Jewelry – South Coast Plaza https://www.southcoastplaza.com Thu, 03 Nov 2022 22:18:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 Heritage Leads the Way with Today’s Most-Coveted Jewelry https://www.southcoastplaza.com/stories/2022/11/heritage-leads-the-way-with-todays-most-coveted-jewelry/ Thu, 03 Nov 2022 04:05:12 +0000 https://www.southcoastplaza.com/?p=84510

HERITAGE LEADS THE WAY WITH TODAY’S MOST COVETED JEWELRY

BY LAURIE BROOKINS

From the beauty of time-honored handcraft to the brilliance of rare diamonds and gemstones, the newest jewels from iconic houses are sure to inspire conversations about their stunning design and irresistible backstories.

Harry Winston

Trend may rule fashion, but when it comes to exceptional jewels, it’s all about timeless. That doesn’t mean jewelry fans must accept designs that feel too traditional or staid; on the contrary, it’s only intriguing to discover how many of today’s most-coveted diamond and gemstone designs are accompanied by heritage notes that wholeheartedly embrace the DNA of their respective houses. In other words, you may fall in love with a piece that feels thoroughly modern, without realizing its elements might hearken back to the 19th century — and beyond.

Then again, those details are half the fun when you’re wearing a diamond or gemstone sparkler from one of today’s most sought-after jewelry labels. Whether it’s the Coco-inspired elements in a Chanel necklace, the dazzling cut of a Harry Winston stone or the history and luster of Mikimoto pearls, each comes with irresistible anecdotes that add a layer of seduction in its value as a conversation piece. With that in mind, we’re highlighting some of the season’s most stunning jewels and offering a bit of the time-honored backstories that enable these designs to transcend from luxurious to legendary. 

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SOUTH COAST PLAZA HIGHLIGHTS

THE FALL FINE JEWELRY EDIT

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Harry Winston

Since he founded his eponymous house in New York City in 1932, Harry Winston has become known for exceptional diamonds and gemstones, and the latter inspired a grouping of one-of-a-kind cocktail rings known as the Candy Collection. Each ring highlights a fancy-colored gemstone in a statement size, surrounded by diamonds and gemstones, ranging from sapphires and spinels to Paraiba tourmalines, in complementary hues.
714.371.1910

Cartier

The seductive Panthère was first introduced on a women’s Cartier wristwatch in 1914, and in the 108 years since, this diamond-embellished cat with the emerald eyes has adorned a wide range of the house’s most coveted jewelry designs. Among the latest: This Panthere de Cartier high-jewelry necklace features a pendant embellished with emeralds, onyx, rubies and diamonds, all on a diamond-embellished chain crafted of 18-karat white gold.
714.540.8231

Tiffany & Co.

Among Tiffany & Co.’s bounty of signatures, from its Elsa Peretti Bone Cuffs to its iconic Tiffany setting, the work of Jean Schlumberger is held in deserved high regard by fans of the legendary New York house. Schlumberger joined Tiffany & Co. as its jewelry designer in 1956 and retired in the late 1970s, and during that time was prolific in creating sketches of pieces often inspired by nature, including the house’s famed “Bird on a Rock” brooch. Vine and leaf motifs also were key to his designs, including this Schlumberger Monarque necklace featuring diamond-embellished leaves set in 18-karat white and yellow gold, accented with delicate bows and a butterfly crafted of gemstones and diamonds.
714.540.5330

Chopard

Among Bvlgari’s most celebrated signatures is Serpenti, the alluring snake treatment the Rome-based house first introduced in a yellow-gold watch in the late 1940s. Over the years Bvlgari has reinterpreted Serpenti in a wide variety of motifs, including the abstract treatment seen in this necklace and matching earrings, each crafted of 18-karat rose gold embellished with diamonds.
714.432.0963

Mikimoto

In 2023 Mikimoto will celebrate the 130th anniversary of the moment Kokichi Mikimoto successfully cultured a beautifully round pearl, and in the decades since, the house has indeed become synonymous with this lustrous stone, celebrated equally for its classic strands of pearls and for its highly modern approach to mixing pearls with gemstones and diamonds in its latest designs. The latter is true of this Akoya cultured pearl necklace that showcases a 17.89-carat tanzanite set in 18-karate white gold and surrounded by diamonds, which graduate in size as they lead to a beautifully placed set of Akoya pearls in graduating sizes.
714.424.5440

Piaget

The play of light on rare stones is an idea that’s key to many Piaget designs and is often blended with nature-driven elements to create jewels that evoke multiple luxe messages. From Piaget’s Wings of Light high-jewelry collection, this Heliconia necklace perfectly represents this idea and is named for the flowering plant with petals resembling lobster claws. Piaget craftsmen recreated the positioning of those petals using 130 pear-shaped diamonds and 16 brilliant-cut diamonds, all totaling 44.81 carats, while the asymmetric design finishes with a spectacular fancy vivid pear-shaped yellow diamond totaling 6.46 carats. 
714.361.2020

Buccellati

For more than 100 years this Italian house has been crafting pieces that celebrate the art of Florentine jewelry design. Among its signatures is the mix of yellow and white gold and the exceedingly intricate metalwork that resembles lace; both are seen on Buccellati’s Unica necklace, which showcases 27 pear-shaped rubies surrounded by round brilliant diamonds, set in 18-karat white and yellow gold. 
714.481.1130

Chanel Fine Jewelry

Gabrielle Chanel introduced the first-ever high-jewelry collection in 1932; dubbed “Bijoux de Diamants,” the revolutionary collection of one-of-a-kind designs put an emphasis on comets and stars, a nod to the famed couturier’s love of astrology. The house continues its fascination with celestial elements with its latest jewels, including this Comète necklace with open-front styling and crafted in 18-karat white gold, embellished with diamonds. 
714.754.7295

Van Cleef & Arpels

Crafting artful pieces since Dutch diamond cutter Alfred Van Cleef and his father-in-law, Salomon Arpels, founded their Paris house in 1896, this legendary jeweler continues to excel at blending spectacular stones with handcraft that surprises and delights the wearer. Transformable jewels are key to this idea, as seen in this Pompon Leila high-jewelry necklace: a cushion-shaped green tourmaline totaling 11.87 carats is surrounded by diamonds in a coat-of-arms setting, which is removable from the necklace to be worn as a brooch. The tassel below, embellished with diamonds, pearls and lapis beads, hides a secret watch with mother-of-pearl dial, which also can be removed and worn separately.
714.545.9500

David Yurman

A bona fide rock star among jewelry fans, David Yurman paid tribute to his native New York City with his latest jewelry collection, which can be seen in the architectural elements of several designs. This Carlyle necklace indeed pays tribute to the Art Deco architecture of New York’s famed Carlyle Hotel; crafted in 18-karat yellow gold, the 24mm necklace features several links pavéd with diamonds totaling 8.42 carats.
714.444.1080

Bvlgari

Among Bvlgari’s most celebrated signatures is Serpenti, the alluring snake treatment the Rome-based house first introduced in a yellow-gold watch in the late 1940s. Over the years Bvlgari has reinterpreted Serpenti in a wide variety of motifs, including the abstract treatment seen in this necklace and matching earrings, each crafted of 18-karat rose gold embellished with diamonds.
714.751.7833

Fall Jewelry & Timepieces Lookbook

Explore our latest Fall 2022 Lookbook featuring fine jewelry and timepieces.

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]]> Visit the Newly Opened Buccellati Boutique https://www.southcoastplaza.com/stories/2022/01/visit-the-newly-opened-buccellati-boutique/ Mon, 31 Jan 2022 18:27:50 +0000 https://www.southcoastplaza.com/?p=69860

VISIT THE NEWLY OPENED BUCCELLATI BOUTIQUE

The Italian jeweler brings its intricate and ornate collections to South Coast Plaza

Buccellati, one of the world’s most prestigious Italian jewelers, has opened at South Coast Plaza. Designed with clean lines to showcase the opulent collections for which the Milanese luxury brand is known, the Orange County exclusive boutique is home to fine jewelry, precious watches, silver centerpieces, décor, objets d’art, flatware and tableware.

As a young apprentice in the early 1900s at Beltrami & Besnati, a jeweler and goldsmith, Mario Buccellati was drawn to antique techniques dating back to the Renaissance – his favorite period, the Middle Ages and ancient Greece. Using engraving and chiseling techniques, he parlayed his ideas into jewelry that evoked the sumptuous fabrics and delicate damasks of the Renaissance and Venetian laces. He opened his first namesake boutique in Milan in 1919.

More than a century later, Buccellati jewelry has become synonymous with lavish and luxurious designs and the ultimate in craftsmanship. The founder’s artistic and artisanal legacy shines at the South Coast Plaza boutique, realized through the devoted stewardship and creativity of the Buccellati family through the decades, including his sons Luca and Gianmaria; grandson Andrea, President and Creative Director of the Buccellati Group; and great-granddaughter Lucrezia, Co-Creative Director.

CREATING THE BUCCELLATI HONEYCOMB EFFECT

TRACING
PIERCING
SAWING
SETTING
POLISHING
ENGRAVING
BURNISHING

Five themes pervade the jewelry collections, all a testament to the artisanship of the Buccellati house: silk, a nod to the striated surface that resembles silk shantung; nature, designs inspired by flora and fauna; plait, which references hand-twisting precious metals; lace, marked by elaborate openwork; and honeycomb, an intricate style that pays tribute to the hexagonal engineering work of bees.

Among the most popular collections that embody these themes are Macri, Ramage, Rombi, Opera and Hawaii.

THE MACRI COLLECTION

The Macri features the “rigato” effect, the result of handmade engraving. Brilliant-cut diamonds set in star-shaped rosettes and tiny gold beads gleam on a striated surface reminiscent of silk shantung.

THE RAMAGE COLLECTION

Inspired by the Renaissance, the Ramage features a silhouette of branches and tiny leaves accented with diamonds, created by boring a 1-mm. gold plate by hand.

THE ROMBI COLLECTION

Also inspired by the Renaissance, white and yellow gold and diamonds in the Rombi are fashioned to resemble lace or arranged to form a scalloped-edge geometric band.

THE OPERA COLLECTION

Resembling a flower, a medallion-like motif epitomizes the Opera, created with gold, diamonds, and in some cases, colorful enamel.

THE HAWAII COLLECTION

The most modern of the popular Buccellati collections, the Hawaii is crafted with hand-twisted white, yellow or rose gold threads to form intertwining circles, a design that dates back to the 1930s and yet looks timeless to this day.

A piece of Buccellati jewelry is a work of art, a notion that no less than the Smithsonian Institution underscored when it held a retrospective titled “Buccellati: Art in Gold, Silver and Gems” in 2000.

The late Gianmari Buccellati understood this profoundly, acknowledging the original inspiration that led his family’s foray into jewelry: “Botticelli, Brunelleschi, Donatello or Benvenuto Cellini left us with works of elevated goldsmithing to admire and emulate. To this heritage…Buccellati simply added its own inspiration and dedication.”

BUCCELLATI

LEVEL 2, NORDSTROM WING

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]]> Baccarat has Opened an Expansive and Interactive Boutique https://www.southcoastplaza.com/stories/2021/10/baccarat-has-opened-an-expansive-and-interactive-boutique-2/ Tue, 12 Oct 2021 17:02:53 +0000 https://www.southcoastplaza.com/?p=62097

BACCARAT HAS OPENED AN EXPANSIVE AND INTERACTIVE BOUTIQUE

Baccarat, the French luxury leader in high-end, exclusive crystal products since 1764, has opened an innovative, interactive boutique.

Baccarat, the French luxury leader in high-end, exclusive crystal products since 1764, has opened an innovative, interactive boutique in The Penthouse on level 3 at South Coast Plaza. The expanded boutique is modern and minimalist, yet sophisticated and inspired by timeless elements of the Philippe Starck concept. The design is clean but warm with a neutral palette and organic highlights of white concrete, white oak, matte black steel, vintage leather, clear acrylic and crystal. 

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The boutique opened with the theme of “The Color of Love,” which focuses on beautiful colored crystal found in dramatic window displays.

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“CRYSTAL CLEAR” BY VIRGIL ABLOH

The new Virgil Abloh “Crystal Clear” vases complement the earlier Virgil Abloh glassware collaboration. South Coast Plaza is the only boutique in North America to receive all four of the contemporary vases.

Baccarat debuted integrated digital elements with curated content presenting the latest brand campaign videos. An interactive space enables you to customize your lighting.

In the fall, Baccarat celebrated the 180th anniversary of the Harcourt, the most iconic and oldest collection in Baccarat’s vast portfolio. A collaboration with Martha Stewart on a collection appropriately called “Martha” was released in October —  the only pattern in 257 years to be named after a person. 

Baccarat Zénith Flou chandelier by Philippe Starck, photographed in a Parisian home

Baccarat

LEVEL 1, THE PENTHOUSE
714.435.9600

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