This past week, the TrueFacet team escaped the dreary New York winter and flew down to sunny Florida for a packed week at Art Basel Miami Beach.

Art Basel Miami Beach is a showcase of the world’s leading Modern and contemporary artists, alongside the next generation of the most promising creative minds. Since the global art show came stateside in 2002, Art Basel Miami Beach has attracted a cool cross section of talented modern artists and fashionable tastemakers and grown into a veritable celebration of fine arts and culture.

TrueFacet was honored to be a part of the festivities and to participate in three fun events. In case you didn’t catch us on Instagram Stories, here’s a recap of where our team was during Art Basel Miami Beach week!

El Cielo Sophisticated Dinner Experience with JetSmarter
The first night, our team spent the evening with our partner JetSmarter, the world’s largest private air travel marketplace where members can share and charter private flights.

Held at the posh dining room of El Cielo, celebrity chef Juan Manuel Barrientos wowed guests with his novel approach to Latin American fare that combines the region’s classic flavors and molecular gastronomy techniques. Barrientos served up a series of increasingly inventive courses, including milk chocolate syrup that was dripped onto guest’s hands and a delicate flat bread perched atop a tree sculpture.

Alongside the impressive spread was a display of TrueFacet’s bestsellers, handpicked by our merchandising team. Highlights included a rose gold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and a Patek Philippe Calatrava watch. The fine watches were a handsome complement to the woodsy dining room and allowed guests to feast their eyes while they indulged in a sumptuous dinner.

 

LXNDO. Present Vintage
The following day, TrueFacet’s merchandise became an integral part of an interactive and immersive art experience: LXNDO. Present Vintage. Artist and TrueFacet client Lando Griffin (also known as The Suited Racer by his far-reaching social media following) redecorated the Brothers & Brawlers warehouse space as he imagines his living space in the year 2024.

Guests were invited to tour Griffin’s “apartment,” which was decorated with clean-lined mid-century furniture and paintings by Griffin himself. The room’s sleek decor also included a collection of watches from TrueFacet. A mix of pieces from Griffin’s actual vintage watch collection (procured through TrueFacet) and his favorite timepieces, the display included a Cartier Tank Solo Watch, a Panerai Luminor Marina PAM00279, and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust II.

The Present Vintage art piece, and its incorporation of vintage watches, emphasized the adage, “The more things change, the more they stay the same,” as the world’s most coveted and beloved watch models have managed to transcend time, trends, and changing tastes.

 

Bagatelle Basel Brunch with Bradley Theodore
To close out the fun-filled week in Miami, TrueFacet hosted a private brunch with our friends at JetSmarter.

Guests were swept into the Euro-chic dining room of Bagatelle, a Miami hotspot revered for its lively brunch where diners dance on banquettes and sip on seemingly bottomless flutes of champagne. However, as many guests needed a soothing break from the go-go-go pace and late nights that are de rigeur at Art Basel Miami Beach, they were treated to a relaxing and lavish brunch—hold the dance party, but keep the champagne coming, please.

And, in honor of Art Basel Miami Beach, artist Bradley Theodore, known for his street art mural of Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld, created a live painting in front of mesmerized guests.

As plates of hearty sausage and eggs and the occasional indulgent truffle pizza were served, attendees tried on and shopped watches and fine jewelry from TrueFacet. The fan favorites were the Bulgari B.Zero1 collection, Omega Speedmaster Limited Edition “The Legend” Michael Schumacher and, of course, the new thinner Cartier Love Bracelet.

 

Thank you to all our partners and co-hosts and our incredible Miami-based shoppers who came out to toast Art Basel with us! If you weren’t able to attend this time around, join the fun and follow us on Instagram (@TrueFacet) where we share videos and snapshots of our team’s travels and events!

The DNA of the David Yurman brand lives in its signature helix motif: the sculptural cable design runs deep within the veins of every collection, coloring every individual design with a graceful yet utilitarian streak that makes it uniquely Yurman. To help you navigate this brand’s wonderful collections and guide you towards the best David Yurman purchase for you, we’ve put together this “cheat sheet” based on the brand’s most popular pieces.

David Yurman Cable Classics Bracelet

David Yurman purists will love the design that started it all. Released in 1983, the first Cable bracelet became the roots from which all of Yurman’s other collections grew. Replete with movement and texture, this original makes for the perfect foundation piece in a blossoming jewelry collection.

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David Yurman Crossover Earrings

This dynamic accessory combines the brilliance of pavé diamonds and the sleek cable design to create an air of elegance that fits any situation. From a black tie dinner to a busy day at the office, these earrings could take you through all of your important moments and add a subtle touch of shine to your ensemble, perfect for the woman who does it all.

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David Yurman Albion Ring

For the trendsetter and the statement maker, the David Yurman Albion Ring would make a perfect focal piece. The vibrant, checkerboard-cut gemstones at the heart of the Albion ring attract the eye and contribute a healthy dose of color to a jewelry collection. The eye is then drawn to the cable detail in the ring’s halo and in the band, adding a sense of depth and contrast into the piece.

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David Yurman Chatelaine Pendant Necklace

The die-hard minimalist will adore David Yurman’s Chatelaine Pendant Necklace. The simple chain and cabochon pendant are a classic, lowkey combination that would add a subtle touch of color to your wardrobe. The claw-like prong setting of the gemstone gives the piece a bit of an edge, and the cable detail in the bail and the setting recall Yurman’s signature motif.

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David Yurman Cable Watch

The collector who mixes fashion with function will love the David Yurman Cable Watch. A piece that embodies the best of both worlds, the Cable Watch was designed to be “a bracelet that also tells the time.” The unobtrusive, mother-of-pearl face of the watch never distracts from the equally-significant cable bracelet, and the rounded square case complements the bracelet’s spiral design beautifully. This timepiece would speak well to the efficient fashionista.

CHANEL’s watch collection carries through the French brand’s identity with its provocative designs and by tapping into the maison’s signature motifs. We take a closer look at the history of CHANEL’s watches and how their watches, and the J12 model in particular, has grown into one of the most hotly-coveted accessories for the fashion elite.

CHANEL Watches Debut
The CHANEL watch collection premiered in 1987 with the appropriately named PREMIÈRE watch. The watch’s unconventional design was inspired by the Place Vendome, the iconic square in the heart of Paris. This particular piece of urban design is distinguished for its clipped corners that give the square its unique octagonal shape. This architectural influence was combined with design concepts from CHANEL’s No5 perfume bottle and its cabochon stopper to complete the PREMIÈRE’s design.

On the heels of this debut, CHANEL opened its first watch boutique at 40 Avenue Montaigne in Paris’s posh shopping district.

Over the years, CHANEL’s watch business flourished with the acquisition of Manufacture C&F Chatelain in Switzerland. In turn, CHANEL expanded Chatelain’s factory floors to make room for the growing collection. Soon after, in 1997, another boutique opened in Paris at 18 Place Vendome, across from the Ritz Hotel where Mademoiselle Chanel historically resided.

The J12 Collection
In 2000, CHANEL released the J12 Collection. The watch’s all-black design was sleek, sporty and struck all the right chords with CHANEL fans. But the J12’s most distinguishing feature was the use of ceramic as its core material, a novel material choice in watchmaking. The elegantly cool J12 nearly immediately became a commercial sensation and was considered by tastemakers as one of the most iconic modern watches. CHANEL followed up the success of the J12 with an all-white version in 2003.

In 2005, CHANEL upped its watchmaking competition with the J12 Tourbillion and entrée into the world of grande complications, the upper echelon of watchmaking and movements. The limited edition J12 Tourbillion included a hand-wound mechanical tourbillon movement with the first ever ceramic main plate.

Today, the CHANEL J12 as developed an impressive celebrity following including actress Blake Lively, supermodel Alessanda D’Ambrosio and tennis star Anna Kournikova.

CHANEL’s Watchmaking Accolades
Since the J12’s celebrated release, CHANEL’s watch manufacturing has grown into a real force in the world of watchmaking, releasing novel complications and world firsts. 2010 saw the launch of the J12 Retrograde Mysterieuse; this complicated design featured a retractable vertical crown at the 3 o’clock marker.

In 2012, CHANEL released its Première Flying Tourbillon and was named the Best Ladies Watch at the Grand Prix d’Horologerie de Genève. The following year, CHANEL was awarded the Artistic Crafts Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horolgerie de Genève for their Mademoiselle Privé Camélia Brodé.

To explore more of CHANEL’s accessories, check out our post The History of CHANEL Jewelry here.

Tiffany and Co.’s cultural significance has been incredibly well-documented throughout history: from the Breakfast at Tiffany’s movie that won the hearts of millions in 1961 to the signature robin’s egg blue that colors every box and bag that exits the stores, Tiffany’s long history has been imbibed with iconic imagery that has made it a staple in American luxury culture. Beneath all that, however, lies a creative spirit that inspires timeless collections with youthful and current twists. To help you navigate this brand’s many beautiful collections and guide you towards the best Tiffany & Co. purchase for you, we’ve put together this “cheat sheet” based on the brand’s most popular pieces.

Return to Tiffany Collection
This is the collection for the Tiffany’s purist. Many of the designs are relatively young, and more recent models have an element of playfulness incorporated into them. However, at its core, the Return to Tiffany’s collection truly reflects the classic, uncluttered sensibilities of modest jewelry from the early 20th century. The pieces from this collection are sure to speak to someone with a penchant for simple but significant jewelry.

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The Atlas Collection
For fans of structural pieces, the Atlas collection from Tiffany & Co. is the pinnacle of jewelry design. Art Deco’s heavy-handed influence in this collection is incredibly demonstrable in the pieces’ hard, bold lines. With the simple Roman numeral motif that decorates every piece, this collection becomes simultaneously striking yet unobtrusive. Any of the Atlas pieces would make an interesting addition to a vintage-lover’s jewelry collection.

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The Infinity Collection
The subtle, graceful lines of the Tiffany & Co. Infinity collection would undoubtedly appeal to any hopeless romantic. The iconic infinity symbol has become replete with sentiment and meaning, and this collection plays into it with an attractive dose of daintiness. A piece from the Infinity collection would round out a sophisticated jewelry collection beautifully.

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Elsa Peretti
The Elsa Peretti collection is lavish with organic forms and shapes. These pieces are a study in diversity: with their animate curves that flow into designs like leaves, teardrops, and heart shapes, pieces from Tiffany’s Elsa Peretti collection would add a subtle, natural elegance to your ensemble.

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Paloma Picasso
With her Tiffany & Co. collection, Paloma Picasso marries the world of high art with the world of jewelry. Early pieces in this collection borrow from the cubist sensibilities that made the works of Paloma’s father, Pablo Picasso, so famous: their sharp lines and abstract air are clearly an homage to the art she was exposed to growing up. Newer pieces claim roots in Greco-Roman styles by playing with the signature olive wreath motif and bold lines and cuts native to Greek and Roman architecture. Whether the design is cubist or classicist, however, a piece from the Paloma collection is sure to wow any lover of art.

TrueFacet wants to keep all our shoppers and readers informed of the latest trends and industry news and to introduce you to new opinions and perspectives in the world of fine jewelry and watches. In turn, we’re bringing on board a handful of fresh expert voices, including watch and horology consultant Sophy Rindler. Stay tuned for interviews with even more industry movers and shakers on The Loupe!

The global community of watchmakers, collectors and aficionados is a remarkably tight-knit crew—but the industry landscape is changing and growing. More independent brands are emerging, legacy brands are evolving to appeal to modern tastes and a new generation of younger collectors is taking a strong interest in the tradition of watch collecting.

And a notable mover and shaker in this expanding space is Sophy Rindler. Sophy is a well-known name and face in the industry and has an incredible knack for bringing together key players in the horology industry.

Born and raised in Paris, France, Sophy moved stateside in 1998 after earning her master’s degree in psychology. After working in the medical field, Sophy made an unlikely career move and partnered with a prominent Venezuelan jeweler, building the jeweler’s international client base and meeting with retailers and manufacturers. Throughout her tenure, Sophy’s interest in watches steadily grew and ultimately became the focus of her career.

Sophy went on and co-founded the Watches Art Gallery (WAG) in Geneva, a non-profit organization aimed at bringing widespread recognition to the tradition and art of fine watchmaking. She soon after became the head of the Miami chapter of RedBar, a nationally prominent watch collector’s club. Most recently, Sophy co-created the watch brand Tockr, a collection of Swiss-made watches with unique dials inspired by the Golden Age of American aviation. Sophy also has an impressive roster of private collectors who seek out her expertise to help build their own watch collections. As if all that wasn’t enough, Sophy is also a member of the TrueFacet team. Through her vast network, she has helped traditional watch brands open up their ecommerce channels through TrueFacet Brand Boutique.

We sat down with Sophy to chat about—no surprise here—watches and her #1 expert tips for new and veteran watch collectors.

Name: Sophy Rindler

Hometown: Paris, France

Current Residence: Miami, Florida

First Watch Purchase: My first watch purchases were numerous before I became part of the industry. However, the most important and significant one has been my Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in rose gold with a diamond bezel. It was intended for a client. But when I saw it, I immediately became obsessed with it and couldn’t stop putting it on my wrist. My business partner back then told me that I should keep it and that we would find another one for our client. And she said something I will never forget: “This watch will be your key to being recognized in the industry. If you want to sell high-end watches, you need to wear one.” She was right. It has since become my favorite watch in my collection.

Most Recent Watch Purchase: Chronometre Bleu (FP Journe)

Your Dream Watch: Paul Newman Daytona (6241 or 6239)

The Moment You were Hooked on Watches: In 2015, when I created the WAG (Watches Art Gallery) in Geneva, I discovered all the independent watchmakers and their incredible creations that were unlike anything I had ever seen before.

#1 Tip for Newbie Collectors: Buy what you like and not what you think will get you a return on your investment.

#1 Tip for Seasoned Collectors: Don’t buy vintage watches unless you are being advised by one of the few experts that exist in the world.

 

Main image courtesy of Hodinkee.

If you’re familiar with the “Four Cs” when it comes to diamond grading, you know that one of those “Cs” is the category of “color.” It is known throughout the jewelry business that the more color a diamond has, the less valuable it is, and while that’s somewhat true, it’s only true when the color is a non-fancy yellow. The authority that determines whether a diamond is “fancy” or not is the grading lab, most notably, the Gemological Institute of America.

A “fancy” colored yellow diamond – often called a “canary” diamond – is a diamond that is vibrant in hue and not seen as brownish in any way, thus excluding it from the GIA grading scale of D through Z. And while yellows are the most common fancy colored diamonds, diamonds do come in just about every color. Red, green, violet, and orange are often the most rare, followed by pink, and then blue. The Hope Diamond, for example, is a 45.52-carat Fancy Deep Grayish Blue gem that is worth about $350 million.

While naturally mined fancy colored diamonds are a rarity (only 1 in 10,000 diamonds is fancy in color), white diamonds can also be chemically treated in order to appear fancy and much more expensive than it actually is.

There are a variety of processes that exist that can make a diamond appear a different color than Mother Nature intended. One of those is a process called Surface Coating, where one applies a coloring agent to the underside surface (a treatment known as “backing”), so that all or a portion of a gemstone’s surface will appear different in color.

Another common way to change a diamond’s color is by the High Temperature/High Pressure (HTHP) treatment, where the process of heating diamonds at high pressures and high temperatures removes or reduces a brownish coloration so the stone becomes colorless. According to the GIA’s website, “other types of diamonds may be transformed from brown to yellow, orangey yellow and yellowish green, or to blue colors by this process.”

And yet another common method used to change a diamond’s color is Irradiation, which means that neutron and electron radiation are used to create black, green, blue green, deep yellow, orange, pink and red diamonds. The process is sometimes combined with the secondary step of heating in order to create less common or more vibrant colored stones.

Larger colored diamonds (often .50 carats or bigger) should be accompanied by some sort of grading report issued by the GIA or another independent lab so that the buyer is aware of the true color and quality of the diamond.

To learn more about colorful gemstones, read our post on the topic here!

 

Main image courtesy of GIA.

 

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Everyone looks forward to red carpet events, but in the world of jewelry, they are particularly special because of all the beautiful watches and pieces of jewelry that celebrities choose to wear. As 2017 is quickly coming to a close, we decided to take a look back through the year and select a handful of iconic watch and jewelry red carpet moments.

Jessica Biel at the 89th Annual Academy Awards
The 18K yellow gold, platinum, and diamond “Whispers of the Rain Forest” statement necklace that Jessica Biel wore to this year’s Oscars defined the meaning of the term “show stopper.” Hailing from Tiffany & Co.’s 2017 Blue Book collection, the necklace was the perfect accompaniment to her gold embellished KaufmanFranco gown.

Taraji P. Henson at the 89th Annual Academy Awards
Actress Taraji P. Henson looked stunning on the Oscar’s red carpet. In a perfectly tailored, curve-hugging, custom-made Alberta Feretti gown, Henson’s scintillating Bardot neckline was further emphasized by her diamond Nirav Modi Luminance Necklace. The necklace was made with 103 carats of diamonds.

Blake Lively at the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards
The Golden Globes are often seen as a night of magic and wonder, and those on the red carpet often dress accordingly. This year, the most magical moment came from Blake Lively. Like a gemstone-loving superhero, Lively donned matching yellow gold, diamond, and emerald cuff bracelets (one on each wrist) by jewelry designer to the stars, the fabulous Lorraine Schwartz.

Jane Fonda at the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
According to the designer’s website, it took six-hundred hours and ten jewelry artisans to create the emerald and diamond jewelry set from the “Rugiada” collection worn by Jane Fonda at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards. The pieces—earrings and a “backlace”—were designed by Massimo Gismondi, Chief Designer and CEO of Italian jeweler, Gismondi1754. At nearly 80 years old, Fonda— whose ancestors are from Genoa, Italy (where the pieces were handcrafted)—looked utterly divine in a hot pink Brandon Maxwell waterfall gown.

Beyoncé at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards
Anything Queen Bey touches turns to gold, and the Lorraine Schwartz lariat necklace that she wore to the 2017 Grammy Awards is certainly no exception. The necklace contained roughly 400 carats in diamonds and was valued at around 12 million dollars, an estimate that includes the rings she wore to match.

Read more about the world’s most impressive and expensive jewels in our blog post, “The Most Expensive Gems– and Their Lavish Spend Equivalent.”

If you have ever pulled a ring off your finger after a long day and found that it has turned your skin green, then this post is for you. We explain why your ring turned your finger green, how to get the discoloration off, and how to avoid the problem in the future.

Why Did My Jewelry Turn My Finger Green?
Everyone has different chemical makeups in their bodies, and everyone perspires differently and abides by different diets. These characteristics often play a role in how the skin becomes discolored—whether it be around the finger, the earlobes, the wrist, or the neck—because of a piece of jewelry that was worn for some time.

Gold in its purest form is 24K, yellow, and hypoallergenic. Pure gold is very soft and is not often made into rings or jewelry; it has to be alloyed with other metals to make it more durable. The gold to alloy ratio is measured by karats: the most popular karat levels are 10K, 14K, 18K, or 22K. The lower number karat, the less pure gold is used. Precious metals like white gold or rose gold are made by alloying pure gold with metals like nickel and manganese or copper, respectively. When it comes to skin discoloration, copper would be the biggest culprit.

Copper, even in small percentages, can still create an oxidation reaction on the skin, and not because the wearer is allergic. What happens is that the alloy—combined with oxygen in the air, perspiration, and natural oils in the skin—creates a layer of copper carbonate, which discolors the skin and makes it look green. Not to worry, though: the green color will usually disappear within a few hours, or sooner with the aid of rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover.

How Do I Prevent Jewelry from Discoloring My Skin?
There are a few tips and tricks that experts recommend when trying to avoid skin discoloration. First of all, you should take into account the value of your jewelry. Costume jewelry can be professionally enameled by your local jeweler, or, for a cheaper fix, you can coat the inside of the ring with clear top coat nail polish. The best way to avoid discoloration, however, regardless of the value and quality of your jewelry, is simply to keep it clean and away from chemicals.

Our experts are particularly adamant about keeping your jewelry away from cleaning supplies and beauty supplies, as they will make your piece tarnish faster. In addition, we recommend that you leave your jewelry at home when heading to the gym, and take them off when you’re going to get your hands wet. In short, keep your jewelry dry so the water doesn’t get trapped between the metal and your skin and tarnish your jewelry.

At the end of the day, some green discoloration isn’t usually dangerous, and it happens more commonly than you think. Whenever you can, buy higher karat gold, and skip the cheaper, inexpensive jewels altogether.

 

Main image by The Fashion Medley.