Pre-Oscars, jewelry does more than sparkle
National Jeweler
By Rebecca L. Fox
MARCH 03, 2006 – Los Angeles — High above Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of dollars in platinum and diamond jewelry that could be wending its way down Oscar’s red carpet come Sunday, Platinum Guild International’s Michael O’Connor was invoking the name of a different kind of celebrity.
“This piece dates back to Catherine the Great,” O’Connor said as he cradled the 67.5-carat Black Orlov Diamond, set in a platinum necklace featuring 108 carats of white marquise and round diamonds.
Rumored to be cursed—legend has it that three previous owners committed suicide—the piece, valued at $200,000, laid in wait alongside the millions in platinum and diamond finery previewed this week by PGI in the penthouse suite of L.A.’s swank Mondrian Hotel.
Also on display were baubles by Christian Bauer, Gumuchian Fils, Ganjam of India—which showed shoulder-dusting platinum and diamond drop earrings capped with smooth, teardrop-shaped emeralds the size of cashews—Erica Courtney, Jacob & Co. and more.
Everything seems heightened during Oscar Week in L.A., and jewelry is no exception. A flurry of previews and events has stylists scurrying from one posh spot to another to pull baubles for star clients, so the sparkle seen emanating from the red carpet or Academy Awards stage by millions of viewers around the world isn’t just Oscar’s golden glow.
Harry Winston held an invitation-only preview at its Beverly Hills boutique Wednesday, as well as myriad appointments with celebrity clients Creative Director Suzy Korba declined to specify, in the uniformly observed pre-Oscar tradition of not naming who’ll be wearing what, lest a last-minute change render the prediction false.
The jeweler’s Oscar events was capped Thursday by a jewelry and wine showcase held at Oscar’s ground zero, the Kodak Theatre, where Winston was the sole jeweler on display, showcasing finery from its expansive vaults.
“This year, people seem to be favoring classic Winston, almost vintage,” Korba said, adding that “dimensional” jewelry was also in demand this year.
But what connection do the millions in jewels celebs swan around in have to the bottom line for a jeweler on Main Street? Plenty, according to Korba, who said the trends that begin at U.S. awards shows crop up at retail, both domestically and worldwide.
“When a chandelier earring is worn at the Academy Awards, it does trickle down and consolidate a trend,” she said. “Our business in Japan, for example, is greatly impacted by the Academy Awards, and elsewhere around the world. The red-carpet jewelry moment does translate into jewelry sales.”
As for styles this Sunday, Korba noted that “lots” of colored diamond jewelry was being sought by Winston clients compared to previous years, along with cluster diamond earrings in pear and marquise shapes and “rich brooches.” For nominees and presenters, who frequently take a hands-on approach at the Academy Awards, Winston’s oversized diamond rings are in consistently high demand.
“There’s something about holding that envelope, or that statue, with a big skating rink on your finger,” Korba said. “It’s a very glamorous moment.”
Over at Kwiat’s Oscar suite in Beverly Hills’ Four Seasons Hotel, Greg Kwiat curated what amounted to an art exhibition, featuring oversized sketches of best actress nominees in Kwiat pieces designed specifically for the star on the Hollywood’s biggest night.
In keeping with both the actress’ own style and current jewelry trends, the items highlighted what the jeweler posits will be significant red-carpet looks this year.
“These are Desperate Housewives meets Hollywood glamour,” Kwiat said of diamond and rhodolite garnet earrings conceived for Felicity Huffman, in a shape he dubbed an “evolved handelier”&3×2015;less broad and branch-like than the early incarnations of the trend, still drawing countless consumer devotees after exploding onto the red carpet three years ago.
Showcasing the color trend many think will abound at this year’s Oscars was a 25-carat amethyst pendant by in a web-like Edwardian setting that punctuated an opera-length diamond necklace. Inspired by Keira Knightley, the youngest best actress nominee this year, the look epitomized her “sexy, edgy” style, according to Kwiat.
Celebrity drop-ins this week at Kwiat’s suite included actor David
Arquette—who left with a diamond circle necklace for wife Courtney Cox Arquette—Alyssa Milano, Patricia Arquette and more. Kwiat avoided naming which Oscar contenders the jeweler was working with, but implied the jeweler might have its own reason to celebrate post-show.
“We’re working with some of the nominees, including one of the lovely ladies seen here,” he said, gesturing toward the wall of best actress sketches.
“We’re still trying to put the perfect look together for her, so we’ll see how it all works out.”
