THE BLING BLOG

ChicSherlock Is Like, The Coolest Thing Ever

Just who or what is ChicSherlock?  In her own words, ChicSherlock is...

...driven by wanderlust - an adventurous spirit that leads her hunting for the elusive. she never packs lightly.  she travels accompanied by a trunk full of stilettos for every well-heeled occasion and a valise of luxurious essentials like her favorite amethyst ring.

perpetually seeking the chicest in luxury jewelry, she is sharp-eyed and tireless.  she provides access to a vast range of coveted designs, from the one-of-a-kind ring you'll never see on another woman's finger to the of-the-moment pieces adorning the pages of glossy fashion magazines...

In my words, ChicSherlock is a fantastic online collection of fifteen fine designer jewelers brought together on one website by one intrepid purveyor of elite goods.  All of the jewelers have a style uniquely their own.  ChicSherlock provides a bio for each one and photos of their work and prices and a shopping cart.  There are online designer trunk shows.  You can maintain a personal online jewelbox.  You can even seek style support and jewelry fashion advice all in one place.

All of the designers are impressive.  But there are some distinctive standouts.  My very favorites are Alex Soldier and Hanut Singh.  Take a look at ChicSherlock and tell me who you like.

(thanks to Cate Corcoran for the tip)

More Leviev Diamonds For Christmas and Hanukkah

Just in case none of yesterday's beautiful colored diamonds were exactly what you were looking for, perhaps a breathtaking suite of entirely internally flawless, D-color, pear-shape diamonds would do?  The rarity of this matching and quality cannot really be conveyed with words.

Okay, I'll try.

Flawless is one thing.

Internally flawless is entirely another.  This means that there are no flaws.  Not to the naked eye, not under 10x magnification.  No flaws.  Perfect.

And then there's color.

D color.  White, white diamonds.  Wow white diamonds.

Most essential of all of course, would be the cut of the stones.  But honestly?  Do you think that Leviev is going to let such important stones like these be cut by hacks?  Doubt it.  They are likely to have been cut by the masters.  They are probably some of the finest cut stones out there.

The graceful necklace is made of twenty-five pear-shaped diamonds which total 159.19 carats, including the gorgeous 18.61 carat pear-shape keystone in the center.

I just love the way that the pear-shapes are not only graduated in size, but that they are pointed away from the breastbone.  It's very fluid for such large stones, isn't it?  And of course, all of the stones are so well-matched for size.

The thing is a killer.

The earrings are a nearly perfectly matched pair of pear-shapes.

One is 13.09 carats of D internally flawless diamond, and the other is 13.06 carats of D internally flawless diamond.

Their proportions are perfectly matched.  No mismatched pears here.  Gorgeous.

And why not complete the suite with a 15.17 carat D internally flawless pear-shaped center diamond flanked by two pear-shapes weighing 2.12 carats?

All of the pears have the same graceful, womanly, plump-bottom shape that I find so appealing in a perfect pear-shape stone.  No skinny pear-shapes.  Ahhh, what a wonderful set of diamonds these are, no?

(click on photos to enlarge)

(all photos from Leviev)

Red And Green Diamonds For Christmas, Blue for Hanukkah From Leviev

Colored diamonds are a hot commodity right now, perhaps more than ever.  We've often discussed them here on this site.  From red diamonds to green diamonds to famous blue diamonds to orange diamonds to yellow diamonds found in Arkansas and even HPHT methods employed to create colored diamonds, we love colored diamonds.

In case you're short on ideas for what to give that special someone for Christmas or Hanukkah this year, world reknown London jeweler Leviev has a few beauties you might consider.  It's a bit late in the game, but no doubt with a certified check, a wire transfer or a Black American Express Card the good people at the Bond Street location or on Madison Avenue can make your Christmas or Hanukkah wish come true.

Here are some of the very finest examples of colored diamonds available today, all from Leviev.

How about a 1.73 carat Fancy Red radiant cut diamond, surrounded by D-color, internally flawless pear-shape diamonds, totalling 9.62 carats?  It has a distinctive, whimsical cocktail ring look to it.

And won't it be fun when your vapid hostess compliments you and says, "I love that garnet.  Look, Harry, a gar-net!"  And you can say, "Darling, it's a marvelous, umm...  garnet...  yes."  But you'll know what you have, and that's all that matters.

On this second night of Hanukkah, what better way to celebrate the Festival of Lights than with a little light of your own?

I suggest a Fancy Vivid Blue Internally Flawless heart-shaped diamond with two trillion-shaped pink side stones, set in Fancy Intense Pink diamond pavé.  It's just the way to keep the oil burning for the next seven days, don't you think?

And what about those of us who love green things?  This is a Fancy Deep Green radiant-cut diamond with two pink pear-shaped and two pink emerald-cut diamonds, set in pink diamond pavé, totalling 2.17 carats.

Perfect, I daresay, for heading south for Christmas with a suitcase full of Lilly prints and avoiding the crush of the malls and the fools and the gluttons and the restaurants with the 1.5 hour wait for cold food and the hustle and bustle and rudeness.  Sigh.

(click on photos to enlarge)

(all photos from Leviev)

$7.5 Million 25-Carat Natural Green Diamond Ring

From IDEXOnline comes news of a remarkable fancy green diamond set into a masterpiece of a ring for sale.  And just in time for RamaHannuKwaanzMas!

Apparently, the super-pretentious Robb Report, a self-proclaimed "luxe lifestyle magazine" has just unveiled its delightfully garish 23rd annual holiday gift guide.

Among the many ostentatious treasures available?

An $80 million pair of Mark-1 X-Racer racing rockets, a 20-day and $3.45 million Scottish golf extravaganza, and a smugly benevolent $2 million tree-hugging package that will provide perpetual care for 550 endangered American Elms in Central Park.  (awwwwww...)

But only one of the many holiday gift items in particular stood out to The Bling Blog:  an extremely rare natural-color 25-carat green diamond.  Available for $7.3 million from famed Swiss jewelry house de Grisogono.

The diamond, a cushion-cut stone, is described by de Grisogono founder Fawaz Gruosi as, "the finest modern specimen of a green diamond," eclipsed only by the 40.70-carat "Dresden Green" which has its permanent home in the Royal Palace of Dresden in Germany.

The natural-color cushion-cut stone is set in a white gold ring that has an additional seven carats of black diamonds, a de Grisogono signature.  The white gold looks to be oxidized to provide a dramatic background for the black diamonds.

It's utterly breathtaking, no?  Santa, you know I love green, and that's all I'm saying.

Now go see the de Grisogono company site if you have a minute.  It's pretty wonderful, too.  Check out "Jewellery" and sub-listing "High Jewellery."  And tell me if old Fawaz doesn't love green, too.  His singular adoration for black diamonds is very elegantly executed and very playful.  Good taste abounds in a medium and with color palettes that could easily slip into an uncomfortably kitschy trajectory.

Fawaz Gruosi seems like a fascinating man with a love for gemological history and quite a colorful professional background.  Working with Mr. Bulgari and the Saudis...  he must have a pretty good idea where many of the world's important stones have gone, seemingly disappeared forever.  I'd love to talk to him over fig tarts and hot tea one afternoon, dining alfresco beside Lake Geneva.  He must have some wonderful stories to tell.

(Thanks, Etienne, for the heads-up on the green diamond.)

(photo from IDEXOnline)

Oh, Yeah, I Had A Birthday... Beats Me What Happened That Day, Apparently It Was Really Nice!

35.

Yes, I turned 35 on November 28th.  However, I worked all day, every day, the seven days before it, on my birthday, and the three days after it.  So it's all a blur.  A complete blur.

There was some dinner in there.  A very nice dinner, indeed, at which I nearly face-planted and fell asleep after salad from exhaustion.  Yes, exhaustion.  Not wine.  Exhaustion.

And gifts!  Yes, there were lovely gifts.  Lots of them!

   

1.  Snappy orangey-pink Abbey Road pajamas.
2.  Tod's orange chopper bag and wallet.
3.  Birth order book.
4.  Makeup brushes.
5.  Box of orange Velveeta.
6.  Pilates Reformer classes.
7.  Flowers with orange tulips.

Mother's Day 2006 and Beyond: JUST SAY NO To Junk

Every kiss begins with "K(ay)," true enough.  But so does krap.  And just because it's on Zale(s), doesn't mean it's a bargain.  That stuff from the mall really looks like Hel(zberg).

Freeze.  Put your wallet back in your pocket/purse.  That's it.  Slowly now.  No fast moves.  Take your time.  Now step away from the mall jeweler.  Good, good.  Keep walking.  No, don't look back.  Breathe.  Walk.  Loosen your shoulders.  That's it.  Untighten your grip.  Wipe the sweat off your palms.  Keep breathing.  Better, right?  Yup.  Okay.

The smell of the Cinnabon and the pretzel guy is getting fainter, isn't it?

It's Mother's Day time again.  And if you're blessed enough to still have a mother around, it's a good thing to let her know you're thinking about her.

If you're really lucky, you'll have a mother, a grandmother, a mother-in-law and a grandmother-in-law who will tell you what to get for them.  So my job has been very easy all these years.

I basically went from the days when I would fingerpaint something for her at school or macrame something at Bluebirds - then to the phase where she'd tell me what she wanted - to now, when she says she wants nothing, and I know what to get.

In the past, when my mother would say she didn't want anything, it still meant a fun outing and good food and a nice card and great company.  And now I employ my father on re-con missions to inventory the Petit Cherie and Cashmere Mist supply and report back.  And then I go to Plan B.  Meaning, Plan BOOK(s).

What I'm saying is that you don't need to break the bank to get something nice for your ma for Mother's Day.

The best thing you can give her is your time, your attention, and your companionship.  And a meal she doesn't have to prepare.  Maybe church and brunch?  A trip to the botanical gardens?  A nice air-conditioned matinee at the theater?  And if you want to throw in some flowers, or some neat fragrance stuff, or a manicure and lunch, or a framed photo...  just make sure it's something she wants.

She's done so much.  Don't reward her by forcing her to sit in Outback Steakhouse where the stench of fried onions will permeate her pretty silk blouse and clean hair, while she stares listlessly at a $59 1/4 ct (TOTAL weight) diamond circle pendant on a 10K gold chain in front of her.

Unless that's what she wants.  In which case, make those reservations and get thee to the mall.

And order a steak for me.  I kind of like that restaurant.  Just not how my hair smells afterwards.

Last-Minute Valentine's Day Ideas

Luxist is an intriguing website that details daily all kinds of superfluous goodies.  There is truly something for everyone on the site, and seemingly something for everyone, everyday.

In anticipation of those careless souls who might have forgotten the imminent arrival of St. Valentine's Day, today they posted an article with a link to Forbes' list of Million Dollar Rocks.

On the list is this necklace by Chopard.  It is a symphony of 191 carats of cushion-cut and cabochon bead emeralds netted in platinum by 16 carats of rose-cut and "drop-shaped" (I am assuming these are either briolettes or pear-shaped diamonds, the latter I believe) diamonds.

What makes me smile about this necklace, more so than the other nine pieces shown, is that in the lofty company of jewels tagged at $8.5 million and "over $2 million," you've actually got to call Chopard and ask them for how much are they willing to part with it.

And you know what they say:  If you have to ask...  you don't want to know.  Or you can't afford it.

Really.

Other than the fact that it is green (and I adore green gemstones with diamonds set in white metal), it's a gorgeous quasi-modern design which incorporates elements of timeless elegance. 

The engineering is all modern; all you see are stones and very little framing.  It probably doesn't weigh more than about 6 ounces.  But the necklace uses older, more classic shapes like cushion-cut and rose-cut stones and cabochon beads.

And the clever people at Forbes, knowing their readership well, have kindly put a modern "Macho Guy Equivalent" value on each piece so the prospective buyer has a guideline by which he can gauge the preciousness of the jewelry.

This one's Macho Guy Equivalent?

TWO 1966 Ford GT 40s.  If they can even be found, or bought, anywhere.  At any price.

(that was for you, Trey...  the car part, not the Valentine's part)