Recently, I've been touring around different parts of the world for my day job. Blogging is more of a getaway from work to be honest. The thing about traveling a lot, is that you'll always find time to meet new people and chit-chat about your favorite topics. For me that's obviously jewelry, however during some of my trips I've noticed that not a lot of people know what it means when a jeweler tells them that a certain gemstone is "heated". Do you guys know what that means? As far as my research can tell, heating a stone can have various effects. Most of the time, it's done to improve color. Adding some kind of chemical component to the process can also improve other attributes like clarity. This is good for the apparent image of the gem, but in some cases treatments like this aren't permanent.



Rubies and sapphires, along with diamond, aquamarine and alexandrite are among the most commonly heated gemstone material. This is usually done before the stones are set into jewelry mountings (as heat can damage designs). Almost all of the world's rubies undergo some kind of heat treatment I'm told, although there exists a premium price for top quality stones that are verified to be unheated. Gemological laboratories like GIA or AIGS can easily tell if this is the case for your stones.



Apart from heating, there's actually a huge list of enhancements that people do to improve the look of their gemstones. Emeralds and jade can be filled with oil or resin, pearls can be bleached, turquoise can be impregnated with wax, and so on so forth.



It's really too much to cover for one short post, but I'm fairly new to this idea of enhancing gems, so it's really intriguing.

Image Credit to www.gia.edu

We know of many jewelry designers who have drawn up inspiration from different cultures here and there, but one of them peaks out interest when it comes to fine jewelry. Her consortium of styles that meld together into a rhapsody of beguiling pieces makes our eyes want to see more and more of her bold creations.



Anissa Kermiche has been featured by the likes of Vogue, the Sunday Times, and the Telegraph for her avant-garde way of cultivating jewelry diversities. One of her most inspiring works; the Paniers Dorés earrings, had been born out of inspiration she derived from fortune cookies. This piece plays with the light reflections that dance across its wavy gold surfaces, creating majesty with movement at every single step you take.



Her style bids farewell to the old symbolisms of gifted jewelry, bringing rise to feminism and an independently empowered woman. She creates to exact this image in today's female population, embodying the strength that comes with experience, and the elegance that emerges from curiosity.



In several interviews, Kermiche has been known to cite references for her craft. Many actually come from the world of art, such as mobile-designer Alexander Calder among other personalities. She promotes an outspoken vigor through her creativity that we deeply admire and respect. Here's to another great designer who inspires women to be as magnificent as their hearts desire.

You've all seen that little turquoise colored giftbox at one point or another right? Tiffany & Co's iconic packaging seriously created a worldwide icon all on its own. From the smallest and most modest of pins, to the daring displays of diamonds and gold, each of Tiffany's products comes carefully tucked in that small square of perfect light blue.



While this can seem fairly simple to most, a brand's packaging can in fact do wonders to promote its story. Everlasting love, romance and sweet smiles circle around the minds of tiffany's million-fold community of buyers. Each of them picturing their own perfect surprise, neatly wrapped into a delicate thought of bliss.



It's no wonder the brand is always remembered when special occasions arise. Though despite this, Tiffany's presence in Southeast Asia could be a little better compared to their same-level competitors like Cartier, LV or YSL. Their online presence on the other hand, is spectacular. The brand showcases all their jewelry in reality-defying resolution. I myself have no idea how they take such sharp photos of their items.

This may be more of a ranting monologue than anything else, but lately I've been wanting to go back and take a look at some of their newer collections. I especially love those oddly shaped vase designs by Elsa Peretti. The ones that Tiffany turned into necklace pendants. Oh, and the jewelry lines they made via collaboration with Paloma Picasso, which you have to admit is pretty name-dropping-esque, due to the latter's connection to the famous artist Pablo Picasso. She's brilliant in her own right though, I love the jewelry designs she made for them.

Minimalism is one of the most hyped jewelry trends known today, which is kind of paradoxical when you think about it. Many minimalistic works feature stone-less pure gold compositions, trailing allure through sheet scintillation or broad-scaped reflections. A lot of the surface light plays a huge part in generating the beauty of these simple, yet delightful pieces.



Anne Manns is a jewelry designer based in Berlin, and a lot of her designs feature some of the most beautiful examples of minimalism we have ever seen. From the sweetly rounded edges of her many creations, to the humble-themed subjects and glints of gold that sparkle across her collections, Manns has truly mastered the genre by heart.



A recent up-and-comer to the world of jewelry, she has yet to reach her full potential in this line of work, however even at such a recent starting-point, her knack for pretties' and shinies' can overwhelm the senses. We actually love her products, they're dainty, well made and display a combination of cuteness and elegance (which normally contradict each other).



Inspired by sculptural art, women and themes of nature, she seeks to use modern shapes and geometries to create everlasting pieces to be cherished by her customers and patrons. Anne utilizes 3D stitching in her jewelry craft, in order to create textile surfaces with an inherently curious structure. Combining and matching different materials has also been a fancy for the emerging jewelry designer.

Last year, it was well known to many in the industry that the famed Paris Biennale incurred a dispute over the reduction of exhibition space. As jewelry collectors, we're all familiar with the international event- high end brands from all over the world come to showcase their finest works to a very VIP-oriented audience. Notable brands like Van Cleef & Arpels, Chaumet and Cartier decided to leave the fair back then, due to this matter.



Luckily for the industry, the argument has been resolved and these Place Vendôme jewelers will be returning to the Paris Bienalle for 2018's event, along with other top players in the jewelry, watchmaking and art circles. More information can ve viewed at this article by Forbes Magazine.

The current year's Biennale will be continuing as scheduled, and it will be opened to the public on September 11 – 17, while a private viewing will be scheduled on September 10. As far as we know, there are 92 participating exhibitors who have confirmed their involvement, this will most likely rise as last year the famed presentation had about 113 exhibitors.

Some of you may be familiar with the Bonebakker family, and their 200 year long journey through the jewelry trade. Legacies in this business don't end in a single lifetime, which is a beautiful way to continue the passion of design through the decades.




Meet Sarah Appleton, a jewelry designer based in Paris, France, who is a descendent of the family. Her unique style of crafting displays a level of minimalism and gracefulness that we very deeply admire.



At a very young age, Sarah had already taken great interest in the glittering world of jewelry design, influenced by her mother who was also an artist as well. Hand-crafted jewelry is Sarah's specialty, and she draws inspiration from multiple facets of jewelry history- such as studying estate heirlooms, native American techniques, and modern methodologies.




She moved to Paris in 2012 to pursue her passion for creating original pieces. With a team of craftsmen at her side, she makes and finishes her jewelry at the center of Paris, utilizing the best qualities available when sourcing her stones, gold and other materials. As an ethical thinker, Sarah also makes sure that all the elements of her jewelry are conflict-free, meaning that none of them involved the abuse of workers or their livelihoods in any way.




She has also caught the French public's eye for modern impact, and dutifully defines her own creations by the best of their standards. Seeking to go for a timeless, graceful theme, she imbues her pieces with the utmost of care and detail at every step of the manufacturing process.

Luxury Smack is upfront editorial articles on some of the trending who's, what's and why's of the jewelry and watchmaking industries.



Let me leisurely update you on what's going on in the world of high rollers, while sipping champagne on my yacht, sailing across the Bahamas, in my imagination.




Alright, this blog is about my passion for jewelry, gemstones, precious metals, designers, brands and all things sparkly. It's not meant for puff pieces or ads, so don't email me with offers for that. I write to my fellow enthusiasts in the collecting world, and for their enjoyment only. This is not a full time gig, more of just a rants and raves type of thing. Ciao! - Le Strange, 2017