Chopard Celebrates with the A-List

Jewelry events thrown by luxury design houses are often the best parties for bauble gawking, and no one does it better than Chopard.

Celebrating 150 years of sparkling style and the launch of their couture collection, Animal World (see an earlier post for details), the Swiss watch and jewelry maker threw a soiree last night at Manhattan's Frick Museum where A-list beauties mingled with high society - all dripping in Chopard diamonds.


Gwyenth Paltrow looked lovely in a long lace Antonio Berrardi gown with Chopard’s fancy shape diamond chandeliers set in platinum (24.2 carats) and a rose cut diamond ring set in platinum (13.3 carats).

Kate Hudson sparkled in a grey Lanvin number with Chopard’s chalcedony, sapphire, diamond and iolite chandeliers, a multicolor pearl (558 carats) and diamond (54 carats) sautoir and south sea pearl, pink and black diamond ring. Stunning.

Christina Ricci worked a vintage Kermit green Galanos gown with Chopard’s fancy shape diamond earrings set in 18kt white gold (33 carats).

And Claire Danes looked lovely in Lanvin with air-shaped diamond chandelier earrings set in platinum (20 carats) and a paraiba tourmaline and diamond bracelet set in 18kt white gold (131 carats).

Finally model, Eugenia Silva, rocked Chopard’s black and white diamond swallow necklace set in 18kt rose gold ( 25 carats) and black and white swallow diamond earrings (13.6 carats) from the 150th Anniversary Collection, Animal World.

Blinded by all the ice? It gets better. The New York Times reported that one lucky socialite had to double up on the diamonds when her husband surprised her by purchasing a 'ram'-inspired Chopard necklace from the Animal World collection for, oh, a mere $250,000 - so she had to throw it over the $700,000 diamond bib number she was (sigh) already wearing.

I'm going to lose a lot of sleep thinking about her predicament. No, really.

Tribeca Film Festival Jewelry Style

Jewelry moments on the red carpet are few and far between now that Awards Season is behind us, but there are still some sparkling showings at events like the Tribeca Film Festival to crow about.

Here are few of my favorite baubles so far:

Statement Makers:

Who said the statement necklace is dead? Oh right. I did. Enter Joan Rivers, who never met a bib necklace she didn't wear with a metallic mumu.

The Celebrity Apprentice winner was there to celebrate the premiere of the documentary based on her life, aptly called A Piece of Work.

Jessica Alba and one other festivalgoer joined Joan in the big necklace brigade.





Diamond Danglers:

Kate Hudson, there to debut her film, The Killer Inside Me (and rumored new breast implants??), sparkled in a concealing Louis Vuitton cape and diamond dangle earrings.


And the always fetching Amanda Peet dangled her diamonds at the Please Give showing.


It's All in the Wrist:

Finally cuffs and bangles continue to trend big with Kristin Bell and Zoe Kravitz in chunky styles at the tony Chanel dinner held last night.


And Nikki Reed shined in some serious wristwear ice for the film, Odine.



What do you think of the Tribeca jewelry style so far? Curious about the movie line up? Click here to see the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival full schedule!

Hot Trend: Teething Jewelry

New moms, like myself, have reluctantly retired our everyday jewelry box items for a spell until our little ones are no longer apt to drool on the diamonds (or yank them from our necks, as the case may be). But mommy bloggers-turned-entrepreneurs are buzzing about a new jewelry trend that will bring the bling back to our post-baby lives - teething jewelry!

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Made from stuff that includes letters moms like to see (FDA-approved, BPA-free), teething jewelry replaces your colored gemstones with colorful silicone made into necklace, bracelet and key chain styles.

My favorite hails from Smart Mom Jewelry - a donut-shaped pendant that comes in every color of the rainbow (I'm partial to trendy turquoise for spring - especially with the $19.10 price tag). The 'smart moms' who started this company have a patent pending for the miracle gems and even have a cadre of celebs convinced - from Angela Basset to uber-mom, Tori Spelling.

According to a recent ABC News report, there are many other hot teething jewelry sites on the rise, including:

Sonny and Reed: http://www.sonnyandreed.com/catalog/

Dr. Bloom's Chewable Jewelry: http://www.docbloom.com/

Oh Plah!: http://www.ohplah.com

I smell a Mother's Day gift idea...

What do you guys think? Would you wear teething jewelry while your babes cut their cuspids? Or do you think it only encourages the little tykes to snarf on the real deal? Weigh in!

Chelsea Clinton's Engagement Ring Photos

Blurry though they may be, at long last Chelsea Clinton diamond engagement ring photos are making the rounds this week.

The Huffington Post published these shots captured while the uber-offspring was taking in the premiere of Broadway's latest hit, "Promises, Promises". The crutches, while giving us a great gawk at her ring finger, are there to help her nurse a broken heel.


Still no diamond details in terms of cut and carat-count, but by the looks of it her groom-to-be has good taste (and a sizable diamond budget). Would we expect anything less for our Chelsea?

The former first daughter announced her engagement to long-term beau, Marc Mezvinsky, in November. They are expected to wed this summer with details being Washington's best kept secret.

Stay tuned!

Ruby Ring Brings in Millions

Jewelry hounds, I've found the 'covet of the day' bling for your drooling pleasure.

Recently both Christie's and Sotheby's held successful jewelry auctions, with diamonds, emeralds and pearls exchanging hands for millions. But this particular gem caught my eye - a stunner of a ruby ring once owned by philanthropist (aka: filthy rich) eccentric, Isabella Stewart Gardner.

Mounted in platinum, the cushion-cut ruby ring weighs 8.66 carats and is flanked by single-cut diamonds weighing approximately .12 carats. The piece sold at Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels sale for (wait for it....) $2.098 million (!) with a pre-sale estimate of only $1 million to $1.5 million.

According to Luxist, Gardner was a visionary patron of the arts whose personal collection of fine jewelry and decorative art is housed in her former home, now an esteemed Boston museum, called the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. She was strong-minded and intellectually curious and enjoyed her reputation in Victorian era Boston for leading an avant-garde lifestyle - with a particular penchant for rubies.

This particular ruby was originally purchased with a $50,000 inheritance given to Gardner by her brother when he died as a token of remberance. Now many decades (and quite a few zeros) later, some lucky bidder walked away with her sentimental stone - and let's hope a few body guards for good meausre.

What kind of jewelry would you buy with $50,000? Are you a diamond diva or a gemstone kinda gal? Weigh in!

Naomi Campbell's Diamond Disaster

Saucy supermodel, Naomi Campbell, unwisely added an 'icy' altercation over a diamond to her long list of offenses this week. If you thought that sentence was bizarre wait 'til you hear the details.

Apparently actress/activist Mia Farrow (of all people) told ABC news that Campbell bragged about receiving a blood diamond from one Charles Taylor, a former Liberian strongman on trial for war crimes. When an ABC television reporter broached the subject with the always even-tempered Naomi, well, you can guess what happened:

a. something was hurled
b. someone was hit
c. something was smashed
d. all of the above

The answer this time is only "c" - a camera was the collateral damage of one very angry supermodel who responded before hitting a TV camera and leaving in a huff:

"I didn't receive a diamond and I'm not going to speak about that."

Will Woody Allen's former mate convince Woody Allen's former muse? Stay tuned...

JIC Collects 10 Best Proposals

Jewelry hounds, I've got good news: romance is alive and well in America. The Jewelry Information Center (JIC) just unveiled its nationwide search for the best engagement proposal, and they've collected 10 incredible stories that make the 'Jewelry Store Proposal' I wrote about yesterday look like amateur hour.

One guy took the time to plant tulip bulbs (his honey's favorite flower) that spelled out the words "Marry Me?" when they bloomed - after 6 months of careful primping and pruning! Another fella created a scavenger hunt that culminated with a diamond ring and a gaggle of his girlfriend's childhood chums there to celebrate. And my personal favorite is the dentist who took his Ohio State graduate girlfriend to OSU stadium and proposed to her on the 50 yard line (Go Buckeyes!).

But this is just the tip of the 'ice' berg. The JIC Ultimate Proposal Contest collected over 1200 proposal stories from member retailers like Kay Jewelers, Jared and Osterman Jewelers and listed the top ten on their website for us to vote on. Why vote, you ask? Because the winning couple gets a trip to Santorini, Greece and platinum jewelry courtesy of Platinum Guild International, USA.

And it's just good karma.

So visit www.JIC.org/proposalcontest and weigh in with your favorite story of love. They allow one vote per day - so be sure to go back more than once if the spirit moves you. We have until April 30th to get these guys to Greece!

A Jewelry Store Proposal?

Diamond rings have been given by way of champagne flute, dessert dish and just plain old bended knee, but recently one New Yorker used a jewelry store window to do the deed - and do it well.

The New York Daily News reports that one creative Manhattanite used an Upper East Side jeweler's display window to stage a fancy wedding proposal for the love of his life - and she said "yes."

"Oh, my God, it is beautiful," Alex Routenberg (26) said, as Tom DeBourcy (26) slipped a 2-carat diamond ring on her finger.

DeBourcy popped the question during a stroll past Jeri Cohen Fine Jewelry on Third Avenue, where he had arranged for flowers and a "Will you marry me Alexandra?" sign to be displayed.

The love birds attended the same high school near Chicago but didn't meet until he looked her up on (wait for it...) Facebook!

"I asked who the hell he was, and two and a half years later ...," she said.

And while the bride-to-be gave her sig. other props for the creative proposal, she was perhaps more excited to discover the jewelry store he used is the same one New York Housewife Jill Zarin frequents.

"I always walk by and say to my mom, 'This is the place where Jill Zarin goes!'"

Gotta love a woman with priorities.

Do you have a fun proposal story to share? Weigh in!

Jewelry at the TV Land Awards

Diamonds and gems are usually the highlight of any red carpet event in my book, but at the TV Land Awards? It's always the cast of characters that are the most memorable.


Where else can you find the likes of The Hoff rubbing elbows with Isaac from The Love Boat?

Or Glee's Jane Lynch posing with Charo.

Or Anne Coulter arm and arm with... Jimmie "Dynomite" Walker from Good Times???? Does it get any better than that????

Well, it was comforting to see pretty pearls on our favorite TV moms, Mrs Partridge and Mrs "C".

And former Charlie's Angel, Cheryl Ladd looked lovely in a David Meister black jersey cocktail dress with diamond hoops to die for.

Earring statements shined bright on other TV Land stars, including Taxi's Marilu Henner, Charlie's Angel, Jacklyn Smith, and little Vicki from The Love Boat, Jill Whelan (memba her?)

While necklaces have been a veritable no-show on the red carpet these days, Joyce DeWitt(!) from Three's Company wore a simple diamond statement to light up the final seconds of her 15 minutes of fame.

Clearly, I enjoyed the people watching far more than the jewelry this time around. But where else can you find Blondie getting an icon award or Tom Hanks slumming it with the remnants of the Bosom Buddies cast? It's a pop culture diva's dream come true!

The TV Land Awards will air in all their glory on April 25th.

Am I dating myself with these star sightings? Who wore your favorite TV Land look?

Jill Zarin Book Launch Jewelry

Jewelry and The Real Housewives series go together like a Bravo! marathon and a rainy day.

We gawk at their outrageous diamond purchases. Squawk when yet another Housewife decides to launch their own jewelry line (Ramona Singer, Kelly Bensimon, and Lisa Wu Hartman are just three I can name off the top of my head). So when New York Housewife, Jill Zarin, celebrated the launch of her new book this week, Secrets of a Jewish Mother, I was more than ready pull out the popcorn.

Two Jersey Housewives made a red carpet showing - both walking the fine line with the "class or clash" police. (No tables were flipped during the making of this program)


Ramona Singer complemented her trademark bug-eyed stare with tasteful diamond swirl earrings and a diamond and blue gemstone bracelet. Not bad, sister.


And Count-less Luann worked the hoop earring trend in a tan not worthy of April.



But what is a Jill Zarin event without an eye-rolling fabric clash and a garish display of ice, right? To that end, jewelry hounds, I give you Jill Zarin.


Bless you, Jill, you've never met a busy print you didn't wear or use for wall covering. She is working the season's turquoise trend, though, with a fun cocktail ring to match the pumps.

But I hate to say it - a Real Housewife red carpet event isn't the same without a little Bethenny, right? I'm just sayin'.

What do you guys think of the Housewife bling? Glam, gauche or gaudy?