What I love about Trésor’s moonstone necklace is, well, its moonstones, but also that I can tell how beautifully it would mesh with just about any other necklace.

It’s de rigueur to wear multiple necklaces at once—grouping chunky gold chains, layering pendants, stacking collars—so we want styles that can play well with others. But they should look great alone, too (for when the single statement inevitably comes back into fashion).

Trésor’s piece does both. With its flowery aesthetic and glimmering gems, the necklace might get noticed for its color and joviality. But it could also play well with those aforementioned gold link chains we’re digging so hard right now.

“Inspired by the cuckooflower, this necklace is a new addition to our Flora collection,” Trésor’s designer and founder Puja Bordia tells JCK. “Moonstone—especially rainbow moonstone—has been one of the top-selling gemstones for us,” she says. “Known for its adularescence, it creates distinctive play and exhibits a captivating glow or sheen that moves across the stone as it catches the light from different angles. Also, this beautiful gem works with everyone and with any color outfit, making it universal.”

Puja is readying her brand for the JCK Show in Las Vegas; attendees can see her colorful pieces at the Design Collective area of the show. Puja says to expect “a lot of drop earrings, statement bracelets, flower jewelry, personalized jewelry, earring stacks, stacking rings, and much more.”

The anticipation!

Necklace with 52.84 cts. t.w. pear-shape rainbow moonstone and 0.27 ct. t.w. diamonds in 18k yellow gold, $4,840; Trésor Collection

June, a month rich with options, actually has three birthstones: moonstone, alexandrite, and arguably the most notable of the three, pearl. Pearl gets a lot of press these days, and with good reason—more people are embracing it, it’s breaking gender boundaries, and it’s looking better and more varied than ever.

Moonstone, on the other hand, never seems to get the glory it deserves. It doesn’t glitter or sparkle, that’s true; instead, it gives off an air of mysticism that could have onlookers feeling like they’re gazing into another dimension (maybe being transported isn’t everyone’s thing?).

But the stone’s mystical vibe is part of what makes it so exciting, like wearing a powerful amulet of protection, love, or strength. Given consumers’ sticky enthusiasm for talismanic jewelry, moonstone is a gem to wear, no question.

Design also matters. In the hands of the right creator, a moonstone jewel can take someone from indifferent to enthusiastic. You can always tell a designer who respects moonstone, because they give it the home it deserves—it takes a special eye to know precisely what to do with this luminous gem.

Below, some of the most magical examples.

Top: Necklace in 14k yellow gold with 3 ct. rainbow moonstone and 0.2 ct. t.w. diamonds, $2,800; Sig Ward

In 2023, brooches are in full flow—worn by all ages and genders, made in a range of materials by luxury jewelers (hello, Tiffany’s Bird on a Rock) and creators of wearable art.

Virginia-based Yoki Collections offers exquisite brooches, taking inspiration from nature and architecture as well as historical periods. This green amethyst dream from the jeweler’s Vision collection puts all of those inspirations into play.

“I’ve always been fascinated with medieval-era visual settings—as a huge fan, I may have also watched too many medieval movies,” says Yokabid Worku, founder and designer of Yoki Collections. “The piece is an abstract expression and reimagines the visual texture of a medieval garden and its surroundings. It’s like traveling back in time and admiring an enchanted secret medieval garden enclosed with wrought iron railing or standing behind courtyard arches.”

The gorgeous shade of green of the center prasiolite contrasts with a two-tone setting that’s intensified in blackened gold.

“I usually design first, then source the gemstones, but in this case, the design was conceptualized after sourcing the gemstone,” says Yokabid. “The colors of the piece collectively reimagine the backdrop under the sun: The center stone is cushion-cut, which depicts the symmetrical layout of a medieval garden, while the exterior design surrounding the center stone, set in blackened gold, represents the surrounding architecture and hints at the mysterious romantic aspect of the era.”

The brooch can be worn as a pendant, “to cater to the modern consumer desire for versatility,” Yokabid says.

Top: Brooch/pendant in 18k yellow and blackened gold with green amethyst and 0.4 ct. t.w. diamonds, $12,500; Yoki Collections

One of the favorites is Brenda Smith. The Atlanta-based designer will leave your mouth agape with her offerings on display, and she has plenty to share about them. A visit with Brenda—abundant with creativity and expertise—is an exciting (and educational) experience. I can’t wait to see what she’s showing this year.

One piece I’m longing to try on is this lavender Laguna agate necklace, like a winged fairy floating on 18k gold. It’s pure art, and its purple gem fixture is spellbinding.

“I commissioned Glenn Lehrer to do the body carving,” Brenda tells JCK. “He sent photos of several stone options. Ultimately I decided on this—you can see the mapping marks to take the most advantage of striations and markings in the mineral, which is lavender Laguna agate from Mexico.

“Since I enjoy working with pearls,” she continues, “I have a nice selection from which to choose, and this natural metallic-colored pearl was the perfect solution to coordinate with the rich 18k yellow gold setting and the lavender agate. VVS diamonds encompass the image, enhancing the figure and protecting the agate. The reverse side features a flower filigree motif in gold, accented with diamonds, to support and protect the overall piece.

“Finally, the whimsical figure was given life by the application of the red tourmaline heart set in platinum and attached to the filigree on the reverse side,” Brenda says. “The inspiration came from the final laguna agate carving that just wanted to be a fairy, a whimsical figure.”

Whimsy was an entry in the American Gemstone Trade Association’s (AGTA) 2022 Spectrum Awards (Brenda’s designs won and placed second in two other categories). I hope to get my hands on this in Vegas!

Top: Special Stones collection pendant in 18k yellow gold with 61.59 ct. lavender Laguna agate, freshwater cultured pearl, 0.3 ct. tourmaline heart cabochon, and 1.5 cts. t.w. diamonds, $39,660; Brenda Smith

That jubilant nature has not faded in 2023, and color has only gotten bigger and more prevalent. In jewelry, that means gemstones in statement sizes should be on full display in Vegas.

Which colors in particular will see the most play? While we look forward to the surprises the show floor has in store—it’s always a thrill to discover budding trends—most shades of green are in high favor, and pink is having its Barbie Dream moment.

Below, some of the colored gemstones set to dazzle at the JCK show in Las Vegas.

Top: Garden earrings with pink tourmaline, green tourmaline, and diamonds, price on request; 18 Carat House

This is the first time the brand’s signature Serpent Bohème collection—which was introduced in 1968—has been offered in pink gold, a warm complement to the pink quartz gemstones this summery launch features. The collection is available now.

“This season, Serpent Bohème is embracing La Vie en Rose. Maison Boucheron sees its 1968 design in a new light—rose-tinted—where Serpent Bohème’s iconic motifs are reworked with elegant rose gold and pink quartz,” say the brand’s notes on the collection. “The pastel tones of this gemstone give a warm glow to rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings for a look that is both modern and elegant.”

Serpent Bohème is classic Boucheron, its iconic teardrop shape seeing various iterations throughout the years. But pink certainly proves its persuasiveness for the maison to match it in metal—after all, what goes better with pink than more pink?

The marketing campaign—full of ’90s-kissed images complete with corded telephones, padded headphones, a Polaroid camera, a Walkman, and a Nintendo controller awash in cotton candy pink—makes the collection appear playful while maintaining the sense of elegance that a treasure from Boucheron commands. It’s a fantastic collision of classic, forever pieces with up-to-the-minute, in-demand fashion that savvy consumers should be looking for.

Top: Serpent Bohème bracelet in 18k pink gold with 1.36 ct. pear-shape rose quartz and 0.33 ct. t.w. diamonds, $7,000; Boucheron

No offense was intended, but when you grow up counting and cleaning diamonds like Aysoy did, you tend to have stronger-than-usual opinions about how jewelry should look. Maybe it was her grandfather’s guiding spirit—P.N. Ferstenberg was a famous diamond dealer known as the “Dean of the Diamond Industry” in Belgium.

Or perhaps it was her own internal compass, longing to get back into gemstones after two decades in the banking industry, where she often found herself more interested in developing relationships than aggressively chasing deals.

Whatever the reason, Aysoy believes jewelry is her calling—although it took a bit of time and career transition to get her here. Today she is the London-based designer behind the Nadine Aysoy jewelry brand, which offers fine jewelry that emphasizes colored stones, playful elements, and sustainable manufacturing.

“I am a late bloomer,” Aysoy says. “Creating jewelry is my second life and my real passion, and I feel blessed that I can build my brand and all it takes to achieve my goal.… It is probably in my DNA. I would like to share my passion for designs, my vision of aesthetics, my love of colored stones and diamonds, and probably also the hunger to recapture the legacy of my grandfather.”

Aysoy was born in Antwerp, and she describes her early childhood as happy, creative, and artistic. Her father and grandfather worked in the diamond industry, and her mother always had elegant jewelry for every gala and gathering. One of her favorite childhood jewelry memories is of her grandfather’s rare colored diamond collection, which he would show to Aysoy and her sisters from time to time.

“My grandfather was grander than life—a very charismatic and generous man as well as a great cook,” Aysoy says. “He was hardworking and very determined. Impossible was not a part of his vocabulary. His memory is with me at all times, and when things get difficult or complicated, I always wonder what he would have done. I regret that he passed away when I was only 15.”

Around that time, Aysoy’s parents divorced. She moved with her mother and two sisters to Zurich, Switzerland. This changed her life, in part because she grew up quickly and became more pragmatic about her decisions. Rather than continue to focus on piano and dance, she decided to study economics so she could earn her own living.

After graduating from the French lycée in Zurich, she earned a bachelor of arts at HSG (University of St. Gallen) in Switzerland. She also has a master’s in marketing from Duke University, which she received in 2001.

“After my education, I worked for American banks such as Merrill Lynch, Citibank, Prudential Securities, and Credit Suisse, to name a few, in Switzerland and the USA,” Aysoy says. “I met my first husband and lived for 10 years and had my first child in Los Angeles during the 1990s.”

Besides constantly switching roles between mom, wife, and banker, she had to learn and adapt to American culture and the corporate world. It was a lot of pressure, Aysoy says. But the skills she developed—taking care of the client and managing conflicts—are ones she now employs in her jewelry business.

Aysoy met her second husband while working in London for Credit Suisse in 2003. They had a daughter in 2008 and moved back to Switzerland. Aysoy took a few years off from banking, then decided to go back to school to study gemology in 2014. She began to design jewelry, working with an atelier in Antwerp.

When her family returned to London in 2016, Aysoy knew it was time to start a brand of her own. Nadine Aysoy debuted in 2017.

“I have worked all my life to promote other brands, and I want to have a project that is me and my heart,” Aysoy says. “I find jewelry making very therapeutic, and above all I love creating pieces for my wonderful clients. It keeps me young, alive, and switched on.”

Top: Nadine Aysoy worked in finance for two decades before returning to jewelry, an industry her family has been a part of for generations. (Photos courtesy of Nadine Aysoy) 

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Hematian, who propelled his jewelry brand Effy to legendary status among customers, died April 30. He was 79.

“Although we will all mourn this profound loss forever, we choose to celebrate all Effy has brought into our lives,” a family statement shared with JCK said. “Effy was a loving husband, father, grandfather, visionary, and community leader.

“His honesty and humility only illuminate the industry-defining change he brought to the jewelry world,” the statement said. “Through his unwavering belief in God, he demonstrated that we can live a life of passion and purpose, leaving the world better than he found it.”

The jewelry industry lauded Hematian on social media for his big personality and talent to match.

“He is iconic,” says Tiffany Bayley, owner of Avalon Park Jewelers in Orlando, Fla. “I worked with the Effy brand for years. When I say ‘iconic,’ it’s because he is the patriarch of the jewelry family in Great Neck, N.Y., and beyond. No matter where you travel to, no matter what cruise you take or what continent you’re on, you’re going to see and know those four letters. His designs are that easily recognizable.”

An electrical engineer by trade, Fatollah “Effy” Hematian emigrated from Iran in 1978 as the country was going through political turbulence. He started selling jewelry when he arrived in New York with his wife and son. Hematian founded his company in 1979 and served as its CEO for years; its current president is his son, Benny Hematian.

Although Effy jewelry was sold in stores, the company may be best known for producing its entire line in the United States and for having more than 100 retail locations aboard cruise ships and in cruise ports from Alaska to the Caribbean. Hematian told the media he preferred the cruise ship outlets to landlocked retail stores because more people would see his work. World travelers became lifelong fans as many bought his jewelry as a souvenir of their trips.

As the company’s designer, Hematian was dubbed “the king of color,” using colored gemstones throughout Effy’s many collections. He also frequently used his favorite animal, the panther, in jewelry pieces, calling it his “lifelong muse.”

“His eye for detail and quality and his exceptional way of using colorful gemstones…gained a following among consumers and retailers alike,” Benny Hematian told JCK in 2019. “Effy is still a family business, and I grew up learning everything from my father.… My father has a passion that is contagious, and I am proud to be a part of that living legacy.”

That same year, Effy Hematian spoke with JCK about the inspiration for his life and business. “Everything we do at Effy begins with family,” he said. “We run our business as a family, and we think of our employees and customers as a part of our extended family. When I design jewelry, I keep this in mind. I want to create things that appeal to the wide range of people in our family, women and men of all ages, and even kids. It’s my way of making everyone happy and helping them celebrate the important moments in their lives.”

Top: Effy CEO Effy Hematian died April 30 at age 79, leaving behind a jewelry legacy and a reputation as an icon among industry leaders and designers. (Photos courtesy of the Hematian family)

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Fortunately this week’s Britt’s Pick is no ordinary jewel (they never are, are they?), though it blends the best of both worlds: red carpet and reality.

Sonya K.’s Taylor necklace would appear at home at a glamorous event. With a long, lariat-style drop, a sparkling diamond tennis necklace is transformed by a sugarloaf tanzanite at the end—the pop of color onlookers notice.

Even if there’s no gala or fete on your schedule, the gemstone accent is still worthy of wear—to the office, for drinks, what have you. But for consumers desiring a little lower-key (though no less glam) sparkle, the drop detaches to leave a single strand of diamonds—a traditional tennis necklace that’s timelessly exquisite.

We’ve been seeing a growing number of convertible jewels of late, perhaps a nod to shoppers’ desires to buy smart—fewer but higher-quality items appropriate for a variety of styles and occasions.

“I created the Taylor necklace because I wanted something versatile that could accommodate my crazy, fast-paced life, and I thought that there would be many more people who would enjoy it,” says designer Sonya K. “I loved the concept of wearing a tennis necklace and having a pendant in a pouch inside my bag that I could pop onto the necklace to elevate my look for dinner or a meeting. It is also amazing for traveling light, since you can have one base and multiple pendants; each time you change the pendant, you have a new look.”

As for the gem, the designer says: “I love sugarloafs—they are just so special. When I create designs, I usually start with the gem and create the design around it. I wanted to create a lariat, and when I opened my gemstone box, it called to me.”

Top: Taylor necklace in 18k white gold with 8.41 cts. t.w. diamonds; removable lariat pendant with 5.93 ct. sugarloaf tanzanite, 1.1 cts. t.w. baguette diamonds, and 2.41 cts. t.w. round diamonds, $92,000; Sonya K.

The first clue that I was headed to one helluva shindig came last Tuesday, when my family returned from a weekend visit to Mexico City to find a delivery van parked in our driveway. The driver, who’d been told we’d be pulling in after midnight, was fast asleep in the front seat.

After I awakened him, he grabbed a bag in Tiffany’s unmistakable shade of robin’s-egg blue from the passenger seat. “You must be a very important person,” he said as he handed it to me.

Inside, a personalized invitation spelled out the details: Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, Tiffany’s parent company (and the richest man in the world, according to Forbes), was inviting me to celebrate the reopening of the Landmark, the jeweler’s New York City flagship, at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street. The party was taking place on the eve of the store’s official reopening on Friday.

When I arrived at the Landmark, throngs of onlookers were pressed against the barricades across the street, quite likely squinting their eyes to see if I was a somebody.

I glided through the revolving doors beneath the Atlas statue clock right on the heels of Paloma Picasso, the immaculately coiffed Tiffany collaborator whose designs are featured in a dedicated display upstairs. She paused near the entrance long enough for me to admire her silk kimono printed with a Japanese-style tableau: birds alighting on branches of cherry blossoms. It was easy to imagine that even the daughter of the 20th century’s most lauded artist was stunned by the opulence of the ground floor, aka “The World of Tiffany.”

Nearly four years in the making, the store’s renovated interior—all 100,000-plus square feet of it—may well be the world’s most glamorous temple to jewelry. JCK news director Rob Bates did a fine job of summarizing the details that went into the brand’s first “holistic renovation” since 1940, including digitized immersive installations, 4,090 light fixtures, and 40 artworks by the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Damien Hirst, Julian Schnabel, and Daniel Arsham.

I, on the other hand, am here to tell you about the scene.

And by scene, I don’t mean the 80-plus celebrities in attendance—though the famous-face spotting was, indeed, epic. Mayor Eric Adams was a guest, as were film director Baz Luhrmann, artist Jeff Koons, designer Marc Jacobs, Martha needs-no-introduction Stewart, and dozens of actors and musicians, including Gal Gadot, Hailey Bieber, Pharrell, Anya Taylor-Joy, Florence Pugh, Zoë Kravitz, Blake Lively, Mark Wahlberg, and Tiffany Haddish.

One of the first guests who caught my eye was a beautifully put-together Asian woman dressed entirely in white. Against the backdrop of her leather vest, crinoline skirt, and Dior handbag, it was impossible to ignore the Patek Philippe Tiffany Blue Nautilus on her left wrist. (When it was introduced in December 2021, the limited-edition timepiece retailed for $52,635; the current secondary-market price hovers around $3 million.)

I turned to take in the lavishness of the room and spotted Michael J. Kowalski, Tiffany’s beloved former CEO, who served in the role from 1999 to 2015. As he posed for photos with the current CEO, Anthony Ledru, I couldn’t help but wonder what Kowalski made of the new (and improved?) Tiffany.

Last November, when I interviewed Ledru over a video call for a New York Times story about the growth of the branded jewelry sector, he was candid, gracious, and undeniably clear about the brand’s repositioning under LVMH, which acquired Tiffany in early 2021 for $16 billion.

“This year has been really focused on product elevation,” Ledru told me. “One reason we’ve been growing fast is we went quite big on high jewelry.”

“When we completed the acquisition, we never thought the high jewelry business at Tiffany in 2022 would be on par with our silver business,” Ledru said. “We multiplied by five the high jewelry activity since we took over. And the focus has been on Jean Schlumberger, the designer who joined Tiffany in the ’60s. He’s a bridge between old world and new world. It is the ultimate signifier of what Tiffany stands for. I believe it is our style.”

If the designer’s iconic Bird on a Rock brooch comes to mind, you’re spot-on. According to Ledru, the piece is at the heart of Tiffany’s high jewelry ambitions.

“It’s incredible the growth we enjoy,” he said, referring to sales of the brooch. “Bird on a Rock was only mounted on Tiffany legacy gemstones: tanzanite, tsavorite, morganite, and kunzite.

“Why would clients not want that on stones that were truly exceptional?” Ledru added. “We’ve done that for this year. We’ve had it on sapphires, on a very big morganite. This year we did it on white diamonds. Today we have close to six months of waiting time on that specific piece.”

As I wandered the floors of the reimagined Landmark, the focus on high-end clientele was palpable. Starting on the seventh floor—home to a Patek Philippe salon as well as a wide selection of Tiffany “Masterpieces,” including a $1.95 million Bird on a Rock brooch with a 7.91 ct. no-oil Colombian emerald and a $1.45 million diamond necklace centered on a 14.42 ct. oval Paraiba tourmaline from Brazil—I made my way down the sweeping curvilinear staircase to the themed floors beneath.

Lifestyle and home goods plus the Blue Box Café dominate floor 6. Here I spotted deluxe table tennis rackets, throw pillows, and plates, all decked out in Tiffany Blue. Throughout the room, re-creations of window displays designed by Gene Moore, Tiffany’s former artistic director, evoked the feeling of visiting a museum.

Silver designs occupy level 5, alongside a small but delightful “Audrey Experience,” featuring a replica of Audrey Hepburn’s black Givenchy dress from the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. (Speaking of Givenchy, which LVMH acquired in 1988, the Tiffany salespeople are all outfitted, right down to their shiny black loafers, in custom black Givenchy clothing embroidered with a blue Tiffany logo.)

The silver offerings still open at a relatively affordable $250, for a Return to Tiffany bracelet, but when I spoke to Ledru last year, he made clear that the old Tiffany, with its wide selection of accessibly priced silver jewels, was a thing of the past.

“We’re not discarding silver, but we wanted to start with first things first, which was all about the brand elevation and having a very clear message for our clients,” he told me.

When I arrived on floor 4, dedicated to “Gold & Diamond Icons,” including works by Picasso, Schlumberger, and Elsa Peretti, I got a very clear vision of the kind of clients Ledru had in mind. At a showcase of watches created specifically for the Landmark, I came across a well-heeled couple who appeared to be in their 70s. The husband was trying on a square-faced Union Square timepiece, while his wife, who wore her silvery hair in a shoulder-length straight bob, admired the accompanying bangles.

“Do you need another watch?” she asked him.

Later on, at the party space next door (the former Niketown site that became Tiffany’s temporary home in 2019), I spotted the woman and approached her to say hello. “Where do you live?” I asked her, practically screaming so she could hear me above the crowd.

“Here in New York, but we have four other homes,” she said.

“Where are you from?” I persisted.

“I’m from Hamburg,” she replied. “Where are you from?”

When she learned I was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, it was clear from her reaction that she knew the city of the White Nights. “We have been there five or six times,” she said. “With Gergiev.”

She meant Valery Gergiev, “Russia’s most powerful classical musician,” as The New Yorker once described him. He was the longtime artistic and general director of St. Petersburg’s famed Mariinsky Theatre, and served as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic until his post was rescinded in 2022 when he refused to condemn the war against Ukraine.

Later, the Rockettes took the stage, followed in short order by Katy Perry, who delivered a spectacular performance that had the entire room singing along. And yet all I could think about was the privilege that surrounded me.

I glanced around, only to find a pretty blond woman in a short pink tweed dress standing to my right. On her left lapel, she wore a Bird on a Rock brooch, the bird perched on the biggest pink stone I had ever seen.

Top: A scene from Tiffany & Co.’s grand reopening party on April 27 taken at the entrance to the ground-floor “World of Tiffany” room (all photos courtesy of Tiffany & Co.)