Letter From Hong Kong

Tomorrow is my last day in CIRCA’s Hong Kong office after a frenetic but exciting week. We can always count on our HK clients to bring in a wide variety of jewelry, ranging from important diamonds and colored stones to very complicated watches. Everything is always of the best quality and no wonder, the city has seen tremendous wealth creation over the last few decades.

This week began on a high note, meeting with my favorite clients - the two Mrs. C’s - for a fantastic dinner at Sup 1 (11 Gough Street), an unpretentious but “sceney” place with the best pasta and langoustine. While there, I spotted Yan Nei (diva Asian chanteuse) with her entourage. To put this in perspective, it is like being seated at an adjacent table to Mick Jagger at the Monkey Bar in NYC. You will be glad to know I kept my NY cool in both instances.

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Blue Book Value

When people think of Tiffany & Co., one of the first images that come to mind is the legendary “blue box”. What a lot of people tend to overlook is the Blue Book. The Blue Book was first printed in 1845, as a catalog of featured items for sale at the flagship store, and was the first such catalog to be distributed in the U.S. Today, the term Blue Book refers to an elite collection, which is previewed annually at an invitation-only event. The pieces created for the Blue Book Collection are inspired by the Tiffany & Co archives, and feature some of the world’s most spectacular jewels in custom-designed settings.

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Guest Blogger - Judy Aldridge

Every jewel tells a story. CIRCA asked Judy Aldridge about her favorite jewelry piece:

My favorite piece of jewelry is a very large lion necklace by the designer Hanna Bernhard. I'm a big fan of all of Hanna's pieces, but the lion is my favorite because designers Nathalie and her husband Fernand made it for me as a gift. I really love the look on his face and how all of his whiskers have jewels attached to the ends. I also love his mane - it's made of chains, so it actually moves. Nathalie chose beautiful glass beads for the actual necklace and even the clasp has beautiful clear rhinestones. Like all of Hanna's pieces, my lion is gigantic in scale and exquisite in detail. I will treasure this necklace forever.

- Judy Aldrige is a style arbiter & blogger, Atlantis Home






Every jewel tells a story – CIRCA wants to hear yours! Tell us about your favorite piece: Share Your Story

What's in a Name - Paul Flato

There was a time when Paul Flato was considered one of America’s greatest jewelers. Flato was born in Texas in 1900, and moved to New York in the early 1920’s. He started his career as a watch salesman before opening his own jewelry shop on East 57th St. in Manhattan. Within a short time, he was one of the best known jewelers in New York.

Flato was known for his whimsical style and sense of humor in jewelry, often making very tongue-in-cheek pieces for special clients. This bracelet has a light-hearted feel, and is made of gold set with pearls, lapis lazuli and malachite beads. This bold, colorful piece is reminiscent of one of Flato’s best known designers, Fulco di Verdura. Verdura began working for Flato shortly after arriving in New York from Paris, and the “Verdura for Flato” collection was launched in 1936. Verdua’s stint with Flato was brief, but helped to launch his own career as a jewelry designer.

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Come Fly with Me...

I’m off to CIRCA’s Hong Kong office this week, and although I thank goodness that I missed the travel nightmare of the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland, I am already dreading the flight. One could probably date the demise of the heady glamour days of air travel to when porters disappeared and they stopped providing free drinks. But for me personally, it was when two London Heathrow security men wrestled down my Birkin bag to stuff it into my carry-on before allowing me to board. If only Hermès could have seen them!

The worst are the “angry” travelers – those unfortunate enough to have their luggage lost. While I do feel for them, they should take a cue from our CEO, a paragon of Zen-like calm when his polo mallets were put on a flight to St. Martin and he was waiting by the luggage carousel in Palm Beach. No tantrums, only a minor twitch in his demeanor as he saw his mallets being used playfully by the airline staff when he went to pick them up two days later.

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The Legendary Royal Asscher

Every woman has a preference when it comes to the shape of a diamond. Some prefer the elongated look of the marquise, some the clean lines of an emerald cut, while others prefer the classic round brilliant. Few cuts, however, have the mystique of the legendary Royal Asscher.

The I.J. Asscher Company was founded in 1854 in Amsterdam by Joseph Isaac Asscher. Two generations later, brothers Joseph and Abraham were the ones who brought the firm to prominence. In 1902, Joseph Asscher created the Asscher cut diamond, the first signature cut to be patented. This stone is a stepped square cut diamond with cut corners and is often wrongfully referred to as a “square emerald cut”. This cut reached the height of its popularity during the Art Deco period, but has enjoyed a recent resurgence. Its popularity has been boosted further by celebrities such as Kate Hudson, Reese Witherspoon and even Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw sporting Asscher cut engagement rings.

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Guest Blogger - Allison Aston

Every jewel tells a story. In honor of Mother's Day, CIRCA asked Allison Aston, mother of two, about her favorite jewelry piece:

My favorite jewelry is what I wear every day - my wedding rings, trilogy ring, diamond studs and my newest obsession: my charm necklace!  It's a collection of charms that I've received over the year - some I would never have worn unless it was grouped the way I have it. My favorite additions are the diamond initials from jeweler Jack Vartanian on Madison Avenue... I have one for each of my loved ones - my daughter, my son and my husband.  They are so small and precious - I gave them to all my friends for Christmas... and they were a huge hit!  The letters come in white and yellow gold and the diamonds make them extra special.  The real pleasure is my son, who's only 2 years old, can pick out his letter and it makes him so happy that I always have a piece of him with me.

- Allison Aston is a fashion consultant and former Director of Public Relations, Roger Vivier
 
Images: Allison Aston, zimbio.com; Jack Vartanian diamond initial charms

CIRCA wishes Allison and all of the other moms out there Happy Mother's Day!

A Motherhood Anniversary

Motherhood is too special just to celebrate once with an initial “push” present (although I’d love to know if Cristina Cuomo received hers!) In fact, it is the continuing journey that mothers take with their children which we should celebrate and be thankful for. Now, my mommy dearest has her moments, but she tries – and like any good mother, she gave me my first lessons in jewelry. She sat me down after she bought me my first pair of studs and said “darling, aim for larger ones!” Naturally, she is also the one who has given me direction on how to wear jewelry appropriate for each occasion.

So dads and kids, this is the one day you can spring for something she can keep forever. After all, jewelry is always better than flowers, candies or even an expensive bag! How about a charm bracelet? You can personalize it by adding charms to commemorate special events in your lives – trips, holidays, etc. There are some gorgeous options of late from the likes of Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Of course, one can always start small with a silver ring and progress onto a bracelet the next year. As the years go on, we move on to high jewelry – items in gold or platinum, diamonds and precious stones - you get the idea!

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Sneak Peek at our New TV Spot

Thank you to all who have given us such positive feedback on the relaunch of our website with the new creative! We’re about to launch our new national TV spot using these images, and wanted to give you a sneak peek. Let us know what you think!

Unmentionables

The Edwardian era (circa 1901 – 1920) was essentially an extension of the 19th century as far as style was concerned. It was a light-hearted time full of fine jewelry that continued on until the outbreak of the first World War. As mentioned in previous posts, a defining characteristic in this great jewelry was the use of platinum because for the first time it allowed jewelers to create the delicate, lace-like designs that Edwardian jewelry is known for.

We recently purchased this lovely negligé necklace made with platinum, diamonds and pearls. A negligé necklace is defined by its central surmount and two drops of different lengths. In this case, the surmount is a bow with a diamond in the center, the longer pendant is a pearl drop and the shorter another diamond. Pearls were extremely costly during this era, and only the very wealthy could afford them, meaning that the original owner of this piece would certainly have belonged to the upper echelon of society.

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