For most of
us, buying an engagement ring is going to be a carefully considered purchase
that we will make only after creating a budget, researching price comparisons,
and probably saving up for some time. But imagine for a moment that money was
no object, that you could buy the best engagement ring from the most famous
jewelers in the world. Where would you go? Would you choose the over-the-top
glamour of Bulgari or the refined traditionalism of Tiffany and Co? All of the
world’s most famous jewelry stores have a few elements in common—superb
customer service, incredible quality and design, and of course, sky-high
prices. At the same time, each of these famous jewelers have a few unique
characteristics that give them their distinctive place in the pantheon of great
jewelry design.
1. Chances
are, if you’ve ever seen that distinctive shade of powder blue, you immediately
thought of famous jewelers Tiffany and Co. That’s no accident—the world-famous
jewelry store, founded in 1837, has trademarked the particular shade of blue
used in all their advertising and packaging. Tiffany and Company is known for
their classic, clean-cut diamond jewelry designs, such as the classic
tiffany-style setting popularized by the brand, and for it’s iconic stature in
popular culture. From the days when all the prominent New York families from
the Astors to the Vanderbilts wore Tiffany’s, to its status as the “best place
on earth” in the Truman Capote novella and film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the
iconic jewelry company continues to connote luxury and effortless class.
2. Founded
by Louis-Francois Cartier in Paris in 1847, the Cartier jewelry and wristwatch
company is one of the world’s most famous jewellers and the only one that can
truly claim to the be “jeweler to the kings.” From the crown worn by King
Edward VII at his 1904 coronation to the tiara worn by Kate Middleton at her
2010 wedding to Prince William, Cartier has outfitted literally dozens of royal
family members from ten different countries. Although it is a jewelry company firmly
rooted in tradition and the past, it has also moved boldly into the 21st
century, with 200 stores currently operating worldwide, including flagship
boutiques in New York, London, Paris and Tokyo. Cartier is currently most
famous for its popular and modernized LOVE collection, as well as its’ Tank
collection of men’s watches
3. Although
the company has been around for three generations, the jewelry firm now known
as Lorraine Schwartz Diamonds & Fine Jewelry only rose to prominence ten
years ago, when actress Halle Berry wore pieces by the jewelry designer to the
SAG Awards. Since taking over her family business in 1989, celebrity jewelry
designer Lorraine Schwartz has achieved international renown, through a
brilliant combination of luxurious design, Hollywood aesthetics, and glamorous
inaccessibility. Schwartz limits the sale of her collections to the jewelry
department of Bergdorf Goodman’s, private appointments at her Fifth Avenue
showroom, and private commissions from elite individuals. This inaccessibility
has made wearing a jewelry item by Lorraine Schwartz a powerful symbol of
celebrity, which helps explain why her jewelry is consistently popular among
celebrities like Beyonce Knowles, Elizabeth Taylor, Heidi Klum, Barbra
Streisand, and Blake Lively. Picture: Kim Kardashian Engagement Ring
4. Of all
the most famous jewelers in the world, the Harry Winston Jewelry Company is one
the few whose fame and reputation was built by a single brilliant individual.
Harry Winston, who lived from 1896 until 1978, was one of the finest jewelry
designers and craftsmen the world has ever seen. His instinct for gem quality
was said to be inborn—legend has it that at the age of 12, Winston recognized a
two-carat emerald being sold as a faux gemstone, purchased it for 0.20 Euro ($ 0.25) and
resold it for 620Euro ($800) days later. Once he took over the family jewelry business,
Winston established his place on the famous jewelers world scene by purchasing
the famed but outdated Arabella Huntington jewelry collection and re-setting
its stones into more modern pieces, which won him instant fame and recognition
as one of the most talented jewelry designers ever known. He later developed a
reputation for owning some of the world’s most famous diamonds, including the
Hope Diamond, which he later donated to the Smithsonian Institute. Today, the
Harry Winston Company lives on, carrying on his tradition with eight US
locations and twelve international stores.
© Passion4Luxury 2012
5. From its
humble beginnings in a small Greek village, the Bulgari jewelry company has
risen to become one of the most famous jewellers in the world. Founded in the
1870’s by Greek jeweler Sotirios Voulgaris, Bulgari opened its first Italian
store in Rome in 1884. The company soon became known for its bold, distinctive
designs, especially its architectural styles featuring heavy gold links and its
creative use of colored stones such as sapphires. In the 1970’s, Voulgaris’
descendants diversified the brand to include timepieces, fragrances, and other
luxury goods, and opened stores in Paris, New York, Geneva and Monte Carlo.
However, they continued to spell Bulgari with the ‘V’ traditional of the Latin
alphabet. Today, Bulgari operates almost 300 stores around the globe, and was
sold in October of 2011 to the LVMH luxury goods conglomerate for a
record-breaking $6.01 billion.
