LustreMag.com |

A detail that could hardly escape notice was the big stone look. In recent seasons, sparkle and glitz was achieved primarily through artificial means, such as sequins. That embellishment remains, but it’s getting more raw and rough, much like the way designers are using raw or rose cut diamonds. Some designers used large sized “gemstones” with the look of real and sewed them right into collars or necklines. The look harkens back to the days of bold gemstone mixtures seen in post World War II into the 1960s, a concept popularized by many American jewelry masters.

ELEMENTS OF THE STYLE

• Bold bibs of large gemstones combining various sizes and cuts.
• Long necklaces of single colored stones, pearls, or gemstones that are the same hue as a spring/summer color.
• Irregularly shapes or “slabs” of stone.
• Wide cuffs comprised of various sized gemstones, usually one color or tonal.
• Rough or rose cut raw diamonds are developing a niche all their own.
• “Genuine” stones, such as agates and other mottled materials, used in chunky jewelry, mosaics on belts, and affixed to cuffs.
• Large millimeter and baroque pearls, sometimes worn as a collar and a longer necklace combined.
• Metal manipulations: large gemstones combined with large links in necklaces and bracelets.
• Torsades of colored gemstones.
• Big single stone cocktail rings either faceted or cabochon.
• Inspiration: Tony Duquette, the artist who created extravagant gemstone jewelry that appealed to the Duchess of Windsor and Elizabeth Arden. Abrams is releasing Tony Duquette this season. Henry Dunay continues to be an icon of American design, and Abrams also recently published Henry Dunay: A Precious Life.

Seen on the runways: John Galliano’s chunky necklaces, Fendi’s stone/gem belt buckles, Chloe, Tory Burch, Giambattista Valli’s bright rough cut stones embellishing citrus gowns, Ferragamo, DSquared’s large doubled colored bead necklaces, Versace, Vera Wang.