This year’s honorees include a Midwest retailer and two multi-store independents, one in New York and the other in New England.
Alexandre Reza at Sotheby’s
Paris-based House of Alexandre Reza has been known for its extraordinary gems, designs and craftsmanship since the 1950s.
Founded by Alexandre Reza, who got his start when he took over the family stone trading business from his father at a young age, the House continues to be family operated to this day.
It’s currently headed by the now-retired Reza’s son, Olivier, who has established his individual style that includes elongated lines and more geometrical shapes, while maintaining the quality and craftsmanship that the House has long been known for.
Sotheby’s is putting a number of the House’s pieces on display in a collection titled “The Extraordinary Jewelry of Alexandre Reza,” a public exhibition to highlight both the historic and contemporary works of the maître joiallier. The exhibition features 25 select vignettes exploring jewels from both Alexandre and Olivier.
It will be open to the public for viewing at Sotheby’s New York beginning today and extending to Nov. 13. The exhibition then will move around Sotheby’s global offices in 2014, with planned locales including London, Doha and Beijing.
First thing Thursday morning, I went to the press preview at Sotheby’s New York to take a look at the collection myself. It was breathtaking. Scroll down to check out just a few of the pieces that are available for viewing.
This untreated Ceylon sapphire brooch features a large oval-shaped 134-carat sapphire mounted on a gold clip set with 14 round diamonds weighing 17 carats, a pear-shaped 1- carat diamond, yellow diamonds, and 14 pear-shaped sapphires weighing a total of 8 carats.
These platinum earrings are composed of four Columbian emeralds that are more than 51 carats, framed with more than 14 carats of diamond baguettes.
This natural pearl necklace is set with a pear-shaped pearl of 29 carats at its center, a 2.5-carat fancy intense yellow diamond and three rose-cut diamonds weighing 12 carats each.
This sapphire choker is composed of five unheated oval-shaped Ceylon sapphires weighing 146.10 carats, surrounded by 486 round diamonds weighing a total of 133.32 carats.
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