If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives): jewelry design

Showing posts with label jewelry design. Show all posts

Time Wrapped Around Your Finger. The Ring Clock Becomes A Reality!

This award winning rechargeable time piece was initially designed by Gusztav Szikszai two years ago, sparking a lot of interest, with many people in various forums asking how they could get hold of one.

The Made in NYC Designer Holiday Tree is an initiative to help Save the Garment Center. 30+ fashion and jewelry designers, including Anna Sui, Shoshanna Lonstein, Nicole Miller, Nanette Lepore, Malia Mills and Theia’s Don O’Neill have designed $30 ornaments that will be sold with all proceeds benefiting STGC, making good on a request by Caravan Stylist Studio’s Claudine DeSola, a longtime Garment Center supporter.

The participants make all or most of their collections in New York. The designers’ creations will be unveiled to the public on The Carlton Hotel’s holiday tree Dec. 5 with a tree-lighting ceremony with the cast from the Broadway show “Pippin.” Shoppers can buy the ornaments Dec. 4 to 18 in the hotel’s lobby. But I have a sneak peek at all of them for you right here.

The Made in NYC tree stands to raise interest in local designers, something The Carlton Hotel’s Victor Freeman has helped champion. DeSola said, “Our goal is to turn The Carlton Hotel into a fashion ideas hub where we can generate different projects from the holiday program to art projects to fashion week initiatives.”

Caravan Stylist Studio and The Carlton Hotel have also teamed with the social marketing platform PromoJam and launched a digital holiday tree Tuesday that will display Instagram pictures taken by participating designers of their holiday ornaments so that fans can have a closer look.

images courtesy of Caravan Stylist Studio and Madeinnycholiday.com

David Yurman Tops Off Patron Anejo With A 24k Gold Embellished Dagger.

For the second time in a series of designer collaborations (the first was this 2012 Guitar Stopper by John Varvatos), Patron Spirits introduces a limited edition bottle stopper for this holiday season. The new collectible bottle accessory is crafted exclusively for Patron Anejo by Evan Yurman, Chief Design Director for David Yurman men's and timepiece collections. Patron's relationship with Yurman emerged from a shared commitment to understated luxury, meticulous craftsmanship and masculine elegance.

Die-cast in solid metal and electroplated in gun metal and 24K gold, the bottle stopper is an exceptional two-toned sword featuring elaborate metal carvings inspired by those depicted on the hand guards of 18th century Japanese Samurai swords; a reflection of Yurman's love for unique and rare objects, artwork and artifacts. Like Patron Anejo, Yurman's bottle stopper is bold, intricate and truly distinct.

"It was a thrill to work with Patron on this unique project," said Yurman. "Throughout time, armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical ability of the artisans who craft them. For me, there is an inseparable parallel between a finely honed weapon and a beautifully crafted piece of jewelry – they are truly one in the same and a natural extension of the work that inspires me." This inspiration is unmistakable in the one-of-a-kind, sophisticated design Yurman created to adorn the iconic bottle of Patron Anejo.

Each bottle of Patron Anejo is handcrafted with recycled glass and produced with unparalleled attention to detail. Patron Anejo is a delicate blend of uniquely aged tequilas, all aged in small white oak barrels for a minimum of 12 months. Similar to winemaking, each vintage of Patron Anejo is carefully blended to produce a smooth and distinctive-tasting tequila.

The bottle stopper, which comes in a special limited edition gift box, will be available at select retailers across the U.S. in November 2013 for a suggested retail price of $59.99.

Patron Spirits

Mordaunte's Coffin Shaped Gemstones & Jewelry Are A Spooky Way To Sparkle.

Mordaunte's Coffin-Shaped Gems and Jewelry specializes in semi-precious faceted gemstones, cut into a perfect 6-sided coffin shape by exclusive contract with an international gemstone company. Gemstones include colors such as Blood, Death, Shroud, Moss, Flesh, Scalded, and Pentacle. In stock sizes range from 3 to 10 carats.

"So far, I am the only one in the world that does this", states Mordaunte - owner, designer and creator (shown below).

In addition to the gemstones, she designs and creates finished jewelry in both men's and women's fashions. These include rings, earrings, pendants, and tie tacks, done in sterling silver as well as 14k gold. In keeping with the coffin-shaped design, purchases are even shipped in a cardboard coffin-shaped box. Mordaunte's clients buy her jewelry for costume decoration, funerary wear, immortalizing a departed loved one, wedding sets, and everyday wear with a "kick". "Most people don't realize it's a coffin shape until you tell them - they just comment that it's a beautiful stone", says Mordaunte, "When I mention that it's a coffin shape, they gasp - "That's awesome!". Many customers refer to her business as "The Morbid Tiffany's".

Mordaunte started her custom coffin-shaped gemstone "business" from her desk in her basement in the spring of 2000. She offered 3 different stone materials in two sizes. She then set up a internet service-provider website and went into business. Slowly, but surely, the business grew both in the USA and Internationally. More and more interest was revolving around her unusual gemstones, especially the idea of offering them in pre-made jewelry. Being in the IT field, she had never set a piece of jewelry in my life. However, after much research and "trial and error" she started setting her gemstones in oval and marquise pre-made settings.

As the business continued to grow it took on a life of it's own. Mordaunte began supplying jewelry to celebrities and rock bands that had found her online site. She was invited by the people at OzzFest to be a vendor on their tour. Radio stations and TV shows asked her for interviews. Haunted Houses, Horror Conventions and Gothic Nightclubs contacted her to be a guest and a vendor at their events. In 2005 Mordaunte re-designed the coffin gemstone shape to the perfect 6-sided coffin you see today and has added several colors to her line since then.

The coffin-shaped gems have made many a wicked woman happy and have been used as engagement rings, such as in the examples shown below.

A white topaz coffin gem surrounded by real diamonds makes for an unusual engagement ring:

above black glove image (cropped) © All rights reserved by Countessa Di Fangxious

Other jewelers use her stones as a source for their own creations, such as Lyndsay Brown of Idle Hands Designs on etsy who makes them into pendants, rings and cufflinks set in sterling silver:

shop for the above jewelry at Idle Hands

Coffin Gems and Jewelry Facts:
•All Coffin Gems are cut from genuine semi-precious stones such as sapphire and garnet
•The perfect 6-sided "toe pincher" coffin shape is exclusive to Mordaunte's Coffin Gems
•Each Coffin Gem is expertly faceted, polished and inspected by a professional gemologist
•Sizes are exact - weights are approximate (different gemstone materials weigh differently)
•Visit the Birthstones page for traditional and modern birthstone color charts
•Visit the Gemstones page for color choices and size comparison
•Each piece of jewelry is custom designed in Sterling Silver to hold the Coffin Gems, but is available in other settings upon request