of the Greek Goddesses of the season; Horae, in blue Topaz (image below).




I love how the blue topaz and white diamonds compliment each other to create a cool blue, that in a way left me feeling a bit chilly.

Another one of my favorite piece is the Secret Abyss Necklace.Wallace spent two years working on the concept of this necklace with a quartz shell. He wanted the details to be included internally several times. He started by drilling a strong enough hole in the back of the pendant, through which something could be positioned and sealed inside.

Secret Abyss Necklace (image courtesy of Katerina Perez) 

Wallace wanted to make the pendant look like a single whole with no visible signs of human interference. He implanted interwoven waves of emerald in the very centre of the quartz though a tiny aperture on the front. The process alone took him four years. This further proves that With toil and tenacity, you can succeed.

(image courtesy of Wallace Chan)

“I don’t want to just create jewelry that features a lot of expensive stones set in an appealing way. I want dramatic pieces, jewelry that never ceases to amaze the beholder with newly discovered elements, different sensations and delightful montage effects that add to the special story of each of my pieces."

Hope you enjoyed Wallace Chan's work as much as I do. I'll end this post with some beautiful sketches by the master himself.

From left to right: Redcliff Romance necklace, Now & Always necklace
(image courtesy of ARTINFO)

Golden Globe 2016 Gems

It's one of those time again where all attention are on the 2016 Golden Globe Awards. Seeing celebrities adorned themselves with statement baubles and beautiful dresses are probably the start to setting the fashion trend for this year. Without a doubt we see the recurring jewel-toned theme such as emeralds, sapphires, rubies and diamonds. Scroll down to see my favorite picks from this year Golden Globe Awards. 

 
Taraji P. Henson, wearing emerald earrings by Lorraine Schwartz.
Henson is definitely rocking her gorgeous white Kimberley McDonald dress and those big baubles.

Jennifer Lawrence wearing 150 carats diamond necklace by Chopard.

Natalie Dormer wearing floral diamond earrings

Zendaya wearing Yoko London Tahitian pearls.

Laverne Cox wearing Lorraine Schwartz emerald earrings.

Laverne Cox wearing Lorraine Schwartz jewels and a Nathalie Trad clutch.
I love the Art Deco bracelets paired with the clutch that's made out of shells. The deep green gives off a royal look.

Maria Menounos wearing Ofira jewels.

Maggie Gyllenhaal wearing Neil Lane jewels.
Somehow there's a touch of antique feel to these pair.

Leslie Mann wearing Lorraine Schwartz necklace and Irene Neuwirth earrings.
Out of all the jewelry it is refreshing to see a combination of different colored gemstones strand in one. Paired with her pink pastel dress gives off a soft vibe.

Jennifer Lopez wearing wearing 200 carats of Harry Winston diamond necklace and earrings.
JLO never fails to impress. The pop yellow color of her dress paired up with a statement necklace gives off a bold, elegant look.

Which one is your favorite?
XOXO

Gemalogue's Design: Oceanic Cuff

As you may know I recently started my jewelry design journey at FIT in New York. I used to take jewelry design for granted but now that I am making my own jewelry, I have to say that the process is an enduring physical process. Every piece takes countless of hours from start to finish. Since this was my first design, I decided to document my design journey.

My bracelet design was inspired by the ocean, I love anything with soft curves and abstract shapes, therefore I incorporated it into my design by making it resemble the ocean floor. I also love working with any stones that are sparkly, whether they be natural gemstones or crystals. For this particular design I used crystals to represent the sparkles that occurs when the sunlight hits the surface of the water.



The green piece you see above is a wax piece that I carved out to the shape that I want. The tiny holes are where the crystals are going to be in.



Next the wax piece was sent for casting. I cast it sterling silver. However somehow I didn't really like the way the curve on the cuff looked so I decided to change the cuff design.

Here you noticed the little extruded curve had been removed. I think it is much more aesthetically pleasing now. Next, the cast piece was soldered onto the cuff so it becomes one solid piece. I have to say it was a tedious process because holes were drilled in order to hold both pieces together, and any wrong measurement would cause the middle part to sit slanted or incorrectly.

Below you can see the initial sketch I had in mind and what the product came out to look.

Finally the last step was to plate the cuff, thanks to a lovely person from instagram I chose rose gold with rhodium. I was contemplating between gold and rose gold but I'm happy at how this color combination came out instead. The rose gold and silver color gives of a soft look. The stones that I used for the tiny holes were cabochons, so when I run my fingers through it there's a textured feeling.

Below was a custom piece I made for a customer. She wanted everything to be solid sterling silver (hence more expensive). If you notice, I replaced the cabochon stones with Swarovski crystals instead so it helps bring the cuff to life.

Hope you enjoy my piece! I'm looking forward to sharing more designs with you all :) Find me on instagram and follow my design journey! Happy holidays! XOXO

Mystery Diamond Cuts Solved

With it being bridal season, and the increase of couples falling for vintage engagement rings. I have put together a list of the most popular vintage diamond cuts that I think would be helpful when your man buys you that engagement ring. ;)

ROSE CUTS

This cut dates to the 1500s and remained common during the Georgian (1714-and the Victorian Eras (1837-1901) The rose cut resembles a rosebud, with a flat bottom and dome-shaped crown that rises gently to a single apex, with between three and twenty-four facets. Because of the rose cut diamonds it give off a warm, romantic shimmer.  

Antique Georgian rose cut diamond cluster ring. Sold on 1stdibs.

Victorian Dahna Ring features seven rose cut diamonds. Sold on Brilliant Earth.

OLD MINE CUT

This cut dates to the 1700s and was also widely used during the Georgian and Victorian Eras.This cut was invented before the jewelers understood how light passes through the diamonds, therefore the old mine cuts were faceted around the natural edges of the diamond. Which explains it being less dazzling compared to modern cuts. The old mine cut is considered an early form of today’s cushion cut. 

 Victorian old mine cut diamond and sapphire ring. c. 1893. Sold on Bavier Brook. 

Old mine cut diamond ring featuring nine diamonds. 

OLD EUROPEAN CUT

The old European cut was first seen in the 1800s and was used often in Victorian engagement rings, Edwardian designs, and Art Nouveau styles. This cut typically features 58 facets and a circular shape. To understand the evolution of jewelers knowledge in diamonds, it’s best to study this cut as it’s been through many variations.

 Antique Edwardian ring featuring a 0.65 carat old european cut diamond. Sold on SOHO Jewelers.  

Platinum 1.43ct old european cut diamond ring. Sold on Raymond Lee Jewelers.

SINGLE CUT 

This is one of the oldest cut that dates back to the 1300s. The diamond features a flat top and an octagonal griddle, where the edge of the diamond is at its widest point. 

Single cut diamonds feature 18 facets, and you’ll often see small single cut diamonds accenting a center gemstone in antique rings from the early twentieth century when jewelers still lacked the ability to create many facets in tiny gems. 

 Sapphire and diamond ring. c. 1920, 6.26ct sapphire surrounded by 18 single cut stones.

The diagram below gives a clearer idea of how the cuts are done on the diamonds. I can't say that I have a personal favorite between these cuts, I think they are all unique and give off a different vintage vibe. Which ones are your favorite?

European Snuffboxes

First off, I want to say a big THANK YOU for the support you all have shown on my social media channel. I would have never thought that there is such a big Antique family out there. When I first started my blog and instagram, it was just a place for me to organize my information and the things I have learned. However it has grown into so much more, it has become a place to share and exchange ideas with other jewelry enthusiasts.

A few days ago I made a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It's a place I go to for inspiration and to spend time with myself. My destination was to visit the European Decorative Arts section. To my surprise, there were many snuff boxes in that section. Today’s post feature Snuff boxes from the 18th to 19th century.

I didn't know much about snuff boxes, it sounded to me like a box you sniff something out off. And I was right! Inhaling snuff, or snuffing as it's also called, was first witness by European in 1493 when Friar Ramón Pane, who had arrived in the new world was living as a missionary among Haiti’s indigenous Taino. Until then tobacco was unknown to Europeans, but during the 1500s the use of tobacco spread tremendously. By the late 17th century, ornate boxes were created to keep the precious powder dry.

Early 18th century, French jewelers made snuff boxes out of gold set with diamonds, amethysts, and sapphires. By 1740, specialized artisan took over the production of these ornate tabatières and engraved, chased, and enameled them. Below is a snuff box made out of gold, enamel and diamonds. ca. 1820. When wound up, the bird turns and flutters its wings while music plays. These "singing bird" boxes were especially popular in the East.

SHAPES:

Snuff boxes shapes were not limited to simple rectangles. The most common were porcelain containers resembling trunks, so were ovals, but tabatières shaped like shells were more rare. The snuff box below is varicolored, gold and enameled. Signed: J.N (John Northam? active 1793) After William IV's accession in 1830, this otherwise plain box was embellished with an encrusted plaque bearing his monogram.

MEDIUM:

Sometimes these snuff boxes were hand painted. Pictures of miniature landscapes, bucolic scenes to tiny portraits or grisaille cameos of their owners could be seen. 

Silver snuff boxes are usually associated with Sheffield, England, where silver-plating technologies were more advanced in the late 18th century. Below is a 1750 Germany gold and mother-of-pearl snuff box. It's a gift of J. Pierpont Morgan. 

By the 19th century, the silver industry has blossomed in Birmingham, England. Box makers such as Samuel Pemberton, Nathaniel Mills, and Edward Smith were some of the many well-known container producers who produced images of castles and abbeys on the box tops and sides.

ABOVE: Gold, enamaled, ivory, glass snuffbox. Joseph- Etienne Blerzy (master 1768) Miniature attributed to Francios Dumont.



BELOW: Double Snuffbox. Gold, enamel, vellum, gouache, glass. Jean Ducrollay. Miniature portraits on all sides and inside the two covers of Louis XV, Marie Leszeznska, and their children. (1749-50)



Soon Birmingham became the center for papier-mâché snuff boxes, which were hardened by multiple layers of enamel. As the market for inexpensive boxes grew in the United States, Birmingham box makers were decorating their wares with portraits of U.S navel heroes and victory scenes from the War of 1812. Engravings from renowned American artists, Gilbert Stuart were their primary source material.

ABOVE: Gold, enamel snuffbox. Possible Pierre-Francois-Mathis de Beaulier. ca. 1764-65.

ABOVE: Gold, enamel, diamonds, glass snuffbox. Jean-Joseph Barriere, ca. 1782