Jewelry Sparkles at Dior and Bulgari Bashes

When two of the most celebrity-friendly fashion houses celebrate themselves, they usually have plenty of A-list wattage on-hand to turn up the star power.

Case in point? The Dior Store re-opening in New York City last night, that featured the likes of Amy Adams and Natalie Portman in black and white with minimal sparkle and Liv Tyler in a feathery frock with a funky statement necklace.

The 57th Street flagship store was closed for the past five months for a complete makeover, WWD reports. Architect Peter Marino aimed to bring the spirit of the Parisian flagship on Avenue Montaigne to New York with a look inspired by the residential feel of a Paris hotel.

The jewelry jaw-drop award, though, had to be the chunky emerald earrings worn by Wendi Murdoch (yup, wife of Rupert). With a household income like theirs, you can bet your assets those puppies are real. Wow.

Alas, my favorite Dior girl, Charlize Theron, was nowhere to be found. Maybe because Natalie Portman is the new face for their new perfume, Miss Dior Cherie? Hmmm...

Across the pond in Paris, the venerable Italian jewelry house, Bulgari, continued to celebrate their 125th year with the opening of '125 Years of Italian Magnificence Bulgari au Grand Palais.'

 

On display until mid January will be some 600 shiny baubles, including famous jewelry worn by the biggest movie stars of the century, including the stunning diamond and emerald brooch Elizabeth Taylor wore at her first wedding to Richard Burton, alongside sparklers worn by style icons Sophia Loren and Grace Kelly.

Bulgari's A-list spokesmodel, Julianne Moore, was there to celebrate in what appear to be peacock-inspired gemstone earrings, along with celebs Juliette Binoche, Lenny Kravitz and Clive Owen.

 

Dear, Santa: All I want for Christmas is a jewelry spokesmodel contract. Love, Laura

Diamonds Are A Drunk's Best Friend

While pampered pooches can get their paws on $3 million diamond dog collars this Christmas and celebrity chefs might find diamond-encrusted pots and pans under the tree  -  I just found the perfect gift for mega-rich margarita mavens and the discerning frat boy:

The world's most expensive tequila bottle.

Mexican distiller Hacienda La Capilla unveiled a 1.3 liter tequila bottle they call “The Diamond Sterling”, which is made of  a 2.3-kilogram layer of platinum featuring over 4,000 diamonds totaling 328 carats.

And the price? A mere $3.5 million.

Bottoms up, senoritas! Now we can do shots in style!

The blingtastic bottle will go on a world tour of "tequila-appreciating hotspots" (like my living room)  -  including London, Paris, Switzerland, Spain, Monaco and Dubai, according to a press release.

The only thing missing is a pink diamond-encrusted bottle of Pepto for the morning after.

Celebrity Jewelry Gossip

Juicy celebrity jewelry tidbits are both naughty and nice this week. Here's a blingy roundup:

Pete Doherty: Jewelry Designer/Jailbird

From the 'Most Unlikely Celebrity to Launch a Jewelry Line' category comes news that badboy Brit rocker and ex Kate Moss love, Pete Doherty, came out this week with a bauble collection for men. Just in time for his court appearance for drug possession.

The fifteen-piece range was inspired by "trinkets ... ivory, cigarette tins, old cases, old glass,” Doherty told WWD between cigarette drags at the launch party. “It’s just a shame I can’t afford to buy them myself,” he sighed, referring to the $663 to $13,600 price range. “They cost a fortune."

Courtney Love: Grrrl Rocker/Jewelry Thief

Just when you think her annoying self-destructive phase is over, Courtney Love never fails to self-sabatoge. This time she's taken a page from the Lindsay Lohan play book by 'losing' borrowed jewelry from a celebrity jewelry house.

The Hole frontwoman was slapped with a lawsuit from Jacob & Co. for not returning jewelry worth nearly $114,000. According to USA Today, Love borrowed two white gold and diamond chains, a white gold, floral-design mesh bracelet and a pair of white gold and diamond pave hoop earrings on Sept. 21 from the New York jeweler - but only returned the bracelet. She now owes $113,700 for the oversight.

And all of us for the 30 seconds it took to read this post.


SouljaBoy: Rapper/Investment Specialist

What do Glenn Beck and SouljaBoy have in common? A penchant for dispersing investment advice, apparently. The rapper rivals Lil' Wayne in the bling department, wearing jewelry creations that weigh more than a toddler.

When asked about his $3 million jewelry stash's investment value, Mr. Boy told Sway from MTV,

"Gold is the best thing going, all the people that's watching, honestly ... all of my jewelry together ... gold is where it's at."

Sharon Stone: Celebrity Charity Case

Joining the likes of Angelina Jolie and Christina Applegate, Sharon Stone is putting her name on a jewelry line for charity, according to Luxist.

Sharon Stone has been the face of Damiani jewelry since 2008 and collaborated with them on  a new line of jewelry, The Maji, that benefits the charity initiative, The Clean Water Project.

The collection is the first in the series of "Sharon Stone for Damiani" lines and features rings, pendants, bracelets and earrings with rough diamonds set on burnished gold or silver - each signed by the Cougar Queen herself.

Overacting lessons and oversized ego, not included.

It's never dull in blingville, jewelry hounds. Send me your gem-filled gossip, and I'll try to include it for my next roundup!

Angelina Jolie Shines at "The Tourist" Premiere

Angelina Jolie's red carpet fashion choices lately have left me, well, underwhelmed. There are only so many incarnations of the black gown/diamond stud combo we jewelry hounds are expected to endure on the most beautiful A-lister in the world, right?

But she SO redeemed herself at last night's New York premiere for her latest flick, The Tourist, in a sultry winter white Versace number and unique emerald-cut beryl earrings that sent me scrambling to find out more.

So here's the skinny:

Of course someone as gorg. as A-Jo has to have her own personal jeweler, right? Enter, Robert Procop - Asprey's former CEO who's bejeweled Brad Pitt's better half for the past ten years or so.

Turns out, the earrings she wore on the carpet last night are part of a collection she and Procop collaborated on together - with all proceeds benefiting Jolie's personal charity, The Education Partnership for Children of Conflict.

And the emerald ring Brad Pitt wore on the carpet last night also served as inspiration for one of the pieces, WWD reports.

Unfortunately, we mere mortals won't be able to snag some for our own collection since the items are only available to Procop's personal clients - and are priced accordingly. Whatevs. As long as it's for the children...

While these beryl beauties aren't as stunning as the emerald earrings Jolie made famous at the 2009 Oscars, they are a WELCOME reprieve from the snoresville stud earring Jolie had in heavy rotation while promoting her last film, Salt. (see my earlier rant here for more)

Although it's hard to complain when she's got the best accessory of all on her arm... Just bring Brad and I'll keep the snark to myself.

Diamonds and Divas in DC

The 2010 Kennedy Center Honors were handed out this weekend to the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Sir Paul McCartney, Merle Haggard, Bill T. Jones and Jerry Herman. And the red carpet was littered with a tony crowd of well-wishers that included a wide range of jewelry choices.

Let's start with THE DIVAS:

The woman who put the D in Diva was on hand to upstage anyone who deigned make an entrance grander.

Diana Ross.

Floor-length mink? Check. Diamond jewelry overload? Check. Silver sequins? Check. The only thing missing was a wind machine and a Central Park downpour to make this moment shine brighter.

But no one outshines.... The Oprah.

Wearing a cleavage-bearing white dress shirt/gown combo, the O beamed in diamond teardrop earrings as she was honored (and roasted) by the likes of Chris Rock and President Obama, among others.

THE DANGLERS:

Shoulder duster earrings are making a comeback, with Holly Robinson Peete and Gayle King sporting the trend to perfection.

THE DOMINO EFFECT:

Black and white diamonds are a seasonal favorite, and Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles along with a surprisingly svelte Jennifer Hudson sparkled in subtle black/white earring choices like these beauties for only $166.

THE DO-OVER:

Who doesn't love Mary Louise Parker? I just don't love the bed-head hair, awkward red carpet pose and too-tired statement neck/long black gown combo. Check, please.

Thoughts, jewelry hounds?

Oh, and the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony (which ALWAYS makes me cry) airs on CBS on December 28th.

Holiday Jewelry Trend: Bling Out in Black and Gold

The holiday season is full of jewelry fashion conundrums. With office parties, ornament exchanges, kids' concerts, family functions and all manner of caroling and cocktailing - it's no wonder someone thought it best to spike the eggnog (well played).

But I've got a simple jewelry solution for every festive occasion that's both on trend and traditional: bling out in black and gold.

I spotted Katy Perry in the trend at the Grammy Nomination Party just last night.

Fashion darling, Christian Siriano, just launched his own vintage-inspired bauble line, Regal Estate, that's littered with black and gold beauties - all for $29.95 on his burgeoning fashion site sendthetrend.com.

The always fab, JewelClub, has a ton of black and gold styles in their sample sale stash for a steal.

And my favorite luxury location, Luxist, highlighted the trend recently with these more expensive interpretations.

My thought this year is to get two or three classic black and gold styles and rotate them. Pile 'em on for the big events or add just a sprinkle of sparkle for the daytime dalliances. And the looks will keep on giving year-round - unlike some trends that expire as soon as they make a splash (bug jewelry, anyone?)

So the moral of the story? Keep Santa season simple this year without skimping on style. And keep the eggnog close.

Duchess of Windsor's Jewelry Sells Big!

Update: Royal jewelry is all the rage these days. Sotheby's got WAY more than the expected $4.5 million for this highly anticipated sale. How does $12.5 million strike you?  And that stunning panther bracelet went for a whopping $7 million all by itself. Meow!


When it comes to the world of purchasing uber-jewelry, there are jewelry auctions ...and there are Jewelry Auctions.

Sotheby's is holding an event in the latter category this fall when the world can bid on 20 pieces from The Duchess of Windsor's haute couture jewelry collection.

The Duchess, formerly American socialite Wallace Simpson, was the woman behind King Edward the VIII abdicating the British throne back in 1936, creating a royal scandal so huge, Fergie's cornucopia of connundrums looks like chump change.

Thankfully for jewelry lovers, the Duke lavished his beloved with beautiful baubles throughout their lives (he abdicated the throne, not the royal bank account) and commissioned some of the world's most talented jewelry designers to do his bidding.

Here is just a sampling of the stash that Sotheby's expects will bring in upwards of $4.5 million.

This Cartier diamond bracelet is expected to garner a $350,000-450,000 pound pay day.


According to Luxist, Jeanne Toussaint, Cartier's High Jewelry Director, created this realistic onyx and diamond panther bracelet designed in 1952. It's considered one of the best of her "three dimensional "great cat jewels.


Jeanne Toussaint also created this flamingo brooch, decorated with rubies, sapphires, emeralds, citrines, and diamonds. It is listed with an estimate of 1,000,000-1,500,000 pounds ($1,520,000- $2,300,000) - and it's my personal favorite, in case you're doing some early Christmas shopping.


To celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary, The Duke commissioned this emerald, ruby and diamond brooch by Cartier that incorporated their initials. This piece is expected to realize 100,000-150,000 pounds ($152,000- $230,000).


The full auction, which includes 16 additional gems from the Windsor collection will take place in London on November 30th.

Which one of the Windsor wonders would you like to take home to your jewelry box?