Picture Perfect

Portraiture is a craft rooted in prehistoric times that has been important for different reasons throughout history. Long before the days of photography, Roman emperors had coins created in their likeness so that their subjects would know what they looked like. Some ancient cultures viewed portraits as a way to achieve immortality. In more modern times, the Old Masters painted portraits of kings, queens and nobility as their primary source of income.

In the Victorian era, it was not uncommon to see miniature portraits painted on porcelain or ivory and mounted in a lovely gold pendant, like the one pictured here (top). This particular portrait features a young woman painted on porcelain and set in this gold and pearl framed pendant, which is approximately the size of a quarter. In many cases these pendants would double as hair lockets on the reverse side. These miniature portraits made wonderful tokens of affection.

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Downtown Chic

Last week I was busy entertaining my sister, who was visiting from Europe. She is the ultimate uptown girl – by that I mean more glamor, more entertaining, more champagne, more jewelry and just MORE.

So I decided to take her downtown, to Sorella on the Lower East Side, to remind her of what an edgier neighborhood looks like. I just love the downtown vibe - the dress, jewelry, bags, etc. Even the walk is unique!

To say that my sister, a woman used to being served, was a bit out of her element in the very do-it-yourself world of the Lower East Side, would be an understatement. As for me, I found Sorella quite charming, and there was plenty of downtown style. Our maître’d wore a handful of rings, but had one stand-out piece – a large ring carved out of a single piece of banded agate. My sister, with her more traditional tastes, was not convinced that this qualified as jewelry. Well, I declare it definitely is jewelry!

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What's in a Name - Buccellati

Buccellati was officially founded in 1919 near the La Scala Opera House in Milan by Italian goldsmith Mario Buccellati. Mario was a man who was very proud of his craft, and was even dubbed “The Prince of Goldsmiths”. Legend has it that at Madrid’s World Fair in 1920, a woman tried to bargain with Mario for one of his pieces,  causing him to violently throw it out of a window and yell at her for assuming he was a “tradesman”.  The next day, hundreds of people showed up at his booth for a glimpse of Buccellati and his jewelry. It sold out, and a legend was born. Mario ran the family business until his death in 1965, when four of his five sons took over. Buccellati is still a family run business, and is run by his son Gianmaria Buccellati.

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Guest Blogger - Philippe Cousteau

Every jewel tells a story. To celebrate Earth Day, CIRCA asked Philippe Cousteau, a champion of the environment, to tell us about his favorite piece:

While we may often take them for granted as just another mundane item, a watch is much more than a case with dials and gears slowly ticking. Whether it tracks your heartbeat, calculates equations, acts as a stopwatch, or just plain tells time, a watch is much more than an inanimate object that clings to our wrists. As an explorer, my watch can act as a compass by aligning the dials with the sun, it can track how long I have been underwater on a single tank of air and tell me how long till the freezing veil of night or the searing heat of day will descend. Its practical uses are endless and can sometimes mean the difference between life and death. But to me, my watch is a great deal more; it is not only a tool that records the inexorable passage of time, but also reminds me of the past and a heritage that inspires me every day.

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It IS Easy Being Green

The idea of “going green” has finally made it into the mainstream thanks to increased awareness. Sustainability has been a topic that CIRCA has championed since our founding in 2001. Not only is our business model built around it, but we also support environmental causes such as the recent events connected with “Platinum Jewels in Bloom”, benefiting New York’s very own gem, The Central Park Conservancy. As all New Yorkers know, Central Park is a beloved and vital part of the city, and supporting events that benefit the blooms of this great park is about as green as it gets.

The “Platinum Jewels in Bloom” events were centered around the window displays at the premier jewelry stores on Madison Avenue. Each window was decorated by a team from the Central Park Conservancy with flowers and spring scenes. A particular favorite of ours was the display in Pomellato’s window, which was a true springtime treat!

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Luxury Recycling

Before “green” became the new black, CIRCA was telling our clients that we are the largest “recycler” in the jewelry industry. CIRCA clients sell items which, for whatever reason, are no longer relevant in their lives - inherited pieces, impulse purchases gone wrong, or tokens of affection from an ex – be it a boyfriend or husband. It's a very freeing experience. Just ask Ellen Barkin who made a splash a few years ago when she moved on from the jewelry gifted by her ex-husband and into a new life!

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Animal Planet

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on Thursday, we wanted to start off the week by discussing the theme of nature in jewelry. The trend of animal jewelry has always been popular, but it really caught on around the turn of the 20th century. It’s easy to see how playful little creatures on pins captured the hearts of jewelry-lovers. At CIRCA, we purchase cute little pieces like these frogs almost daily and we can’t get enough of them.

In the late 1800’s through the early 1900’s there were frogs, bees, lizards, bunnies and butterflies popping up everywhere. Diamond brooches were made to resemble small creatures, usually with a hint of color for detail. In the case of these frogs, the eyes are made of demantoid garnets, which are known for their vibrant green color.

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Guest Blogger - Melissa Payner

Every jewel tells a story. CIRCA asked Melissa Payner about her favorite jewelry piece:

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a lover of the color black. I’ve got a closet full of black clothes and shoes, black roses on my desk, even a black wall in my office—and for as long as I can remember, I’ve been in search of the perfect black diamond. I started doing research and found the ultimate source: a factory in Italy that specializes in cutting black diamonds. My diamond is 6 carats, square cut, and set on a micropave band. And, for the record, I had mine way before JLo.




- Melissa Payner is CEO of Bluefly, Inc., the online destination offering exclusive designer merchandise at discount prices. Since Melissa joined Bluefly 7 years ago as President and CEO, she has succeeded in evolving the company from an emerging e-tailer into an iconic cultural brand.

More of HIS FABULOUSNESS

In our continuing adventures with HF, we moved from the avant-garde of Alexander McQueen to the retro chic of vintage clothes. As you may suspect, NYC is a major hub for museum quality designer vintage collections. 

With the faithful FI chauffer at our disposal, we covered several stores in an afternoon – one of the more interesting ones being New York Vintage in Chelsea where the collection is a memorial to great clothes from the 1950’s onward, with the corresponding jewelry to complete the look.

HF spotted a couple of great Halston chiffon gowns for his sisters and was also interested in a Galanos “Grecian” inspired number. But the pieces which spoke to me were two Ossie Clark print dresses – it was a reminder of a youthful me in Mary Quant cosmetics and a Vidal Sassoon bob... To complement these vivid prints circa late 1960’s/early 70’s, the jewelry was textured, chunky and incorporated semi-precious stones. Yellow gold was “beaten” to different finishes and pieces became bigger and bolder as the more polite brooches of the prior decade were put away. Long chains with medallions of lapis, tiger’s eye, big chunky bangles and large cocktail rings were the norm. Even Van Cleef & Arpels created pieces with large medallions!

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An Unflappable Classic

The roaring 20’s were a time period full of life and the arts. They ushered in a new style of flapper dresses, short haircuts, long necklaces and Art Deco jewelry. Here at CIRCA we’re particularly interested in Art Deco pieces. When made by the hands of a master jeweler, like this Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet, they are one of the most collectible items in the market. With platinum so fine that it feels smooth on the skin, and interesting geometric patterns, these bracelets are extremely wearable and always in style.

This particular bracelet is platinum set with diamonds in a lovely wavelike pattern, which contrasts beautifully with the otherwise linear feel of the piece. Art Deco jewelry spans roughly from 1918-1938. The lack of color in the bracelet helps us to determine that this item is from the mid-20’s. Art Deco bracelets from the 1930’s are better known for little hints of color, mainly rubies, sapphires or emeralds.

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HIS FABULOUSNESS - Part I

Some days at work are just more fun than others, such as when a member of a certain royal family sweeps into town to see us. His Fabulousness – or “HF” for short – is a well-informed jetsetter. He hits all of the important jewelry, fashion, art, dining, and clubbing spots.  He definitely has the "secret number" and always invites me to all of the über-exclusive hot spots! 


On this most recent trip, our whirlwind tour was expedited by his trusty and reliable FI – Faud Indum, who chauffeured us everywhere. HF is a seasoned shopper whose mission is to buy with a “curatorial” eye. He, like many others, wanted CIRCA’s opinion on some important pieces of jewelry:  a Cartier art-deco diamond and emerald sautoir and a vintage Van Cleef gold and turquoise bracelet. Both were beautiful pieces, and definite “buys”. FI then whisked us off to our next stop - Alexander McQueen.

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Guest Blogger - Kipton Cronkite

Every jewel tells a story. CIRCA asked Kipton Cronkite about his favorite jewelry piece:

My favorite piece of jewelry is a pair of silver Hermès cufflinks I received many years ago as a birthday gift from one of my oldest friends and her family. Each time I wear them, it reminds me of the special times we shared together on holidays and memorable moments with friends. Although I don’t see her as often anymore now that she is married, living in London and watching over her new baby girl, each time I wear them I recall some of the happiest times of my life.


- Kipton Cronkite is an entrepreneur and philanthropist, and founder of KiptonArt, a private establishment that culls fledgling artists and introduces them to the foremost administrators of the New York art world.

Hermès makes a variety of silver cufflinks, including these Mini Chaine d'Ancre cufflinks. Image source: Hermes.com

A Giant of Gemology - George Frederick Kunz

In our recent post on Alexandrite, we briefly mentioned Tiffany & Co’s celebrated gem expert George Kunz. Here we wanted to elaborate a bit on a man who was a giant in the world of gemology.

George Frederick Kunz was born in 1856 in New York City. As a rock and mineral enthusiast growing up, Kunz became a self-taught mineralogist through books and field research. His expertise won him several honorary degrees, as well as the Vice Presidency of Tiffany & Co. by the young age of 23. In 1902, when a new variety of the mineral spodumene was discovered in California, Kunz was the first person to give an accurate definition of the stone. Fittingly, it was named “Kunzite” in his honor. It is a light purplish pink stone, pictured here in this modern art nouveau revival brooch.

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For Your Viewing Pleasure

Who says that jewelry is only for show? Women who lived around the turn of the 20th century knew that beauty and practicality did not have to be mutually exclusive. Indeed, since their dresses were devoid of pockets, ladies often had to find creative and decorative ways to carry their necessities.

This lorgnette (pictured left) from the early 1900’s is a wonderful example of making a necessity an accessory. A lorgnette is a pair of spectacles held in place by a short, often bejeweled handle. Fashionable ladies preferred lorgnettes to spectacles that fit around the ears, and they were often used more as a piece of jewelry than to see through. The dainty lorgnette pictured here folds up neatly into a pendant, as shown. It is made of platinum and set with diamonds, and actually makes a beautiful necklace when worn on a long chain. This piece is elegant while still being functional, which was exactly the objective.

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