Registered master valuer and jewelry storyteller
Favorite jewelry era: Definitely the Art Deco era — the symmetrical designs and perfectly cut to fit diamonds create complex but never fussy jewelry — as contrasted to earlier eras.
Most cherished personal piece of jewelry/horology: When I moved to Beverly Hills as a young person, my father asked me what I wanted for Christmas one year instead of surprising me. I asked and got a Cartier yellow gold ladies tank watch with the iconic red strap and little blue sapphire topped crown. I’ll cherish it for the rest of my life.
If money were no object, which iconic jewel/watch would you like to own: Shirley Temple’s 9.54-carat VVS2 blue diamond ring given to her from her father in 1940. She owned it until the day she died.
Best book to learn about jewelry: The Nature of Diamonds by George E. Harlow. It places jewelry into context with history throughout time.
Expert’s tip to a jewelry collection beginner: Visit all the museums you can (or take a video tour) – the Getty in Malibu, the Louvre, the Met in New York, the Egyptian Museum if at all possible. Discover earlier cultures and the importance they placed on personal adornment. It lit a fire in me very early in my life to understand societies through their jewelry. I accompanied several archeological excavations to pre-Colombian sites in Central America years back.
Follow me: Facebook, Color-n-Ice