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Amman, Jordan: Lama Hourani Jewelry
At first, the etched designs on the necklaces, earrings, bangles and cufflinks look like fish skeletons, tiny lizards, cactuses, even stylized camels. But on closer inspection, they resemble hieroglyphics, a primitive language inscribed in gleaming metal. This is the language of Lama Hourani, a young Jordanian jewelry designer.
Amman Travel Guide
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She says that those mysterious echoes of visual and historical recognition are her preferred mode of communication with her intended audience: the stylish, mainly young Arab women who buy her jewelry.
?The designs are simply symbols, my own calligraphy,? Ms. Hourani said. ?They usually remind people of things they?ve seen in the natural world, in the desert. I?ve always been fascinated with Jordanian culture, and I wanted to find my own way to present it to the world.?
Ms. Hourani, 28, who is the daughter of a prominent Jordanian political scientist, Hani Hourani, studied jewelry design in Vicenza, Italy. Since her return home to Amman three years ago, she has been playfully expanding on traditional Arab metalworking methods with whimsical, almost naïve-looking designs drawn from the Jordanian landscape and wildlife, usually wrought in silver and more rarely in copper or bronze. Her choice of materials, too, is intended as homage to modern Jordan?s Bedouin heritage, Ms. Hourani said.
?Jordanians used to measure social status by how much silver a person owned, and in general all the Bedouin people are very proud of their silver work,? Ms. Hourani said.
Ms. Hourani sells her work at the Foresight Art Center, a spare little gallery near the Four Seasons Hotel in central Amman. Ms. Hourani is at her best with pared-down pieces: earrings made from smooth, hammered copper plates, eye-catching in a mass of dark ringlets, or silver cufflinks in Ms. Hourani?s signature lizard-skeleton design.
Prices range from 20 Jordanian dinars, or $28 at 0.72 dinars to the dollar, for a small pendant to dangle from a watch band to 2,500 Jordanian dinars, $3,500, or more for Ms. Hourani?s range of collectors? items. Her jewelry is sold at several hotels, as well as at the Foresight Art Center, between Fifth Circle and Sixth Circle in downtown Amman. Information: (962-6) 556-0080; www.lamahourani.com.
Coming Up Clover
During Fashion Week in September, the jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels hosted a party for customers, celebrities and the press at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Demi Moore, Ashley Olsen and Mischa Barton were part of the audience that made its way past a series of living tableaus in which models posed mute and stone-faced in the company?s jewels. I accompanied Deirdre Murphy Bader, a former Olympic cyclist and Van Cleef customer, and her husband, Larry Bader, a lawyer and Van Cleef bill payer.
Inside, past the maze of mannequins, Lido dancers, flown in from Paris for the occasion, can-canned across the stage, diamond collars around their throats, their breasts held nakedly aloft in glittering, cupless brassieres. ?Would you look at that jewelry?? Mr. Bader said, averting his eyes. The audience sat mesmerized at cabaret tables while waitresses passed canapés on linen napkins and a pair of models strode the runway, each carrying a sparkling leash attached to a poodle, one white, the other dyed a deep plush pink.
For all the variety the evening offered in terms of entertainment, one thing remained consistent: the vast number of women wearing necklaces, bracelets and rings from Van Cleef?s Alhambra line. Alhambra, with its clover-shaped charms, was introduced in the late ?60s but slumbered for decades. Then, with the addition of some new pieces in 2001, celebrities like Reese Witherspoon and Sharon Stone rediscovered the line. Now Alhambra clovers have silently stolen around the necks of women across the planet, becoming an iconic symbol of wealth and inclusion on a par with the Birkin bag or, in an earlier decade, the Bulgari coin necklace.
The classic line retails from about $1,200 for a pair of earrings to $61,200 for a necklace of diamond clovers, weighing in at 10.5 carats total. Each clover, modeled after the quatrefoil in Moorish architecture, is often referred to as a ?station,? which to a Catholic ominously evokes the stations of the cross but somehow seems appropriate, considering the ardor with which Alhambra is collected. Mrs. Bader, for example, has acquired a pink opal necklace, turquoise earrings, a turquoise necklace, a long mother-of-pearl necklace, mother-of-pearl earrings and a mother-of-pearl watch.
Alvina Patel, the publicity director for Van Cleef in New York, invited me to the boutique on 57th Street to sift through the velvet drawers. I asked her about market saturation: when is it too much? ?There will be ebbs and flows in the market,? Patel said. ?Right now we?re on an up cycle, and we can?t keep the stuff in the store.? The company apparently has plans for world domination, having recently introduced Magic Alhambra, combining large and small clovers; Lucky Alhambra, combining heart, leaf and butterfly shapes with the clovers; and Sweet Alhambra, a line for children and their mothers, starting at around $800. Laura Linney wore Alhambra earrings as the uptight Upper East Side Mrs. X in ?The Nanny Diaries.?
Knockoffs are rampant. A New York socialite I know had her Alhambra necklace made on 47th Street for a quarter of the retail price. Heidi Klum appropriated the clover design for the jewelry she designs for Mouawad, and Web sites such as Overstockjeweler.com offer copies for $180. Van Cleef has filed more than 10 lawsuits in the past year alone.
Marion Fasel, a jewelry editor for InStyle magazine, said the popularity of Alhambra is unique in its universality. ?I see it on celebrities, and I see it on the street, and I see it on the subway, and I don?t know if it?s real or fake, but I am just amazed at how much I see it,? she said.
And thus the question is begged. If everyone is wearing something, why would anyone want to buy it? Even Patel of Van Cleef acknowledged that retail ubiquity is the kiss of death. ?I know that when I see a handbag being knocked off on the street, I stop carrying it,? she told me. I asked Richard Conniff, the author of ?The Natural History of the Rich: A Field Guide,? why everyone would want to wear the same thing. ?It is basically a badge of admission,? Conniff said. ?People conform to show that they are part of a group. But then they utterly hate you if you shatter the illusion of individuality by pointing out their conformity.? Oops.
Nevertheless, when I wrapped the 16 stations of the long gold necklace (retail price: $12,900) around my neck at London Jewelers in Southampton, where you can?t walk down Main Street without seeing a woman in an Alhambra necklace, I couldn?t help but admire its beauty, its heft, its invocation of both the exotic (my mind flashed on Peter O?Toole in ?Lawrence of Arabia?) and the utterly wholesome (Reese Witherspoon). But I wasn?t prepared to go all the way yet. I went home, logged on to Overstockjeweler.com and bought a ?Van Cleef & Arpel [sic] Inspired Yellow Gold Plated Mother of Pearl Alhambra Multi Charm Bracelet? for $54.99 instead.
Blog Is the New Black
Are designers the new journalists? God help us, but it may be true, judging from the number of young talents who have taken to the keyboard. Sue Stemp, known for her thigh-baring cocktail frocks, has a Web site to chronicle the adventures of herself and her daughter, Kitty Babe. Hanuk Kim keeps a visual diary, which he e-mails to a select group; Chris Benz regularly reports on the goings-on in his West Village brownstone; and Hollywould?s Holly Dunlap says her site attracts an average of 80,000 hits a day. Hedi Slimane posts his austere photography on MySpace (above), which is also where the London avant-garde darling Gareth Pugh announces casting calls and requests for assistants. Even Donna Karan has given blogging a try, as a guest on HuffingtonPost.com. Her reason for doing so is clearly resonating with her colleagues: ?I?ve simply gotten to a point in my life,? she wrote, ?where I want to ?address? people, not simply ?dress? them.?
Now Flashing | Showpieces
By SANDRA BALLENTINE
Alexandra Jefford?s jewelry is more sculpture than accessory, which is probably why London art heavies like Jay Jopling and Gary Hume are snapping it up. Jopling was so smitten, he not only bought a ring for his wife, the photographer Sam Taylor-Wood, but also gave Jefford a one-day show at his gallery in St. James?s. The jeweler is drawn to vibrant colors and geological oddities like the trapiche sapphire in this brooch (about $5,580). Her work is available at Maxfield, Los Angeles, and Kabiri, London, or go to www.alexandrajefford.biz.
LKI Unveils Three-Stone Engagement Ring
— JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone, 12/12/2007 2:47:00 PM
Lazare Kaplan International Inc. has introduced a new eight prong three-stone engagement ring just in time for an ideal holiday proposal.
The platinum ring features three brilliant ideal cut Lazare diamonds, with each diamond representing the couple’s past, present and future.
Lazare Kaplan International Inc. sells its diamonds and jewelry products through a worldwide distribution network. The company is noted for its ideal-cut diamond, marketed internationally under the brand name, The Lazare Diamond.
Mervyns CEO steps down
Mervyns CEO steps down
December 13, 2007
Hayward, Calif.—The head of department store chain Mervyns has stepped down, the company announced earlier this week.
Rick Leto, who served as chief executive and chief merchandising officer, joined Mervyns three years ago after private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management lead a group of investors in buying the company from Target Corp. and took it private.
During Leto’s tenure, the company shut about 80 stores and pulled out of several states.
Between 2005 and 2006, Mervyns experienced an 8 percent drop in total U.S. sales, from $2.6 billion to $2.4 billion, and an 8 percent drop in U.S. jewelry and watch sales, from $130 million to $120 million.
Jewelry and watch sales constitute about 5 percent of Mervyns’ total sales.
In addition, the Hayward, Calif.-based department store chain closed 14 stores between 2006 and 2007.
The company’s financials have been strong in recent quarters, however, and the company opened four new stores in 2006, its first store openings since it went private in 2004. The company now operates a total of 177 stores.
Mervyns Chief Financial Officer Chuck Kurth will serve as interim president and chief executive while the company conducts a nationwide search for Leto’s replacement.
“We appreciate the contributions Rick has made to Mervyns and we wish him well,” board member Thomas Taylor told the Contra Costa Times. “Our goal is to have someone in place as soon as possible, but we are committed to taking the time necessary to find the most qualified person to lead Mervyns and take the company to the next level.”
IDI lab rebrands as ‘World Gemological Institute’
IDI lab rebrands as ‘World Gemological Institute’
December 05, 2007
Paso Robles, Calif.—In an effort to redevelop and reposition its existing diamond-grading laboratory to offer more products and services worldwide, the Israel Diamond Institute (IDI) will now operate its lab under the name “World Gemological Institute” (WGI).
“The Israel Diamond Institute has operated the lab as an outreach of our non-profit activities to support the industry, and has invested in the lab’s growth to become a global provider for consumers’ need for an independent, non-biased diamond-grading report along with their diamond purchase,” WGI Managing Director Yinon Feldheim said in a statement.
As part of the rebranding initiative, the IDI has secured the services of California-based MVI Marketing Ltd. to implement a new marketing program in the United States.
With the assistance of MVI, the IDI is developing an extensive marketing plan to inform the industry of the benefits of using the WGI lab for diamond-grading needs. The marketing plan will also be backed by a five-year consumer-awareness and educational program.
The WGI will makes its official debut in the U.S. market beginning in January 2008.
Israel conference to focus on rough supply
Israel conference to focus on rough supply
December 27, 2007
Ramat Gan, Israel—Israel’s upcoming diamond conference will focus on the recent changes in the rough-diamond supply chain, given the Diamond Trading Co.’s (DTC) recent dramatic reduction in the number of sightholders.
The Third International Rough Diamond Conference, scheduled for Feb. 11-12 in Tel Aviv, Israel, will bring together diamond producers, manufacturers and mining companies for a dialogue on the new model of rough supply.
In addition, representatives from the DTC will be on hand to discuss the strategy behind the latest sightholder list.
The latest sightholder list, released Dec. 17, included 79 companies total, down from 93.
DTC Managing Director Varda Shine said the conference presents an opportunity for the DTC to explain its strategy behind the new sightholder list to a wider audience.
“Our new commercial strategy brings together our commitment to beneficiation and our desire to work with those companies best able to add value to the diamonds we sell,” she said.
Moti Ganz, chairman of the Israel Diamond Institute Group of Companies (IDI), which is organizing the conference, said they are aiming to have the conference represent all the entities in the rough-diamond world.
He said so far, the IDI has received a positive response from most industry players.
For more information about the conference as well as registration, visit its Web site, Roughdiamondconference.com.
Zenith exhibit honors The Police’s Summers
Zenith exhibit honors The Police’s Summers
December 11, 2007
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| Zenith North America President Paul Ziff, right, presents Andy Summers of The Police with a Zenith timepiece. |
New York—With the help of Zenith watch brand, Andy Summers of legendary rock band The Police showed off a photo series of his candid, behind-the-scenes shots from the band’s early days during an invite-only reception held in New York at the end of October.
Revelers at the event, held at the über-trendy Milk Studios in Manhattan’s Chelsea district, included fans, artists, models, musicians, and friends of Summers and Zenith, who served as host of the exhibition.
Included among the black-and-white photo series was an exclusive shot that Summers took of Zenith’s “Defy Classic Open” watch. In the photo, the timepiece hovers above a guitar resting on a backdrop of sheet music. The timepiece, featuring a black strap and face as well as a steel bezel, fits right into the two-toned scene.
In honor of the Summers-Zenith partnership, Zenith North America President Paul Ziff presented Summers with a Zenith watch of his own.
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| Original photograph of a Zenith “Defy Classic Open” watch by The Police’s drummer Andy Summers. |
“As an acclaimed professional artist in two distinct areas, Andy Summers embodies the spirit of Zenith,” Ziff said in a statement. “That he is incredibly talented, versatile and a true Renaissance man is abundantly obvious. That he exudes a style and manner that is both warm and gracious is his gift. We are very proud to have Mr. Summers wearing a Zenith timepiece.”
As for further proof that The Police legacy continues to live on: The band rocked two sold-out shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden concurrent with the photo exhibition.
Alpha Omega reopens doors
Alpha Omega reopens doors
December 27, 2007
Cambridge, Mass.—After shuttering its doors shortly before Christmas amid swirling rumors of a company collapse, Alpha Omega’s four stores all reopened before Christmas Day, The Boston Globe reported.
But it is no longer the Handa family that is running the show, and it is expected the struggling jewelry store chain will soon change hands.
According to the Globe, the Alpha Omega stores at Harvard Square and in Boston’s Prudential Building reopened on Saturday, while the mall stores in Natick and Burlington, Mass., reopened on Sunday.
The reopening of the stores followed a confusing couple of days for employees—who were told at one point that they no longer had a job—and customers alike.
According to various media reports, on Dec. 15 Raman Handa returned to his native India with his entire family in tow.
Handa is reportedly extremely ill and is now receiving medical treatment in India, after being discharged from a U.S. clinic, the Globe reported.
But there is also evidence that Handa’s company is in financial trouble.
A review of Alpha Omega financial records by the Globe showed that Handa’s debts were mounting, and on Dec. 22, his bank took possession of the assets at his stores.
As of Thursday, Michael O’Hara, an investment banker with a jewelry background, was running the daily operations at the Cambridge-based company, though Handa and his wife, Nilma, remain directors of Alpha Omega.
Mark Robinson, a consultant brought in by the LaSalle Business Credit arm of Bank of America Corp., told the Globe that a handful of individuals have expressed interest in buying the chain, and that he feels it will be “sold and up and running quite soon, just with a new helm.”
Editor’s note: For earlier developments in this story, see Mystery deepens at Alpha Omega.
Vote for JCK Jewelers Choice Awards
— JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone, 12/4/2007 9:10:00 AM
Voting for the JCK Jewelers Choice Awards has been extended till Dec. 10. Retailers have the opportunity to vote for their favorites in 10 product categories and receive a five-night stay during the JCK Show ~ Las Vegas. The voting is open to jewelry store owners and their employees.
The first JCK Jewelers Choice Awards is a design competition recognizing jewelry designers and manufacturers for the very best designs of the year. With each vote you submit, your name will be entered into a special "Venetian Hotel Stay Give-Away" sweepstakes for a chance to win a five-night stay at the Venetian Hotel during the JCK Show ~ Las Vegas.
The voting will be open until Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. It’s easy, just go to http://jckvoting.tricycleinc.com/
The product categories are:
Diamond Jewelry
Best Journey Diamond Jewelry Design
Colored Stone Jewelry
Pearl Jewelry
Synthetic Stone Jewelry
Watches
Platinum Jewelry
Best 3/Platinum Ring Bridal Set
Gold Jewelry
"Spring Revelations" ~ Jewelry in Celebration of "May is Gold Month"