Dialing For Dollars. Russian Bejewelled Luxury Mobile Phone Goes On Sale.

Seems we can't get enough of luxury mobile phones and Russia's Isse is yet another player in that arena. And right now their newest model, The Monaco, is reduced in price by over $1000 each. And PS. each comes in an exotic wood music box.



ISSE was established in 2005 and unites the efforts of specialists from Europe and Russia in design, jewelery art, marketing and high tech. As a result they offer exclusive limited edition jewel encrusted mobile phones.

The newest addition to their line is the Monaco.
With the efforts of the best specialists from Milan, Moscow and New York, four original models of the Monaco were created.

The front panel of the phone is entirely done of gold and silver. The design of the metal is done by applying the technique of “heated enamel”.

A real 1.5 carat diamond, natural ruby, garnet and topaz are embedded in the phone. The display is protected from bruising by a specially created sapphire glass. A multi-step hand grinding, engraving, polishing of the corpus and different ways to apply the platinum, gold, silver and color-stable enamel, stress the individuality of each model. In total 60 technological steps are needed for the creation of such a phone.

For each ISSE “Monaco” phone, adhering to the age-old Italian traditions, a bejewelled hand-made case is created. Each is made from different pieces of rare woods. Inside there is an original Swiss musical mechanism.

When the case is finished it is being locked by an individual key and the music dies away until its owner chooses to replay it.

“Monaco it’s our third collection of exclusive phones,” – says the ISSE’s general director Vladislav Mukhin, -“for its creation we were inspired by the atmosphere of the European paradise – princedom Monaco.

Each model has preserved the emotion and beauty of Monaco: its azure coast, fashionable villas, snow-white yachts, burring in verdure gardens and the excitement and profusion of Monte Carlo. And even the midday sun shines as if it was diademed (sic) in a golden crown, surrounded by diamonds and rubies.”

The Monaco Exclusive (blue or gold):



The front panel is entirely done of white gold
Heated black enamel
130 diamonds of a 1,5 Ct weight (VS1 quality), topaz.
Sapphire glass
The corpus is covered by a resistant turquoise enamel
Colors: blue and gold

Price
 was :$ 3,900 now on sale for: $ 2,100

Monaco Sun (red, white, black or gold):


The front panel is entirely done of white gold
Heated black enamel
45 diamonds of a 0,5 Ct weight (VS1 quality), topaz.
Sapphire glass
The corpus is covered by a resistant turquoise enamel
Colors: White, red, black and gold


Price:
 was $ 3,500 now on sale for $ 1,990

Monaco Goldkin (gold or red):


The front panel is entirely done of white gold
Heated black enamel
45 diamonds of a 0,5 Ct weight (VS1 quality), topaz.
Sapphire glass
The corpus is covered by a resistant turquoise enamel
Colors: red and gold



Price
: was $ 3,400, now on sale for $ 1,900

Other models:



Each bejewelled hand-made Monaco comes with:
▪ ISSE mobile phone
▪ Charging facilities
▪ Extra accumulator
▪ Soft cover
▪ Hands-free
▪ Instruction
▪ Guarantee stub
▪ Owner certificate
▪ Certificate on precious stones and metals
▪ Certificate of the Ministry of communication of Russian Federation

You may order the phone or get additional information contacting by:
+7 (495) 585-9655


learn more here.

Mosaic Portraits Made From Real Diamonds, Sapphires and Gemstones: The Ultimate Custom Luxury

Looking for an incredibly personal and decadent gift to give someone special? How about a custom portrait made of diamonds and sapphires and set in 18k gold? Too much? Okay, then how about some semi-precious stones set in sterling silver? Either way, Gemstone Creative of the UK can make it for you.

Whether it's a photo, artwork, a company logo or anything special to you, they will turn the image into a very valuable and unique piece of art. Talented and skilled artists and craftsmen hand-set gemstones to recreate the image in a bespoke wall mountable piece for you.

Here are some examples of their work:
Marilyn Monroe:


Jay-Z:


Queen Elizabeth:


David Beckham:

President Barack Obama:

Tiger:



Almost any kind of gemstone can be used from diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and rubies, to semi precious stones such as amethysts, peridot, tanzanite, and quartz. All the stones are brilliant cut (round) so as long as the stone can be properly cut to size and ordered in volume (if applicable) then there should not be any problems.



Since each piece uses anywhere from two to tens of thousands of 0.25ct gemstones, the final price can not be determined until the type of gemstone and required quantities are decided on along with the precious metal they are to be set in.



As you'd expect, precious gemstones will be more expensive than semi precious stones, and 18k gold will be more costly than sterling silver. The prices are based on current market values and hence will fluctuate accordingly. They will provide you with a final price prior to starting any work on your design, and upon acceptance of this, payments will take the form of three separate installments.

All of the pieces are produced in London, England, where many of the world’s best jewellery craftsmen are located and having them made here ensures the highest level of workmanship. In fact, all the members of their team are based in or around London which prevents lag time delays occurring which is crucial for a business where each piece can take months to produce.

The Artists
Adrian Firth, Tessa Hunkin, Claire Milner and Ed Chapman, some of the world's most acclaimed mosaic artists, have all been commissioned to produce international mosaic projects at the highest level. They have honed their expertise in the ancient and delicate art of renovation of intricate mosaics in landmark cathedrals and important cultural heritage sites, as well as developing contemporary installations in public and private spaces.

The Process:

above: clockwise from upper left, Byzantine mosaic as inpiration, peacock artwork, peacock set in gems and detail.

The Craftsmen:



detail of the final product:


Their craftsmen have between them over 100 years experience in creating magnificent pieces of jewellery for acclaimed designers, celebrities, royalty, and private clients. Each Gemstone Creative piece is intricately assembled, and depending on size will use anywhere from several thousand to tens of thousands of gemstones which are all individually set in precious metal, be it gold, silver, or platinum. Gemstone Creative has spent a considerable amount of time sourcing, developing, and perfecting the artistic process.

The final product:


Ethical Sourcing (No blood diamonds!):

They only source quality gemstones and precious metals. Their suppliers follow the guidelines laid out by the Responsible Jewellery Council which is committed to promoting responsible ethical, human rights, social, and environmental practices in a transparent and accountable manner throughout the industry.

All their suppliers are members of the following trade associations:
• British Jewellers Association (BJA)
• International Coloured Stone Association (ICA)
• London Diamond Bourse and Club
• World Federation of Diamond Bourses

As far as how long it takes to get your custom product, it entirely depends on the size of the piece and the materials it is made from. Our smallest piece, 20cmx20cm, will take approximately 2-3 months to complete and this may increase slightly as the size of the piece gets bigger.

Gemstone Creative is an ambitious collaborative project that has opened a new chapter in the history of mosaic art. The idea is the brainchild of co-founders Sarah Sultman and Mark Hirschel who have spent over one year attentively assembling a team of renowned mosaic artists, specialist jewellery stone setters, and skilled craftsmen whose combined talents have made it technically possible to create complex, contemporary, luxury mosaic pieces.


Gemstone Creative

Special thanks to Luxury Launches!

Brangelina's "Protector Collection" For Asprey To Benefit Charity.

Photo of brad and angelina: © Rex; photo of snake cuff, Asprey, composite by if It's Hip, It's Here


The 'Protector Collection' is a series of fine jewelry for both children and adults as well as sterling silver baby gifts, all incorporating a snake motif.



According to Asprey, during Jolie's first pregnancy with Shiloh in 2006, she was given a snake ring, intended to guard her and her unborn child. The symbol has become a family guardian to the Jolie-Pitts, and in the Protector Collection, it appears in everything from fine jeweled bracelets to rings, earrings and pendants available for both children and adults.



The collection, all of which is shown here, has been meticulously created with Asprey by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt to benefit a charity close to their hearts. The limited collection of fine jewels and silver objects was inspired by Angelina's reflection on the snake as an iconic guardian, a cultural symbol of family protection. All net proceeds will be donated to the Education Partnership For Children of Conflict (EPCC).



The child's Protector bangle bracelets come in yellow, white or 18k rose gold and feature two snakes with emerald cabochon eyes. Available with either two emerald cabochon eyes totalling .06 carats only or the more ornate style set with 0.76ctw of diamonds and 0.22 ctw of emeralds.


above: Child's bangle bracelet in 18k yellow gold with diamonds totaling 0.76 carats and emerlads totalling .022 carats


above: Child's protector bangle in yellow or rose 18k gold an set with 2 emerald cabochon eyes, each .03 carats.

The Child/adult gem sprinkled pendants and rings feature 104 fully faceted cut stones as small as one millimeter each, set in white, yellow or rose 18k gold.





Two adult-sized fine diamond and emerald gem encrusted snake bangle bracelets are set in platinum. The single curled snake opens with a hinge clasp, the two entwined snakes bangle is solid but flexible.




The Child/ Adult earrings are set with 154 individual stones and use the snake's tail as both a design element and the fitting that secures the earring:


The rings are flush set with emerald cabochon eyes and black or white diamonds portray the 'scales':


In addition to gem encrusted versions of the rings, pendants and earrings, styles are available with just emerald eyes and in 18k yellow, rose or white gold:



The Protector Collection also includes a sterling silver baby spoon, egg cup, birth certificate holder and tooth box, all with the snake motif. According to some reports, a silver snake photo frame is also part of the collection, but it's not yet on the Asprey site.

Sterling silver baby spoon:


Sterling silver egg cup:


Sterling silver birth certificate holder:



This is not the first time Brad has taken a whack at being a jewelry designer. You may recall that years ago, when he was married to Jennifer Aniston, he designed their supposedly 'one of a kind' wedding bands with Damiani who then continued to sell the band style, were threatened with a $50 million dollar lawsuit by Pitt and Aniston, and settled by selling a line designed by Brad that including an inscription explaining that they were designed with Brad Pitt:



The individual pieces in The Protector Collection are limited editions and handcrafted at the Asprey London flagship store, 167 New Bond Street. Each silver piece carries the 5 quality hallmarks applied by the London Assay Office. The pieces were be available beginning 17th November 2009.



Brangelina has been very generous to the EPCC. which Angelina co-founded in 2006. In June of 2008, the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict announced that the Jolie-Pitt Foundation made a $1 million contribution to support the education of 8,000 young people from both the United States and Iraq impacted by the recent conflict. The donation supported four organizations who work to help provide education and support to both children who have lost parents, homes, and schooling opportunities in Iraq as well as young people in the United States who are coping with the long deployment, injury, or even the death of a parent serving in the United States Armed Services.

all images and info courtesy of Asprey , the National Jeweler's Network and WWD

Asprey