Time and Again
What W’s Jewelry and accessories Director, Claudia Mata, is fantasizing about this month.
1
Those of us who covet Elizabeth Taylor’s jewels are in luck: David Webb is reintroducing this double-head diamond-and-emerald-clasp, which was originally created for Taylor (and purchased by Richard Burton) in 1965. (David Webb, price upon request, David Webb, Beverly Hills, 310.858.8006)
2
Featuring a double strand of brilliant diamonds cascading in dangling lengths and ending in four pear-shape diamonds, this bracelet from Harry Winston’s new Water collection oozes glamour: It looks like a beautiful tidal wave on your wrist. (Harry Winston, price upon request, Harry Winston, 800.988.4110)
3
The actor and designer Waris Ahluwalia teamed up with the diamond company Forevermark to create a piece for the brand’s Center of My Universe project. He incorporated one of Forevermark’s diamonds, surrounded by a pavé of stones, into an exquisite jewel and named it Light Emanating From the Heart. Romance is in the air indeed. (House of Waris for Forevermark, price upon request, forevermarkdiamond.com)
4
It is understandable why the Taiwanese designer Cindy Chao considers her jewelry works of art: Pieces from her Black Label Masterpiece line take two or more years to complete. Little surprise then that she plans to display her collection gallery-style in her new Beijing boutique, opening this month. I particularly love her creative use of gemstones: On the butterfly (below), the antennae are made of varying sizes of briolette diamonds. (Cindy Chao, prices upon request, cindychao.com)
5
For its New York Style collection, Verdura is relaunching archival pieces popularized by elegant ladies in the forties—around the same time that the brand’s founder, Duke Fulco di Verdura, opened a Manhattan salon. My dream ones (they’re a fortune!) are these enamel, amethyst, and aquamarine cuffs inspired by the fashion legend Diana Vreeland, who was often seen wearing a similar pair of Maltese cross versions. (Verdura, $128,000 each, verdura.com)
6
On my vacation to Istanbul, I popped by Gilan’s workshop, where I got to watch master craftsmen carve wax molds. I was even given the chance to experiment with the process of setting stones. Of all their collections, my favorite is the Heritage line, where rose-cut diamonds are set in oxidized silver, then mounted on yellow gold (like the earrings at left). (Gilan, $71,900, gilan.com)
