Collaboration Produces Exquisite Gauntlet in Arthurian Style

Fantasy Meets High Fashion...

Take an international fashion icon, Daphne Guinness, fascinated by the legend of King Arthur’s knights and the romance of their metallic armor.

Add an award-winning English jewelry designer, Shaun Leane, celebrated widely for the 'dark romantic' feel of his chic jewels, which Sotheby’s has called 'antiques of the future'.

This extraordinary creative duo worked together over five years to create a glove in white gold and diamonds that brings to mind knightly armor.

Contra Mundum – or Against the World was launched in June. It can be worn as an evening glove (it was modeled perfectly to Daphne Guinness’s arm and hands) and has two parts: one that goes over the hand and the other that dresses the arm. It has been decorated with a flight of birds in white diamonds, and is entirely handmade, weighting over 1,000 grams in gold and 5,000 white diamonds.

A cuff protects the back of the hand and can be worn separately as a sort of 'day glove' or with the decorated arm part for a formal evening event.

Daphne’s beautifully theatrical presentation of the piece - dressed in the bespoke glove and shrouded in white silk tulle, her lie-in state symbolised the concept of the objet d’art... Sir Thomas Malory’s compilation of the legendary tales of the Knights of the Round Table.

Jewelry in Motion: Kinetic Jewelry from Designer Andrea Rosenfeld

Jewelry designer and artist, Andrea Rosenfeld, has brought movement to her newest designs. As a kinetic artist, the jewelry is enhanced with movement and inspired by the motion and energy of the body. 

 The kinetic jewelry is designed with elements that move in rhythm with the body and/or can be gently manipulated by the wearer to create alternate compositions. These kinetic works are thought-provoking and display a playfulness that we don’t often see in jewelry design.

Andrea Rosenfeld creates kinetic jewelry that offers a dramatic combination of sculptural artistry and metaphysical energy that improves lives.

Andrea’s latest designs include a variety of pieces built with kinetic movement, while also incorporating her Reiki elements, a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing, which is signature to each piece of jewelry. 

She balances and charges the stones, increasing their ability to uplift others: Jade attracts wisdom and long life, Turquoise offers soothing energy and peace of mind and Aquamarine is a “stone of courage” to name a few.

See the latest from the artist on her Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/andrearosenfelddesigns

For more information on Andrea Rosenfeld, please contact Nicole Cornella at andrearosenfeldpr@gmail.com

Gold & Time Editor, Arquero Dies at 55

Jose (Pepe) Arquero Hidalgo  1956- 2011 =========================================

Jose (Pepe) Arquero Hidalgo, the long-time editor and publisher of the Spanish gem and jewellery magazine "Gold & Time," passed away on Thursday, October 6, inMadrid, Spain.  Arquero, who was known to his many friends, acquaintances and clients as "Pepe," suffered a brain hemorrhage on Wednesday as he was leaving his office for  the day.    "Pepe was an icon in the Spanish gem and jewellery business  community and known by all as a kind and affable man. His, knowledge, insights and mostly his warm, outgoing personality and friendship will be greatly missed," a close friend said. Upon the announcement of his death, friends and colleagues began paying their respects on Arquero's Facebook page, sending condolences to Pepe's wife Teresa, and his children Teresa, Jose and Marta. Even those who know only a little bit of Spanish will be able to understand the touching words written  by one of his friends: "Buen amigo, grande, generoso, grande, feliz, grande , entusiasta, muy grande, hombre sobresaliente, inmenso, grande, cariño, vital, grande, nunca olvidare, gran amigo, indispensable, grande, bueno, muy grande, generoso, gran vacío, maravillosas palabras, generosidad contagiosa, hambre de vivir que enseña, grandisimo, alegria, su buena voluntad, uno de los principales impulsores, informadores, gran comunicador, amigo, fiel compañero, puntal, grande, su generosidad. . . . . . Adjetivos repetidos una vez tras otra, denominador común: Grande! por fuera y por dentro, grande como el vació que dejas, grande como el recuerdo que nos queda y mas grande porque tu generosidad ha conseguido mantener parte de ti vivo regalando vida, tu ultimo gran gesto, es lo mas grande a lo que puede aspirar un ser humano tan inmensamente grande."

Latest From Amoro Fine Jewelry...and Diamond Ring Giveaway!

AMORO FINE JEWELRY LAUNCHES NEW COLLECTION OF CELEBRATORY JEWELERY

Brand places strong focus on new anniversary collection

Amoro Fine Jewelry has launched their newest of collections focusing specifically on anniversary and life’s celebrations.  With countless styles ranging from rings to pendants to earrings, Amoro, first conceived in the islands, has now become an online one-stop shopping destination providing affordable luxury at all levels.

Amoro hopes to become their clients’ jeweler for a lifetime by providing expert craftsmanship and quality in each piece. With Amoro’s unmatched personal service and a comprehensive collection, the client can celebrate each milestone in their life.  The motto, “Yesterday. Today. Amoro.” further defines the brand’s ideology of being “anniversary specialists.”  Amoro is the perfect gift to show appreciation for love shared through all the yesterdays, celebrating that same love today and to be cherished for all your tomorrows. 

As “anniversary specialists,” Amoro offers over 160 styles of 18kt gold anniversary rings starting at only $350.  Additionally, the brand offers hundreds of styles for couples looking to celebrate special occasions and seeking to upgrade original engagement jewelry.  Providing a vast selection of styles, at a variety of price points, allows Amoro to cater to a broad range of consumers.  Amoro also has over 400 styles of exclusive earrings, pendants and bracelets designed with fine diamonds, gemstones in 18kt gold settings.  It is the variety, mixed with quality and affordability that earns Amoro the title of “anniversary specialists.”

Exclusive Pristine Hearts - Cut Diamond
...the only Diamond with a Heart in it!

“When we celebrate life’s and love’s special occasions, we do so to show our recognition and appreciation in ways that we cannot easily say with words alone,” says Stephen Crane, founder of Amoro. “I created Amoro fine jewelry to be timeless and to be cherished for generations.  Amoro is a modern interpretation of jewelry classics with fine quality materials and superb craftsmanship, as seen in famous name brands but at pleasingly affordable prices.”

As Amoro begins to focus on anniversary, the brand has revitalized their website in order to reflect this focus.  Being strictly a web-based retailer, the redesign was created to be more user-friendly with more enhanced features, such as a hover zoom-in for clearer views of the distinctive details of the product and the ability to filter search results by price, gemstone, color and other characteristics.  Furthermore, the site is now enabled with live chat during business hours to further provide exceptional customer service. 

To promote the anniversary collection, Amoro will be launching a “We Love Anniversaries” sweepstakes on their website that will offer site visitors an opportunity to enter to win an 18kt yellow gold three stone diamond ring valued at $3,750.  Contestants will be able to enter the sweepstakes until October 31st, at http://www.Amoro.com.

About Amoro^®

Amoro^® was established in 1996 by Stephen Crane, founder of renowned luxury retailer Columbia Emeralds International.  Drawing on a 40-year relationship with the world’s premier gemstone suppliers and a deep understanding of jewelry’s central role in celebrating life’s milestones, a new classic collection was born.  Today, Amoro’s signature design details, exceptional craftsmanship, knowledgeable customer service, online convenience and sensible pricing combine to bring unparalleled comfort to the fine jewelry-buying experience.

2012 CIBJO Congress During VICENZAORO

2012 CIBJO Congress to be held May 17- 20 in Vicenza, Italy

CIBJO Congress to be hosted by Fiera di Vicenza, to coincide with VICENZAORO Charm

Milan, Italy: October 5, 2011 - CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, will hold its 2012 annual congress in Vicenza, Italy, May 17-20, 2012. The congress will be hosted by Fiera di Vicenza and will coincide with the VICENZAORO Charm trade fair, which will open at the Fieraon May 19 and run through May 23.

Serving as the official venue for a meeting for the CIBJO Assembly of Delegates, the CIBJO Congress will gather in the Italian jewellery trade centre members of national jewellery and gemstone associations from more than 40 countries and representatives of many of the industry's most important commercial bodies. The congress also serves as a forum CIBJO's professional commissions, and is the venue at which its Diamond, Coloured Stones, Pearl, Precious Metals and Gemmological Laboratory Blue Books are discussed and updated.

"We are privileged to have been invited to hold our 2012 Congress in Vicenza, not only because of the critical position that the city plays in one of the world's most important jewellery producing countries, but also because of Fiera di Vicenza role in serving the interests of our international business," said CIBJO President Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri. "Fiera di Vicenza has been an important supporter of the World Jewellery Confederation for many years already, and inpast January conducted a workshop at the VICENZAORO First show in Corporate Social Responsibility together with CIBJO and our World Jewellery Confederation Education Foundation (WJCEF)."

As a body dedicated to advancing the interests of the jewellery business, Fiera di Vicenza's support for CIBJO is natural extension its central mission, stressed the trade fair organiser's President, Dr. Roberto Ditri. "Our aim is provide a commercial, intellectual and strategic platform upon which the jewellery industry both in Italy and around the world will evolve and grow. CIBJO is a standard bearer in all of these areas, and its deep involvement in CSR education has brought us even closer together. The holding of the 2012 CIBJO Congress in conjunction with our trade show VICENZAORO Charm, that highlights the best of Italy and of the world, will enrich both events."

Stars of Africa Collection Debuts at Harrods Today!

Royal Asscher Diamond Company is thrilled to announce that Harrods, London’s famed luxury department store, will be selling the Stars of Africa floating diamonds collection. The collection will debut on Saturday, October 8^{th .}

Harrods will have the largest collection of Stars of Africa jewelry in the UK, including the limited editions with pink diamonds and the Royal Stars with orange diamonds, which are a tribute to the Royal Dutch family for the extension of the Royal title earlier this year.

Launched in 2009, this beautiful and innovative collection (comprised of rings, earrings, pendants and cufflinks) consist of diamonds encased within fluid-filled sapphire domes, which allow the diamonds to float freely like snowflakes in a snow globe. The result is cascading diamonds that emit light, fire and beauty, which creates a truly  mesmerizing effect.

The Stars of Africa collection has more than just aesthetic appeal: The collection benefits Royal Asscher’s Africa-focused fundraising initiative, Stars of Africa. This philanthropic initiative aims to improve infrastructure in Africa by generating funding for healthcare, education and self sufficiency programs. As a family and as a company, the Asschers have a strong collective social conscience and an inherited love of the undeniable beauty of diamonds. Royal Asscher considers it to be of paramount importance that diamonds not only bring happiness to the wearer, but also to everyone involved in the diamond supply chain.

Mike Asscher says: “The world’s most famous luxury department store is a perfect fit and we are very proud that the Stars of Africa Collection is now being sold within the vicinity of the true Star of Africa: the Cullinan diamond.”

Royal Asscher is renowned for its unique heritage and history, which includes cleaving the world’s largest rough diamond in 1908, the Cullinan, presently housed in Great Britain’s Crown Jewels. Royal visitors to the Amsterdam based company include Japan’s Emperor Hirohito, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.

Royal Asscher’s Stars of Africa collection has appeared in international magazines such as Elle, InStyle, Runway, Lucky, Genlux, Kurv and US Magazine, and it has been coveted by celebrity admirers such as Kate Bosworth, Sophia Vergara, Megan Fox, Joss Stone, Serena Williams, Estelle and Reba McEntire, all of whom have donned pieces on the red carpet from this collection. 

Guy Harvey Jewelry Re-affirms its Commitment to Ocean Foundation

Guy Harvey Jewelry 

Re-affirms Commitment to Ocean Foundation

An Affirmation of Old World Craftsmanship with a Cause

Nautora is proud to re-affirm its commitment to donate a percentage of sales to The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, the non-profit organization that promotes the conservation of our oceans and nurtures the next generation of marine scientists and guardians of our seas.

The maker of Guy Harvey Fine Jewelry, contends its jewelry is the essential finishing touch that reveals to the world ones love of the sea and the nautical lifestyle. Through of a lifetime of interaction with nature and the oceans, Dr. Guy Harvey continues to capture a variety of marine wildlife in their natural habitat with extraordinary detail. Sea creatures figuratively come to life with his brush.

Nautora was selected by Guy Harvey to design a line of jewelry based on his extensive artwork. Nautora’s objective was to create a unique and recognizable design that would be distinctively associated with the Guy Harvey brand. Collaborating with Dr. Harvey, and with contributions from designers Robbins and Danielle Rees, a relic “shadow box" coin shape was chosen as the signature look.

Many steps are involved in creating fine jewelry. The process starts with a sketch and fortunately for Nautora there is an endless catalog of fascinating subjects created by Dr. Harvey himself to work from. Nautora selects elements from Harvey’s art that can be transferred and rendered into wearable jewelry. Once a rendering is completed, the model work begins, usually involving hand carving the subject in hard wax by highly skilled artisans. Model making is the most important and labor intensive and part of the process. Nautora spares no expense in creating the most perfect model for each design. The next step is to make a mold from the model and from that a wax pattern is made. The wax pattern will ultimately melt away in the kiln leaving a cavity for the precious metal to be poured.

The pieces are cast using the timeless art of lost wax casting where molten precious metals are poured into a metal flask that contains a hard plaster like substance. After the piece is cast and cleaned, the rough areas are smoothed and polished using a series of fine grit abrasives.    Each piece is hand finished to reveal dramatic detail and subtle nuances, right down to Guy’s famous signature on the reverse side. Below Guy’s signature, a quality mark and a series of Hallmarks are placed to authenticate each piece as being a genuine Guy Harvey.

Some pieces are finished in the classic relic patina and others are brightly polished and hard fired with enamel to add a splash of color. Guy Harvey jewelry is accented in a variety of colors, including Gulf Steam Blue, Caribbean Blue and Cayman Green. Marlin, macaws, sailfish, dorado, sea turtles and many other species are depicted with realistic action in full color. The technique that is used to bring color to Guy Harvey Fine Jewelry is an old and storied art form. Enameling flourished during the Roman period and in more modern times has been made famous by the Faberge’ family in France and Tiffany family in America. The 3 dimensional surface of Guy Harvey jewelry is cleverly decorated in both low and high relief, releasing an explosion of color and action.    Colors are carefully chosen to closely match Dr. Harvey’s artwork. Then each piece is fired multiple times, in a kiln at high temperatures, thus creating an enduring work of art that will last for many generations.

The Guy Harvey Trophy Slide collection is a collectable series of sterling silver neck slides that is designed to be worn on a leather or cord necklace. Although Trophy Slides are affordable for any age, each piece is made with the same care that is given to even the most expensive Guy Harvey Jewelry items.    Younger individuals love these pieces of jewelry and the Guy Harvey brand because it represents their favorite activities, love of the ocean and all the memories they have made while living the nautical lifestyle.    

Guy Harvey Jewelry has been worn by top models including Sports Illustrated Swimsuit covergirl Brooklyn Decker, Bar Refaeli, Anne V and others. The jewelry has traveled with the SI Swimsuit crew to be photographed in the exotic settings of Fiji, The Maldives, Lisbon and Singapore.

Retail prices range from $54 for Trophy Slides to $30,000 for numbered limited edition platinum and diamond necklaces. The copyrighted and patented designs include necklaces, earrings, bracelets, charms, and rings, made of 18K gold, sterling silver, diamonds and gemstones in a variety of combinations. The collection consists of styles for both male and female.

Nautora is a family business of 30 years Located in the coastal town of Little Washington, NC.

Visit http://www.guyharveyjewelry.com for more information.
Visit http://www.vimeo.com/16025580 for video.