Angelina Jolie is partnering with Robert Procop, the designer who worked with Brad Pitt to make her engagement ring, to exhibit a jewelry collection bearing her name, Style of Jolie, at the Grand Hotel in Cap Ferrat and Monaco's Hotel de Paris from July 15 through August 15, with proceeds from sales going to a charity of Jolie's choice.
Take a look at the jewelry, along with her engagement ring. Jewelry supposedly reflects your personality and Jolie's pieces seem to be as blank as she is. She rarely smiles in photos, afraid to project any aspect of what's really going on in her life lest she be judged or revealed.
Jolie seldom wears jewelry that sparkles. She seems so serious all the time. I wonder if she's ever been one of those crazy moms who rolls around on the floor with her children, build forts out of blankets over chairs, makes baking soda volcanoes, lets her daughters into her makeup, or allow her kids to eat chocolate for breakfast? Someone needs to give Jolie a zzuugghh.
Emeralds...said to be Jolie's favorite.
Matching emerald bracelet.
Looks like Pier 1 jewelry but is actually a 27 carat emerald ring.
Green quartz tablet earrings.
Emerald cut diamonds have fewer facets so they're don't have the sparkle
of other cuts, but that also means that they need to be the best
quality. Jolie's ring was designed by Brad Pitt and is thought to be 17 carats made from the finest diamonds available. But even it is flat.
Apparently it's raining (or reigning, as many of these amazing stones come from royal houses) diamonds during the busy gem auction month of May. Some of the most important diamonds in history have come upon the auction block and have passed into the hands of individuals whose wealth is so stealth they have 10 million dollars of disposable income budgeted just for baubles.
First we have the Beau Sancy diamond, purchased yesterday for $9.7 million dollars by an anonymous buyer at Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels auction in Geneva. Remaining anonymous is important because the buyer is thought to be European and they are supposed to be poor these days and behaving themselves with all kinds of austerity. The oldest diamond to ever land on the auction block, the 400 year old, 34.98 carat Beau Sancy, was worn by Marie de Medici during her coronation as queen consort to Henri IV in France in 1610. Apparently the story goes that once Marie saw the diamond she had to have it and nagged the philandering Henri until he bought it for her. This tells us that nagging one's spouse for special favors remains an extremely successful technique some 400 years later.
By 1631, crippled with debt, Marie, now the widowed Queen Mother of France, sold the Beau Sancy to a royal Dutch family where it was used to seal the wedding of William II of Orange to Mary Stuart, daughter of King Charles I. After William's death, Stuart returned to England and sold the diamond to fund her brother's, Charles II, fight for the throne.
Passed among the royal families in France, England, Prussia and the
Netherlands, the stone was sold by the Royal House of Prussia, the line
of descendants that once ruled Prussia.
Next blog...for all of the Jamie Fraser, "Outlander" freaks out there, a historic
diamond once owned by Charles Edward Stuart, better known as Bonnie
Prince Charlie, who owned the stone when the Jacobite Rebellion was crushed at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
Score another one for Christie's. Still recovering from their record setting auction of Elizabeth Taylor's personal jewel collection, on April 17th, Christie's will handle the disposition of the rare and outstanding gems and jewelry recently found when late copper mining heiress, Huguette Clark's, safety deposit box was opened. Sealed for more than seven decades, head of jewelry for Christie's, Rahul Kadakia, said it was like "chasing a rainbow" when he finally saw the gems. I agree with Mr. Kadakia,who further said, "Opening the vault to find this treasure trove of period jewels from the best French houses of the early 1900's has certainly been one of the most extraordinary moments in my 15 year career here at Christie's." However I keep thinking this was some kind of A&E's Storage Wars for the rich.
Every piece was still in it's original, vintage box and includes this
Cartier 19.86 carat, D, potentially internally flawless, diamond ring
from the 1930's, with an estimated value of $2 to $3 million
dollars...which seems low to me.
And then there was the extremely rare Belle Epoque, 9 carat, fancy, vivid
purple-pink, diamond by Dreicer & Co., circa 1910,
valued at $6 to $8 million dollars, which she inherited from her mother.
Among the 17 items found were two unbelievable Cartier bracelets. This
one is an art deco diamond and emerald piece valued at $50,000 to
$70,000.
And the other is this all diamond bracelet which has been estimated at $300,000 to $500,000. Seen wearing them in the photo above, this was one of the last known images
of Clark, which was taken after she signed her divorce papers and right
before she went into seclusion.
Not to mention the real estate. Clark left three New York apartments which overlook Central Park and are believed to be the biggest in the city. Two occupy the entire 8th floor of a Fifth Avenue address. The third unit takes up one half of the 12th floor at the same address and was used to store her doll collection. Cue the tinkly, creepy "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" music. The real estate is estimated to fetch in the neighborhood of $55 million dollars.
Of course there are two wills, and the contesting will go on for years. Huguette had no children and reportedly left the bulk of her $400 million fortune to her nurse. This person should look both ways before she crosses those busy New York streets.
There are more pictures of Jessica Biel without her new ring than there are with. Why the mystery? In case Justin Timberlake cheats on her again, she can say they were never really engaged. Although specifics are hard to find, the ring appears to have a large square stone with vintage elements.
I'm really surprised that people aren't talking about what looks a baby bump.
Next is Drew Barrymore. She recently became engaged to "art consultant", Will Koppleman. He presented her with a four carat radiant cut diamond from Graff reportedly valued at $80,000. Like a good Jewish boy - he gave good diamond. Barrymore said, "He's just got lovely taste, and it's really fancy. I'm sort of like funky, eclectic girl, so I feel like this is very fancy and I'm trying to like, you know, feel comfortable with it."
I could, like you know, get comfortable with a ring like that. Like, you know.
And last but not least, there is Snooki. Presented with a true jersey girl ring, it's a custom made three carat princess cut diamond sitting on top of a two carat eternity band. Of course it is. I'd reserve the eternity band part as my wedding ring and have a plain mounting for the princess cut stone. Wait until those diamonds start popping out when she hits it against beer cans.
Pregnancy rumors swirled around Drew and Snooki with only Snooki confirming she is expecting. I bet their girlgyna-cologists will have front row seats at the weddings.
This looks like an x-ray of something retrieved from a stomach, but it's really a close up of Snooki's ring.
There were so many beautiful jewels on the red carpet last night along with a few trends and some very special pieces. First...diamond cuffs and wide diamond bracelets.
Do you think photographers don't remove the stunned background humans on purpose as a way to get back at celebrities for being such assholes. Could this woman possibly think this was her photo op? Regardless, you know right now she's wishing she spent that extra time at the gym.
Gwyneth wears Anna Hu Haute Joaillerie Hearts of Winter cuff
bracelet made of 2,368 rose-cut, round brilliant diamonds weighing 163 carats
and valued at $1 million; and the double hoop Duchess Hibiscus Ring made of
rose cut and round diamonds with purple sapphires set in 18-karat white gold
and valued at $160,000. Ahhhmaazing.
Viola Davis looked lovely, if not a little "from the valley of the jolly....ho, ho, ho, " in Vera Wang and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.
Viola recycling Lorraine Schwartz's wide champagne and white diamond cuff. It seems to be the "go to" bracelet because it has also been worn by Taylor Swift and Ashley Green at events earlier in the year. See below...
Taylor Swift - not making an odd face for a change.
Ashley Green - not sure who she is but she nailed the look.
Penelope Ann Miller from "The Artist" wears a rare three-carat pink radiant diamond ring, surrounded by pink and
white diamonds; an art-deco 24-carat diamond encrusted cuff bracelet;
and 11-carat halo drop diamond earrings, all from Blue Nile. Blue Nile is one of the best on-line resources for diamond knowledge.
These are Kristin Wiig's hands showing off three wide platinum and diamond bracelets along with a platinum, emerald, ruby and diamond ring by Neil Lane. Since she usually wears flesh-tone on the red carpet she should have lost that dark nail polish. Every time I see a woman wearing it I know her nails are skoovatch underneath.
Nina Garcia from "Project Runway" wearing a vintage Fred Leighton platinum ring set with a 14 carat rose cut diamond and a 1950's platinum bracelet.
Miss Piggy, also wearing Fred Leighton. Oh... wait, is that a nipple slip?
We're all familiar with the tempestuous marriages of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton so I won't bore you with their legendary stories. Sigh...we just don't hear those kinds of tales about today's celebrities. We're much more interested in news of recent plastic surgery, like Meg Ryan's jaw dropping corrective face lift...it's about time she noticed how weird she looked. Or how scary skinny Kelly Ripa (who looks like she can't wait to throw up in the nearest toilet so she can get rid of that forkful of food she is allowing herself just because she's being photographed) is.
Meg Ryan as the Joker on the left. Today, post Joker surgery.
Gag...Ripa looks like a little boy but eats like an anorexic.
Taylor and Burton adored, hated, adored and hated each other. I believe they shared a unique passion for love and life, however, when you have sombrero sized egos, only one can fit in a room. Between both marriages, Burton bejeweled Taylor with some of the most important gems in the world...ever. There are so many...here are the best of them.
The Grand Duchess Vladimir suite started off with the amazing emerald and diamond brooch Liz is wearing. Burton and Taylor met in the early 60's on the set of Cleopatra. Their love affair caused so much gossip back then you would have thought they were filming porn. As it was, Liz only showed a little cleavage in the movie.
Burton built upon the Bulgari Grand Duchess Vladimir Suite in the early 60's when he added this magnificent Bulgari emerald and diamond necklace. Then, he went jewelry crazy. The necklace pre-auction estimate: $1,000,000-$1,500,000; the pendant: $500,000-$700,000; the ring: $600,000-$800,000; and the earrings: $150,000-$200,000.
Burton said the only Italian word Liz new was "Bulgari". I know a few curse words.
What happens to us?
Tiffany's, Jean Schlumberger, "Night of the Iguana" brooch, 1964. Estimated pre-auction value $200,00-$300,000.
The Taylor-Burton Diamond, a 69.42 carat, D-IF, pear shaped stone, was purchased by Burton in 1967 from Cartier for $1.1 million. The stone was quickly re-set into the more frequently seen cleavage necklace Liz dangled between her bubbies, because even Liz thought it was too big to wear as a ring. In 1978, Taylor sold the stone for $3,000,000, two years after the end of her second marriage to Burton, in part to help fund a school in Botswanna (and is said to have later regretted selling it). Today, the stone is reported to be in the hands of Lebanese diamond dealer, Robert Mouawad, who paid in the neighborhood of $5,000,000 for it and then had the stone re-cut to a more manageable 68.09 carats. This will not be in the Christie's auction.
The Krupp Diamond (now known as the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond), 33.19 carats, D- VS1, a gift from Burton in 1968 (purchase price then, $305,000). Previously owned by Nazi sympathizer, Alfried Krupp, Taylor thought it funny a little Jewish girl like her wound up with the diamond. She wore it almost every day of her life. Estimated pre-auction value of $2,500,000-$3,500,000.
A close-up of "this old thang".
La Peregrina pearl. Burton gave Taylor this historical bird's egg pearl in 1961. It was once owned by Queen Mary I. Extra necklace sparkly parts courtesy of Cartier. Estimated pre-auction value of $2,000,000-$3,000,000.
The "Granny Suite". Burton gave this Van Cleef and Arpels suite to Taylor in honor of her first grandchild at age 39, born in 1971. Estimated pre-auction value of the necklace is $120,000-$180,000.
Van Cleef and Arpels "Granny" earrings. Estimated pre-auction value of $25,000-$35,000.
The main component of the Bulgari sautoir is a 52.72 carat sugarloaf Burmese sapphire. Burton gave this to Taylor in 1972 for her 40th birthday.
Bulgari sapphire and diamond ring was added later. Pre-auction value of $600,000.
The Taj Mahal diamond circa 1627. This historically significant diamond was once owned by the man who built it. Another outstanding gift given to Taylor by Burton for her 40th birthday in 1972. Estimated pre-auction value of $300,000-$500,000
It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for those lucky enough to view Taylor's jewel collection while on tour this fall. The proceeds of the sale, some of which will benefit the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, will leave a legacy for generations to come. Initial estimates of her collection are around $30,000,000 but experts believe it will be triple that, or more. I just can't believe her children, especially her daughters, are not lusting after at least one of the important gems in her collection -just to remember her by.
For those amongst us who truly covet the beautiful gems of the world and the back stories of those who owned them, get ready because some of the most magnificent jewelry in the world are about to be recycled. From Cartier and Van Cleef and Arpels to JAR and Bulgari, this December, Christie's will auction Elizabeth Taylor's complete jewelry collection, estimated to be worth 30 million dollars or more. Christie's will also auction a group of Taylor's better costume jewelry along with some of her clothes, which seems a little Skelator to me; however, as we all know, there is a market for everything. Over the next few weeks I'll look a little more closely at Liz's jewels and the stories behind them.
One of her most memorable jewels is the Krupp diamond, now known as the "Elizabeth Taylor Diamond," which Richard Burton bought for her in 1968 for $305,000. At that time, this was the highest price ever paid for a diamond at auction. An Ascher cut diamond, weighing 33.19 carats of D, VS1 magnificence, today the diamond is valued at between $2,500,000 - $3,000,000.
Previously owned by Vera Krupp von Bohlen und Halback, wife of the German industrialist, Alfried Krupp, etc., etc., the diamond was auctioned after Vera's death. There is a somewhat creepy background to the stone as Alfried was a key supplier of weapons and material to the Nazis during World War II. Krupp's insistence on using slave labor taken directly from the concentration camps, even when free German labor was offered from the government, resulted in his trial and ultimate three year imprisonment after the war.
The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, 33.19 carats, D Color, potentially Internally Flawless.
Gift from Richard Burton, May 16, 1968.
Eat your heart out Kim Kardashian.
As a nod to Oprah’s farewell week, let’s take a look at her jewelry and her style over the years. I just spent the weekend viewing hundreds of images of her and girrrrrllllll…….she's got some bodacious jewels. I’m not sure I’m in total sync with her clothing stylist because her looks have been hit or miss over the years, but one thing is for sure: as she acquired wealth, she definitely got better jewelry.
Oprah’s Earrings
Starting with the 1970’s look. Not fair because we all looked like dorks back then. Funny how we thought we looked so good. Do you suppose she still wears these peace earrings every now and then?
By the 80’s, the hair was getting bigger as were the earrings. These were the years we ruined our ear lobes. We all talked about getting surgery on them but few of us did. There are lots of little lobe backs and discs you can use to camouflage any flaw you have. Look closely at the image above. Her earrings look eerily like Michael Jackson’s gloves.
In the 1990’s we still had big hair and big earrings and Toontown gave birth to the smoky eye. However, in the image above you can see she has discovered yellow diamonds. Oprah seems to favor drops, and although I don’t know for sure, they look like they could be detachable. Her diamond necklace is gorgeous as well.
1997-These must be an extra pair she keeps laying around. They are small compared to what she owns today.
2004-Chandelier earrings were new on the scene and we sold lots of them. Oprah looks good in hanging earrings.
2006-I used to see her wear her yellow diamonds a lot but I haven’t seen them in a while. These could be about 10 carats per ear and could easily cost over $250,000 each.
2011 - It’s really hard to estimate the carat weight of these earrings but they are huge. Could be 5-10 carats each. If you check out Blue Nile, you can find radiant cut diamonds at approximately 6.0 tcw, G, VS-1, and are selling for around $233,000 each, making the approximate value of Oprah’s earrings close to a half million dollars.
I was really surprised not to find any definitive information on the size and value of Oprah's earrings, or of the diamond house that sold them to her. I found very general estimates of “10 carats," but they did not indicate whether or not that was total weight for one earring, or the total weight for both. In my opinion, the bottom of one earring (one pear stone) could be as much as 10 carats. And, of course, Oprah would only have the best quality diamonds available. On eBay right now in the loose diamond category, a 7.89 carat, pear shaped, D-IF, GIA certified loose diamond (D-IF is the top quality you can buy) is selling for $1,922,004. If you want to sacrifice a little clarity, you can find a 12.15 carat, pear shaped, D-VVS2, GIA certified loose diamond for $1,321,876. This gives you some idea of how much just one stone can cost. The thing is, you must find four equally matched stones to create these earrings, and that is not easy to do. So as you can imagine, Oprah has a very special pair of earrings.
Oprah’s Watches
Considering how much she spends on her diamonds, I’m surprised by her watches. You don’t see her wear one in many photos, but she is very faithful to Philip Stein. Oprah gave them away on her Favorite Things shows in 2003, 2005 and 2010.
In 2010, Philip Stein commemorated her 25 years on TV with a special edition diamond and non-diamond version. The two and the five are highlighted to recognize 25 years on the Oprah Show. We carry Philip Stein in my store and I remember when these watches came in right before the holidays. We only got one diamond and one non-diamond version as they were limited editions. No sooner had we put them in the case when someone came in for the diamond watch. She was a true Oprah devotee, and although her head didn’t exactly spin 360° around, and she looked like Susan Boyle, pre-makeover, she was damn happy to get this watch.
