Chopard and de Grisogono Rock the Red Carpet at Cannes Film Festival

Julianne Moore in Chopard

Switzerland is known for its world renowned watch industry but there are a few companies that produce world class luxury jewelry as well. Two brands, Chopard and de Grisogono, sparkled during Tuesday’s opening night Red Carpet ceremony at the Cannes Film Festival. 

Chopard’s partnership with what is arguably the world’s most glamorous film festival has marked its 60th year, which includes creating the Palme d’Or trophy, the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. The High Jewelry Red Carpet Collection, developed each year for the opening red carpet event, consists of 68 unique pieces this year. They were unveiled Tuesday, worn by world renowned actresses and models as well as Cannes officials. The jewels are designed by Caroline Scheufele, co-president of Chopard.

Meanwhile, de Grisogono and its highly charismatic founder and creative director, Fawaz Gruosi, always makes a mark at this event showcasing its highly creative designs. This year the company displayed white gold and diamonds accented by warm hues. 

The two brands best examples of its high jewelry pieces on the red carpet include: 

2015 Academy Award winner Julianne Moore in pear-shaped emerald earrings (52 carats) set with white diamonds in platinum from Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection and an octagonal step-cut emerald ring (13 carats) set in white diamond pavé‎ in 18k white gold (top photo).

2014 Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o wore Chopard pink quartz earrings (13 carats) with rubellites and white diamond set in 18-karat white gold, an amethyst ring with tanzanite, tsavorites and white diamonds set in 18k white gold; an aquamarine ring (5 carats) with amethyst, tanzanites; and white diamonds set in 18k white gold, all from Chopard’s Temptations Collection. She also wore a white diamond bead necklace (41 carats) set in 18k rose gold and a marquise-cut white diamond ring set in 18k white gold.

Fashion model Bar Refaeli wore de Grisogono cabochon-cut India earrings, Sensuale ring and the brand's iconic Allegra ring in gold, brown and creamy warm hues. She is pictured with Fawaz Gruosi, founder and creative director of the luxury jewelry brand.

Chopard ambassadress, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing in a pair of Chopard earrings featuring pear-shaped emeralds (25 carats) and white diamonds (24 carats) set in 18k yellow gold, a white diamond bracelet (29 carats) set in 18k white gold, an emerald-cut emerald ring (30 carats) set with white diamond pave in platinum and a round-cut white diamond ring set in 18k white gold.

Actress Natalie Portman wore de Grisogono diamonds, pairing the teardrop shape of Gocce earrings with the fan-shaped Jane ring and the Tubetto bangle 


French Actress Emmanuelle Beart wore a pair of Chopard white diamond hoop earrings (13 carats) set in 18k white gold, a white diamond bracelet (44 carats) set in 18k white gold and two ashoka-cut white diamond rings set in platinum.

Chinese actress Zhao Tao wore Chopard marquise-cut white diamond chandelier earrings (30 carats) set in 18k white gold.

Victoria’s secret Supermodel Karlie Kloss wore de Grisogono Sole earrings and a sculptural Onde ring

Model Doutzen Kroes wore a Chopard marquise-cut white diamond bracelet (8 carats) set in 18k Fairmined white gold and a marquise-cut white diamond ring set in 18k Fairmined white gold, both from Chopard’s Green Carpet Collection.

Indian actress Katrina Kaif wore Chopard white diamond drop earrings (8 carats) set in 18k white gold and a pear-shaped white diamond bracelet (37 carats) set in 18k white gold. 

Actress and model Liya Kebede adorned her Louis Vuitton silver dress with the de Grisogono Allegra ring and 1-metrer long sautoir necklace.

Member of the Jury, French actress Sophie Marceau wore three Chopard white diamond bead necklaces (totaling 270 carats) set in 18k white gold, a white diamond bracelet (33 carats) set in 18k white gold and a pair of white diamond stud earrings.

Member of the Jury, Spanish actress Rossy de Palma sparkled in a white diamond necklace, earring and ring suite (totaling 100 carats) set in 18k white gold.

Italian actress Isabella Rossellini wore Chopard ruby earrings (57 carats) set in 18k rose gold and a ruby ring (24 carats) set in 18k rose gold. 

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The Career of Steven Lagos Comes Full Circle

Steven Lagos

Steven Lagos founded his eponymous jewelry brand 1977 in Philadelphia. The company gradually grew to become one of the best-known jewelry brands in the US, with an extremely loyal following. LAGOS specializing in sterling silver jewelry. Its products are sold in more than 300 stores, including Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and independent jewelry retailers. 

In February Lagos announced that he will step down from his CEO position to focus on his roles as chairman and creative director of the company. He described the change as both a natural progression for him and the company and as a dream come true as he can now put all of his focus on designing jewelry, which is why he entered the business in the first place. 

What follows is an interview I had with Lagos as he prepares for the next stage of his career. 

Anthony DeMarco: Why make this move now?
Steven Lagos: These management changes are the result of reaching our objectives within our long term strategic plan. While the wholesale customer base has consolidated, the retail marketplace is more fragmented than ever. When I first started you just focused on the stores, it was so easy. Today the customer is shopping everywhere. To stay competitive, the business must be scalable, and that requires significant resources. We define resources as "Money, Time and People." All three are critical and must work in unison.  Today, we are on track with our plan and know exactly what we want to do. This is the perfect time for me to step aside.

AD: How long have you been planning this?
SL: It’s been part of the master plan for a while.  In big companies they say it’s best to have a new CEO every seven years. I think 37 years is a pretty long run. 

Caviar, made of textured sterling silver, is the company’s iconic jewelry design 

AD: Is this a first step toward retirement?
SL: Retire from what? I love my work and my job. It provides me a fantastic lifestyle and is really interesting. I’m a creative type. I managed the business for all this time to get exactly where I am. Design Director is my dream title.  

AD: What are your responsibilities going to be?
SL: I started the business from the creative side. To relinquish my day to day business responsibilities is a dream come true for me. While I’m proud of the creative work I‘ve been doing, I think I’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible. There is much more to explore. Creativity and design will be my main responsibility.

AD: You are showing a lot of faith in Chris Cullen, how has he earned it?
SL: Chris joined the company seven years ago as president and was charged with transforming LAGOS into a professionally operated, world‐class brand. For 31 years, I was creating products and selling in the best channels. We developed a cult following but were never able break through and scale our success. Chris is a team builder and professional manager. He created and has executed a vision of the company that leveraged our heritage and product portfolio, while developing new systems that focused on adapting to the changing marketplace. He has definitely earned it.

AD: Are you looking at creating new designs? New materials? New price points? Last year you seemed to introduce more expensive items? 
SL: I’m 100% interested in new designs and materials. Jewelry is so dynamic and versatile. Gold was logical as it build on our existing portfolio in both materials and price points.  With any product you have to innovate to stay relevant.   We won’t be adding new categories.  We are focused on being a women’s lifestyle jewelry brand.  We want to offer our customers jewelry for every time and occasion. 

AD: Is the company itself going to update its brand image?
SL: We are not updating the brand image, but rather re-affirming what the brand stands for and what makes it successful, which is our signature Caviar design, the bold femininity we want to convey, as well as our values; strength and integrity. The campaign we launched last fall “MY LAGOS MY WAY” (pictured below) is a result of this strategy.

AD: What is one or two of your best memories and/or accomplishments at Lagos?
SL: In 37 years there have been so many it would be hard to single out one or two. I think my best memories all involve people.  Jewelry is so intimate and personal. It’s an honor to be able to create and have people purchase and cherish your work for its beauty. The magic is the personal stories attached to each piece.  

AD: How do you see your future and the future of your company?
SL: We are building a brand. We have always prided ourselves in running a balanced, well run organization.  We believe that there is a lot of opportunity in the market and want to stay focused on building our brand.

AD: When you first started what were your goals and how have they changed over the years?
SL: When I started it was so much easier to focus. The distribution was simple–some retail stores and some mail order clients. Today the customer is shopping everywhere. It’s so different and fragmented. You need to focus on a lot of different distributions, often for the same business. 

AD: Did you ever think you would have a created a brand such as Lagos? 
SL: Growing up, I always wanted to be an artist and sign and sell my work. Creating LAGOS was my way of realizing this dream. I am super proud of what we have accomplished and humbled with what is left to do. 

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Statement Necklaces, Earrings Sparkled At Oscars 2015

Scarlett Johansson wears a Swarovski crystal embroidered collar
 necklace with a Piaget Mediterranean Garden ear cuff set

It was the year of the statement necklace as major stars strolled the red carpet wearing large pieces in a variety of styles and materials. 

One of the most stunning necklaces of the evening wasn't even precious. It was a Swarovski crystal embroidered collar necklace worn by Scarlett Johansson. She matched the necklace with Piaget Mediterranean Garden ear cuff set in 18k pink gold with five pear-shaped emeralds, 278 brilliant-cut diamonds, four pear-shaped aquamarines and two pear-shaped green tourmalines.

Margot Robbie made a great statement wearing a Van Cleef & Arpels “Zip Antique Colombine” emerald necklace featuring diamonds and sapphires set in 18k yellow gold. It is a contemporary creation using the same techniques and similar design to the original that was created for the Duchess of Windsor in 1951. The piece is set with more than 150 diamonds and more than 300 sapphires. The zipper is fully functional.

Lupita Nyong'o may have out-done everybody with a white Calvin Klein gown adorned with approximately 6,000 white pearls, which were reportedly a mix of fake and real, that appeared to be part of the fabric of the dress. 

Anna Kendrick wore a diamond collar of five rows matched with marquis and pear-shaped diamond cluster earrings totaling 13 carats, reportedly by Norman Silverman. The necklace was tucked into the neckline of her gown. 

Cate Blanchett wore a multi-row turquoise necklace by Tiffany & Co. 

Jessica Chastain went another direction in a delicate and refined diamond necklace by Piaget. The actress was recently named a brand ambassador for the luxury jewelry and watch brand. 

It wouldn’t be an Oscars without Nicole Kidman making a red carpet jewelry statement. This year she wore more than $7 million worth of Harry Winston Diamonds, including 7-carat emerald-cut diamond earstuds, an 82-carat Caftan diamond bracelet, a 16.5-carat emerald-cut diamond solitaire ring and a 5.3-carat bezel-set diamond band ring.

Also, Dakota Johnson was adorned in a 100 carats of Forevermark Diamonds valued at $2.2 million.

Felcity Jones carried The Minaudière precious case (1947) from the Van Cleef & Arpels Collection, crafted in styptor, yellow gold, and diamonds; and wore the “Dans les Étoiles” earrings featuring white and yellow diamonds and briolette-cut champagne diamond drops set in 18K white gold and “Snowflake” bracelet featuring diamonds set in platinum

Earring were the other big statement for the evening. Gwyneth Paltrow who wore Fire Phoenix Earrings and Pétales d'Amour Ring by Anna Hu Haute Joaillerie.

Also in Anna Hu was Naomi Watts, who wore the Wallis Simpson Bracelet and Modern Art Deco sapphires earrings.

Model Dorith Mous wore approximately $70,000.00 in ethically sourced Donna Distefano jewelry including the ruby “Savannah” ring along with a rose cut diamond cushion halo ring called “Lizzie."

Other highlights included: 

Julianne Moore in Chopard earrings

Jamie Chung in Leticia Linton diamond cluster earrings with a tanzanite center stone.

Marion Cotillard chic in Chopard earrings

Giuliana Rancic in Forevermark Diamonds

America Ferrera Irene Neuwirth opal earrings

Recording artist Rita Ora in Lorraine Schwartz earrings

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Christie’s Enters the Contemporary Jewelry Market with 7 Curated Jewels For Online Sale

Opal and Diamond Starburst Ring by Maiyet Fine Jewelry set with a circular cabochon opal within a rose-cut diamond and 18k gold starburst mount. $42,500

Christie’s auction house has added to its online offerings with seven jewels created by four contemporary jewelry designers.

The one-of-kind pieces were curated by Dalia Oberlander, founder & CEO of Latest Revival, a luxury jewelry website, and sold exclusively on Christie’s e-commerce site, www.Christies.com/OnlineOnly.

Fossilized Dinosaur Bone and Diamond Ring By Monique Péan set with an irregularly shaped black fossilized dinosaur bone, within a micro pavé-set circular-cut diamond and 18k white gold mount. $31,640

The creations by contemporary jewelry designers, CompletedWorks, Maiyet, Monique Péan, and Pamela Love, range in cost from $3,000 - $132,680. The sale began Wednesday.

Oberlander, said she wanted the collection to have a broad representation of the contemporary jewelry available.

Marble and Diamond Ring by Completedworks set with column-shaped Breccia di Massa marble, surrounded by a circular-cut diamond and 18k gold vine motif, mounted in 18k gold. $15,000

“I wanted to feature a mix of designers with established presence as well as younger designers,” she said. “Each of them are innovators in their field, whether they are working with unusual materials or introducing unique designs to the marketplace.”

John Auerbach, Christie’s International managing director, eCommerce, said the collection of custom pieces offers its clients a “compelling” reason to shop online.

Diamond Earrings by Deborah Pagani designed as a baguette-cut diamond openwork chandelier set with circular-cut diamonds and black diamond detail, suspended from a similarly-set top, mounted in 18k white gold. $19,360

“We’re always looking to offer clients access to the best and most exquisite property,” he said. “Latest Revival’s relationships with contemporary jewelry designers allowed us to curate a truly unique assortment of custom pieces.”

Oberlander added, “It's the perfect moment for a cohesive showcase of estate and contemporary jewels worn in unison.”

Diamond Necklace by Monique Péan, the open collar designed as a cascade of pear-shaped rose-cut diamonds, mounted in 18k white gold. $132,680

Highlights from the seven piece collection include an 18k gold ring by CompletedWorks that features a column-shaped Breccia di Massa marble surrounded by a circular cut diamond and 18k gold vine motif; a ring set with an irregularly shaped black fossilized dinosaur bone within a micro pavé-set circular-cut diamond and 18k white gold mount by Monique Péan; and 18k white gold baguette-cut diamond openwork chandelier earrings by Deborah Pagani.

The most expensive piece is an 18k recycled white gold necklace in an open-collar design, also by Monique Péan, featuring a cascade of 24.06 carats in pear-shaped rose-cut diamonds. It’s priced at $132,680.

Opal, Diamond and 10k Gold 'Frida' Earrings by Pamela Love designed as a circular opal stud, with an earring back jacket suspending three 10k gold feathers set with circular-cut diamonds, mounted in 10k gold. $3,000

Each item will include a signed sketch from the designer.

Auerbach said clients in New York who wish to view the jewels can make an appointment with a Christie’s eCommerce specialist for a private showing.

Diamond and Platinum Ring by Monique Péan set with a marquise-cut diamond within a micro pavé-set circular-cut diamond surround, to the micro pavé-set circular-cut diamond hoop, mounted in platinum. $36,060

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Red Carpet Jewelry at SAG Awards

Jennifer Aniston in an Amrit yellow gold jewelry chain

The Screen Actors Guild Awards Sunday presented a second opportunity for jewelry to shine on the red carpet. Although many of the outfits worn were bright and colorful, the jewelry that was was largely based on white metals and diamonds. 

There was a little bit more color present than during the Golden Globe Awards red carpet a few weeks earlier. But still white and conservative were the key themes again when it comes to jewelry. 

Below are some of the top looks of the evening:

Jennifer Aniston (top photo) was practically shimmering in yellow (her dress and even her skin). She wore a long gold Amrit jewelry chain accompanied by Fred Leighton yellow gold bracelets and earrings. It was one of the boldest statements on the SAG red carpet.

Maggie Gyllenhaal also delved into the yellow gold trend wearing Fred Leighton Victorian Gold pendant earrings and 1940s gold, peridot and diamond ring. 

However, the red carpet was most characterized by Reese Witherspoon displaying an elegant ensemble of more than $3.5 million worth of Harry Winston diamonds that included emerald-cut diamond drop earrings set in platinum, a 24-carat princess-cut diamond line bracelet set in platinum, and a cushion-cut pink sapphire & diamond cluster ring.

The Forevermark brand is dependent on white diamonds with white metals. Kaley Cuoco Sweeting was elegantly layered in a variety of pieces including Forevermark by Leo Schachter Flower Stud Earrings with Round Brilliant Forevermark Diamonds set in 18k white gold; two diamond and platinum Forevermark bracelets, and Forevermark diamond cuff set in 18k white gold.

Alysia Reiner was equally elegant wearing a full suite of diamond jewelry by Simon G. Jewelry in 18k white gold.

Patricia Arquette in Fred Leighton 19th Century gold pendant earrings.

Uzo Aduba in Forevermark by Rahaminov Diamonds, including Flower Cluster stud earrings; The Center of My Universe diamond ring; and diamond line bracelets, all in 18k white gold.

Laverne Cox in Forevermark Diamonds, including Forevermark by Natalie K The Center of My Universe bracelets; Forevermark pave oval ring; and Forevermark circle earrings, all set in 18k white gold.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus added a touch of color in Fred Leighton cushion cut diamond drop earrings with an amethyst and rose-cut diamond scalloped cluster ring.

A newcomer to the red carpet, Kimiko Glenn kept to the understated theme by with a contemporary look by wearing Dionea Orcini ear climbers. In white of course. 

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