From Russia with Love – MOISEIKIN

MOISEIKIN represents the modern interpretation of 200-year-old Russion tradition laid by the famous Russian court jeweler Carl Faberge. Founded by Viktor Moiseikin in 1993, Viktor’s mission is to revive the time-honored Russian artisans’ traditions and enrich them with state-of-the-art technological innovations.

Coming from generations of artists (architects, carvers, sculptors etc), it is only natural for Viktor to create beautiful images in his mind and turn them into reality. Viktor wants his treasures – he dislikes his creation to be called “products – to beautify women and the world around us. His philosophy is “Creating the Beauty we are changing ourselves and expand the perception of this planet beauty. Admiring the Beauty enriches our soul.”

A young and connoisseur brand, MOISEIKIN specializes in objet d’art and fine jewelry.

 

Known for its exquisite craftsmanship, high commitment to quality and individuality, MOISEIKIN’s work of art pieces are second to none and have been created for elected representatives of the cultural and political elite of Russia, England, France, Belgium and the United States. Among his esteemed clients are Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Michael of Kent, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, famous designer Paco Rabanne, Russian opera star Elena Obraztsova etc.

Some of the beautiful animal figurines and graceful flowers inspired by Mother Nature are actual pieces of jewelry attached to form the jewelry miniatures. Take a close look, a golden bird hanging on a jewel tree is a brooch pin. The edible-looking fruits made of pearls dangling from the jewelry miniatures could be a pair of pearl earrings.

 

Multi-purpose jewelry by MOISEIKIN consists of several modules that can be enjoyed individually or as a set. They can be worn different ways adapting to day-to-day situations or special occasions. All multi-purpose jewelry is exclusively and delicately hand-made – they are truly breathtaking steal-your-heart-away pieces.

Image credit: MOISEIKIN

From Russia with Love II – MOISEIKIN

If you are looking for a stylish and functional timepiece to wow your guest, look no further. Check out MOSEIKIN’s the Horn of Plenty clock, one of the most beautiful work of jeweler’s art.

 

Image credit: hautetime

At first glance, this extravagant jeweled ornament draws your attention to its lavish adornment of fruits, orchids and the fluttering hummingbird. Close up, it is one of the most complicated tourbillon clock built – a jewelry, lapidary and watch-making masterpiece at $1.9 million.

Inspired by the Garden of Eden, it has in total over 4,800 pieces of natural gemstones – nautilus, nephrite, diamond, demantoid garnet, sapphire, ruby, tanzanite, amethyst and natural pearls.   There are 4,144 diamonds with a total weight of 29.967 carats.

The Horn of Plenty “Glory” features the mother-of-pearl shell of an oceanic mollusk nautilus, caught in the eastern part of the Indian Ocean. It is mounted on the clock to look like a cockleshell braided with algae.

Amethyst grapes sourced from Brazil and leaves carved from emerald nephritis decorated alongside the algae. A hummingbird hovering above an orchid tops the timepiece. Rare precious stones including a crimson garnet-almandine, a sea pearl for the body, and a scattering of diamonds on the bird’s wings can be found on the hummingbird.

Some 600 pieces of rare Russian demantoid garnets are studded in the clock, which is tucked away in the roots of the floral sculpture. The subtle numeral engraving and the clock hand are concealed at the base. The hidden clock features advanced technology. The manually wound clock comes with a small diamond and demantoid garnet studded golden key and has a 8 day reserve. The key is kept in a miniature nephrite box in the base of the clock alongside other small valuables.

Temple St Clair

 

A Virginia native, Ms. St Clair grew up traveling and adventuring around the world. She discovered her professional calling while studying literature in northern Italy. Jewelry design became her vehicle to support expression through her love of gemstones.

In 1986, she founded Temple St Clair, a contemporary fine jewelry company while living in Florence, Italy, under her own name.  Barneys New York discovered her work in Italy and invited her to showcase her first collection exclusively in New York City. Temple St Clair’s namesake jewelry line has since earned legions of admirers fetishizing her signature rock crystal amulets and showpiece cocktail rings.

The crystal amulets said to offer the wearer spiritual protection could be seen as a luxurious necessity.  They have become such a signature item for Ms. St Clair, so recognizable that she’s continuing to turn the dial on creating new ones.

Her collection includes hundreds of contemporary interpretations of Etruscan, Roman, Greek and Byzantine designs.  She says, “I’m not a price point-driven brand.  It is what it is because I demand the best materials and craftsmanship.” Pieces start at USD500 and ascent to 7 figures for bespoke designs.

Temple to sell

Today, Temple St Clair Fine Jewelry is based in New York City with collections already expanded to luxury retailers and with collectibles for an in-the-know connoisseur clientele.  The clientele base is very old world yet modern who appreciates the exquisite colored gemstones and gold craftsmanship.  As Ms. St Clair puts it, “my jewelry is mostly purchased by women for themselves and by confident women who have a strong sense of their own individuality.”  These women are the creative type who wants signature pieces that are personal, lasting and significant.

Ms. St Clair continues to globe trot, researching on ancient jewelry, collecting inspiration and talisman charms in places like Nepal and Patmos, Greece, commemorating her travels with her covetable gems.  Every gemstone on her piece is hand selected and no two pieces are identical.  She says, “No one else is using the unique and unusual colored gemstones that we are.  From royal blue moonstone to African mint tourmaline to Mandarin Garnet, we have become the brand for fine color.”

 

David Webb

The quintessential American Jeweler.

Possibly best known for his enamel jewelry of animal themes, David Webb’s pieces have been beloved by socialites and Hollywood for more than 60 years. The original jewelry remains highly collectable.

Webb’s designs are distinguished by a bold use of color, dimension and meticulous to detail. His designs also include carved crystal, abstract enamel designs, mixed with eye-catching combination of diamonds and semi-precious stones.

Design inspiration came from many sources: the animal kingdom, Faberge, Cellini, and other master jewelers from the 1800’s and early 1900’s who approached jewelry as art, not a commodity. The aesthetics of the ancient Greeks, Chinese, and Egyptians was a big lure as well.

Some noteworthy quotes:

“I’m really interested in one thing: making jewelry.”

“Jewels, though more personal than paintings, should be treated as great works of art.”

“Women want one-of-a-kind pieces.”

His creation established a groundbreaking jewelry house and destination for statement jewelry. Known as an innovator, brightly colored bold animal motifs, and luxurious necklaces are the firm’s signature.

Tragically, David Webb died young in 1975 but not before leaving an incredibly rich and diverse archive of bold, beautiful and intricate jewelry to be treasured and carefully preserved for generations to come.

To date, his vision and legacy are carefully preserved by his original business partner, Nina Silberstein. Each piece is still carefully crafted from start to finish by skilled artisans above the flagship Madison Avenue store, the last of its kind in New York City.

Source: Macklowe Gallery

David Webb and his Animal Kingdom

A self-taught jeweler, Webb found his inspiration for his animal jewelry from children’s book – illustrated stories about jungle animals and how-to-draw volumes on horses and monkeys.

In Ruth Peltason’s words, the David Webb look is “design, foremost, and a happy exuberance and energy, an anything-goes optimism.”

 

Image credit: Jewels Du Jour

David Webb and his horses

 

With the coming of the Year of Horse, take a look at some of Webb’s horse bangle bracelets.

The materials used included: amethyst, emerald, diamonds, carved coral, carved azurite, and enamel.

The Tony Duquette Story

The Tony Duquette Story

An internationally acclaimed artist and designer. An American Design Icon.

During the Golden Age of Hollywood, Duquette created beautiful costumes and sets for musicals. Together with his longtime business partner and design collaborator Hutton Wilkinson, they also designed for theater and dance productions as well as the homes of their private clients.

Duquette won a Tony award for Best Costume for the original Broadway production of “Camelo” and was the first and only American to be honored with one-man show at the Louvre in Paris.

That 1951 exhibit included a collection of his 18k jewelry. The Duchess of Windsor was so taken with his work, she commissioned him to make a necklace for her. Bergdorf Goodman heard about the collection and invited the duo to create an exclusive, high-end, one-of-a-kind line.

Since Duquette’s passing away in 1999 at the age of 85, Wilkinson continues to create pieces for the “Tony Duquette Collection” in the aesthetics they developed together using their favorite materials – malachite, pearls, emerald and coral.

If you are interested in the collection, you can visit GIA Museum at Carlsbad. The exhibit is on from Oct 2013 – Mar 2014.

Tony Duquette and Hutton Wilkinson Jewelry

Trees with rakes for branches. Malachite fabric. Ballet dancers on stilts. A mirror suspended by gilded lobsters. These are just some of the creations that symbolize the style Tony Duquette and Hutton Wilkinson.

Duquette could dream of an artistic use for almost anything and never hesitated to use the ordinary in his extraordinary creations. “Beauty, not luxury, is what I value,” was his mantra.

What speaks of their work:

“Duquette and Wilkinson’s jewelry make a show-stopping statement. Someone wearing these pieces would not go unnoticed,”

“It is amazing to see the unusual gemstone choices they made – and astonishing to see how well these unconventional materials work together;”

“It is interesting to note how they chose color for inspiration rather than searching for perfection in the gems,”

“I will use anything that will help me capture the quality I am seeking; what I find in the streets, in the attic, on the desert, in the sea, the gnarled tree root, the snail’s own shell. To make incrustations with nature and time, to cast a spell, the essence of invention … a personal culture,”

“If it’s not fabulous, it’s meaningless,”

Tony Duquette and the Duchess of Windsor

The Duchess of Windsor-style necklace, also known as the “Floral Wreath” Necklace, is made of citrine, tourmaline and mabe pearl set in 18k.

Following the 1951 exhibit at the Louvre, the Duchess of Windsor commissioned Duquette to make a gold wreath of vince and flowers, which she often wore to evening events. Prior to the debut of this necklace, it was customary to wear only platinum after 5 p.m.

Image and content credit: GIA