Academy Awards 2013 - the jewellery down the red carpet

The ageless Sally Field greets Jennifer Lawrence on the red carpet

Well the 2013 US awards season ended with the Oscars earlier this week.   Jewels played their part in the outfits of the night – once again earrings were the big thing with every shape, size and style were to be seen from studs, small drops, long and linear, chunky chandeliers and more.   

Earrings were the most common jewel, in keeping with the tradition of wearing them with a strapless gowns - of which there was an extraordinary amount.   Cuff and multiple bracelets were often worn as well and some big, chunky cocktail style rings.     

There were also more necklaces in evidence than in recent awards events and there has been much said about two of the award winners of evening, Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence for wearing their necklaces to the back, so that the front looked like  a choker.  Anne wore a short Tiffany diamond necklace rearwards and Jennifer a long Chopard diamond chain with the length at the back.   Not a true back necklaces (which are designed to hang down the back and don’t require monitoring by the wearers to keep them that way) nevertheless this was a clever twist by the stylist(s) and certainly drew attention to the stars!

A couple of stars decided to wear their jewels in their hair,  such as Sandra Bullock wearing a brooch (below) and Salma Hayak wearing a necklace attached to her "up-do".

 

The most disappointing aspect of the jewels that it was diamonds, diamonds, diamonds!   There was a little colour, mostly in the form of coloured diamonds but it was nice to see the odd step into colour by the likes of Jenna Dewan Tatum and Jennifer Hudson with their big opal earrings or Fan Bing Bing with red earrings.

Here’s a selection of jewels from the night.

Necklaces :

Anne Hathaway and her Tiffany & Co necklace worn backwards.   

 Personally I think it clashes with the gown’s back straps!

 

Jennifer Lawrence in Chopard (see the back of her necklace in the top photo)

Helen Hunt attracted attention for wearing a High Street gown, off the rack, and tempering it with $700,000 worth of Martin Katz jewels!

 

Kate Capshaw wore this interesting diamond neckpiece by Harry Winston.

Jennifer Garner chose a blackened platinum necklace, earrings and bracelets with a total of 200 carats of diamonds by Neil Lane.

 Bracelets:

Jessica Chastain wore Harry Winston vintage diamonds c.1967 with this cuff bracelet and earrings.

Amy Adams chose a suite of diamond jewellery from Mouawad.

Charlize Theron went minimal in the clothing department but dressed it up with bracelets on both wrists by Harry Winston.

Jennifer Aniston made a rare appearance at the Oscars wearing 2 bracelets, chandelier earrings and a large ring by Fred Leighton

 

Maria Menounos wore Martin Katz diamonds in a cuff, collar and studs

 Earrings:

Kelly Rowland wore Lorraine Schwartz black jade, platinum and diamond earrings.

Stacy Keibler also wore Lorraine Schwartz with champagne diamonds and titanium earrings.

Opal and diamond earrings by Irene Neuwirth were worn by Jenna Dewan Tatum and Jennifer 

 

Hudson wore the same combination by Sutra.

Zoe Saldana wore Neil Lane diamonds and pearls.

Dame Shirley Bassey wore a linear line of diamond hearts.

Octavia Spencer chose diamond and rose gold mesh earrings by Lorraine Schwartz.

Fan Bing Bing wore Chopard earrings made from rubelite, diamond, emeralds and rubies.

 

Jane Fonda selected Chopard yellow gold and diamond earrings to go with her bright yellow dress.

Halle Berry wore Adeler onyx and diamond earrings.

Lara Spencer wore yellow, green and brown diamond earrings by Sethi Couture.

And last but not least, Catherine Zeta Jones also went with earth toned diamond earrings by Lorraine Schwartz. But boy, they look heavy!

So, did you have any favourites from the night?  Are you thinking of turning your necklace back to front for your next dressy night out?

Till next :)

Annette

The Morning Dilemma or Cows, Kangaroos, Council Workers and Creek Crossings

Some gorgeous baroque pearls (up to 20mm in size) in natural colours that I sourced through the buying group, made into a simple but eyecatching pendant.

I am part of a group of lovely (mostly) women from across the world who band together to buy quality gems and pearls so that we get good prices and very often different and unique stones and/or cuts.     Some of our members attend the Tucson gem shows each year and keep on the lookout for special things.

  

One of those ladies had returned home from the shows yesterday and listed what she had found and what was available for us to share, try and buy.  We got to have a look for a few hours then at a certain time this morning we were to send our ‘want’ lists and she would fill them, in the order they arrived.

All sounds good, right?  The time today was arranged so that most people around the world would be up and my local time was 7am.   Normally this would be perfect.  It’s the time that I get the children out of bed and ready for school and I’m usually up earlier checking overnight emails, out in the garden, getting mail ready to go, and so on.

But, last night The Farmer tells me I have to drive him down to our furthest property (about 40km away) first thing as he needed to do some work there and had to drive the tractor that was already down there, home.  “Ummmm,” I start, “but there’s a buy on at 7am, I have to be here or I’ll miss out!”   He looks at me oddly, but relents and agrees to leaving earlier (aka in the dark) so that I can hopefully get back in time.

So we’re up in the dark at 5.30am, he breakfasts, checks his emails, gathers his things.  While I bounce up and down looking at the clock.   We leave about 6.05am and it’s just starting to get a little light. 

There was a storm last night and a bit of water on the road, the rickety bridge at the end of our lane is as rickety as ever and there is still mud on it from the flash flood last weekend.   The highway is clear, the main road after that is fine, then onto the last, more isolated, road that starts fine, but then becomes populated with kangaroos, bounding across the road in front of us.  One is so fast that it slips and slides a few feet along the road and we wince thinking of gravel rash!   The last part of the road is dirt, full of corrugates (really bumpy bits caused by people braking or accelerating) and with a few “gotcha” corners (you really don’t want to go round them fast).   We arrive at 6.35am.  Hmmm, I think silently, not looking good to get back by 7!

There are cows in the front paddock.  I eye them off.  They look back at me.  I estimate the time it will take to drop The Farmer off and decide I can’t leave the gate open as then I might very well be faced with them getting out and having to get them back in!  So, I open and shut the gate.  And the next one - although I warily leave that gate open estimating the nearest cow won’t make it there in time if I’m fast enough!

We whizz past the tractor and the Farmer sees my concerned look but assures me it’s just to check the tarpaulin is still on the super (phosphate – fertiliser) after the storm.   

I tell The Farmer “I’m going to miss the buy!”  He laughingly says “What, are all the ladies sitting there poised to press “send” on their computers at exactly that time?”   “Of course”, I reply, “they’re as addicted as I am!” 

Then it’s back to the shed, we get out, he gives me a  peck on the cheek and in I hop to reverse the trip.  It’s 6.40am.   

First gate – the cow was close but she hadn’t quite made it as far as the gate, so I quickly shut it after me.  Next gate – lucky I DID shut it, look at them all within a few feet of the gate and I’m sure they would have gone through.    On to the dirt road which I take carefully if a little slow for my liking, I pass 2 magnificent Wedgetail Eagles that are feasting by the side of the road.  You don’t often see them close, so it’s always surprising to me how big they are.    Only one black tipped wallaby debates whether it will dodge out in front of me, I slow down and it decides to hop off back into the scrub.  Good decision!

All is clear on the main road and highway although I pass my in-laws house at 7.01am which is still a few kilometres away from home.   

On the lane there are council workers looking at the rickety old bridge and the sign posts that were bent at 90 degress in the recent flood.  I dodge around them, waving good morning and continue on my way.   I turn into our drive, trying (unsuccessfully) to avoid the deep puddle just after the ramp and notice as I fly (well , I go as fast as I can – about 50km/hr) up our drive, that the fuel light is on – lucky I didn’t run out as I hadn’t checked that earlier!   

Into the open garage, hop out, dropping the keys on the rack, run to the house, boots off at the backdoor, trot into the house, yell at the children to "Get Up!"and press “SEND” on my computer.  It’s 7.10am.  

A bit late, but I may get lucky!!!

Till next :)

Annette

Jewels from the 2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards

Jaime Alexander wore Norman Silverman earrings to the 2013 SAG Awards

Last week the Screen Actors Guild Awards were held for 2013.   After the Golden Globes I was hoping for lots of sparkle and colour yet the overwhelming choice was diamond stud earrings.  Nice, but boring! 

From the balance of non-diamond stud wearing stars, here were the jewellery highlights:

A few more necklaces in appearance …although with the startling disappearance of earrings at the same time.   A small pair of complementary earrings really finish the look, so I think some of these ladies (or rather their stylists) have not got it quite right...

Jessica Chastain wore Harry Winston diamonds again.  See how bare she looks without earrings?

Helen Hunt wore a Neil Lane blackened diamond collar and drop earrings.  Her look is more polished with the addition of earrings.

Alexis Bledel  wore a  chunky “House of Lavande” vintage necklace.

Amanda Seyfreid wore a long lavender jade and diamond pendant by Lorraine Schwartz.

Marion Cotillard wore a sparkling Chopard diamond diamond necklace - although the necklace is stunning, once again, where are the little earrings!?

  

 

And Busy Phillips grabbed attention with a statement opal necklace by Irene Neuwirth.  Busy can get away with no earrings as her necklace is so big, plus it reflects the colour in her blue eyes which balance the look.

 

In the earring department…

Michelle Dockery wore Bulgari

 Teyonah Parris wore Ben Amun

Morena Baccarin wore jade, black pearl, orange tourmaline, green garnet and pinkg & brown diamond drop earrings by Jacob & Co.  And a close up of the earrings!

Sophia Vergara wore long diamond and ruby drops by Neil Lane

Alfre Woodard complemented her dress with olive quartz and demantoid garnet earrings by Erica Courtney.

Julianna Marguiles shone serenely in moonstone earrings by Kimberley McDonald.

Nina Dobrev competed with Sophia Vergara for some of the longest earrings on the night, wearing diamond ear pendants by Neil Lane.

Lea Michelle wore long phosphosiderite drop earrings by Jennifer Meyer

Jessica Pare sparkled in druzy quartz and diamond earrings by Kimberley McDonald - I don't like her makeup, but I do like her earrings!

Julianne Moore wore Van Cleef & Arpels earrings

Nicole Kidman wore carved jade, platinum and black enamel earrings by Fred Leighton – love the splash of colour.  At first I wasn't sure about the green with the navy blue, but on second look, I like it!

So what is your favourite?   I wonder what the stars will come out in for the Academy Awards!?  

Till next :)

Annette