Calling gem aficionados to the blog!
This season and continuing deep into the winter (was there a summer anyway!), it is simple. Add some pink gold into the mix on a daily getting ready process, come rain or shine, morning, noon or night outings.
Here is a link to the full article: http://bit.ly/A8fswT
Taking a peak at the rainbow coloured merchandise at Vicenza Oro 2012, one is refreshingly transported away from the not so dazzling realities – namely the current tightrope-walking Euro and the phenomenal price of gold – and into a stained-glass odyssey where pink gold is prevalent.
The vibrancy of the gemstones are glorious and creativity is back in design, with a fresh healthy mix of different cuts. Crisis? Not on your Crivelli.
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Pink gold appears to be high on the list, from the big players through to the smaller houses and independents.
On my walkabouts, I was delighted to spot that many of the big brands and designers have given themselves a creative challenge in these increasingly difficult times, in light too of the steadfast competition from China and India. The result? A sturdy backdrop that boasts some first-class settings. An abundance in fact of creativity with rose-cuts with diamonds and semi-precious gems, rather than an offering of the more regular cuts.
There may be less weight of gold per piece, a sensible choice and one of caution; however there seems to be a refreshing new wave of creativity in the industry. The palette of colours on view is a cheerful one, flying in the face of any gloom that might be lurking in the world outside the walls of the fair. Playing with coloured stones – and three coloured gold – still seems to be de rigueur, not just diamonds, but precious and semi-precious stones, super bright and vibrant.
There was a healthy mix of precious and not-so-precious metals, for example gold with lacquer or gold with mother-of-pearl and a healthy dose – not too much – of gold with wood and diamond mix as seen at Oromali.
There were lots of animal designs, such as those on show at Marroni Design, and huge links in chains such as the ones seen at Tirisi.
Art Deco seems to be a strong trend, particularly with the play of black and white. And it was good to see some intricate, old-school workmanship and an execution of ultra-feminine designs coming back at Marco Bicego. Mattioli Gioielli, Verdi Gioielli, Roberto Bravo and Roberto Coin.
Crivelli marked its territory as ever in Hall C, magnificent as a peacock, with an offering of coloured stones and diamonds in sizes that defy any inkling of cut-backs and drama.
Magnetic and snake bracelets are still going strong and larger than life. They are not as prevalent as last year, but the trio of colours used are still blending beautifully.
Mediterraneo has dramatically grown in stature and has signed itself a stunning model ambassador and the presenter of the countr’s popular talen TV show Italy’s Got Talent.
With less imitation and more creations, the brands from China appear to be enjoying more and more success every year and the representation of Chinese jewellers was stronger this year, with impressive technical know-how rather than the effect of same same cheap copies.
Pink seems to be the key colour in the gem game for the moment. If anyone can dress up a drama, Italy can. Less packed than previous years and with plenty of restraint and reality checks in the air, the show still goes on. The beginning of 2012 appears to be saying that the industry can and will make it through this current dilemma. Let’s sweeten the shock and coat our jewels with a little bit of pink icing for the time being, and a just little precious metal, until we get back on track.
Juliet Rowe is an independent fashion PR and writer based in London and has a website at julietrowe.com. If you would like the chance to write for Professional Jeweller please email the editor Rachael Taylor at rachael.taylor@itp.com and pitch an idea.
x
That we – the consumer – have a natural born in-built desire to seek out the next best thing in the luxury / retail industry.
This is a constantly changing barometer of crazes, phases and short-lived fads, fantasies and urges.
So how perfect is the climate for ZAERNA, the new label on the luxury scene, specialising in luxury accessories for the discerning shopper – selective, sophisticated and brand-savvy, hunting down the finest quality products around the world, purchasing items that are of superior quality, rather than mass-produced or gimmick-led.
ZAERNA does not produce en mass; either the rare exotic skins are indeed just that, incredibly rare, or the hand-made item has genuinely been hand-made by some of the best artisans in the industry. Each leather item is (authentically) 100% made in Italy, not just words on the label which so often happens with some ‘luxury brands’.
ZAERNA cufflinks designed and manufactured in-house, fitted with a user-friendly bespoke double-swivel fitting, practical. The collection of silk pochettes is truly a gentleman’s must-have best friend, remaining perfectly in place and impeccably folded all day. Some of the world’s finest quality rare skins – including python, ostrich, crocodile and stingray – have been sourced, being made hand-cut and crafted into lavish clutches and purses for women, wallets for men and unisex Blackberry and iphone holders. The fur goods, including mink, fox or raccoon fur hats and collars, is fab with the most mouth-watering of pallets. Ostrich or crocodile gloves are launching soon for men and the womens’ gloves feature sheepskin with mink edging.
The packaging is of the same level as the product, meticulously designed, beautifully signed, sealed and delivered, only able to impress.
Prices from: £25 for silk products, £125 for exotic leather goods, £250 for fur items
Joanna Lumley suffered from stressful panic attacks in her mid-20s, while she was in a West End play and struggling to raise her young son, Jamie, as a single mother. Lumley overcame it through hypnosis and by talking herself through her fears. “I knew I was going to make myself waterproof against it. It would not happen again, not on my watch,” she said, as reported in the Telegraph
Stress is a scary if not fascinating powerful human instinct. In fact, sometimes stress might get so intense one’s mind has spiralled out of control with the pressure caused by the stress itself and can actually cause the nervous-system to become weak.
Each individual responds differently to stress. A person reacts fast when they feel threatened. It is similar to animal instinct. This response translates into stress. We know exactly which situations and people cause us stress. More often than not responding to the threat based on past experiences which creates this particular reaction.
For example, you might be frightened of your boss because you were scared of your father as a child, or you find it difficult to say ‘no’, because you might have been bullied at school. Or, you might just have taken on too much, either in your work life, or personal life, or both. This likely to be because you cant say no and want to please others instead of taking care of yourself and become stressed out. Feelings of being utterly overwhelmed and unable to cope with rational thought processes will often follow suit.
Life is full of obstacles. Hey we wouldn’t be human if the day-to-day existence was completely hassle-free. Yet sometimes, these obstacles can just become too much, feelings of extreme stress take over, both physically and mentally and we can’t see the wood through the trees.
The key to the stress struggle? MANAGING IT SO IT DOESN’T MANAGE US!
It’s tricky just to make even the simplest of decisions when the stress takes over. Even our eyesight becomes dodgy and getting anywhere with a tough a work schedule, let alone just getting from A to B, can become verging on traumatic.
Unbelievably, some of these symptoms happen directly caused by stress.
Talking of hypnotherapy, there’s a great gal in London town, Alix Needham who uses advanced hypnotherapy techniques to search for the trigger which caused the panic. She quite literally sources the root of the stress, controlling the stress, rather than the stressful experiences controlling you.
With advanced hypnotherapy, Alix will guide you on how to control the thoughts and maintain the life that YOU want to lead. Hypnotherapy offers a viable and effective solution.
Dont BeTrapped By Your Stress.
One day you are going about your normal daily business and suddenly, out of nowhere, no warning, you are completely overwhelmed by panic. Pure panic. This has happened recently to a great friend and I felt the urge to share it.
When this sensation occurs in her body, she becomes incredibly frightened and literally doesn’t quite know where to turn, whether if she accepts it as something that just ‘kind of happens to me once in a while’ it will go away. These attacks can be extraordinarily powerful, in fact, can reach boiling point.
Panic is not something to be taken lightly – when an panic attack is brewing, running through your veins, its ‘victim‘ can feel seriously powerless.
After speaking to her candidly for a lengthy time, she explained that there are certain life situations – anything, a date, a family gathering, being on a crowded bus, that can cause her heart to race, she breaks out into a cold sweat and literally at that moment can’t see a way out.
It’s known ‘in the industry’ as a ‘panic attack’ and the ‘Panic Attack Trap’ affects an enormous amount of people, every single day. A feeling is triggered deep inside that can bring about anxiety, powerlessness and very little self-confidence. Weakness and vulnerability can take over and these moments can be referred to as panic attacks with the potential to seriously harm one’s personal and professional life.
The worst-case scenarios seem to be:
There is someone who knows exactly how to help eliminate these horrendous feelings by using advanced hypnotherapy techniques. Alix Needham is a professional hypnotherapist who time and again has proved that by working with clients to search for the trigger which caused the panic in the first place, via hypnotherapy, she can help to source what is causing the panic in the first place. She quite literally gets right to the root of the problem, encouraging her clients to take control of the actual attacks, rather than panic controlling them and their personal and work life.
With over 22 years’ experience in resolving panic-attack related issues, Alix has helped many individuals to reduce and overcome this very serious problem.
Often, recurring panic attacks might originate from a deep-rooted fear and this fear might be preventing you from moving forward in your life. Alix guides clients on how to control the thoughts and sustain their desired lifestyle.
She has successfully treated clients whose lives have been negatively impacted from overwhelming feelings of panic and nausea, often in just 3 x sessions!
Call 0207 935 1965 or email info@alixneedham.com for a free initial consultation.
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Juliet Rowe is a PR consultant and all round expert on baubles – from fabulous fine jewellery, the latest fashion jewellery finds and luxe accessories to beauty, lifestyle and the general zeitgeist. In her considered view, jewellery doesn’t have to be expensive – The most important thing? It has to look good enough to eat.
So we invited her to launch our debut Guest Curation at EG Studio to advise on the hottest picks and latest talents.
Decadent, delicious as well as practical are all terms which really do describe my recent unearthing of this newly launched online destination boutique of baubles. The issue of gem-browsing has quite frankly just been given a refreshing wake-up call here at elizabethgaltonstudio.com.
I’m well and truly hooked, if the truth be known. My addiction is coated in precious metals and coloured precious stones. I’m a sucker for anything and everything that sparkles and works as an accessory so I am happy to be guest curating…
Divorce Ring Gisele Ganne £1250
First on my list is this truly show-stopping gold knuckle-busting cocktail ring coated in 18 carat vermeil and christened the ‘Divorce Ring’! Now clearly this is not a name of festive dimensions or vibe or in fact having a little jig under the mistletoe but them again, maybe it is! The humour here by the designer is awesome, I mean we can’t take baubles too seriously and sad but true, the current zeitgeist appears to be dictating more and more of the ‘D’ word…Designer Gisele Ganne has got it right, her design is sharp, bold and truly unique. Flash that beak that grasps that pearl to its last share of the oyster.
Ana de Costa Majik Wand Stacking Ring £900
Next on my list is Anna de Costa a great designer who has won more jewellery design awards than I’ve had well, the chance to admire her creations. The Magik Wand Potion stacking ring pictured here is a subtle item in her design box but a touch of the old mystic majik that is her USP added in for good measure. The ring has all the vital ingredients, yellow gold, a delicious tear-drop shaped tsavorite in the centre of this very feminine ring. Ana is going to be part of the jewellery landscape for many many moons to come.
Ana de Costa Ghandi Earrings POA
Continuing on my illusional stocking fillers of my very own stocking on 25th morning. These Zambian emeralds Ghandi earrings by Ms de Costa are extraordinary and I WANT THEM NOW, if only to ‘test-drive’ for a party or 10. They incorporate a little mysticism in their inspiration and a dash of Indian spirituality, motivated by Gandhi himself, when he said “we must be the change we wish to say”. Now you can’t argue with one of the most awesome public figures of the 20th century and throw in a generous helping of precious and premium luxury and you’re off. You pretty much can neglect the rest of your outfit and in fact face paint, but try not to forget to get dressed before closing the front door. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the earrings will be pledged by Ana back to Gemfields community schools project in Zambia, one of Gemfields many social investment projects.
Joanna Dahdah Domed Cuff £594
Now Joanna Dahdah is a lady after my own gem-obsessed wrist. Her name is on the lips of jewellery gurus and doyennes in the capital. A fan of Gustav Klimt, in particular ‘The Kiss’, she passionately infuses her love for this artist and her creativity in making long-lasting gold jewellery with fervour. The brushed silver and gold are working beautifully together in this cuff available in sterling silver or 18ct Vermeil.
SHO Fine Jewellery Boule Ring £4470
Now I have a love for cocktail rings more than a child has a need for ice cream. They work, they are fabulous accoutrements to one’s day-to-day earthy existence and this piece from SHO Fine Jewellery serves its purpose. The yellow gold and blue sapphires are deliciously combined, let alone the sunny yellow sapphires and tsavorites to boot.
Hedone Romane Sautoir Necklace £330
Finally the prize for the I-want-one-of-these-right-now – and no quite frankly it can’t wait until Christmas morning but thanks for asking – is this creation by Jeanne-Marie Chan of Hedone Romane. Patience just doesn’t participate when it comes to jewellery. Take a gawk at the necklace entitled Fantasy Skeleton Sautoir, onyx drops and cultured pearls on a delicate gold-plated chain. The design of this necklace takes on board a bevvy of the hottest trends and doesn’t make a meal of them; layering, gothic, skeletons, tassles – stuff of truly inspirational gem-ified genius.
My new virtual habit is one that makes me proud to be a jewellery aficionada and my senses are on full alert. You know something else? On-screen shopping is genuinely not my regular past-time or natural diversion from deadlines like many a femme I know. I’m more of what you might call a practical mouse-clicker, scanning the press, browsing through the competition, sorting my finances out or having an ogle at new books and movies. In spite of a career spanning over 13 years in luxury lifestyle and gem-encrusted unaffordable fantasies, the authentic retail urge has never hooked me in.
That is until elizabethgaltonstudio.com changed all that!
You can follow Juliet on Twitter at @jujurowe
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Simply cricket
Knowing simply not a lot about it apart from the fact that Lord’s isnt too far from where I dwell, I had the arduous task of interviewing the great, the amazing and quite frankly the best batsman in the world RIGHT NOW, Ian Bell!
Sam Roddick was on a mission last night. The mission? To enlighten us with her knowledge of sex.
Sam is enchanted by sex. On a psychological, emotional, intellectual, political or historical level, the subject of sex fascinates and most importantly, sex is to be enjoyed. Setting up her business in the sex industry 10 years ago exactly, she continues to be captivated at “how sex affects us as a society, with its hidden secrets which can unveil us as a nation.”
Hosting the exclusive salon last night in her erotic boutique in South Kensington, Sam revealed to her audience everything she has learnt in the past decade; exploring, relishing and embracing the whole journey, shebang, world – of the joy of sexuality. With child-like wonder, we were a captive audience hanging onto Sam’s every word for fear of missing any of the priceless tips she was selflessly throwing our way.
How refreshing to learn something new since leaving school…urm that’s hardly saying much if you went to school in the UK (on this subject matter!). She educated us with a theatrical, yet grounded repertoire that spanned centuries of history, the philosophy behind the subject, academic know-how and practical tips and techniques learnt directly from experts in the field. Her tone was an equal mix of gentle femininity, British tongue-in-cheek, sharp wit and little girl vulnerability. She wanted to share with us her passion and her font of knowledge with a teaching style that was coherent, super intelligent and just made so much sense.
“We re-designed sex shops in the UK”. Coco de Mer was the first sex shop of its kind in existence in this country, “the truth to my journey, I explored sex to heal myself and used sex as my mode of expression”. In past 10 years in the UK, “sex has changed positively. On an emotional, sexual and physical level, we have opened up”. The book that changed Sam’s life journey with such impact was The History of Whores, which depicts how through history women have actually lost the power, having once had all of it, “we have lost our social and political standing”.
Sam educated us on many factors, including, “when you realise sex is an expression and not an act, your spirit expresses itself on an intellectual level in an authentic way, and it can heal anything”, pain and negative memories. She points out that, “sex is a process, not a goal-orientated thing”. Once you get the desire for the goal out of your head, it can only get better. Most importantly it is about being in control, enjoying yourself and being totally liberated.
When Sam declared, “I want my Gucci handbag without the slave labour”, it seemed to sum it all up. She reminded us that her business is hedonistic, equally egotistical and universal. Not many of us were aware of the fact that “hedonism comes with a strict form of code and ethics to be adhered to….the pursuit of hedonism is not pleasure, but happiness”. Minimizing pain is the objective, “pursuing happiness through the greater happiness of us all.
“You are the choreographer, the director”. Sam invites us to use our imagination in the bedroom, and be anything but predictable and “expand your repertoire”. She tells us we are the “tool of talent; how you express yourself is up to you”. Through the exploration and opening up of your lover, with utmost comfort and equal dynamics, inevitably you will open up and gain more trust.
No matter whether the audience were in a relationship or not, Sam reiterated the fundamental importance of self-pleasuring, suggesting we use visualisation and set a scene, using soundtracks, creating a fantasy setting. The more you creatively self-pleasure, “the more you open up to have an exploratory relationship”. It heightens your confidence too, even blindfolding yourself when on your own and opening yourself up to your senses. We just got liberated.
We learnt that sex manuals are a far more erotic read than erotic literature and were provided with a reading list for homework, including Anais Nin, Nancy Friday.
We got into pairs to check out the silk blindfolds and guess different aromas and food products. We were shown techniques and tips for love eggs, bondage, spanking (“can get you high”) and foreplay, toys….all compliant of course.
My personal favourite line of the night, “It’s unfortunate to be cool in the bedroom, better to be a fool than cool”.
The price per salon is £69, naturally.
x
http://runninginheels.co.uk/articles/womens-boxing/
Ladies, lend me your ears. I have a secret to disclose and I urge you to take advantage of it quick, before this noble and wholly unselfish deed runs out! Yes, noble is how I would describe my current state of mind for I am about to divulge hard and fast facts about fitness session that will pretty much immediately change your mood, body and fitness level. I have found the ultimate IT BAG; this particular one doesn’t cost a couple of month’s mortgage instalments. No lady. It also doesn’t hail from a glossy, global brand such as Mulberry, Balenciaga or Chloe. The It Bag I am talking about is the punch bag.
I have never known a sport where weight loss and toning is so incredibly fast and noticeable – your body actually changes shape A regular 2 hour boxing training session will get you fitter than any ‘class’, you will go down a dress size sharpish and your natural shape gets fabulously toned, exactly where you want it to. Add to the mix the unadulterated chemical-free high and pure pleasure from punching the life out of a punch bag or smacking a pair of pads held in front of you by a hot (straight) alpha male. And one more thing – any irritable angst / annoying niggle you’ve felt during the day is simultaneously released, pretty much on impact. NB. It helps if you imagine the face of the one who has caused the niggle on said bag. Trust me, ,– those jabs are SO much more powerful when you do this!!).
Boxing, with circuit training to boot, is where it’s at girls. Another thing, if you are a yoga aficionado, you can mix it with the boxing training, however there is no psycho-babble here and definitely no time to contemplate our overly-exfoliated navels. Just let it all out and vent!
Sessions take place mostly in mens gyms across the UK. The place where I feel very much at home is All Stars, in West London’s Harrow Road. http://www.allstars-gym.co.uk/. The trainers have the patience of a saint, especially with me, who had no clue how to skip and the style of my upper cuts for a while were looking a little comical. What a marvellous way to end a day at work – whether you work from home (a sanity boost for freelancers) or at the officeSince discovering boxing as a twice/thrice weekly 2-hour session, I have found myself to be calmer, less uptight, a friendlier person (on the roads and to my family) and sleep is definitely deeper. And another thing – it has to be the best gift to yourself – it is incredibly cheap compared to yoga or Pilates. In a time of cutting back on gym memberships and the things that make us feel good, this has to be a must-do, guilt-free weekly activity.
Boxing is of course hugely beneficial for boosting a lady’s confidence and her self-defence reactions. No complaints either from being in extreme proximity to sweaty guys (being the minority sex in class is fabulous too, and a rarity at a yoga or ‘legs, bums, blah blah’ class at the gym). Forget psychoanalysis, psycho-babble, self-help; get a bag, some gloves, don’t forget the wrist straps, and practice that jab. Let your anger out and forget the OM-ing. In our world of ipods, laptops and face-less twittering, reality TV and box-sets, it so refreshing to have social interaction and physical contact during recreational sport.
With boxing you let it all out, you sweat (sorry girls you perspire) and ‘real life’ disappears for the duration. Don’t lose your concentration for one second. The expression ‘one blink and you’ll miss it’ resonates here. The release of endorphins is mind-blowing and the after-effect is amazing.
Boxing training is a full work-out; for the mind, the body, and the soul. For me at least, there is still that feeling of being a little naughty, revealing that you like to smash the living daylights out of something as hard as you possibly can. Quite frankly it is the most empowering extra-curricular activity in which I have had the pleasure of partaking. Do nice girls go boxing? I think so.
Q: How did I get into boxing?
A: Always had a ‘lock’ at the back of my shoulder, literally behind my heart; pain, but not excruciating – dormant. In times of stress and tension, it spoke out in pain, almost like my subconscious in times of angst. After years of massage, yoga, swimming, jogging, acupuncture, you name it I have tried it to release the pain, it was not until I visited an Osteopath (Byron Spiers) who, after two sessions of trying to snap and twist my body, load it with needles, was professional, candid and succinct.
His diagnosis: the complaint was not treatable with any form of massage or indeed my beloved yoga, and not to spend any more money or time on these therapies – ‘Juliet you just need to let it all out and take up high impact exercise’.
I spent a month researching a host of local (and not so local) boxing schools. I finally found All Stars, Harrow Road. A truly wonderful bunch of guys run the joint, take an interest in all the students and are making their voice heard for the 2010 Olympics. Skipping, weights, mat-work, circuit training also thrown in.
Maricel Alvarez & Javier Bardem in Biutiful
Having enjoyed a passion for Spanish cinema and all things caliente for eons, Senor Bardem has been seriously high up on the latino pedestal for me.
Now enjoying life as a new Papa with Senorita Cruz, I have been ogling them from afar since Bigas Luna’s Jamon Jamon in 1992 – integral movie for modern Spanish cinema, hitting our previously one-track English-language obsessed big screens with a vengeance.
In Biutiful, the Mexican Director of 21 Grams and Amores Perros fame, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu delivers an immaculate work of cinematic art.
Biutiful
He demonstrates his immense love of all things cinema. The visual effect is mesmerising and the details so delicate, so beautifully thought out, woven together and smoothly edit; let alone music, script and acting, beyond expectations. A heavy, intense storyline with Javier Bardem delivering a performance bursting with compassion, emotion and empathy. His wife in the film is played by Maricel Alvarez. A clinically bi-polar neurotic who cannot care for her own children, Alvarez nails it. She took me back to the early days of the art house guru, Pedro Almodovar. He had the unique ability to pick his actresses to portray his protagonists whose faces resembled caricatures, of the ilk of Picasso portraits, verging on grotesque, a rarity in Hollywood, requiring the actress to actually ‘act’, gradually revealing to the audience her natural inner beauty from deep within her persona (apart from Cruz of course).
The plot is tragic, with intricate delvings into the ethnic underworld of Barcelona, ravaged with illegal immigrants struggling to survive in a new Europe, rarely touched on in the world of tapas and tourism extraordinaire where Michelin stars are firing on all cylinders.
Do go check out this film, a must-see for anyone thinks they they are a real fan of cinema. Bardem most definitely deserves the Oscar, if just for his method acting. How many expressions can one face give us? Great, powerful, raw masculine stuff. He is the star, however plays the part with a humility that is quite rare. Refreshing stuff – if mind-blowingly effective. Took almost a full day to get my composure back.