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A lady with a love for literature and shiny things discusses books & bling.

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Gold, coral, and diamond bracelet and pendant.

How do you like these gold, coral, and diamond beauties:

Two pieces of gold, coral, and diamond jewelry: a bracelet and a pendant that converts into a brooch. Via Diamonds in the Library.

They were listed in the same Bonhams auction and photographed together, but not sold as a set. I think they make a glorious pair.

A gold, coral, and diamond pendant. Via Diamonds in the Library.

Let’s look at the pendant first. Such an interesting shape, isn’t it? It’s designed as a pavé-set round brilliant-cut diamond ribbon suspending two coral drops. It’s bigger than you might imagine from the picture: the length is listed as 4.5 inches and total diamond weight as 8.35 carats.

I really wish there was a picture of it a on a chain; I want to know where the pendant loop is and if it would hang vertically or list to the side. I’d love to see this on a longish chain. Maybe 20 inches?

A gold, coral, and diamond bracelet. Via Diamonds in the Library.

The bracelet is 18 karat gold and features pale pink coral cabochons and 28 carats of round brilliant cut diamonds in a textured wirework mount.

The design in general feels a little dated, but I think this pretty piece could be brought into the 2000’s pretty easily with the right styling. You’d just need to contrast the sweetness with something angular and tough, maybe pair it with leather or and asymmetrical LBD. You’d also have to not have my skin tone – which is almost identical to that coral.

Alternate view: A gold, coral, and diamond bracelet. Via Diamonds in the Library.

Here’s a side view. It really is a piece with a lot of volume, and such marvelous texture. What do you think, would you wear it? How about the pendant?

Both of these gold, coral, and diamond pieces were listed in an October 2013 Bonhams auction. All images and info are thanks to Bonhams.

A fabulous diamond and ruby cuff bracelet.

This extremely fabulous diamond and ruby cuff bracelet wasn’t listed with a date, but the berry-like cabochon rubies and chunky bow-inspired motif all say midcentury to me. The bracelet itself is a hinged, polished cuff embellished with scrolling diamond plaques embellished with star ruby cabochons, both oval and round. The stones are mounted in platinum and palladium and the diamonds total 10 carats.

Diamond and ruby cuff bracelet. Via Diamonds in the Library.

Bonus! The central plaques detach and can be worn as clips. You know how I love a convertible piece of jewelry. This one reminds me of this Graff ruby and diamond bracelet – except that the Graff piece is all modern streamlined glamour while this piece is more chunky and funky (I mean that in the best possible way).

Which piece do you prefer, this bracelet or the Graff I linked to above? How would you style this one?

This diamond and ruby cuff bracelet was listed in an October 2012 Bonhams auction. All images and info are thanks to Bonhams,

Oscar Heyman jewels at JCK Privé NY.

Today I’m going to share with you the last photos I have from JCK Privé NY – the fabulous Oscar Heyman jewels that I was lucky enough to get to try on.

If you’re seriously into jewelry, your ears perked up at the name of Heyman. Oscar Heyman & Brothers have legendary status as a “Jeweler’s jeweler,” known for producing high quality fine jewelry for the likes of Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, J.E. Caldwell, and Shreve, Crump & Low. When Cartier was asked to produce a setting for the Taylor-Burton diamond, they turned to Oscar Heyman and Brothers. You can imagine my excitement when I turned a corner at JCK Privé NY and saw a booth full of Oscar Heyman jewels sparkling at me.

A hand full of Oscar Heyman; two diamond and gemstone pansy rings, one diamond engagement ring and one emerald and diamond ring. Via Diamonds in the Library.

Tom Heyman – who kindly showed me around the booth’s Oscar Heyman jewels that day – told me that I had half a million dollars worth of jewelry on my hand before he added the diamond ring you see in this picture.

Diamond and yellow diamond engagement ring by Oscar Heyman. Via Diamonds in the Library.

I don’t think I took a single bad picture of this yellow diamond and diamond ring. It was basically mugging for the camera. I hope it finds a good home.

Gorgeous cat’s eye chrysoberyl and diamond bracelet by Oscar Heyman. Via Diamonds in the Library.

At the Oscar Heyman booth, I was stuck again and again by the incredible beauty of the stones used to make the jewelery that I was admiring. Each piece had very clearly been crafted in order to best showcase the raw materials (and with great success). It was particularly evident with the incredible cat’s eye stones that I saw in several pieces, like this cat’s eye chrysoberyl and diamond bracelet.

An opal, sapphire, and diamond ring by Oscar Heyman. Via Diamonds in the Library.

Have I mentioned recently how glad I am that I started this blog? I never imagined that it would lead me into as many incredible experiences as it has. For an example, please see the opal, sapphire, and diamond ring above.

Magnificent emerald and diamond ring by Oscar Heyman. Via Diamonds in the Library.

This emerald and diamond ring is probably the most magical thing I’ve ever had in my hand. I say that DESPITE all of the other mind-blowing jewelery you’ve seen me try on. This one is in my top 5 of all time, no question. Because: look at it. Holy moly.

Vintage gemstone and diamond brooch by Oscar Heyman. Via Diamonds in the Library.

How fun is this retro swoop brooch? “Swoop” being the sound I think it makes, rather than any official name. It’s an estate piece; Oscar Heyman & Brothers was founded in 1912.

Star sapphire and diamond ring by Oscar Heyman. This ring is convertible; it can also be a necklace pendant. Via Diamonds in the Library.

This ring is even better than it appears at first glance, if you can believe it. Thanks to an ingeniously designed mechanism on the back, it snaps off of the ring mounting and can transform into a pendant on a matching necklace. I wasn’t able to to get a decent photo of the necklace or the mechanism, but please trust me that both were very cool.

This Oscar Heyman diamond and yellow diamond bracelet is in the design stage. The stones are laid out on the foam in the same pattern they will eventually be set in on the final bracelet. Via Diamonds in the Library.

One of my favorite parts of the visit was getting to see this: a draft of a diamond and yellow diamond bracelet. The stones are arranged on this foam in a rough form of how they’re going to be in the final piece.

This Oscar Heyman diamond and yellow diamond necklace is in an early stage of construction. The stones are placed in hard wax so that the jeweler may build the piece around them.

This is the second stage (and the necklace that’s going to match the bracelet!) Here, the stones are set into a hard wax. From this point, Tom said, it’s about 6 months more work until the piece will be complete.

Sapphire and diamond moi et toi crossover ring by Oscar Heyman. Via Diamonds in the Library.

Tom took a turn being the hand model when we got to this sapphire and diamond moi et toi crossover ring. It did look fabulous on him.

A million and one thanks to the wonderful Tom Heyman, who spent quite a chunk of time letting me photograph the jewels in his booth one by one. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Additional thanks to Lang’s AJU for being as informative as always.

If you’d like to revisit the rest of the pretties I’ve shown you from JCK Privé NY, please click here for the Editor’s Preview recap or here for the Mimi So reap.

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