Jewellery fashion comes and goes. One season we are all wearing minimal golden insects on chains around our necks, the next bracelet with charms dangling from them. There are, however, some beautiful pieces that have stood the test of time and they have all emerged from the designs of the best jewellers in the world.
Tiffany’s has the iconic name that every jewellery or diamond lover knows. Audrey Hepburn played the lead in Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961. She really did show the world the power of a great jewellery store. The famous pearls that Audrey wore in the film were a nod to the iconic pearl and diamond pieces sold in the famous emporium.
H Stern is a jewellery empire that was started by Hans in Brazil, in the 1950’s. He specialized in using beautifully coloured precious stones, making his pieces unique and usually stunning. The designs are fresh and very modern, the use of colour and unusual stones breathe new life into the designs. The jewels are often worn by the famous red carpet walkers, you can usually tell by a minder trailing behind the actress!
Cartier is the jewellers who have been firmly established in Paris since 1847. The jewels themselves are beautifully crafted into amazing designs. Some of the most famous jewellery was commissioned by Edward viii from 1921, when Cartier himself became the royal jeweller. This union produced many of the startlingly beautiful pieces worn by Wallis Simpson. The designs were bold, colourful and quite stunning. The Cartier Panther bracelet is a very famous piece due to its intricate design and lavish use of precious stones. The Flamingo broach is also seen as a classic piece of jewellery, with vivacious colours represented by exquisite gems. This is jewellery taken to another level and it simply became wearable art.
In 1862 Asprey of London became royal jeweller to Queen Victoria. This historic jeweller is renowned for its bespoke diamond designs and the quality of the work has made sure that Asprey has kept its royal warrant to this very day. Asprey has its own cut of diamond which is certainly a unique cut. Each stone has to be cut by hand as the diamonds are cut in a multi faceted style. They have an A engraved on one side of the stone and a flower to bring softness to the stone in the middle. This is jewellery for those with a taste for distinctive and top quality jewels.
The above jewellers have created pieces that have become iconic and standards in amazing design. The desire for bespoke jewellery continues today but there is usually an inspirational piece somewhere in the design of the piece.
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Written by Elizabeth James who writes for Bespokee.co.uk