DVF

” It’s not the having it’s the getting” said Elizabeth Taylor once on an interview when asked how she felt to be the owner of a brand new stunning diamond tiara.

This week  I was  kindly invited by Jaime Bernice head of the PR department at Christie’s to admire in private one of the most spectacular  jewelry collections in the world , the  the celebrated film star, fashion icon, and humanitarian and my forever inspirational archetype Elizabeth Taylor .

Not only  I was surprised by the quantity of  breathtaking gemstones, historic jewels, and one-of-a-kind creations, , including an iconic 33.19- carat diamond ring and a 16th century pear-shaped pearl from one of her seven husbands, Richard Burton but of the magnitude of her haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion accessories, masterfully and theatrically displayed  among several rooms of the notorious auction house.

Any  privileged visitor of the three months tour in Geneva, Paris, Hong Kong, Dubai  Los Angeles London and Moscow who personally viewed this spectacular showcase of colorful taste and power  prior to the ending auction in new York city, was undoubtedly  dazzled with tremendous impact  by the late Hollywood star luminous beauty , lavish lifestyle and an unquenchable passion for diamonds and jewels that was fueled by the great loves of her life.

A total of 269 magnificent jewels from this storied collection is estimated to achieve well in excess of $30 million and will be auctioned here in New York on Dec. 13-14. Serious collectors will be able to try on  exquisite examples from the most celebrated of jewelry designers, including BVLGARI, Boucheron, Cartier, JAR, Schlumberger, Tiffany, and Van Cleef & Arpels, among others by appointment.  About 500 pieces of Taylor’s costume jewelry will be sold online at the same time.

Christie’s jewelry expert Rahul Kadakia explains  ”They’re from moments in that were very dear to her,” jewels that were purchased in Bulgari in Rome, at Cartier in New York and at auction. The stories behind them are as priceless as the gems themselves. In a 2002 memoir, “My Love Affair with Jewelry,” Taylor took readers on a personal journey of her collection, describing in her own words how she came to own each piece.

“I never, never thought of my jewelry as trophies,” she wrote. “I’m here to take care of them and to love them. . When I die and they go off to auction I hope whoever buys them gives them a really good home.” It’s an extraordinary collection of rubies, diamonds, emeralds and sapphires in intricate and bold designs , treasure troves of personal mementos and beloved gifts.

life Among the standouts is the 16th-century La Peregrina, one of the largest and most symmetrically perfect pear-shaped pearls in the world, which Burton purchased for Taylor in 1969 as a Valentine’s Day gift. The two had met in Italy on the set of the 1963 film “Cleopatra,” and married for the first time in 1964.

Once part of the Crown Jewels of Spain, the pearl later passed into the hands of Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon III and the Duke of Abercorn. When it came up at auction in New York, Burton snapped it up for $37,000, beating out the underbidder, a member of the Spanish Royal family.

Cartier later created a ruby and diamond necklace from which the pearl was suspended, a design that was inspired by the famous Velazquez portraits of Spain’s Queen Margarita and Queen Isabel wearing the pearl as a necklace. It is estimated to fetch $2 million to $3 million.

Taylor, who was married eight times – twice to Burton – died in March at age 79. The couple appeared together in about a dozen films, including “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” in which Taylor played an alcoholic shrew in an emotionally sadomasochistic marriage.

Burton was enamored of historical pieces, and in 1972 purchased the famous 17th-century Taj Mahal diamond pendant for Taylor’s 40th birthday. The transaction took place at John F. Kennedy International Airport because the couple didn’t have time to run into the city before catching a plane, said Kadakia.

The heart-shaped diamond is associated with one of history’s greatest love stories. It belonged to Emperor Shah Jahangir, who had the diamond inscribed with his wife’s name “Nur Jahan.” He later passed the stone on to his son, Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz, who died in childbirth.

“I would have liked to buy her the Taj Mahal but it would cost too much to transport,” Burton remarked after buying it. Cartier later recreated the diamond’s original silk cord as a gold rope-like necklace set with rubies and diamonds. The necklace has a pre-sale estimate of $300,000 to $500,000.

“Jewelry was a way of life for Elizabeth Taylor. They were her friends. She enjoyed wearing them and it gave her a lot of pleasure because they reminded her of the great moments in her life, the great places in her life,” Kadakia said.

Like the time Taylor’s third husband, theater and film producer Mike Todd, presented her with a red leather Cartier box as she sat by the pool at a rented villa in the south of France. Inside was a ruby necklace, matching earrings and bracelet.

“She was so, so happy that she jumped into the pool wearing all this jewelry and started doing laps,” said Kadakia, adding that the pieces will be sold separately.

The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond,  Kadakia said its size and clarity – “as white as they can be and potentially flawless” makes it a perfect gem. Burton purchased it in 1968 at a New York auction for $305,000. At the December sale, it’s expected to fetch $2.5 million to $3.5 million.

“Elizabeth Taylor used to refer to it as her baby and wore it as much and as often as she could,” said Kadakia, including in nearly all her subsequent films.

Among the pieces of jewelry that Taylor purchased for herself was the Duchess of Windsor diamond brooch, which she got at auction for $620,000. Kadakia said she paid a big price for it for two reasons, to remember her friend and because the proceeds were going to a cause dear to her, AIDS research. The brooch is estimated to bring $400,000 to $600,000.

Christie’s also will be selling the star’s  20th-century decorative arts and film memorabilia from her Bel Air home on Dec. 14-16.  A portion of the proceeds from the exhibition admissions and publications related to the sales will be donated to The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. Proceeds from the auctions will go to Taylor’s estate.

A few quotes about Elizabeth Taylor  just make you dream…

‘”  She looks at you with those eyes and your heart churns”

Richard Burton

‘ My personal philosophy of beauty is to always believe something wonderful is about to happen”

Elizabeth Taylor

‘ I can’t remember a day when I wasn’t famous”

Elizabeth Taylor

” She is like an eclipse of the sun, blotting out everyone”

MGM Producer Sam Marks

‘ A prisoner’s dream, a secretary’s fantasy,unreal unattainable”

Truman Capote

‘ Raptuously beautiful”

James Agee

Joelle’s Tips;

The Auction:

The Blogs

The videos:

The sources;

Christie’s : The Crown Jewels of Hollywood- The collection of Elizabeth Taylor

Huffington Post  Elizabeth Taylor Iconic Jewels Coming to Auction 

Patrizia di Carrobio

I met Patrizia one evening at her wonderful Upper East Side apartment in Manhattan.  She was hosting an evening for women, both long time friends and recent acquaintances.  Sipping delicious champagne, we had the privilege of appreciating a romantic Tango performance over the sound of a tuned bandoneón. It was a celebration of life, togetherness and the Italian launch of Patrizia’s newest book, Diamanti, for the holiday season.

We had never met before.  Perhaps we crossed paths occasionally in our teens in Brussels. Both our mothers – who still live in the city – were neighbors at the time at the prestigious “Square du Bois“, a 19th century building ensemble on the Avenue Louise just off “le Bois de la Cambre.”

Patrizia and I moved on with our lives, and years later we meet almost accidentally in New York City, as if by enchantment, because of one simple word on an e-mail: Diamonds.  Both of us share the same passion for the intriguing, sparkling stones immortalized in a song performed by Marilyn Monroe in 1953 as “A Girl’s Best Friend.”

The reason I chose to accept Patrizia’s invitation, without recalling if knew her, was a simple teaser she included on an e-mail invitation that said: “Every day, diamonds are bought, sold, given, exchanged – stolen! – admired, worn, all over the world.  To gain or to give a diamond is an important step that seals some fundamental moments of life: a promise of marriage, the arrival of a child, the confirmation of a connection of love, or also the personal satisfaction of gaining and possessing a stone for oneself.”

Yes! She definitely knows about diamonds. As my eyes quickly scan the words of the e-mail, I clearly feel I relate to her. I put on something nice, wear my South Sea pearl necklace and decide to head empty-handed to Patrizia’s party.  After all, I would not know what to offer at this point. I will resolve this dilemma later.

The entrance hall is majestic. Contemporary art works enhanced by bright halogens reign supreme on the walls of the elegant, high-ceilinged Pre-War building. A large, festive Christmas tree and small colorful rose bouquets assembled in glass vases strategically positioned all around give a sense of freshness in the warm, welcoming atmosphere of the spacious living room. A few books placed in an orderly arrangement on a large coffee table near the chimney with titles such as Couples and Zen Flowers confirm the presence of harmony in the surrounding environment.

Patrizia greets each and every guest with attentive gestures. Although she uses her hands to express herself – a style perhaps inherited from her great, great grandfather Isacco Sacerdoti, Conte di Carrobio (personal banker of the Duke of Modena) – her noble bearing remains intact.

The evening turns out to be surprisingly pleasant. A small speech takes place including an allusion to Patrizia’s young two daughters Camilla and Francesca. I enjoy a deliciously aged Parmigiano Reggiano and interesting women I connect with on a third degree of separation, and finally I decide it’s time to leave.

On my way to the door, Patrizia kindly thanks me for my presence and recommends I take a small paper roll elegantly tied in a red satin ribbon.  “I Promise Myself “.  Curious, I walk quickly to my nearby street, eager to put my glasses on, change into something comfortable and read exactly what Patrizia, former young neighbor in Brussels, is promising herself.

In a cursive red font, she promises “To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind. To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person I meet, to make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them. To take a look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.” She also promises in her short manifesto to think of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.

I pause and wonder if compelled, I should share these lines printed on the rich, almost sensually textured paper, to my virtual Facebook page or carry on reading while sipping a warm cup of tea, just because these thoughts look as appealing as the diamond teaser to me. I decide to keep reading first. Then we’ll see.

“To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future…” That’s it! I know I can’t share this on Facebook. This is not my manifesto, it’s hers! I will call Patrizia next week and invite her to lunch. We will chit chat, finding certainly more to share. Moreover I would love to read at least one of her books and see how she spreads her wisdom to the universe.

We meet at Rouge Tomate on 60th and Fifth. I immediately notice under her coat sleeve a magnificent snake bracelet tightly encircling her wrist in an interesting gold mesh, whose head is adorned by several marquise-cut diamonds of different sizes: Certainly a Bulgari. I will inquire later, it’s too soon and we are not that close yet.

I learn over a fresh asparagus terrine that Patrizia has been lucky enough to maintain a good relationship with each of her two ex-husbands. As she writes in her book Diamonds – The First Steps to Eternity: “Both my marriages helped me grow; each separation that followed, alas, helped me grow even more.”

“Of course, I would never dream of recommending that someone face as painful an experience as a separation in order to “grow”, but I have always looked for the positive side of life. Today I can say that I am quite grateful to both my ex-husbands, and even to other men I have loved. Thanks to each of them, I have discovered parts of myself that I would never have managed to bring out, much less express.”

Her voice is peaceful, almost devotional to her values. I then ask her if she believes in God. “The concept of ‘trusting the universe’ was an astonishing discovery for me,” she answers with a smile to the pretty waitress passing by holding a tray of colorful fresh juices for the table next to ours.

“When I was a girl, I always thought I would have to attain everything with all my strength, and life was a struggle. I had to beat someone else to assert myself; I had to take on the world. On the job, I had been given a role of power when I was still rather young and the fear of making a mistake or not being taken seriously hardened me. In short, I attacked out of fear of being attacked.”

”Would you like another drink while you wait for your next course?” the pretty waitress asks in response to Patrizia’s smile. “No. Thank you,” I answer, almost annoyed with the interruption of our conversation. “…However,” – she pauses – “I suddenly started recognizing signs around me that I had been too blind to notice.”

“These signs helped me understand that I was part of a far bigger plan than me.  Everything is arranged for the best by something or someone who is only interested in my well-being. Even what apparently seem to be little lulls are actually indispensable steps that lead me to greater self-awareness.”

“Of course, it is sometimes painful and tiring, but there is always a positive goal on the horizon to aim for. Little by little, I have learned to frame everything that happens to me in a vaster perspective. I have understood that often what seems like half a disaster right then and there actually contains something positive whose effects will be visible in time.”

We exchange mutual experiences about life, Kabbalah, ex husbands, and one’s mission in life when when I decide – more comfortable now – to confirm if her bracelet is indeed a Bulgari. Patrizia nods, appreciating my knowledge and our common passion for jewelry.

Learning about my father’s profession for the last half of a century as a diamond dealer from Antwerp to Belgian Congo mines in Africa, Patrizia is obviously proud to invite me to visit her office in the célèbre Diamond District. Thrilled with the invitation, I leave the restaurant with just one question: Can I bring my Cannon?

Here I am. The Diamond District is an area of New York City located on West 47th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue in midtown Manhattan. The district was created when dealers moved north from an earlier district near Canal Street and the Bowery that was created in the 1920s, and from a second district located in the Financial District, near the intersection of Fulton and Nassau Streets, which started in 1931.

The move uptown started in 1941. The district grew in importance when the German Nazis invaded the Netherlands and Belgium, forcing thousands of Orthodox Jews in the diamond business to flee Antwerp and Amsterdam and settle in New York City. Most of them remained after World War II, and remain a dominant influence in the Diamond District.

The area is one of the primary centers of the global diamond industry (along with London – rough stones; Antwerp, Belgium – historical but waning; Mumbai, India – increasing in significance, Ramat Gan, Israel) as well as the premier center for jewelry shopping in the city. An estimated 90% of diamonds in the United States enter through New York.

It has been reported that total receipts for the value of a single day’s trade on the block average $400 million. There are 2,600 independent businesses located in the district, nearly all of them dealing in diamonds or jewelry. Most are located in booths at one of the 25 “exchanges” in the district.

After working more than 30 years in the diamond business, Patrizia writes about the District in her Diamond book: “Women are very few in number: The business is in the hands of men, the majority Orthodox Jews – many of whom are Chassidic.”

The Chassidics all of you have seen, at least in movies, with the beard and curly sideburns: Even in high summer season they wear wide brimmed black hats, long black coats and white shirts buttoned to the last button without a tie.

What all of you certainly have not seen, are the pockets made of fabric that they use under their coats fixed with a small shoulder belt. There, mugger-proof, they keep diamonds by the hundreds of thousands – if not millions – of dollars!

Many deals are finalized by a simple, traditional blessing (mazel und brucha) and handshake. The Diamond Dealers Club – also known as the DDC – an exclusive club that acts as a de facto diamond exchange, has its own synagogue. Retailers with shops line the streets outside. Above the bazaar is the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), which is recognized worldwide as an authority on certifying diamonds’ authenticity.

The boundary between the “inside” and “outside” of this “island” (so-called by Patrizia in her book) is practically nonexistent. Above the curious, small, million-dollar shops lay many offices where the same business takes place. The building where Patrizia’s office is located is a fine example of the best Art Deco has to offer.

Two doors open, one after the other at intervals for security. I recognize the ‘smell’ of my childhood; the “Do-not-touch-anything-around-it’s- dangerous”.  The feeling is the same as when I used to hang around the heavy safe, whose secret lock combination only my dad knew, and the James Bond movies my black nanny watched when my family and I lived in Monrovia, close to the diamond mines.

Patrizia, wearing a gorgeous wool sweater, taupe corduroys and a tremendously chic set of very long necklaces in platinum and tiny diamonds, invites me to sit while I hear her try on the phone to have her assistant understand that it’s OK to feel frustrated when things don’t go your way. While she speaks she points at an open safe at the corner of the room where I am supposed to feel completely at home and browse through everything I find interesting.

Quite shy, I approach what later I would describe as the most interesting Ali Baba treasure cave I have seen. The conversation with her assistant, a few clients and suppliers treated with the same kindness but less indulgence lasted – luckily for me – for more than one hour.

I discover – ecstatic through the viewer of my camera lens – hundreds of splendid museum pieces,  small collectibles, objets de vertu, unusual vintage pins, brooches, multicolored rings and earrings, especially when signed by masters such as Cartier, Tiffany, Van Cleef, Bulgari and Jar.

Most of them are part of Patrizia’s personal collection sourced throughout the years during her successful career as one of the first female auctioneers at Christie’s in London and New York. Several are for sale. Many were inherited from her great grandfather Vittorio Sacerdoti, who actually began the construction of the family Castello Carrobio,

Patrizia is finally done with her phone calls. The granddaughter of Contessa Gabriella Nicolis di Robilant, known at the time to consult with wealthy Americans in Paris on Fashion and Lifestyle choices during their trips while she was sharing an apartment with fashion legend Elsa Schiapparelli, passionately moves around the room. She seems almost fearful of forgetting something that could catch my attention and further surprise me. Having generated a record-setting 30,000,000 dollar sale for Christie’s North American jewelry department in 1989 seems to be not enough. She demures, “Pure luck, I guess.”

Constantly bringing to light newer treasures, one after the other, for my photo creations, she continuously asks in Italian: “E questo non lo vuoi?” (What about this one, don’t you want it?) I watch her meticulously organize tiny 19th century pill boxes and perfume bottles on a black velvet tray with the only light available, the light of a snowy day outside the window to 42nd Street.

I can’t help remembering what she writes in her book: “People imagine that since I work in the world of jewelry, I have scads of my own jewelry that I keep in order and carefully rotate. I do believe that I have more than most women, and though I tell everyone to take good care of their jewelry, I am not the least bit tidy when it comes to my own.”

“As they say, I do not practice what I preach, at all! I confess that I sometimes get a scare because I am convinced that I have lost a piece of jewelry. I have developed a technique for these situations: I take a deep breath, I tell myself it is only the fault of my disorganization, and I start to look more calmly and I usually find it.”

“Mainly though, I get these short-term, absolute crushes: I wear the same piece of jewelry for a month and then never again, exactly as I do with bags. It is not unusual to see me with the same purse for weeks and weeks, irrelevant of the outfit or shoes I might be wearing.”

While she talks about her past, more and more objects come out of that safe, leaving me speechless.  Patrizia writes in one of her books that she chose her business when she was twenty-three based “…on an entirely irrational impulse, although more sophisticated mechanisms were probably at work at a deeper level of consciousness.”

“At any rate, my temperament made it hard for me to admit even just to myself, that I let myself be guided by instinct alone, so I created a very logical motivation a posteriori. I had already lived in five different cities by age twenty-three: Montréal, Lausanne, Milan, Brussels, and Rome. This mobility was not unusual for an American, but rather odd for a European.”

“My boyfriend’s job seemed to indicate that I would continue to travel from one country to another. So if I wanted a job, I would have to find one that I could do just about anywhere. I was convinced that jewelry was perfect for this. I would quickly discover that this was not true, and you had start from scratch in each new city. Fortunately at that point, it was too late.”

“In addition, the idea of handling magnificent colors and exquisitely wrought objects rewarded my aesthetic sense. It was only many years later that I discovered my grandmother had had a great passion for jewelry.”

Suddenly I see a red blinking light in my camera screen.  “I can’t believe this is happening!” I tell Patrizia, who does not understand what is going on. The battery, yes the battery is off, discharged and I only brought one with me…I had no idea this would take me so long! I guess I will have to leave…

“Leave?” says Patrizia, “But you have seen absolutely nothing yet! Elliot is waiting for us to show you where and how the most interesting part of my work takes place, Joelle! You cannot possibly go, the best is yet to be seen, trust me!”

I look at a 1950 gold flower brooch with a central ruby motif  and reflect for a moment.  I look outside the large window pane, the raging snow storm challenges me to make the appropriate decision. There are plenty of taxis but traffic is terribly slow due to the large amount of accumulated snow in the street. We have been here two hours. I am sure she is kidding me.

I ask: “What do you mean Patrizia? I have a lot of material in my camera already. Thank you, it was really a pleasure. It will take me a long time to edit all the pictures.  Moreover, how can you say the best is not seen yet?  Do you mean you work with something different than what I have seen?”

Patrizia answers, “Get yourself a taxi and come back. My partner’s office is waiting for us. Bring everything you need this time.”  Without a word, in a taxi now, I read a chapter of her book Diamond – First Steps to Eternity:

“I knew I had to study and prepare myself, learn as much as possible about precious stones, and get at least a smattering of accounting and administration.  I had clamorously underestimated the “human factor” – the pleasure of establishing an emotional contact with customers. Emotions, sentiments, expectations and so forth all just poured out when purchasing jewelry.”

My assistant is waiting downstairs wearing slippers and my coat with two charged extra batteries for my camera. While I hear the Afghani taxi driver complaining, not sure about what, I carry on with my reading as if I have never left Patrizia’s office for even a second:

“When my career took off and I got my first recognition, my attitude did not change. I never took myself too seriously and even less so when I felt I had arrived. I continued to do the best I could and nothing more. Most of the time I felt like I was playing a game, a game where I was very happy if I won, but not a whole lot more.”

“Working by choice and not out of necessity doubtless had its influence.  I certainly did not feel going to the office every morning was a constraint. Today I am more at peace with myself and I realize that winning is not always indispensable, although my curiosity, desire, and enjoyment are the same as thirty years back. This is why I am always a little sorry for people who consider the end of the workday as a goal to reach so they can finally be happy and have time to dedicate themselves to what they really love.”

“This is the point: jewelry and precious stones are indeed my work, but they are mainly my favorite hobby. Ideally, I could continue to dedicate myself to them until the end of my days. Yes, I could finally wake up later in the morning and have some more vacation, but I really have a hard time imagining not having my office in the Diamond District at all, or customers to attend to. Mainly, I expect not to lose my capacity for enthusiasm over ever-new challenges and projects, even ones that I cannot even imagine at this moment.”

Patrizia and I meet at her partner’s office, which happens to belong to her second ex-husband. I don’t recall if there are two or three doors this time, but I know for a fact that Patrizia is totally at home in this place. A large picture of her two daughters sits on a window close to a desk full of old vintage jeweler’s boxes.

She chats with a man with a loupe in his hand, says hello to another talking on the phone, talks in codes with a third about a client, and gossips a little with all about the week’s latest events in the social and professional marketplace. She introduces me to the group of busy people as a friend who will ‘talk ‘ about her.   She then quickly asks to be shown, looking at me, the “Pieces de Resistance” of the house.  In the meantime, I try on several diverse and important 1920′s, 40′s and 50′s European and American Jewelry. I learn that this is the place where future brides, mums, and devoted husbands come to seek advice for gifts they would like to offer to their beloved.

Patrizia explains that before her book Diamonds: The First Steps to Forever, she had initially thought to write a guide for people who needed to chose engagement rings. Due to her vast life experience dealing with human emotions, sometimes restrictive financial budgets, and important cultural values associated with a commitment, she felt compelled to be at service to those who very simply could do with an extra guidance.  “The Diamond Coach” perhaps?

Patrizia wants to make sure that all clients are treated equally when they step into her office. Her challenge is to find what best suits each and every one. If it’s 500 or 5,000,000 dollar beauty, what really counts in Patrizia’s heart is the luxury of making someone happy. In one of our last conversations she elaborates further:

“One of my life purposes is to bring “beauty” to people’s lives, by making them feel attractive, helping them to see artistry around themselves, from a brin d’herbe dans du ciment, to a beautiful sunset, to a smell that we suddenly encounter, all the above being priceless, with no price and no cost, except our commitment to see. The smell of a soap or the flicker of a candle bring beauty into your life.”

In her book she writes, “I realized that diamonds have always been more than just an ornament in my experience, no matter how precious and laden they are with symbolic value, viz. “A diamond is forever.”

“Diamonds have been an extraordinary tool for me to get to know people, and the reality surrounding me in general. I will not pretend that I have become wise selling diamonds, but I am certain that selling diamonds has let me amass considerable stores of experience that I like to define “human” in the amplest sense of the term. I believe the result would not be much different if I sold precious stones in Rome or Tokyo as opposed to New York. The intimate essence (desires and fears) of people, be they rich or poor and despite their habits, is basically always the same.

“This book was originally conceived for anyone interested in engagement rings but I believe it may provide a starting point for reflection, and entertainment too I hope, even for people who are curious about the facets of the human soul as opposed to those on precious stones. This is why I am going to begin by confessing something you will find incredible: despite two husbands and an unbridled passion for jewelry and precious stones, I have never received a single engagement ring.  Funny, isn’t it?”

A closed white leather box is presented theatrically in front of me on a dark blue fabric tray. Under the tray, diamond rings of all sizes, shapes, cuts and color seem to be the contestants in a grand competition where the most beautiful will win.  The top of the box says Cartier in gold. Shaking, I slowly open the small box, to find almost touching my nose, the largest Colombian emerald ring I have ever seen in my life. A pure Cabochon mounted on platinum.

I look perplexed to Patrizia, who is smiling at me. She is wearing now what you see in the pictures below. I must quickly send this post to my dad and hear the beautiful sound of his analytical words. I can already hear him say “Hmmm… pure, VVS1 all aligned very small difference between one round stone and the other.. Baguette, same! Very rare. Joelle cherie, very rare. Bravo! Where did you find this treasure?

“Dad,” I answer with a smile, “I once met a contessa at the “Square du Bois” …Remember?”

Joelle’s Picks:

The Jewel consultant: Patrizia di Carrobio

For personal consultations with Patrizia, email: patrizia@patriziadicarrobio.com

The Book:  Diamonds: The First Steps to Forever to be released soon in the US

The photo credits:

Prostrated person on the steps:  Micol Sabbadini

Chassidics: SKA Films/Snatch

Family: courtesy Orietta Carrobio

Patrizia’s Portraits: Pucci Scafidi

One of the best things to do in Europe during the Summer, besides tanning under the sun, is to make sure you do not miss what’s going on in the upcoming Fall/Winter fashion trends. While you are chilling out, many magazine editors, photographers, models, stage setters and style experts have been working extremely hard to give you the right feel of what should be the next new look.

My advice is that you start by buying some heavy magazines to enjoy along with your morning espresso. Those of you traveling by jet can shed the extra weight (and not get into trouble with your baggage allowance) by tearing out the pages you are most attracted to for later. Your next shopping trip is about how you want to be renewed in your life, family, and home.

This is the reason why in Porto Cervo, Capri, Montecarlo, and Ibiza, you’ll find the latest in fashion, luxury and home design before it appears in the large cities like New York, Paris or London. Don’t be lazy. “Oh, I do not feel like working now. I am on vacation and no way in the world I am going to try on heavy clothes and boots, especially as I will only use them in November and December in the snow. I have all the time on the world!”

Wrong! If you want that powerful feeling of being a trendsetter, style dictator, a glamour enchanter, a global Bohemian example of nonchalant understatements such as: “Oh, I just got those boots on my way to the beach before my flight. The kids ski outfits? I bought those in Capri, I am too busy to shop,” then these are the places and time of the year you should shop.

And while your friends in New York or London are trying to find last month’s sold out edition of Vogue Italia where the fashion trend is ‘black mourning‘, you’ll be peacefully having breakfast at Tiffany with your LTB (little black dress), bought last month in Anacapri. “Gosh, it was such a long time ago, I feel like I’ve had it for years!”

One of most luxurious boutiques in Italy believe it or not, is in Anacapri. Founded right after the war by Tonino Cacace‘s mother, a daughter of second generation hoteliers. Although the only shop at that time in Anacapri, it was very much visited due to its privileged location near the magnificent Greek Villa San Michele, a place of great magnetic attraction belonging to well-known Swedish physician, author, humanist and lover of the queen of Sweden) Axel Munthe (1857-1949).

In 1950 the boutique was moved to a different location and to today’s size of 1,200 square meters by a visionary man named Mario Cacce, whose passionate encounter with Rita resulted in a marriage and a lifelong partnership. After ten years, one of the offspring of their union was the Europa Palace Hotel adjacent to the boutique. The hotel was later transformed by their son, entrepreneur Tonino Cacace, into a five star luxury hotel – the Capri Palace Hotel & Spa.

As I enter the Mariorita boutique after a long day at sea on the hotel’s Capricorn boat, I notice the existence of different departments: men’s, women’s, sea and luxury. I am told that the amazing selection of products is personally chosen by the owner himself, well- known to be an elegant man with a touch of personal Italian classic-casual style. At his right arm is a smart, quick young lady named Valentina Prezioso. Her surname already states it: ‘precious’ and preciosity is what Valentina is able to bring after her precious sourcing for the boutique.

Most of the fashion, luxury and home accessory items are exclusive to the Mariorita boutique. More important, certain brands launch their products in anteprima (beforehand) at the Anacapri boutique before any other in Italy, and sometimes due to the staff’s excellent relationships with the brands and the boutique’s exclusive elite clientele, worldwide.

This is why I decided capture a few of the items around the various departments including the kids’ boutique, Aquamarina and the Pop Gallery through my camera’s macro lens, so that you can enjoy the ride and visit with me.

The men’s department holds Versace Collection, Hugo Boss, Armani Collezioni, Armani Jeans, EA7, Ice Iceberg, Tru-Trussardi, Trussardi Jeans, Maserati and Paul & Shark. My favorite are the Maserati leather jackets–sexy, very sexy. (Photo below left)

The women’s department also carrirs mostly Made-in-Italy exclusives with brands such as Armani Collezioni, M Missoni (my favorite black and white–see photo below far left), Armani Jeans, EA7, Ice Iceberg with funny Walt Disney striped icons, and wonderful ski outfits in fluorescent lilac. Swarovski crystal engravings and fur, very dans-le-vent this winter, Tru-Trussardi, Trussardi-Jeans, Valentino Roma by the “The Sheik of Chic’s” new creative director Alessandra Facchinetti, the collection though, with a lot of white lace and black velvet remains still very Valentino.

In the Sea department we have the Milanese brand Miss Bikini, the Israeli Gottex, Chloé, Atlantique, Vilebrequin for both fathers and sons.

The luxury department, founded in 2007, includes stunning hand picked pieces, most of which are limited editions.

The Bentley pens are one example. The prestigious house offers the possibility of engraving the number of one’s Bentley engine in the roller or ink pen. Tibaldi Da Vinci Code Limited edition, is an opulent and precious work of art engraved with high precision on yellow gold and a touch of intrigue reproducing Leonardo Da Vinci‘s Man Vetruvio, a series of the movie ‘s sites, several codes and symbols.

Deciphering the code formed by letters and symbols decorating the pens cap will result in the combination of the two words that historically permit the opening of the Cryptex. It’s price is 17,798 euros in case you decide to keep yourself busy. The boutique is the first global retail representative for Tibaldi Giorgio Armani’s pen collection as well.

Another very special item is the woman’s wrist watch from Chopard in white gold and 1.58 karats of diamonds with a mother-of-pearl background belonging to the ‘Happy Spirit’ Collection. The bracelet is available in satin or leather in your choice of colors. Its price is 19,000,00 euros. In addition to the jewelery Chopard introduced this year, for the first time on the market they’ve released a line of leather handbags, which has already met high success in just a few months. Mariorita is among the few worldwide stores to carry the 2009 collection in avant-premiere.

Among many types of jewelry, my favorite is the local Gioielli Di Luca, hand crafted and encrusted with cameos, corals, and precious woods. The owner, Gino Di Luca, is the president of Oro Mare association of jewelers and coral and cameos handicrafts.

Cartujano, a company from the Italian region of Puglia, specializes in leather accessories dedicated to smokers including cigar pocket humidors made out of Cedar wood, portable pens, ties and individual watch cases luxurious for your elegantissmo man.

Memento is an Italian company specializing in home accessories, mainly vases and ashtrays. They are produced out of glass and covered with a hand crafted embroidery of resin, contemporary and decorative at the same time.

Carlo Moretti is the excellent maestro of craftsmanship of hand-blown Glass from Murano. Exclusively for the L’Olivo restaurant at the Capri Palace Hotel and designed by Tonino Cacace himself, they have dedicated a special collection of tableware and glasses. At the boutique, the client has a choice of having his or her name engraved or selecting an exclusive custom designed color also signed by Cacace.

Jewels Sandals by Enrico Lugani can be ordered and produced in nothing less than two weeks after expressly picking the semi precious stones, model, size, color with personalized name or a phrase such as: “You can step on me dear whenever you want my dear… always yours.” The box comes in black velvet and the lock in Swarovski crystals as if it were a jewelry case. (Picture above)

The Pop gallery, the most recent inaugurated this season and the latest grand passion of Tonino Cacace. It involves a sponsored space with works of pop art mainly from artists and craftsmen of the Italian region of Campania. All the exhibits are the result of a thorough search for talented and gifted individuals with personal and original inventive creativity.

Aquamarina is the children’s boutique, the most successful of all. It features blue wood floors and a cloudy light blue ceiling that makes you feel like Alice in Wonderland — what a trip!

Even with the current world economic and financial crisis, it looks like parents still need to spend time with their children–especially in Italy and worldwide.

The Made-in-Italy brands including Armani, Dolce & Gabbana Junior, Dolce & Gabbana shoes, Dior, Ferrari, Iceberg, Miss Bikini, and Vilebrequin are to die for. Cashmere sweaters with flowers and striped cotton Doppio Petto (double breasted) for small and Junior boys nurture you a fantasy of acquiring immediate parenthood.

Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy: D&G baby sneakers, Baby Dior wool small pink dress for little princesses, and at last…

The motto on an Armani baby girl penguin sweatshirt: “I want to become an Eagle” …

I have nothing else to add..

Enjoy the rest through the view through my camera lens!

“How can you wear such a bracelet when we have the best of your taste in jewelry at the office?” The next Monday, on a rainy afternoon, I went to meet David, the owner of the company, at his New York Fifth Avenue showroom. My friend was there and she was wearing a stunning gold bracelet in a shape of a snake that absolutely captured my attention. Completely enchanted by that piece, I realized I did not pay attention to David who was saying it was pleasure to meet me.

David Araon Joseph, born in England, had been in the music, film, screenplay and production industry as well as the diamond business. He represented jewelry designers in his own gallery without finding in the market something he had been missing for a long time. That something happened to be his wife, Miriam Salat, a former civil engineer and fashion jeweler who started her career selling her designs in the streets in Soho, New York and then at Barney’s to pay for her Ph.D. studies in Psychology.

The time Miriam and David met, they both seemed to identify with the archetypes of bohemian life paradoxes. Adventurous mountain biking in the desert sands but also relaxing in the glamorous Positano with a shopping break in Capri. Living both contradictory experiences was very inspiring and motivating to them.

David Joseph is a romantic, a classic aficionado of the La Dolce Vita-archetype of living. Miriam pays attention to the technical details, the ancient tradition of craftsmanship, the creative innovation in modern living.

While looking outside on the falling rain, David tells me that not everything in their collection is totally designed. Sometimes they are just observers, they watch tantrums, body language, fashion statements, or limit themselves to collecting vintage jewelry. Their sources of inspiration are the Mediterranean and colorful countries like India and Turkey. In their wanderings, they could be attracted by an object, stone or pendant and will after that recreate together a new meaning to that piece.

I realize after wearing a wood bracelet together with luminous citrine earrings and a bone ring, that their creations never have a single and unique element to them. Materials are intelligently, elaborated and carefully integrated with one another. At Bochic, they are not afraid to dare, reuse, recycle, reinvent, reconstruct, or recreate. Like in Bohemia, it is all about the atmosphere, a way of life, a state of mind. Just like poets, painters, absinthe drinkers or dandies, their work is timeless in movement where ethnicity and classical elegance blend in with natural nonchalance.

Bochic has become the collection of choice among Hollywood’s red carpet celebrities such as Halle Berry, Angelina Jolie, Eva Mendes, Hilary Swank, Penelope Cruz and Rihanna. On magazine covers, they show off bold Bakelite cuffs and over-sized rings, all hallmarks of the collection. At the premiere Pat the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, Angelina Jolie chose a pair of rose cut diamond earrings and a matching diamond bracelet.

Talking about trend setting, the Art Deco ‘Noir’ collection for Fall 2008 mostly in bakelite and vintage diamond pieces is presented in Europe this month by Bochic as an intrepid innovation with a classical comeback in the world of jewelry design.

The sources, precious gems, rose, slice, single and rough cuts diamonds are not about the quality. Without a doubt Miriam and David Joseph are connoisseurs of color, texture and sensation, but more about the vintage look, and a typical infusion of Mediterranean ‘terres d’ailleur ‘, a well-known and enduring Bohemian mainstream starting in the 70′ by the precursor Yves Saint Laurent (may he rest in peace) and his muse Thalita Guetty in Marrakech. The exotic flair of the Old Orient collection, Morocco-Egypt-India, is the Bochic inspiration and its counter-culture, their modern and globalized fusion with the West.

Bochic plans to merge the splendor of the Old Spain, Moorish style, Flamenco, and mosaics (immortalized by Goya) in future creative pieces of treasure.

Pay attention because you’ll see them coming!

Joelle’s Tips:

The Jewelers: Bochic