STEPHEN DWECK

Stephen Dweck is obsessed with nature. Yet his work is oxymoronic. On the one hand he depicts things like flowers, and leaves, and fairy like motifs. He uses stones with a gentle pallor and cut. On the other hand, his work is bold. His stones are huge, and aside from being polished are generally left in their original rough shapes. His metal smithing is bold and hefty. In this manner, Dweck makes a very original statement. He really shows off the "rock" element of his gems. Definitely jewelry for a woman who knows how to make a statement.





 This designer doesn't stay in the shadows of his luxury brand studio either. Like his work, he takes society by storm. His jewelry is shown in numerous TV shows and movies including gossip girl and sex in the city 2. He is truly a jeweler for the stars. He has also designed for famous ads, including a beautiful martini glass for a Bacardi ad. He has been featured in many runway fashion collections as well, including Oscar de la Renta, Donna Karan, and Escada.

His passion for all things natural leads him around the world to collect beautiful and exotic semiprecious gems, which he turns into his stunning One Of A Kind pieces. Each one is adorned with Adam, a japanese beetle, usually cast in any kind of metal Stephen can get his hands on.

His pieces are designed as an homage to the beautiful world around him. He doesn't impose his cut onto nature's precious gems and squash them into forms familiar to everyone. He leaves their natural beauty alone, and only helps it along by polishing it up. A true lover of stones should really consider supporting his work.

TIFFANY & CO.

Tiffany and Company is perhaps the most well known designer jewelry firm here in America. One could even go as far as to call it a household name. The company was started by Charles Lewis Tiffany in 1837 in New York City. He opened a fancy items shop and very quickly gained renown. His clientele grew and soon he became the go to shop for heads of state and the creme de la creme of east coast society.

C.L. Tiffany bought the biggest fancy yellow diamond (Tiffany Diamond), and also bought the French royal jewels. He was then crowned the King of Diamonds. Aside from housing some of the biggest and most exquisite gems in the world, the company has also allegedly discovered new gems such as Tanzanite, Morganite, and Tsavorite by launching expeditions to remote parts of the world in search for new materials.

Years of pioneering designs, creating names, and developing newer methods has not only put, but kept Tiffany on the map for a century and a half. The company now includes scores of designers, including Elsa Peretti, Frank Ghery, Paloma Picasso, and Jean Schlumberger. They make jewelry for all classes and occasions. They have even been known to create parasol handles, spurs, halter tops, and bicycles in its colorful history. And like when it opened, it continues to attract heads of state and the creme de la creme of society.

MIKIMOTO

If you were thinking about buying pearls anywhere else, STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING. Mikimoto is the place to go for pearls. Not only are they the absolute best pearls, but buying cultured pearls is the most environmentally safe way to go about these precious gems of the ocean!

They are one of the only luxury brands (if not THE only) to work exclusively with pearls. Their work is stunning! Each pearl a perfect little orb, tenderly cultivated and polished to perfection.

It all started with Kokichi Mikimoto - the pearl king. He is thought to be the inventor of cultured pearls. He was disturbed by the corruption, irregularity, and dangers of collecting natural pearls, and started creating his own in the early 19th century. Both artist and scientist, he was able to create pearls that rivaled those naturally found in the sea.

Mikimoto is the world leader in cultured pearls, and surpasses all competitors by far. They set the world standards in cultured pearls, and have a wide collection of stunning pearl jewelry.

To get pearl jewelry from anywhere else is absolute madness. Mikimoto is time tested, environmentally friendly, and treats its workers well.

FABERGE

Everyone knows the famous Faberge Eggs. They were created by Gustav Faberge in the late 19th century for the Tzar. The Faberge history is full of travel and intrigue, and almost two centuries of creating beautiful gold objects. Faberge spent most of his life in Russia, where the Faberge company originated. Branches were open in London, Kiev, and followed by a few others.

With such a historical momentum building up for 100 years, the Faberge company was able to make a come back after the USSR confiscated and nationalized all of its goods.

Faberge recently relaunched in 2007 with a vast collection of glimmering pieces.
Each piece of gold is slathered with hundreds of beautiful gems. They have it all. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls. They even give you the option of choosing pieces based entirely on color. Gray, white, yellow, green, blue, red, orange, and so on.

Faberge is one of the oldest designer brands, and one of the most luxurious. Truly, the name itself is all you need. Strong, historic, bold, and beautiful, any piece would be a crown jewel to your collection.

MARTIN FLYER

One can say that Martin Flyer is one of the poster brands for engagement and marriage rings. Flyer features very classic, diamond rings. They offer platinum, 18K yellow and white gold, and Palladium.  They have a new FlyerFit brand where their engagement and wedding bands are designed to sit together as a set. They market the 5 basic engagement ring types: Solitaire, Three Stone, Channel, Shared Prong, and Micro Pave. They are a very informative and social brand, helping you purchase and care for your rings every step of the way.

SEAMAN SCHEPPS

Jewelry as a whole is considered to be serious business. Expensive, labor intensive, and a luxury only the richest could afford. Born out of the ashes of the depression, Seaman Schepps did to jewelry what nobody else could do. Without losing any of its prestige, he injected magic and fun into his work. Eclectic color palettes, unusual treatment of gemstones, and an almost sculpture like attitude to his work creates a collection of work that is sheer joy to behold.

His jewelry is instantly recognizable by clusters of precious and semi precious stones. He let the earthiness and natural beauty of candy looking gem stones take the stage, while small tendrils of gold or platinum would daintily hold the clusters together. He plays on our love of bright colors and round bubbly designs. He lets his stones retain their natural asymmetrical shape, polishing them just enough to let them glow. The juxtapositions of cut and cabochon stones set in gold creates a dynamic design.

His innovative nature didn't stop at the unorthodox way he treated gemstones. He included more base rocks like rock crystals, and treated them as such to bring them up to the same level as precious stones. He incorporated ebony, wood, and coral; making them just as beautiful as his sapphires and emeralds. He took shells from the sea, cleaned them, and studded them with gorgeous gems.

 His playful nature had no end He created plenty of charming animals encrusted in precious gems. Coy turtles, crying fish, and cocky roosters were a small part of his repertoire.

Few other designers were able to do with gems what he did. He injected purity of heart, his playfulness, and his joy into what was normally considered a serious and prestigious art form.

BUCCELLATI

A century old Italian jewelry firm, Buccellati probably sits closest to the top in the world of fine jewelry. Each piece is made of exquisitely ornate gold drizzled with hundreds of diamonds. 

 Their design motifs consist of very delicate stars, snowflakes, flowers, and honeycomb patterns. These perfectly balanced and symmetrical themes give their work a glitter and luster unmatched by any other jeweler.

 The pieces themselves are detailed with the finest of strokes in Milan. Super refined honeycombs of 18K gold and platinum tendrils are studded with vivacious diamonds. Contemporary gold cuff bracelets are bejeweled with small star shaped diamond clusters.


Rings are encrusted with rubies and showered with  diamonds, perfectly aligned within their lacy designs.

Each hand crafted piece can take from several months to several years to create.

Owning a Buccellati isn't merely a status symbol, or a collector's item. it is owning a pure work of art. It is owning months or even years of an artist's life, their passions, and an awe inspiring piece of Italian workmanship.