Father Time

We purchased this elaborate Arthur King watch just in time for the holidays, and it’s put us all in a festive mood! With its ornate, untamed movement this timepiece is very typical of the 1970’s switch in ladies' wristwatch style. In previous eras, ladies’ watches were rather formal and restrained in design, usually with a round dial surrounded by diamonds on a strap of white gold mesh. The late 1960’s and 1970’s brought a change to this tradition, as jewelers experimented with more daring, bolder designs and worked with carved hard stones, such as malachite and lapis, rather than diamonds.

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Holiday Sparkle

Ah, the holiday season! As we make our way among the countless parties, there is that nagging doubt of whether our friends and loved ones will like our gifts. Of course, under a cloud of holiday champagne haze, all gifts and well wishes look wonderful. But, after the excitement is over, my survey of Christmases past always yields the same conclusion - there’s nothing quite like the sparkle of jewelry.

For one thing, there is such a wide array of gift options. A quality timepiece or fine jewelry is, of course, always welcome. If there is only room for a more discreet gift, a silver bangle is a simple yet sleek adornment for any holiday cocktail dress. Personally, I like the linked trend that many top designers have utilized, like this Tiffany 1837™ interlocking circles bangle (right) or a more generous choice, Cartier’s Trinity collection (below).

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Leap Frog

One of the top jewelry designers of the 1960s, David Webb, produced iconic pieces constructed from a variety of precious stones and metals. Webb found much of his inspiration from nature, and translated this love into his collections. The jewelry house is particularly celebrated for its recurring animal motifs, such as frogs, giraffes, zebras, elephants, dolphins and fish.

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The Test of Time

The Cartier Baignoire watch is another example of a Cartier classic. With its unusual, elongated shape, this timepiece is considered one of the most feminine and sophisticated watches of all time.

The Baignoire was first designed in 1922 by the legendary Jeanne Toussaint, who joined Cartier in 1918 and became Director of High Jewelry in 1933. She was nicknamed "The Panther" by Louis Cartier, both for her chic countenance and the fact that every new design had to be submitted to her ruthless judgment. When designing the Baignoire, Toussaint looked to the sensual rounded oval shape of the French bathtub for inspiration. Ooh-la-la!

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CIRCA Toasts Chicago Magazine's 40th

CIRCA Co-Founder Jeffrey Singer joined CIRCA Chicago Director Ruth Thuston at Chicago Magazine’s 40 Reasons to Love Chicago fête held December 8th at The James Hotel. Chicago Magazine was celebrating its 40th anniversary, and the packed house cheered as editor Richard Babcock toasted to “40 more years”.

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Guest Blogger: Christian Cota

Every Jewel tells a story. CIRCA asked Christian Cota about his favorite jewelry piece:

I love a piece of jewelry that complements ones own beauty as well as the clothing itself.  For my spring 2011 collection, I focused on mixing texture and transparency, designs that lend themselves to my dear friend and jewelry designer, Monique Pean’s creations.  Monique’s Tahitian pearl and diamond gold ring pairs perfectly with my daylight explosion print - a mixture of feathers, light bulbs and destroyed circuit boards.  Monique’s ring, made from recycled gold, is not only beautiful, but is created with conflict and devastation free champagne and yellow diamonds.
 

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What's in a Name - Graff

The House of Graff is known for its exceptional diamonds. They are unique in the industry in that they are a vertically integrated company, and have a hand in the entire process - from the cutting of the diamond to the design of the piece, through its sale. Founded by the colorful Laurence Graff, the so-called “King of Diamonds”, in 1966, Graff has carved a unique niche for itself, with a client list that ranges from Elizabeth Taylor to the Sultan of Brunei.

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Arizona Dreaming

There’s something about daylight savings time that throws me off every year. Knowing that my aura and chakras needed some adjusting, our benevolent CEO sent me packing this year to the Miraval Resort in Tucson, AZ for the Escape with More event that CIRCA sponsored. Yoga, mud-wraps and various treatments invigorated me and, of course, the 85 degree weather in November didn’t hurt. The one hiccup was the desert zipline challenge, but I even managed to soar 40 feet above the desert floor undaunted – no small feat for someone whose prior exposure to heights consisted of a six-inch heel!

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