We continue to buy and sell, so please contact us whatever your needs.
UPCOMING SHOWS
Los Angeles Antiques Show: April 21-25, Barker Hanger, Santa Monica
Opening Gala is Wednesday April 21, 7pm-10pm
Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair: April 30-May 3, Chicago
Opening Gala is Thursday April 29, 5pm-9pm
FASHION TRENDS
The man-tailored look was shown by most designers and we think it will be worn by the chic set. Also the army uniform and camouflage look seems to be popular (I almost bought a cub scout shirt at the flea market) and both these looks take well to the kind of jewelry we like here — wood and gold, long chains, cuffs, embellished bakelite. The coral star would be right at home on a tailored suit and it has just enough diamonds to give it pizzazz.
 
Jean Schlumberger / Fulco di Verdura
We have featured Jean Schlumberger and Fulco di Verdura this month as they both worked in NY about the same time and were friends with many of the same people.
Verdura was born in 1898 to a noble Sicilian family. He loved color and nature and was introduced by the Cole Porters to Chanel and became her head textile designer in 1927. She quickly saw his talent in jewelry and had him rework all her personal jewelry and had him design her costume line. In 1934 he took off for NY where he designed the cuff with the Maltese Cross for her, using the cross given to her by Grand Duke Dimitri of Russia. He was introduced to Paul Flato by Diana Vreeland a friend of the Porters. He opened his own business in 1939.
Schlumberger was born to a wealthy textile family in Mulhouse France in 1907. While he loved to design early on, he was discouraged by his family. His first job was actually designing buttons for Schiaparelli and later costume jewelry. He served in WWII under DeGaulle in London and came to NY after the war. He first designed clothes for Chez Ninon, opened his jewelry salon in 1946 and joined Tiffany in 1956. He also made whimsical jewelry, and loved nature and sea creatures. Diana Vreeland said "Schlumberger appreciates the miracle of jewels". Jackie Kennedy made his enamel bracelets famous as she often wore several.
We love Verdura and Schlumberger jewelry and buy it when we can, a few pieces are shown below:
- [26B335] An 18k yellow gold and diamond brooch by Verdura, designed as a fern leaf set with 104 diamonds weighing approximately 4.25 carats.
- [26E323] A pair of 18k yellow gold, diamond and mabe pearl "Diana" earrings by Verdura.
- [26A430] An 18k yellow gold bracelet by Schlumberger for Tiffany, designed as interconnecting leaves.
We have recently bought a one-of-a-kind piece that belonged to Diana Vreeland. It is a coral brooch made from her mother's corals in 1928 — we cannot confirm the maker though. It is a showstopper and was worn by the English actress Tilda Swinton at the 2008 Costume Institute Gala at the Met. This is a very special piece. In the photo, Diana Vreeland seems to be wearing Verdura cuffs.
 
A pair of large 18k white gold, rock crystal, and diamond circular earrings by David Webb.
A carved rock crystal clematis brooch with pearl and diamond centers set in 18 karat white gold by Seaman Schepps.
- An unusual 18k yellow gold and rosewood choker necklace by Tiffany. One end screws off to make it easier to put on. These pieces are right in fashion today.
- [26A254] An 18k yellow gold, rosewood bangle bracelet by Angela Cummings for Tiffany from 1977.
- [26W434] A French 18k yellow gold and wood ladies watch, dial signed Balogh (a jeweler who was on Madison and 69th), case and movement signed A Barthelay.
- [23E692] A pair of 18k yellow gold doorknocker style earrings done in a stippled finish. These go well with the wooden jewelry.
- [26E593] A pair of 18k yellow gold and wood earrings designed as turtles with a wood shell with textured gold head and feet. These are not signed but are very unusual.
These wooden cuffs with 14k gold are as pretty as anything we've seen and our own Ashley designed them. Left one is with stars [26A616] and the right one is with scalloped edges [26A615]. I think wood is going to be more popular than ever, and it works with the clothes for spring/fall.
- A chunky 18k yellow and diamond (approx. 3.36 carats) link bracelet from the 1960s.
- [26A532] An 18k yellow gold, scalloped rock crystal and diamond (approx. 3.10 carats) hinged bangle by Tiffany.
- [26N618] A long 18k yellow gold link necklace designed with alternating polished and textured oval links.
- [26N338] A long 18k yellow gold link necklace composed of blue plique-à-jour enamel links.
- [26E250] A 14k yellow gold, mabe pearl, black onyx and diamond earrings.
- [26E897] A pair of 14K yellow gold, onyx and diamond earrings. They are a tear drop of onyx, centered with hammered yellow gold, and surrounded by diamonds.
- [26E536] A pair of 18k yellow gold, black onyx and diamond earrings from the 1980s.
A selection of 18k yellow gold and quartz earrings, designed with a faceted piece of quartz set atop with a tear drop of gold that moves into a wire. These are designed by Ashley.
We have been creating a lot of "bespoke" jewelry lately. Marcella and I bought fabulous old bakelite pieces from her flea market contact (many of them French) and she added gold and/or diamonds to them very effectively. We sold out at Christmas and since Marcella is away in Italy now, I replenished the supply and she has sent over designs and Michelle has picked out diamonds from all the unwearable jewelry we have bought. Ashley has designed the wood and gold cuffs (see "Wood and Gold" section) and I have done some shagreen cuffs. We have included a lot of our designs in this newsletter. We have five shagreen bracelets and a fabulous pair of bakelite earrings and a ring.
First we did a narrow red shagreen bracelet with six 14K gold discs and glorious. Then we took wide gray and/or black shagreen bracelets and added old bits as centers. The creme-de-la-creme is the one with the stickpin brooch that has a sapphire and diamond, a moonstone, a citrine and two pearls. It is a beauty. Then we have a gold fish with a diamond eye. Then we took an old Victorian oval one with a tiny diamond center, then we have one with a little gold Aztec figure with an emerald. We found these great yellowish bakelite earrings and put diamonds in the center of each, .46ct total weight, set in gold. The two-tone bakelite geometric ring has a diamond center and a size 5 1/2. Marcella designed this ring before she left.
PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE FOR PRICING DETAILS
(contributed by Ashley)
Groom & Groomsmen’s Gifts
The traditional black tie for weddings has gone out the window! Nowadays, you see khakis and blue blazers with pastel color ties that match the color of the bridesmaid’s dresses. These wonderful cufflinks make the perfect groomsmen’s gift and are a perfect accent to these more colorful groomsmen outfits! The links are designed by a wonderful British company called Deakin & Francis, their quality is superb and the enamel work could not be more beautiful, not to mention guys love the lever backs because they are easy to put on! We can custom order a design for you or a more simple link in almost any color imaginable.
Clearly, I was in a spring mood when I ordered these links! Last year I did the seahorse cufflinks in pink and blue for a wedding at Tuckers Point in Bermuda, where the seahorse is the logo for the club. I gave my husband a pair for our wedding day that added a touch of color to his penguin suit. They were of course skull and crossbones because we were married on Gasparilla Island which was discovered by Gaspar, the pirate! A fun detail and story that can be quite the topic of conversation on the wedding day.
Bridesmaids Gifts
I have discussed the option of custom made bridesmaid necklaces, earrings and bracelets. I thought I would include these wonderful mother-of-pearl and diamond earrings as well as these freshwater pearl drops. Simple and elegant earrings that will accent any dress perfectly. I assure you they will be a gift that will be worn daily after the wedding unlike those bridesmaid dresses!
Read more about other stories…
I went to Barneys to replenish my lovely Armani silicone foundation no. 8 with Rafael German. As I had a little time, he made me up and I also bought a wondrous eye cream. He is a genius and I looked fabulous. He uses products from different lines and is worth your getting to know. Telephone in advance to be sure he is there — 212.833.2419.
Of Note
The signs are up for the fall opening of Reed Krakoff on Madison between 60th and 70th. He is the main force behind the success of Coach and he has designed his own line, which I loved the pictures I saw and am eagerly awaiting the opening of the store.
Jo Nesbo's third book, The Devil's Star, has finally been published in the US by Harper. I'd already read it as I got the UK version but this will make it a little easier for most. It is a terrific book featuring Harry Hole and what seems to be a serial killer.
I am so proud of my university, Vanderbilt, where I proudly serve on the Board of Trust. Totally unbeknownst to me, Dr. Abraham Verghese, the author of Cutting for Stone, one of my absolute favorite books of all time, spoke at Vanderbilt University for the Abraham Flexner lectureship in medicine on Feb 26th. He is the senior associate chair for the Theory and Practice of Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and has also written many other books and articles. I only wish I had known he was speaking so I could go.
I would have thought that having Dr. Verghese speak would be the highlight of the year at Vanderbilt, but they have topped it with the speaker for senior day Khaled Hosseini author of The Kite Runner, my other all time favorite that I discovered early. He will receive the 2010 Nichols-Chancellor's medal. Dr. Hosseini was the son of an Afghan diplomat who with his family was granted political asylum. He became a doctor, author, and founder of the Khaled Hosseini Foundation, which provides much needed humanitarian help in his home country.
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee. I started this book, then misplaced it, and had so many people ask me if I'd read it. I did a search, found it and read it and loved it. It details two romances in Hong Kong, one in 1942 in the middle of the war and one in 1952, linked by various factors. This is a really good book and is available in paperback. It is a terrific story but you get a good dose of history also.
Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. No matter your politics, you will love this book. Full of inside info on the Clintons and Obama, Edwards, McCain and Palin. This reads like a novel. A must read and a good present to give the man in your life.
I was taken recently to the new restaurant The Mark by Jean Georges (212.606.3030) by Joan Helpern. The Mark Hotel on East 77th Street, just off Madison has been redone and the new restaurant opened. It is beautiful and delicious and I got to meet Jean Georges as he was there that night. Warning: the bar is really crowded and it looked like lots of meeting and greeting was going on. This is a very welcome addition to the neighborhood. While we haven't inspected the rooms in the hotel, we would recommend that you do so if you need a place to stay.
I saw The Ghost Writer, Roman Polanski's new movie this weekend and loved it, even though I realized early on that I had read the book a while back, so the mystery was no mystery. The book is by Robert Harris (Fatherland) and a really good read. The character played by Pierce Brosnan is clearly based on Tony Blair and Ewan Mcgregor is the ghost writer charged with finishing his memoirs. The book and the movie are very good.
I went to see The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo the first weekend and it was wonderful. The cast is spectacular with the lead roles just perfect. It is in Swedish with English subtitles but very easy to follow. It is a good adaptation of the book.
A new television program on FX, Tuesday at 10 EST (check repeats), Justified based on Elmore Leonard's novels and stories with Timothy Olyphant as Marshall Givens who shoots a bad guy in Miami and is transferred back to his hometown in North Carolina. They have done a wonderful job and there will be a different episode each week. Olyphant is quite good and very easy on the eyes.
With the nice weather I did a scooter tour of Lexington from 69th to 82nd, West Side of the street. If you start at 69th St you will hit Frank Engel cleaner (212.744.8550): they not only do a wonderful cleaning job but Debbie is a whiz at alterations and they are quite reasonable. The shoemaker next door is a genius and can make shoes look brand new. He also does minor handbag repairs. Next is a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop catering to Hunter College students. She makes the best chai I have ever had and all her other products are yummy. Crossing to 70th you come to Corrado, a wonderful bakery (Jean loves the mini baguettes but they sellout early). They now have sandwiches and salads and beverages and you can eat outside at tables on 70th St. With the nice weather last weekend it was full. Once you get to 71st St you hit Mecox Gardens which is always fun to visit and Sicafe, a European type coffee shop with newspapers on racks. A new shop has opened called French Sole with lots of lovely ballerinas and just up the street is French Sole outlet. We are not mentioning every shop on the street, just ones that were easy to go in and were particularly interesting. Let us know if you have a favorite we missed. Crossing 72nd St you hit Lee Anderson, custom made clothes which used to be on 69th just off Madison until high rents forced them off. Lee Anderson has beautiful clothes and a choice of lovely fabrics. Their claim to fame — they made my wedding dress which was a lovely navy silk. Then I bet you didn't know about Mary Arnold Toys. They carry popular toys and interesting educational ones and you can always find a last minute gift if you need it.
Going towards 74th St you come to Danielle B, a lovely women's clothing shop. I have friends who swear by it. There is also another shoe shop, Pretty Ballerina. We finally have a resale shop Second Time Around and it is on one level, hurrah; I have not really investigated yet. Then you hit a dry spell with the block between 75th and 76th taken up by a bank and D'Agostinos and then Lenox Hill Hospital goes until 77th St. In the next block is Butterfields Market which has opened a lovely frozen yogurt stand that seems quite popular. At 79th St is Eisler (212.744.4144), an old fashioned chemist. Don't go there for stuff on the cheap but for stuff you can't find elsewhere. I get my dusting powder there (nowhere else seems to have it) and talc in a can for my brother-in-law. They deliver and take phone orders. Service is superb. Just off Lexington at 129 E 80th St is Elena (212.734.2613), the best facialist in the world. Then walk back to Lexington Ave and go to Likitsakos, the Greek market that I have long loved. They have many prepared foods, most made with little oil and no dressing (my only gripe is that they charge 50 cents for the dressing which I think is chintzy; however my nutrionist says it's a good thing because I go without). The food is delicious; I especially like the pureed carrots and so does Francesca, Gus's little dog. I will write up more sections of the city each month.
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