Chopard re-launches the IMPERIALE ladies collection of timepieces

Chopard is all set to woo watch loving women across the globe with the announcement of the re-launch of its famed IMPERIALE ladies collection. The newly re-designed and re-launched collection features timepieces for the women with a refined taste. Chopard unveiled the new IMPERIALE at a dinner in the Gritti Palace in Venice which was followed by a media launch the very next day. Evoking the elegance and grandeur of the “imperial” age, this new collection hides under its subtle appearance a store of precious details. The mother-of-pearl dial base of the timepieces is reminiscent of the embroidered cushions on which monarchs used to place their crest while the curved hands are reminiscent of tapered daggers used by sovereigns in combat. The dial is circled by Roman numerals representing “imperial” symbols marking off the hours and the crown is lotus shaped.
The IMPERIALE is available in sizes from 36 mm to 40 mm in diameter and in a choice of diamond-set or all-polished versions, in steel, 18k rose gold or 18k white gold fitted with a metal bracelet or leather strap. Catered to please the demanding woman of today, the IMPERIALE collection offers a range of movements including a quartz, self-winding or self-winding chronograph movement.

The beauty of these timepieces is further enhanced by the lugs which resemble the antique columns and are adorned with tiny amethyst briolette-cut cabochons for the rose gold versions and blue sapphires for the white gold models.

This beautiful collection will surely not fail to attract the luxury loving woman of today.

Piaget Finds A Spot On Bond Street With New Boutique Store

Piaget luxury watches and jewelry finds a new home for one of its uncommon boutique stores on Bond Street in London. "Go to luxury shopping streets" around the world are filling up with not just watch stores, but brand boutique watch stores (as opposed to multi-brand stores). Richemont Group, who is the parent company of Piaget, is responsible for the majority of these locations in what can be seen as part of a new marketing and sales strategy. For consumers, it helps showcase the brands as a destination versus just one product out of many in a store.

The Piaget boutique on Bond street for example is able to tell the whole story of the brand's current collection - which ranges from sophisticated to sporty men's pieces, as well as extremely artistic high-end jewelry watches for women. From a distribution perspective, such boutiques serve another potential purpose. As Richemont gears up more brands for online sales, boutique stores double as fulfillment centers for shipping product. This way, Piaget has a local distribution center for online sales made in the UK. This would not be possible or as simple with the traditional model that includes selling product to independent third-party retailers. As far as I know, Piaget is not yet a brand that is available for sale online, but given the direction sister Richemont brands are taking - it could very well be a reality sooner than later.

Cheryl Cole Launches Capsule Collection With Promise Ring

British singer Cheryl Cole has a unique tie-in with her new single, "Promise This." Last week was at the launch party for "Promise", a design collaboration with jeweler, Fawaz Gruosi, the founder of de Grisogono. The first piece from her new capsule collection is a rose gold and blackened silver ring that spells out the word "Promise" with a heart-like "m." The ring is designed to be worn on the pinky finger. It sells for 920 euros (approximately $1,270). At the Cannes Film Festival this summer, the company paid Cole £250,000 for a 30-minute performance. Several of Cole's Girls Aloud bandmates showed up to support her at the event which was the first appearance she made in several months after suffering a bout of malaria.

MB&F & Boucheron Team Up For The JwlryMachine Watch

What are these two men so happy about? Must be the release of the very special HM3 JwlryMachine timepiece. These men are MB&F founder Max Busser and Boucheron President Jean-Cristophe Bedos. I must admit I don't understand what "Jewelry" was shortened like that, but I love the watch. Using the MB&F Horological Machine Number 3 as a base, Boucheron was given free reign to create a special watch that exhibited the strengths of both brands. Boucheron is used to cooperating with other brands, as many Boucheron timepieces contain Girard-Perregaux movements. MB&F also has some experience engaging in such creative collaborations - and this relationship has produced a lovely offspring.

The watch known as the JwlryMachine is made of 18k gold and titanium. Here in white gold, the "bird" is made from the shape of the gold and loads of specially shaped amethyst with diamonds and sapphires. There is also a pink version in 18k pink gold with diamonds and pink toned stones. Looking like an owl (clearly) the watch is another beautiful piece of animal style jewelry - always a hot item, items like this make it easy for both women and men to appreciate high-end creative jewelry pieces. The watches will be made to order and the price will start at $195,000 - with primary availability at Boucheron boutiques.

Robbins Brothers Introduces 98-Facet Diamond

Engagement ring specialists, Robbins Brothers has come out with a new diamond cut. The standard 57 or 58-facet brilliant cut diamond is increasingly being edged out by stones with more and more facets. Over centuries, the natural octahedral rough diamond has gradually been modified and faceted to get the most light play out of the stone. In the last few years, breakthroughs in diamond cutting have lead to the ability to place more and more facets on stones. The new round brilliant Echo Diamond, contains 98 facets that are hand-cut and arranged for maximum brilliance. The facet placement allows more light movement and more sparkle, which delivers a brighter diamond. In celebration of the new diamond launch, Robbins Brothers offers customers a free diamond wedding band ($395 value) for every Echo Diamond that is purchased (minimum 1/2 carat) before October 24. The Robbins Brothers Echo Diamond also comes with a lifetime warranty, conflict-free promise, certification including an Imagem Light Return Report of "Very Good" or "Excellent," and a laser inscription with the Echo logo and IGI certificate.

Rare Pink Diamond Could Be One Of The World's Most Expensive Stones

Another big pink diamond will test its luck at Sotheby's this fall. A 24.78 carat Fancy Intense Pink diamond that was last seen on the market 60 years ago, when it was purchased from Harry Winston, will be auctioned off at Sotheby's Geneva on November 16, 2010. The emerald-cut stone is mounted in a ring and has been determined to be part of the type IIa classification, a rare type of stone that represents less than two percent of all of the world's gem diamonds. The stone is currently graded as VVS2 clarity, but the report from the Gemological Institute of America states that the stone may be internally flawless after repolishing. The stone is offered for sale with a pre-sale estimate of $27-38 million. Last year a five-carat pink stone sold for $10.8 million setting a new per carat record.