Givenchy Vertebrae Ring

The beautiful ring is hand-made in pale gold silver-gilt in a high jewelry atelier located on place Vendôme, in Paris.
The precious object comes in a black lacquered wooden box lined with ivory silk satin. A limited edition of 100, each piece is numbered and engraved inside the ring.

It will be available from November 2011 in all Givenchy flagship stores and at select stockists worldwide.
Beautiful!

Christmas present pleaseeeeee.

Love VRAT xx


Source: http://www.anothermag.com/loves

Harper's Bazaar Russia: 15th Birthday

Harper’s Bazaar Russia are celebrating their fifteenth anniversary with fifteen magazine covers for their November issue!

They are all so wonderful, my personal favourites are Versace, because I am gold magpie and Karl Lagerfelds!

Here they are:

Giorgio Armani

Antonio Marras

Diane Von Furstenberg

Dolce & Gabbana

Emilio Pucci

Jean-Paul Gaultier

Karl Lagerfeld

Michael Kors

Missoni

Moschino

Ralph Lauren

Roberto Cavalli

Sonia Rykiel

Versace

Viktor & Rolf

 Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

Love VRAT xx

Taken from: http://buanacainte.wordpress.com/2011/10/18/harpers-bazaar-russia-15th-birthday-edition/

The most expensive pieces of jewellery ever sold at auction

 A vivid blue diamond ring

 What: A cushion-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond weighing 6.01 carats, flanked on each side by an oval pink diamond weighing 0.46 and 0.44 carat respectively, mounted in platinum.

Sale price: $10 million 

When: Oct. 5, 2011

Where: Sotheby's Hong Kong

Empress Eugenie Brooch 

What: An antique diamond bow brooch from François Kramer, circa 1855. It was designed as an old mine and old European-cut diamond openwork sculpted bow.

The brooch was created by François Kramer for the wife of Napoléon III, Empress Eugénie. Henri Loyrette, President of the Louvre and his administration arrangement a private sale with Christie's to bring the brooch back to France.

Sale Price: $10.5 million 

When: April 22, 2008

Where: Christies New York 

Unmounted heart shaped diamond

 

What: A heart-shaped diamond weighing 56.15 carats. It was originally cut from the Cullinan Diamonds, and the Cullinan 1 is now a part of Britain's Crown Jewel collection.

The diamond was part of the Magnificent Jewels collection that went on sale at Christie's in May. Christie's marketed the diamond as "Love At First Sight," and released it for viewing on Valentine's Day.

Sale Price: $11 million

When: May 18, 2011

Where: Geneva at Christie's auction house

Emerald and diamond tiara that once belonged to Princess Katharina Henckel von Donnersmarck

What: The diamond-and-emerald confection was commissioned by German prince Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck for his second wife Katharina around 1900, and is believed to have belonged to Eugenie, wife of French Emperor Napoleon III.It has a row of 11 polished pear-shaped emeralds, totaling 500 carats, and was purchased by an anonymous bidder. 

Sale Price: $12.3 million 

When: May 17, 2011

Where: Geneva at Christie's auction house

**Personal favourite!!**

Wallis Simpson's Panther Bracelet

What: The onyx and diamond panther bracelet was once owned by Wallis Simpson, whose love affair with King Edward VIII led to his abdication in 1936.

It was rumored Madonna may have purchased the piece.

Sale Price: $12.4 million

When: Nov 30th, 2010

Where: Sotheby's London

Perfect pink diamond

What: A rectangular-cut fancy intense pink diamond ring weighing 14.23 carats, which is very rare for pink diamonds.

The piece was purchased by an anonymous buyer.

Sale Price: $23.2 million

When: Nov 29th, 2010

Where: Christie's Hong Kong 

Wittelsbach-Graff diamond

What: A historic cushion-cut fancy deep grayish blue diamond weighing 35.56 carats.

Laurence Graff purchased the diamond in 2008 for about $22 million. He had the diamond cut by three different diamond cutters to remove the flaws in 2010.
The diamond originates from Indian kingdom of Golkonda. It's rumored that King Philip IV of Spain purchased the jewel and included it in the dowry of his teenage daughter, Margaret Teresa, in 1664.

Sale Price: $24.3 million

When: Dec 2008

Where: Christie's London

 The most expensive piece ever purchased from auction is...

The pink round-cornered rectangular diamond 

What: A pink round-cornered rectangular step-cut diamond weighing 24.78 carats, set between shield-shaped diamond shoulders, in platinum. The diamond was formerly owned by jeweler Harry Winston. This beauty set the record for most expensive single jewel ever sold at auction. Laurence Graff renamed it "The Graff Pink."

Sale Price: $46.2 million

When: Nov 10th, 2010

Where: Geneva at Sotheby's

Wow, what a selection!

 That's me saving up now!

Love VRAT xx

Saturday - Part one.

So, I was in desperate need of a parachute (art related need), I had contacted many parachute regiments, army surplus stores and eBay sellers, hoping they would be willing to kindly donate a parachute, they could not. I managed to track one down, (hurrah!) from an independent skydiving school in a tiny place called Strathallan, near Auchterarder, near Stirling, Perthshire about an hours drive from Edinburgh i.e. Skydive Strathallan. 

It is difficult to travel there with out a car, luckily for me I have a great friend, Zeb, that can drive and agreed to take me. To my delight, my pal and Zeb's gf, Katie joined us, so did Katie's flatmate Kate and their Hungarian friend Mira. We had a packed out car and therefore decided to make a day of it!

Airfield

Zeb with my 1985 parachute!

Sweet wee plane.

 

 

 

 

I managed to get hold of a parachute from the lovely people at Strathallan skydiving centre, sadly we didn't get to see anyone sky dive as the weather was too bad, typical, however I am tempted to give it a go now!

We got a hot chocolate and continued on our journey visiting the Deil's cauldron - Crieff, Loch Earn - Perth, Loch Lubnaig -  Callander,  passed through Queens Forrest and The falls of Leny:

Kate and Zeb going for a dip in Deil's cauldron

Falls of Leny

It was a lovely day!

Love VRAT xxx

Skype Sundays

 

Now Mum has lost both her daughters to Scotland, we rely on Skype, providing us with plenty of entertainment! 

Love VRAT xxx

The beautiful Bulgari

'The stunning diamond and blue diamond crossover ring made by Bulgari comes from a private European collector and has never been seen at auction before.

The collector's father commissioned the ring from the legendary Italian jewellery house as a gift for his wife in the mid 1960s, when Bulgari was at the height of fashion and innovation.

It was a time where the world's rich and famous sought Bulgari's unique craftsmanship and high quality jewellery designs, including Elizabeth Taylor who bought much of her jewellery there.

Typical of Bulgari's elegant simplicity, the ring offered by Bonhams is set obliquely with a pear-shaped diamond, weighing 3.93 carats, D colour, VS2 clarity, and a pear-shaped fancy vivid, natural blue diamond (the highest grading for a coloured diamond), weighing 3.72 and SI2 clarity.

The term "fancy" is used to describe a diamond of intense colour and the colour "fancy vivid blue" is one of the rarest. Blue diamonds are structurally the purest of all diamonds, with barely any impurities within their crystal lattice. They account for less than one percent of all diamonds mined.

Jean Ghika, Director of jewellery comments, "Not only is this jewel an exquisite example of Bulgari's craftsmanship at this period but the fancy vivid blue diamond is an incredibly rare gem in its own right. Bonhams is honoured to have been chosen to handle the sale of this magnificent ring".'

This beautiful piece was sold at Bonhams New Bond Street on September 21st 2011 and was sold for £1,889,250 (inclusive of Buyer's Premium)!!

Love VRAT xx

New website!

 

A few screenshots from our brand new website. It is a completely fresh look for us, a bit more up to date - we love it, hope you do to.

Love VRAT x

Scottish Sale 2011

So every August Bonhams, Edinburgh hold their annual Scottish Sale. It's usually one huge sale where all the departments have auctions within it however this year, it is different. 

Love the wall colour! 

Francis CB Cadel

, Blue studio interior.

Bonhams held the Scottish Sale Part I last week (16th - 18th August) where Jewellery, Silver, Furniture, Whisky and Ceramics had their sales and it was a great success! The Scottish Sale Part II however is set to be one heck of an event. 

A personal favourite - Francis Campbell Boileau Cadel

, The Joke.

The Pictures department signed a fantastic collection of Scottish Colourists names being
Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell, Samuel John Peploe, George Leslie Hunter and John Duncan Fergusson. The majority of them originated from an Important Private American Collection in California. It is the most beautiful collection of pictures and it has been such a privilege to work during this sale. All four galleries are covered in magnificent paintings and cabinets of miniatures, it's a wonderful surround. Bonhams have not has such an amazing quantity of quality pictures ever, so this sale will go down in history!

You can view the sale in the Edinburgh Bonhams from Sunday 28th (1pm - 4pm) - Wednesday 31st August, from 10am-4pm.

The sale takes place next Wednesday 31st August at 6pm, entry into the sale is by paddle registration only as it is predicted to be a very busy sale. 

Fingers crossed it is successful,
Love VRAT xxx

PS, These photographs of the paintings do not do them justice at all. 


(All images taken from http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/WService=wslive_pub/pubweb/publicSite.r)

Saturday night snooping.

So I've spent all day re-launching Vintage Rings and Things new website and new collection, exciting stuff! 

Anyway, I decided to settle down to watch Sex and the City on Channel 4, and 'Bag Borrow or Steal' was mentioned, my ears pricked up and Googled it immediately! 

They have some beaut bags that you can hire but also some great great jewellery. They have vintage jewellery, fine jewellery and fashion jewellery, they cater for all! There is no doubt that this is going to be my new free time browsing site - what I could hire if I lived in NYC/had plenty of $$$!

Enjoy your weekend!
Love VRAT xx

A few that caught my eye:

A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz Bow 'All You Can Jet' Cuff

$10 per week

 

Chanel Flower Stackable rings

$29

 

Alexis Bittar Clear Crumpled Lucite Ring

$10 per week

Hermes Set of 2 Millefiori Silver Bangles

$46 per week

Kenneth Jay Lane Carved Jade Deco Cuff

$10 per week

"Where should one use perfume?" a young woman asked. "Wherever one wants to be kissed," I said. 

- CC

Sneak preview

A few photos of our new collection, beautiful 18ct gold pearl, ruby and diamond rings, vivid fire opal earrings and a gorgeous sterling silver locket with chain. 

Hope you like them!

Love VRAT xxx

Family trip time.

Milano, north of Italy

Ischgl, Austria

Montefalcione, south of Italy

Off again early tomorrow morning for our summer family holiday! 

We're hitting Milan, in the north of Italy, for a few days first (still trying to find some markets there.) Then driving (Well Dad is) up to the south of Austria into the picturesque Mountains for another few days. For the final part of the trip we will be driving to the south of Italy to a beautiful village called Montefalcione, where my Grandparents live, just outside of Naples. Haven't seen them since Christmas time! I'm taking my mini Diana, so hopefully my photographs will be more successful than the last time I used it - I must learn to read instructions...

Hope you're all having a lovely summer break,
Love
VRAT xx