World-renown designers don’t achieve status by chance. Craftsmanship, artistic achievement and flawless design are necessary for becoming a top jeweler. Bulgari, Cartier and Tiffany & Co. are just a few of our favorites, so we decided to take a look at some of the most impressive work by our favorite jewelers. Check out these impressive designs from seven of our favorites.
7. Mikimoto Crown
From 2002 to 2007, this Mikimoto-designed piece was used to crown the winner of the Miss Universe pageant each year. The design displays a rising phoenix which represents status, beauty and power. The crown consists of 120 hand-selected Mikimoto cultured pearls and over 18 carats worth of diamonds. This stunning crown is valued at $250,000.
6. Bulgari Bib Necklace
This vintage bib was on display at the Fine Arts Museum of San Fransisco in a Bulgari exhibition entitled “The Art of Bulgari: La Dolce Vita & Beyond 1950 – 1990.” The necklace belonged to the personal collection of Lyn Revson, wife of Revlon founder Charles Revson. The bib is notable in its unusual and stunning use of yellow gold, diamonds, turquoises, amethysts and emeralds.
5. Graff Peacock
This bedecked peacock brooch stands just under four inches in height. However, it consists of 120.81 carats of colored diamonds, ranging from yellow to blue to orange. At the center of the brooch is one of the rarest blue diamonds in the world, weighing in at 20.02 carats. This small item comes at a big cost — $100 million.
4. Tiffany & Co. Stars and Moon
Jean Schlumberger was one of the most influential jewelry designers for Tiffany & Co. He is known for his fanciful and stunning interpretations of nature and animals in beautiful gemstones. In this piece — titled simply “Stars and Moon” — a central diamond, weighing 5.29 carats, is surrounded by 586 more diamonds set in platinum. The total carat weight is 127.86. This necklace is valued at $2.8 million.
3. Van Cleef & Arpels Océan Tiara
This tiara was commissioned by Prince Albert II of Monaco as a wedding gift for his bride, Princess Charlene. This tiara is convertible — the round elements pop out of the frame, making possible to wear as a necklace. The design features over 1,200 gemstones of diamonds and sapphires, weighing over 70 carats.
2. Cartier Panther Bracelet
This bracelet was commissioned by Wallis Simpson as part of her collection of cat-inspired Cartier jewelry. The panther is set with pave diamonds and onyx with two emeralds for the eyes of the cat. This bracelet is the most expensive bracelet ever sold at auction. In 2010 it was bought anonymously for nearly $7 million at a Sotheby’s auction.
1. Harry Winston Diamond Necklace
This necklace is the Mrs. Winston cascading drop necklace from Harry Winston’s high jewelry collection. This necklace was inspired by the founder’s wife, Edna and her sophisticated style. The show-stopper features 407 round brilliant, pear, baguette and marquise diamonds set in platinum. This necklace weighs 187.5 carats and costs $5.8 million.
Photo Credit: cooptravelmaker.com / luxurydaily.com / vogue.it / tiffany.com / christies.com / indenpendant.co.uk / harrywinston.com / stylenews.ru