Jeweluxe World 2019
Due to work & travel commitments, my adventure in Jeweluxe World 2019 was rather brief. Last year, I was able to give 2 talks on jewellery design & investment. I had a lot of fun at Jeweluxe And The Fellowship Of The Ring, Discussing Jewellery And Watches Over Happy Hour. However, this year I was only able to commit to a photoshoot and runway show. Regardless, I’m grateful to have met some amazing jewellers.
House Of Umrao
For example, for my photoshoot with Anne Fontaine, I was adorned with jewellery from the House of Umrao. As I’m always excited by emeralds, it was great fun to put on these statement pieces. Cleverly designed earrings framed the emeralds in large windows surrounded by bright diamonds. The matching pendant played on the contrast between the white diamonds and black onyx in an octagonal pattern. Overall, the effect was reminiscent of the art deco era. Jeweluxe World organiser, Angela, had gushed about House of Umrao when I met her for lunch weeks ago, and now I could see why.
Jewels By Ritu Aurora
Many ladies who witnessed our photo shoot coveted M5’s tiara from Jewels by Ritu Aurora. So did I, for it’s a unique piece made of 18K gold and over 21 carats of diamonds. Interestingly, when the tiara is unhinged from its gold frame, it converts into a delicate choker. Now that’s just the type of design & engineering genius that attracts the nerd in me.
I also discovered that Ritu’s daughter, Anushka Aurora recently launched a pret line, Aurora Fine Jewels. These are designed and manufactured in New York so you can expect that they’re pretty chic. I saw some delicate elongated earrings with artfully placed baguettes, that would accompany a busy gal from day to night. Once again, the dual functionality captured my attention. I wonder if this line will find its way to Singapore. I’m sure many busy gals would appreciate it.
Mouawad
For the Jeweluxe World runway show with Covetella gowns, my first of Three Red Carpet Events In Three Nights, I had the honor of representing Mouawad. My earrings, necklace and rings were made of variegated cuts of rubellites and green tourmalines, set glamorously with diamonds.
The ring that caught most of my friends’ eye was the enormous rubellite ring. Some of them asked if it was a ruby. Now rubies from the same family as sapphires. Both rubies & sapphires are precious stones and corundums with a hardness of 9 on the Moh’s scale. However, the chemical inclusion of chrome gives ruby its red colour.
By contrast, rubellites are from the same family as tourmalines with a hardness is around 7 to 7.5. Now tourmalines are considered coloured gems, or semi-precious stones. An interesting fact is that despite being merely “semi-precious”, rubellites are actually rarer than rubies.
Jeweluxe World 2019 Highlights
Despite my brief encounter with Jeweluxe World this year, I was glad to run into some familiar brands.
Magerit
Last year I had discussed Spanish brand, Magerit, extolling her intricate design. In fact, I bought a pair of asymmetrical whimsical earrings myself. This year I stopped by with my son, M4, who admired a heavy silver bangle. Indeed, beautiful jewellery can be appreciated by both grown-ups and kids, and can certainly be worn by both women & men!
Joon Han
I have long admired Joon Han Jewelry for her contemporary designs and use of bold, colourful gems. You’ll see what I mean on this website: http://www.joonhanjewelry.com. This year I was so honored to meet the jeweller herself and we chatted a bit about gems & kids.
Other Gems
Most of my memories from this year’s Jeweluxe World are made up of a mad scramble backstage. In the corner, stylists rapidly transformed us amidst hairspray and layers of make-up. By the dressing room, models twirled around in a flurry of gorgeous dresses by Ann Fontaine & Covetella. These experiences were shared with good friends whom I did the photoshoot and catwalk with. So, although I didn’t get to keep any of the dresses or jewellery, at least I have the memories. And those memories are more precious than gems.
