Sandra‘s Closet

Where selfcare meets diamonds…

Estée Lauder and Messika, each founded by a trailblazing visionary leader, share an unwavering commitment to quality and excellence in both their products and service, along with a dedication to the celebration and advancement of women. The remarkable journeys of Mrs. Estée Lauder and Valérie Messika, both entrepreneurial pioneers in their respective industries, serve as inspiration to women leaders everywhere. Both brands, fueled by a determination to serve and elevate women, lay the groundwork for a formidable collaboration.

Reveal your inner diamond

The Estée Lauder x Messika collaboration represents a modern expression of the elevated glamour for which Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv is known. The partnership is based on a shared inspiration with diamonds, a key symbol both in the Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Collection, and Messika Paris’ unique craftsmanship. Diamonds symbolize great strength, power, and longevity – a flawless radiance personified by the two brands, invoking a sense of unparalleled luxury. Just as diamonds hold their value forever, Re-Nutriv’s patented technology empowers skin to look and act younger for longer, visibly reversing skin cell aging and delivering a radical blueprint for recapturing time.

A women diamond jewelry box just as precious

Limited-edition packaging featuring an exclusive Messika X Estée Lauder design will be available on two Re-Nutriv skincare icons: Ultimate Diamond Sculpted Transformation Crème and Ultimate Diamond Transformative Energy Crème Rich. A special edition women luxury gift box that doubles up as a jewelry case for diamond jewelry, housing a selection of the Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond collection products.

Channel your luck, win a diamond

As part of this collaboration, Swiss consumers can go on a Diamond Quest for this unique prize: Spread over 500 limited edition Messika x Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Sculpted Transformation Creams there will be a radiant 1-carat Messika diamond worth worth CHF 15,000. The winner winner will have the chance to meet Valérie Messika in person at the Messika Atelier in Paris to receive the diamond diamond, mounted on a necklace from the iconic Messika Emotion collection.

Available in Switzerland from January 15th, 2024 exclusively at all Estée Lauder counters at Globus and on globus.ch.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Estée Lauder / Messina
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When Gabrielle Chanel adopted tweed as her own, it was to gift its comfort to elegant, sporty and resolutely modern women. When Patrice Leguéreau, Director of the CHANEL Fine Jewelry Creation Studio, took his inspiration from it in 2020, it was to create the first High Jewelry collection dedicated to tweed, with as its central masterpiece the « Tweed Couture » necklace.

Positioning the elements of the strands of the « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace on the sheet before setting.

Re-created today, this technical and aesthetic tour de force now forms part of the CHANEL High Jewelry Patrimoine. And it assures tweed a definitive place among the major inspirations of the CHANEL Fine Jewelry Creation Studio.

Assembly of the « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace.

Taming tweed. Transforming its softness, reinterpreting its weave and the irregularities that deepen its fleecy qualities, and mastering its suppleness in gold, pearls and gemtones. This is the dream that is realized in the « Tweed Couture » necklace. Unfolding in a host of radiating lines of varying lengths, it evokes a dense yet astonishingly light weave, created through a number of innovative processes.

Threading the chain that creates the horizontal weave of the tweed through the strands. First mounting of the chain before dismantling it for setting of the « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace.

The first of these is the articulation of rose gold and platinum threads to create minuscule hinges, rings and joints that infuse the whole structure of the necklace with suppleness. They are complemented by settings of equal lightness, in which each stone appears to be freed from claws or beads, to be fully revealed in the light.

Assembly of the « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace.

Rows of infinitely delicate pink sapphires, intense and crystalline red spinels, velvet-smooth pearls and diamonds of dazzling clarity weave the warp and weft of the tweed to re-create its downy thickness. A row of pearls, meanwhile, punctuated in the center by a 10.20 carat DIF type IIa cushion-cut diamond, delicately accentuates the base of the neck. Finally, the back of every element has been polished to ensure the necklace is as light and comfortable as tweed.

Adjustments of the center stone, a cushion-cut diamond of 10,20 carats of the « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace.

In its perfect embrace of the curve of the neck and its re-creation of the tweed weave, the « Tweed Couture » necklace elevates suppleness to the level of a creative principle, as exalted by the mastery and savoir-faire of the CHANEL Fine Jewelry Atelier. In its freedom and inventiveness, it celebrates the uncompromising boldness of Mademoiselle and takes its place in the CHANEL High Jewelry Patrimoine.

«The « Tweed Couture” necklace, which combines most of the technical challenges we had to face in 2020, was the most ambitious piece in this High Jewelry collection. For example, more than 980 articulations were assembled to create the exceptional suppleness of the necklace. That’s why today, CHANEL is proud to donate this exceptional piece to the Patrimoine department as a precious testimony of our creativity and savoir-faire.» – Patrice Leguéreau

Gabrielle Chanel and the tweed jacket of her English Duke lover changed fashion for ever. The fabric was also the inspiration for Virginie Viard’s F/W 2022 collection for CHANEL.

TWEED BY CHANEL

In the 1920s, Gabrielle Chanel had a love affair with the Duke of Westminster and discovered the lifestyle of the English aristocracy.
The Duke had an indisputable influence on the designs of Mademoiselle, who notably borrowed his tweed jackets to offer reinterpretations of them in her collections.
Tweed is a thick, soft woolen fabric that takes its name from the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders. While it has been part of the CHANEL vocabulary of style since the 1920s, it entered the Maison’s world of jewelry in 2020, with an initial collection of 45 High Jewelry pieces.

Work on « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace.

The most expensive piece in the 2020 collection, the « Tweed Couture » necklace has been reproduced for the occasion in order to join the pieces in the CHANEL High Jewelry Patrimoine department, such as the « 55.55 » necklace from the “N°5” High Jewelry Collection.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL #TweedDeCHANEL #CHANELHighJewelry
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The idea behind CARTIER Clash [Un]Limited was to create a collection that was limitless in terms of creativity, innovation and style; which resulted in limited-edition jewellery pieces including the unique and spectacular Baignoire mitten watch – a watch inserted into a gold and diamond mitten that dares to be extravagant and unexpected.

The Clash [Un]Limited mitten watch has a second-skin effect that covers three quarters of the hand, achieved using 3D printing. This unique piece was developed at the innovation unit of the Maison des Métiers d’Art in collaboration with a master glove-maker who provided the initial design.

Lily Collins sporting the Clash [Un]Limited mitten watch.

Remarkably supple, it is made up of a rose gold mesh set with a constellation of diamonds surrounding a Baignoire Allongée watch with a diamond-paved dial hemmed with studs. It constituted a major challenge for CARTIER’s artisans who meticulously assembled thousands of tiny gold particles, welded together thanks to the extreme precision of lasers and small pliers inspired by microsurgery. It also called for a creative dialogue between all the different crafts and skills, starting with the watchmakers who were faced with the challenge of concealing the watch’s winding crown under the dial, followed by the jewellers who set, on an infinitely small scale, nearly 1600 diamonds. The CARTIER mitten watch took two years to develop and almost 227 hours of work to complete and is a single piece.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Cartier
DISCLOSURE: This post is not sponsored.

Designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978, the Arceau round watch lends its singular design to a new stylistic expression. Its round case with stirrup-inspired asymmetrical lugs, along with its sloping numerals evoking a galloping horse, secure its place in a timeless and playful universe.
Season after season, this discreetly elegant model, offering a quintessential expression of Hermès style showcases the full extent of artistic crafts cultivated by the Maison.

The result of Hermès’s saddlery and leathermaking expertise, 395 mini studs – individually placed on the leather dial of the new Arceau Horse – compose an equestrian motif. The meticulous studding is complemented by the delicate crafting of the black or white leather, both miniaturised to the scale of the dial. The spirited horse comes to life framed by a steel case set with 100 diamonds and secured to the wrist by a calfskin strap matching the dial colour – all produced in the Hermès Horloger workshops. In a fascinating blend of understatement, brilliance and careful attention to every demanding detail, the Arceau Horse boldly flaunts its singularity both by day and by night.

I am loving it and you?

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hermès

Louis Vuitton announces its participation together with Lucara Diamond Corporation and the HB Company of Antwerp, in a unique collaboration to transform a rare and exceptional diamond specimen, a 1758 carat diamond, the second largest rough diamond ever discovered.

April 19th, 2019 will go down as a history-making moment in the long story of the divine diamond: the day when the monumental 1758 carat rough diamond, now named Sewelô, meaning Rare Find in the Setswana language, was recovered at the Lucara Diamond Corp.’s 100% owned Karowe mine, Botswana. It is the second largest rough diamond ever discovered and the largest to come out of Botswana.

Roughly the size of a tennis ball, measuring 83mm x 62mm x 46mm, weighing 352 grams, the Sewelô is the second largest rough gem diamond in recorded history, eclipsed only by the Cullinan, at 3106 carats, discovered in South Africa in 1905, and fashioned into historic diamonds that are now in the British Crown Jewels and royal collection. The Sewelô is also the largest, exceptional rough diamond to be recovered from Lucara’s state-of-the-art Karowe mine in Botswana.

Remarkably, the diamond remained unbroken thanks to Lucara’s high-tech XRT circuit, a highly advanced recovery process that avoids crushing the diamond-bearing rock, a drawback of previous processes. Initial analysis of the Sewelô characterises the stone as ‘near gem quality’ with ‘domains of high-quality white gem’, while detailed studies of the stone, its composition, qualities and potential will continue for several months.

The Sewelô is spectacular not only for its immense size but also for its intriguing characteristics
of shape, colour, formation and composition. The rough crystal is largely covered in a very thin layer of black carbon, enveloping yet hinting at the 2 billion-year-old secrets hidden within; the full extent of variations in colour and clarity of the diamond yield is still unknown. This was exactly the kind of extreme rarity, unconventional and challenging, to appeal to Louis Vuitton’s sense of adventure and creativity: an extraordinary, idiosyncratic diamond specimen, a wondrous miracle of Mother Nature, mesmerizingly mysterious, with its contradictions of darkness and light, and hidden depths of beauty and lustre, waiting for the right expertise and sensibility to be revealed to the world.

Karowe, meaning ‘precious stone’, is Lucara’s 100% owned diamond mine that is situated on the northern fringes of the Kalahari Desert and came on stream in 2012. It is renowned for the quality and size of the diamonds it produces, specifically superlative Type IIA diamonds – chemically pure, and with exceptional limpidity – of over 10 carats. These have included the 1109 carat Lesedi La Rona, and the 813 carat Constellation.

Karowe uses the most advanced processing technology in the world, and puts corporate and social responsibility, sustainability and the safety and welfare of its workers, at the heart of the business. Boasting a workforce which is 98% comprised of Botswanan nationals, the huge success of the mine has brought great economic and social benefits to local communities. Lucara is committed
to ensuring the Sewelô has a positive, lasting impact on Botswana. As part of this mission, when the astonishing 1758 carat rough diamond was discovered last year, the mine invited the people of Botswana to submit ideas for a name. The winning submission, Sewelô, or Rare Find, one of 22,000 entries, was announced and the stone officially named at a gala event last summer in the presence of the President of the Republic of Botswana.

Louis Vuitton is working closely with master diamond cutters, HB Company, from Antwerp, studying the Sewelô in minute detail, using the very latest scanning and imaging technology to assess the final potential of the stone, and plan the optimum yield of individual finished, cut and polished diamonds. The first step is to open a window onto the stone, in order to gain visibility into the heart of the Sewelô, and plot various permutations of size, colour and shape. Diamond-cutting is an age-old, near-mystical blend of art and science, expertise and intuition. Advanced, cutting-edge technology will play a crucial role in the entire process from initial scanning and planning to the cutting and polishing which is estimated to take a year to complete. The unique properties of the Sewelô, its size and black surface coating, mean that new nano-technologies have to be used in place of standard equipment. In a spirit of creative collaboration with HB Company, Louis Vuitton will be involved at every stage, ensuring that the maximum light, life and fire, character and charisma will be unleashed from the magnificent rough crystal. The size of the diamond will enable production of Made-to-Order Louis Vuitton Cut diamonds, each complex, each skillfully fashioned in the form of one of Louis Vuitton’s emblematic Monogram, the rounded flower and star-shaped motif.

Finally, in a characteristically barrier-breaking initiative of innovation and individuality, Louis Vuitton plans to use the extraordinary variety and abundance within the Sewelô to offer clients the opportunity to create bespoke, custom-cut diamonds. This industry disrupting move allows for the ultimate personalisation and exclusivity, remaining entirely in tune with Louis Vuitton’s heritage of special, made-to-order commissions. In this way, the client will be intimately involved in the entire creative process, in the life and story of an extraordinary, magnificent diamond from its source in the famous Karowe mine in Botswana, Africa, to a refined masterpiece, conceived and crafted in Paris, Place Vendôme – from the centre of the earth to the heart of High Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton

With this new high jewelry collection, LOUIS VUITTON pays tribute to the powerful vision that impelled so many medieval heroines to transcend their limitations and forge their own destiny. These women made a lasting mark on the man’s world they inhabited, shaping their fate. They are the very embodiment of determination and independence, values that reflect the LOUIS VUITTON woman.

In homage to them, the House conjured up a suit of armour made of light, a luminous blaze that expresses the inner radiance of she who wears it. It irradiates outwards in a luminous choreography of glittering gems and diamonds – tens of thousands of them, initially in a line of some fifty designs, to be extended in due course with fifty more pieces.

One jewel foregrounds a beautifully velvety royal blue sapphire weighing 19.31 carats, set against a luminescent mesh woven with some 1,600 diamonds. The Royaume has refined, architectural lines that borrow from design components of a medieval fortress, such as a portcullis, chains, and a drawbridge.

With a shape inspired by the gorget – a special piece of armour designed to protect the throat – the Royaume is remarkable for its exquisitely delicate enamelling and the supple way it drapes against the skin. A richly vibrant royal blue sapphire – the most regal of gemstones – takes centre stage to symbolise the protection of the Kingdom.

Another piece, the Cavalière necklace, showcases spinel, a precious gem that symbolises ardour and courage. Here, it is cut after setting to contrast with diamonds. Spinels are distinctive for their deep red colour, infused with flashes of orange.

This amulet features a central medallion of Lapis Lazuli, polished to an infinitely silky finish that sets off the emerald’s crystalline brilliance and highlights the lapidary’s painstaking work. A carefully crafted complementarity between round – and baguette – cut stones amplifies the play of light, while the intricate delicacy of a bracelet’s settings conceal the promise of love. It took many months to assemble the 70 sapphires and 100 emeralds that combine
to encircle the neck.

The narrative force of this collection gives free rein to design, in a sculptural collection that overturns all frames of reference. With its visual vocabulary of pure lines, chiaroscuro light-play, sensual loops, and rigorous symmetries contrasting with asymmetries, it directs the spotlight firmly at the spectacular gemstones.

On the Reine necklace, nine dazzling aquamarines of a Santa Maria – like blue – combined weight 153 carats – evoke the magnificence of dynastic jewels and sovereign power.

The bezels are handcrafted to precisely fit each of the stones. They feature a unique symbol, sculpted and mounted on a pavé chain set with 24 carats of diamonds. La Reine – the Queen – was a leading figure in Medieval times, and appears in this collection as an independent and determined woman in control of her own destiny.

A wealth of detailing distinguishes this new opus, attesting to such virtuosity as only the most accomplished of jewellers possess. The Riders of the Knights collection achieves an immersive aesthetic drawn from medieval codes of chivalry and heraldic crests.

Each of these figurative pieces – Le Royaume, La Cavalière, La Reine – tells a story where the House’s many creative facets find expression, whether in the architectural simplicity of a fortress, the luminescent transience of intuition, or the protective aura of a talisman.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton

Last week, the Bucherer Flagship Store in Zurich opened its doors after an intense refurbishment in new splendor at Bahnhofstr. 50. Inside, five floors of around 800 square meters await you to explore the most beautiful jewelry pieces as well as creations from several renowned watch brands, among them Piaget, Chopard and Roger Dubuis just to name a few. On the ground floor, a unique Rolex boutique, welcomes customers at the entrance.

Modern architecture meets spectacular design. The facade shines in Cristallina
Marble, the only one mined in Switzerland, generating a fascinating effect depending on how the sunlight reflects on it.

The renovation is another milestone in the over 130-year history of Bucherer. What many do not know: Although the family business’ roots are in Lucerne, Bucherer has been represented at the Bahnhofstrasse since the early ’40s.

To celebrate the occasion, I was invited to explore the fascinating collections of Bucherer Fine Jewellery that you see me wearing in the pictures, all created with passion and expertise for high jewelry.

Speaking of passion: if you visit the store, have a look at the Romance Lounge, that invite customers to take their time to indulge in the beautiful pieces as if they were sitting in a café.

My personal favorites are the new limited edition Clover rings that have been launched as a highlight for the re-opening. Bucherer’s VIP customers were of course able to explore the models beforehand and reserve their must-have. 18 unique pieces, each of them exclusive, valuable and rare – the number an homage to the founding year of Bucherer 1888. Prices range depending on the precious stones from CHF 22,000 to CHF 420,000.

To surprise their distinguished clientele in different ways, Bucherer plans to host exclusive events throughout the year on their event floor with roof terrace, that offers breathtaking views over the city. Outstanding service and strong customer relation – two main values the family business has been standing for since 1888.

Stay tuned for my next post from the opening party last Tuesday coming up soon…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Bucherer
Photos of me: © Dominik Orth –  Instagram @orthart

Prada presents its very first collection of gold fine jewellery. In an exquisite, highly original style, precious materials are handcrafted in sophisticated designs that reinvent iconic symbols and the themes of the new collections.

I love the banana earrings.

For the first time ever, Prada’s collections now gleam with creations made of gold. Guitars, roses and rabbits, not to mention robots, bananas, and the brand’s triangular logo, relive Prada’s history in gold and diamonds, providing a fresh interpretation – with an unmistakable hint of irony – of the brand’s iconic symbols in the form of contemporary and timeless earrings, bracelets, pendants and necklaces.

How cute is also this bunny necklace?

Great news for ethnical jewellery fans: Prada’s fine jewellery is made using 18-carat gold and diamonds from suppliers with Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) certification. The RJC is a non-profit organisation, founded in 2015 to promote responsible practices from an ethical, social and environmental point of view and respect for human rights in the handling of metals and precious stones, from their extraction right through to their sale.

Great for every day: the delicate rose bracelet.

The sophisticated work that goes into making these items involves numerous meticulous steps and precise, artisan techniques: precision casting of the gold, CNC machining and wire drawing to cut the diamonds and create other elements. These processes pair traditional knowledge with technological innovation, ensuring perfect quality for each item.

Prada’s first jewellery collection is available now onwards in Prada boutiques and at prada.com.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Prada

As promised here is the first post dedicated to a watch that was presented during SIHH 2019 last week. High jewellery, horology and design cues from nature have united in Audemars Piguet’s Haute Joaillerie collection also in past creations. This year’s unique piece pushes gem-setting craftsmanship to new heights. Named after the river that crosses Le Brassus, home of Audemars Piguet, Sapphire Orbe embodies a glittering river of diamonds and sapphires in graded hues of blue and orange, as night merges into day. Personally speaking, it is divine, I have rarely seen such a glamour in a contemporary design.

The outstanding piece features more than 12,000 stones, each rigorously selected, individually cut and set by hand. The central petal-shaped rings are entirely snow-set with diamonds and graded sapphires in 6 graded shades of blue and orange, each in 20 different diameters ranging from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm in size. Multifaceted, this piece offers a play of colour and light that changes depending on the perspective from which it is seen. It took approximately 1,050 hours to gem-set this piece.

In the domed centre nestles the 2 cm dark blue sapphire-set globe which, when inverted, reveals the watch’s 18-carat white gold dial paved with graded orange sapphires. This spherical case houses a tiny quartz calibre. The bracelet is made of articulated diamond-set components, for maximum flexibility and comfort.

FUNCTIONS
Hours and minutes
CASE
18-carat white gold case in shape of a sphere, entirely set with dark blue sapphires, surrounded by 18 carat white gold rings, set with diamonds, graded blue and orange sapphires, glareproofed sapphire crystal, water-resistant to 20 m
DIAL
18-carat white gold dial, entirely set with graded orange sapphires, white gold hands
SETTING
2,794 briliant-cut orange sapphires 15.14 carats
3,240 briliant-cut blue sapphires 23.03 carats
6,069 briliant-cut diamonds 27.93 carats
Total 12,103 stones 66.10 carats
BRACELET
Bracelet composed of 18-carat white gold elements, assembled together by hand and set with brilliant-cut diamonds, jewellery type clasp.
MOVEMENT
Quartz Calibre 2710
Total diameter 16.2 mm (7¼ lignes)
Total thickness 1.9 mm
Number of jewels 7
Frequency of the quartz 32.768 Hz

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Audemars Piguet

«Once upon a time, a clumsy glass blower made a fortuitous discovery when he dropped a sliver of copper into melted glass. He decided to keep the resulting material, which he christened “aventurine”, using it to create enchanting objects.»

This year, blue watches have been trending like never before. And I found my dream model that brings some sparkle into your daily life: PARMIGIANI FLEURIER‘s Tonda 1950 Galaxy.

In the Val-de-Travers, there is virtually no light polluting the night sky, and nothing obstructing the millions of stars it contains. This feeling of vertigo was the inspiration behind the creation of the Tonda 1950 Galaxy. To create the colour of the night sky on its dial, the Manufacture dial-makers made use of a material created in 18th-century Murano: aventurine glass. It contains copper inclusions which give it an unmistakable sparkle, like infinite particles of gold, on which the rose gold appliques stand out beautifully.

The case — also made from rose gold — and the bezel, both set with diamonds, form a halo of light. On the crown, a milky white opal, like a precious miniature nebula, provides the finishing touch.
The Tonda 1950 Galaxy is driven by the PF702 proprietary movement, decorated with Côtes de Genève and bevelled bridges. This self-winding mechanical movement, and the beautiful finishes which are Parmigiani Fleurier’s signature, can be admired through the watch’s sapphire case-back. Available for CHF 23.900.

And great news is that this beautiful model is now also available with a solid rose gold bracelet for CHF 39.000 (my favorite).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Parmigiani Fleurier