Auction of Wallis Simpson Diamond Jewellery & Shoes

Shoes and jewellery belonging to Wallis Simpson are expected to fetch in excess of £250,000 when they are sold at auction this Thursday at the Gardiner Houlgate auction house in Wiltshire. Whenever any of the Duchess of Windsor items come back on the market, they invariably make more money than they did in the original 1987 sale in Switzerland when her diamond jewellery was sold for £31m (six times the expected figure).

The American socialite became the Duchess of Windsor in 1937 when Edward VII abdicated the throne as King of England to marry her.

She was famous for the phrase: “You can never be too rich or too thin” and for her voracious appetite for jewellery and fashion. Now some of the most treasured pieces from her collection have come back on the market including a pair of embroidered Andrew Geller heels (pictured) which are expected to fetch up to £250 and two glittering evening bags decorated with faux pearls, faux rubies and mesh enamel, each expected to make £150. A highlight of the auction is the jewellery the couple gave to one another as tokens of their love including a unique onyx Cartier pocket watch with the Royal cipher, given to King Edward VIII by Simpson which is estimated to sell for £40,000-£60,000.

They are unique items which are attracting a lot of interest from this country and America.

The Duchess of Windsor's shoes and evening bags were given to the late David Campbell, who was the Duke of Windsor's valet in the 1950's. He passed them on to his young niece to 'play dressing up with.' She has now decided she should let someone else have the pleasure of owning them and put them up for auction.

Real Diamonds for Celebrity Fashion Shoots

I think that celebrity shoots are becoming more and more artificial, with the real fashionistas preferring to work for a small select magazine with an emaciated model rather than dirty their hands with a star. But the gossip and celebrity magazines with their massive readership and advertising revenues pay very well.

The “at home with” celebrity special photo shoots make me immediately think that the often not so famous face (Big Brother evacuee?) has been paid megabucks to appear in the magazine and a large amount of the shoot is fake.

Everyone knows about the fake tan, hair extensions, boob implants, cosmetic dentistry and botox, but my real gripe is their invented lifestyles where their “luxurious and stylish home” has been hired for the day. It must be quite amusing to see the prop stylist arriving with armfuls of framed photos of the celebrity and their family to personalise the space. There is a classic case of one famous singer's daughter's birthday party when a whole set of child models were hired to pose as friends – did they not have any friends of their own or weren’t they attractive enough to appear in the spread?

The reason celebrities' lives look too good to be true is because they are. The sparkling diamond jewellery is hired for the day and a deal is usually done with a designer to promote their current fashion range for free clothes. But this has to be watched carefully as recently a “celebrity” accidentally mislaid the diamond earrings and diamond necklace she had been wearing - not a clever ploy as she can’t wear them out in case she’s snapped by the paparazzi and the magazine who has had to foot the bill sees the shot!

The shoots are often so fake that even the names of the team aren't real with photographers, make up artists and stylists using pseudonyms to protect their real identity. One artist who was cheated out of a freelance job by another hairdresser got his revenge by using the offending artist's real name in a trashy magazine!

Dreaming about diamonds ….

Once upon a time there was a little girl who fell in love with fashion. Like all love affairs many mistakes were made, especially when she realised that she had purchased expensive clothes that she had only worn once - or worse still never at all. So she made a pact to find a way to make each outfit look different every time she wore it and started a passionate affair with accessories.

She was amazed at how easy it was to change the look of a little black dress by wearing it with some understated diamond stud earrings one day, and adding a sparkling diamond pendant the next. She was receiving compliments like never before. By investing in a few pieces of diamond jewellery she had transformed her wardrobe forever!

But she eventually became bored and discovered that while there was some fantastic jewellery available in high street stores, she wanted more. She desired a boutique full of beautiful affordable jewellery which stayed open all day and night with special offers all year round.

Everyone said this was impossible and it was one of her dreams, but after a lot of research she discovered The Diamond Store who offered everything she needed. It is 24 hour jewellery boutique, full of diamond jewellery of every type at discounted prices with special samples on sale. And if you need any advice and guidance they have a help line staffed by professionals who are only to happy to assist you.

So it’s a not such fairy story after all …..

Affordable Diamond Jewellery for Mother’s Day

The earliest known celebration honouring mothers dates back to the annual spring festival of Ancient Greece which was dedicated to Rhea who was the Mother of the Gods. The Greeks would pay tribute with honey-cakes and flowers at dawn.

In the UK Mother's day is celebrated on the 4th Sunday in Lent (this year on 14th March) but in other countries around the world, it is celebrated at different times.

In America and most European countries honour their mothers on the second Sunday in May. May 10th is the day dedicated to mothers in many Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

But it is very different for mothers in Croatia where on the second Sunday before Christmas the children creep in and tie their mother's feet to a chair, shouting “Mother's Day, Mother's Day, what will you pay to get away?” She then gives them presents to untie her!

A Mother's Day card should be a special token of your love that shows your mother just how much she means to you. Pick cards that offer more than just the average text of "enjoy your special day” and look for meaningful poems or passages that show your appreciation for the lady who raised you.

Jewellery is something a bit different as a mother’s day gift, and nowadays you can pick up some very reasonably priced pendants or earrings which can be packaged with a special message. Jewellery is a traditional gift which your mother can keep rather than eat or eventually throw away which is what she would do with chocolates or flowers!

Of course the most special type of jewellery that you can buy your mother is something with diamonds, and you will be surprised how affordable diamond jewellery can be as you don’t have to give her a large solitaire diamond ring! Pearl and diamond earrings are very pretty and acceptable, as is gemstone jewellery and you can pick a ring or earrings or pendant with her birthstone to make it extra special.

Fabulous Diamond Jewellery Worn at the Oscars

With the Oscars coming up this weekend it is always fascinating to see what the latest jewellery and fashion trends are with the over-pampered stars that walk down the red carpet. Apart from spending weeks preparing for the event with beauty treatments, hair design and dress fittings, the accessories are also a vital part of their overall appearance.

With Harry Winston loaning diamonds to the most famous or Oscar nominated actors, any designer who can get their wares showcased at this event is sure to get some publicity – good or bad.

Obviously it’s not great if your name is linked with the worst dressed stars, but the best and worst dressed list always attracts global coverage and with the number of viewers this ceremony attracts they really do get worldwide exposure. Photos taken on the red carpet, at the ceremony and post Oscar parties circulate for years. And remember that no publicity is bad publicity!

Many celebrities could afford to buy the jewellery and fashions they wear to the Oscars, but they don't have to as jewellery designers and dealers allow them to choose what they would like to wear from their latest catalogue. Many of the designers work with a number of celebrities and must be careful not to duplicate an item.

Apart from Harry Winston, Michael Katz is a Beverly Hills jewellery designer and dealer who has the reputation of being able to intuitively match people with jewels, and another is New Yorker Fred Leighton who also supplies rings for the right hands of the Sex In the City ladies.

If a celebrity trend looks hot enough then jewellery companies will rush to produce look-alike versions of the piece. The Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez diamond engagement ring being a classic example with a number of companies flooding the market with cheaper copies.

Along with the top-end loaned diamonds comes a personal security guard, with Joan Rivers telling the story of when the lights went out unexpectedly at a post-Oscar party her guard immediately grabbed her elbow and steered her straight out the back door.

I’ll certainly be watching the ceremony for as long as I can stay awake for this weekend so see if I can spot the celebrity wearing the biggest piece of diamond jewellery or the one who has had the most botox treatment.

Alice in Wonderland Jewellery

Tom Binns designs and sell high-quality contemporary jewellery. He has created a number of couture collections consisting of handcrafted, one off pieces, so it is no surprise that he was approached to create the Alice In Wonderland inspired collection used in Tim Burton’s soon to be released film starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter.

The film's producer Disney is launching a fashion merchandising plan, collaborating with designer Sue Wong to create an Alice in Wonderland dress collection to be sold in US department stores. Swarovski has been asked to create a Wonderland jewellery collection ranging from charms and rings to the “Sparrow” rose gold necklace that is worn by Alice in the film; and hot jeweller Tom Binns has created two further collections with costume jewellery pieces including motifs such as giant keys and multiple red hearts.

Binns read the book “Alice’s Adventures Through the Looking Glass” to find symbols representing the stories. This was not difficult with strong images like the keyhole, the Mad Hatter's top hat and watch with time being a big reference point for the story. He found that every scene in the book has something iconic that would represent it from start to finish.
He then focused on five main characters or episodes as a framework for his designs: the White Queen, the Mad Hatter, the Red Queen, the Tea Party and the Cheshire Cat. He has created 40 pieces but was so inspired he could have easily made 200.

Why your make up bag could be riddled with disease

Do you realise that your make-up bag can be a breeding ground for bacteria as beauty products have a shelf life just like foodstuffs. As they age they can grow bacteria which can cause irritation or infection.

So whether you’re into wearing full slap with false eyelashes studded with diamonds or just use a coating of natural lip gloss be aware that a survey has just shown the average make-up bag contains a number of items that are four years out of date. Some women still had products which were 15 years past their recommended use-by dates!

To give you an example: if mascara wands are used for more than six months after opening they can breed bacteria that cause conjunctivitis. Old lipsticks can make lips dry and blistered and dirty brushes can cause herpes, ringworm and impetigo.

68% of women replace make-up or skin products when they run out - no matter how long that takes, and 72% never wash make-up sponges or brushes.

Below is the recommended use by date for standard cosmetics:

• Mascara 4-6 months
• Eye shadow/blusher 18-24 months
• Eyebrow pencil 18 months
• Lipstick/lip gloss 18-24 months
• Eye/lip liner 18 months
• Perfume 36 months
  

Five years ago rules were brought in by the EU stating that all cosmetics carry advice on when they will expire and many manufacturers duly added ‘period after opening’ symbols to indicate how long a product lasts. The bad news is that research carried out by Debenhams has indicated that 89% of women do not know this information exists, cannot understand it, or cannot read the tiny writing.

In light of the above, Debenhams has now written to Health Secretary Andy Burnham to push for further legislation to cover the safety of consumers.

Don’t Forget Mother's Day

The correct name for Mother's Day in the UK is Mothering Sunday. With Mother’s Day closing in on us (it’s on Sunday 14th March) and a number of my friends saying “oh it’s just another gimmick for card shops and florists to make money”, I took some time to remind myself of how it came about.

Mothering Sunday is always the fourth Sunday of Lent. It is exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday and usually falls in the second half of March or the beginning of April but as the dates vary when Easter and Lent fall, the actual Sunday chosen to celebrate it can vary.

Mothering Sunday was originally a time when people returned to the “mother” church where they were baptized or attended services when they were children, reuniting families as they went back to the towns and villages where they grew up.

In Victorian times when a number of young people started working as servants in large houses it was traditional for them to be given a day off on Mothering Sunday which they could use to visit their mother and take her a gift of food or hand-me-down clothing donated by their employers .
This practice has transferred to the modern day, as an important part of Mothering Sunday is giving cards and gifts. Common Mother's Day gifts are cakes, flowers, chocolates and jewellery. Many people treat their mother to a special meal on Mothering Sunday so if you are planning to go out for lunch make sure you reserve a table well in advance.

So it’s not “just a gimmick” but a tradition which dates back hundreds of years, and apart from anything else the one person who really does deserve a special day is your mother!

Hollywood’s King of Diamonds

Have you ever wondered how celebrities can afford the fabulous diamond jewellery they wear on the red carpet when they attend major award ceremonies like the Oscars, Batas or Academy Awards? Well most of it is down to one man – Harry Winston – who has his main shop on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and loans over $200 million worth of diamonds, ruby and sapphire jewellery to actresses who want to be noticed.

The arrangement benefits the star who gets to wear the finest diamond jewellery for free and the jeweller who gets some very high profile free publicity.

He's been doing this since 1943, when he first supplied Jennifer Jones with her Oscar gems. In 1999 he loaned the Oscar’s host Whoopi Goldberg $41 million dollars worth of jewels (the most ever worn by one person at the ceremony) including a single diamond ring worth $15 million. Also in 1999, Best Actress winner Gwyneth Paltrow and presenter Jennifer Lopez wore jewels by the House of Winston.

He also loans to the film set. When Kate Hudson appeared in “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" with Matthew McConaghey, she was wearing an 87 carat diamond pendant created especially for her by Harry Winston.

When Ben Affleck bought Jennifer Lopez her huge pink diamond engagement ring, he bought it at Harry Winston for over a million dollars.

But things do not always work out for him: in 2001 he designed a diamond necklace called "au Chocolat", made of white diamonds in a leaf motif with nine huge chocolate brown diamonds and 18 canary-yellow ones. He hoped that Juliette Binoche (of "Chocolat" fame) would wear it, but she turned up in a string of pearls.

When Winston loaned Sharon Stone a $400,000 necklace to wear to the Oscars she claimed it was a gift and refused to return it, suing him for $12 million, claiming breach of contract.

Known as "The King of Diamonds," Harry Winston has also made a name for acquiring large stones, including the enormous 337 carat Catherine the Great sapphire which Richard Burton presented to Elizabeth Taylor, the 95 carat Star of the East, and the legendary 46 carat Hope Diamond which featured in the film Titanic and which he subsequently donated to the Smithsonian Institution.

There are other jewellers who lend jewellery to the stars for the Academy Awards including Van Cleef & Arpels (located on the same block of Rodeo Drive), but it is Harry Winston who usually manages to steal the spotlight on the news on Oscar Night.

Have you heard about Stitch “n”Bitch?

There is a new craze in the UK where groups of women are setting up alternative knitting groups, dubbed Stitch 'n' Bitch. It’s a simple enough idea where women meet up a couple of times a week in bars to do their knitting and gossip over a glass of wine. It’s become the new book club for the middle classes.

Knitting has been fashionable for a while with celebrities including Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz being photographed with their needles clacking away at full speed.

The original Stitch 'n' Bitch started during World War II when groups of knitters would socialise in cafes. The current craze started in the USA when Debbie Stoller published Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook in 2003. Each local circle is self-organised via the website www.stitchnbitch.org.

The London group was founded in 2005 and is the largest in the UK with 6,000 members subscribing to their newsletter. Last month’s meeting had more than 200 knitters in attendance.
Apparently to join these groups you don't need to be good at knitting (a founder member “Stitchette” will help you learn), you can be any age, wear diamonds or paste and best of all the meetings are totally free.

No more Jam And Jerusalem then as Knitting with Cocktails is now the name of the game.

Lady Gaga playing games with Paparazzi

Lady Gaga (seen here wearing some very over the top diamond jewellery) sings about the paparazzi, and she certainly had them dancing to her tune when it was rumoured that the eccentric star (who had flown into Northern Ireland to perform her Monster Ball Tour at the Odyssey) was to visit Belfast’s Victoria Square.

Apparently she had been booked in to have her nails manicured at the House of Fraser, but failed to show up much to the disappointment of fans and the press who waited around for over six hours to catch a glimpse of the famous New Yorker.

BAFTA Awards Style Losers

Whenever there is a celebrity awards ceremony with a red carpet you can always be sure to see some truly hideous outfits walking up it.

The weekend’s BAFTA's was no exception and some of the worst dressed guests were Claudia Winkleman, Jane Goldman, Gabourey Sidibe and Kristin Scott Thomas.

Presenter Jonathan Ross's wife Jane Goldman was wearing a sea green corset dress showing off all the weight she’s lost. Apparently her son told her she looked like “The Little Mermaid” - she certainly looked “Disneyesque”, but not in a good way with the glaring red hair clashing horribly with the carpet! Even the diamond head band could not improve it.

With the number of celebs trying to bring attention to themselves and make enough of an impression (good or bad) to get their picture in the tabloids, it seems that stylists are briefed to make them stand out in the crowd at whatever cost!

Which Sex & The City Character Are You?

As we all know, May 28th saw the release of the long anticipated Sex and The City movie across UK cinemas. SATC is watched as much for the fashion as for the storylines, and has encouraged women worldwide to categorise their style in line with the four main characters. So when it comes to choosing jewellery, which of the SATC characters do you most identify with?

Are you a Carrie?

Carrie is admired for her quirky individual style that is difficult to categorise and even more difficult to pull off. Her choice of jewellery ranges from the whimsical, with the much coveted horseshoe pendant that first appeared in series four, to the classic, with a beautiful pearl necklace, worn in the most unconventional way.

Are you a Samantha?

With a fashion sense reminiscent of dynasty and late eighties power dressing, Samantha's look screams sex and she relishes in it. Her bold, confident nature is clearly reflected in her choice of adornments. A fan of diamond hoop earrings, Samantha is not afraid to make the most fabulous of statements. She is fabulous personified.

Are you a Charlotte?

With her 50's inspired prom dresses Charlotte's style epitomises American chic. Her look is classic and preppy but with feminine, romantic touches. To achieve this look invest a few pieces of jewellery similar to Charlotte's and you will wear them forever. She wears a variety of diamond stud earrings for day and exchanges them for diamond drop earrings by night. A diamond heart bracelet and diamond engagement ring completes her feminine daytime look perfectly. It goes without saying that a string of pearls with matching earrings is imperative in any Park Avenue princess' jewellery box.

Are you a Miranda?

Miranda is the least likely to dress to attract men. Her look is strictly corporate at work and ultra comfy at home. Admittedly, as the series has progressed her wardrobe has evolved from functional and sensible suits to brightly coloured revealing numbers. Her choice of jewellery, however, although understated is always elegant and she keeps up with the others just fine in these dusters. Steal her look with a pair of diamond chandelier earrings from The Diamond Store. To complement her short, flippy hairstyle in many episodes she opts for diamond drop earrings.

The four characters are such an eclectic mix that in all of us there is an element of at least one of them that lies beneath. It might manifest in your personality or your looks, but either way do not hesitate, unleash your inner SATC character and treat yourself to a fabulous piece of jewellery today!

Heyerdahl iDiamond Earphones

For the ultimate in high quality, functional jewellery, the new "iDiamond ear" looks like a great idea.

Designed by the Norwegian designer, Thomas Heyerdahl, the diamond encrusted earphones are made with 18 karat gold, and 204 diamonds with a weight of 1,65.

Only 1,000 pairs of earphones will be produced initially, and are priced at just under 5,000 euros / $ 7,200.

They look like a really stylish piece of diamond jewellery, if you can afford it!

Simon Ambrose, Apprentice Winner, is a Diamond Geezer

I was interested to learn that Simon Ambrose, winner of last year's Apprentice, began his business career at the tender age of 3, when his father began taking him round his chain of discount jewellery shops.

"My old man was a diamond dealer and member of the London Diamond Bourse. He was one of the first people in jewellery discount retailing, before Ratners;.....he had a chain of shops - three of them in Oxford Street - and a factory in Birmingham. He had queues round the block when one of them opened. So a lot of my childhood was spent being dragged from shop to shop."

From the age of 7, he began helping out in the shops, and learnt about all aspects of running a business. He would spend his summer holidays helping out in shop branches run by his aunt and uncle. However, at the age of 15 it was decided he should concentrate on his education, so he left the diamond jewellery business for good.

He can also still remember how to tell the difference between a real diamond and a fake cubic zirconia: "Genuine diamonds cut glass. They have imperfections and a warmer sparkle; CZ (cubic zirconia) ones are brighter and the rainbow sparkle reflected off them too perfect."

We all like a man who knows his way around a diamond jewellery shop!

Simon is running in the London Marathon this year to raise money for the Breast Cancer Campaign. You can find out more, and sponsor him at his fundraising website.