As New York City and the rest of the Eastern seaboard braces for Hurricane Sandy, my thoughts and prayers go out to those on the front lines. The predictions sound so catastrophic that in my mind’s eye, I imagine a storm that grows to the size of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, angry and churning.
Meanwhile, I’m lounging in Los Angeles, where a 3.9 magnitude earthquake yesterday morning failed to wake me up. I was due to fly to New York tonight; clearly, those plans are now canceled.
I’m keeping myself distracted by poring over my photos from last week, when I attended the inaugural LUXURY Privé Panama show at the Westin Playa Bonita on the outskirts of the country’s up-and-coming capital city.
Here are some highlights, plucked straight from my notes:
I fell hard for this new tanzanite pendant framed by blue sapphires from Houston-based Sutra. The piece retails for $7,100. The blackened 18k gold chain that it hangs from is even pricier: $8,000 (due to the double-sided diamond stations hidden from view). Love this collection!
The pieces on display at the Singer Collection booth were a revelation. The New York City–based estate jeweler showed an $8,250 Victorian snake bangle bracelet (circa 1875) in 14k gold with turquoise accents and red garnet eyes that looked utterly contemporary. With the current vogue for serpents, I can’t imagine the piece will be available for long.
These six stacking gold rings from Norman Silverman are no-brainers. Bundled into pairs, each duo includes a band with a fancy-shape center-stone and a plain band (in rose and yellow gold). The bundles—in marquise, oval, and pear shapes—wholesale for $3,700, $2,100, and $3,700, respectively.
At the Rahaminov booth, I was agog over the diamonds on display. These graceful diamond flower rings were particularly striking. The one on the left features 12.14 cts. t.w. and retails for $301,000, while the one on the right features 19 cts. t.w. and retails for a whopping $473,440.
Here’s the craziest part: These rings were far from the most expensive pieces at Rahaminov. I also tried on a 22.46 ct. fancy yellow VVS2 diamond that sells for $1,355,180! Wow!
Finally, the pearls at Utopia have always been favorites of mine. Like this 40-inch 18k white gold necklace with black rhodium accents and large, lustrous South Sea pearls. I was so enamored of the piece that I completely forgot to ask about the price. D’oh!
Once again, my prayers go out to all my friends and colleagues on the East coast, particularly in New York City. JCK’s offices are closed today, and perhaps tomorrow. Stay safe, everyone, stay safe.
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