10 Top Designers of High Jewelry

Photo: Harry Winston

The Golden Globes aired last week and soon Oscar's A-listers will walk the red carpet adorned with borrowed jewels worth thousands (and sometimes millions) of dollars from the world's leading designers of high jewelry. 

On the right Graff and on the left Bvlgari

So let's do a quick round-up of 10 of the World's Most Prominent Jewelers (in no particular order) featuring pieces of their jewelry:

1) Cartier - Louis-François Cartier founded Cartier in Paris in 1847, but it was his grandsons, Louis Pierre and Jacques, who turned the family jewelry business into a globally recognized luxury brand.

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2) Boucheron was founded in Paris, France in 1858 by Frederic Boucheron. In 1921 Boucheron was commissioned to make the gorgeous emerald and diamond Greville tiara inherited by Queen Elizabeth II that her granddaughter Princess Eugenie wore for her wedding.

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3) Bvlgari - The Italian luxury jeweler is headquartered in Rome and was founded in 1884 by silversmith Sotirios Voulgaris who began his career in his family's shop in Ottoman Epirus (now Greece). In 2011 Bvlgari became a subsidiary of the French conglomerate LVMH. Its pieces have a timeless yet modern vibe.

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4) Van Cleef & Arpels—The French luxury jewelry company was founded in 1896 in Paris, France, by Dutch diamond cutter Alfred Van Cleef and his father-in-law Salomon Arpels. After Solomon died in 1906, Alfred's brothers-in-law, Charles, Julien, and Louis Arpel joined the enterprise. Flowers, animals, and fairies are common themes in its jewelry.

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5) Tiffany & Co. - Founded in 1837 as Tiffany & Young by American Charles Lewis Tiffany, it was renamed Tiffany & Co. in 1853 when he took control of the store and concentrated on jewelry. Tiffany became famous in the early 20th century under the artistic direction of Charles's son, Louis Comfort Tiffany. The luxury brand specializes in luxury diamonds and flawless colored gemstones and is also famous for its Tiffany diamond engagement ring, a 6-prone setting. The shop is very accessible to the public. Inside the 5th Avenue/57th Street flagship store, locals and tourists always feel welcome admiring its luxury jewelry.

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6) Mikimoto - Kokichi Mikimoto started the cultured pearl industry by successfully creating the world's first cultured pearls and after establishing his luxury pearl company called Mikimoto in 1893. Before cultured pearls (real pearls grown on pearl farms), drivers had to deep dive into the ocean to find pearls growing in oysters; consequently, only royalty could afford to buy them.

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7) Chopard - Louis-Ulysse Chopard founded the watch and jewelry company in 1860 in Sonvilier, Switzerland. Today it is owned by the German Scheufele family. Chopard is best known for making luxury Swiss watches (and jewelry), and its clients have included Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.

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8) Harry Winston - Is an American luxury jeweler and  Swiss watch company headquartered on 5th Avenue in New York City. It was founded by its namesake Harry Winston in 1932. It is one of the most prestigious jewelers in the world. Harry Winston has owned some of the biggest and most iconic gemstones on earth including the rare blue Hope Diamond which he donated to the Smithsonian in 1958, famously sending it through the US mail. He is known as the jeweler to the stars since they often wear his jewelry to high-profile events.

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9) Graff - Was founded in London in 1960 by British jeweler Lawrance Graff. The jeweler, who began his jewelry apprenticeship at age 14, is fascinated by diamonds and collects diamonds and gemstones of unparalleled rarity, perfection, and beauty. He designs unique and classic pieces and his business acumen made Lawrance, his ex-wife, and his adult children billionaires.

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10) Pomellato is an Italian jewelry company founded by Pino Rabolini in Milan in 1967. Its jewelry is characterized by round, tactile forms and colorful, mixed-sized gemstones.

Nudo rings

Are you now more familiar with the styles of these 10 top jewelers I've featured today? If so, try to guess whose pieces the stars wear on March 2nd at the 97th Academy Awards. 

Do you have a favorite jewelry designer?

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Pretty And Practical Drop Earrings

Eight years ago during two of Macy's rock-bottom jewelry sales, I bought 2 pairs of drop earrings. Both purchases were splurges, not steals because although the sale prices knocked 2/3rds off the full retail prices, it still cost a chunk of change to buy each pair. 

I noticed that Macy's keeps this drop earring style in its inventory by offering it in different gemstones. Right now the stones available are diamond and multicolored sapphires (top image👆) as well as diamonds and opals.

I wear earrings every day of the year, so I've gotten plenty of wear out of mine. Not too big or too small with good ear coverage and sparkle, they are the perfect everyday earrings. The marquise cut of the gemstones with small round accent diamonds is lovely.

The earrings are 14k yellow gold, 1-carat total weight of selected gemstone with 1/4 carat diamonds. The drop design of the earrings gives the illusion of a greater carat weight. I bought the earrings first in blue sapphires and liked them so much I got the same style in rubies. [Once upon a time they were also offered in emeralds and diamonds, but I stopped at 2 pairs.]

If looking for earrings you can wear every day to work or play, look no further than this ear ribbon style. Without a doubt, I think fine jewelry in 14k gold is too expensive today for the pieces we get, plus the pushbacks that hold the earrings on our ears are extremely slight, but once you bite the bullet and shell out the cash, you'll get a ton of wear out this classic and versatile style.

If in search of a wearable splurge, put these drop earrings on your wish list and wait for the best of Macy's sales for the lowest price. Wait, wait, wait it out to pay $330 - $400 at the most. Nowadays with the high price of gold, they'll rarely get any cheaper, but hey, you might get lucky if they become a Macy's Last Act item!

What's your favorite splurge ... the thing that puts a spring in your step?

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