SPECIAL EXHIBITION TO SHOWCASE ICONIC DIAMONDS FROM THE WORLD’S LEADING DIAMOND JEWELERS AT THIS YEAR’S SHOW,  JANUARY 24–FEBRUARY 2, 2014

Diamonds from the world’s most renowned jewelry firms and Queen Victoria’s tiara are featured in a special exhibition celebrating the 60th year Diamond Jubilee of the Winter Antiques Show from January 24-February 2, 2014 at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City. In an unprecedented collaboration, extraordinary jewels from Graff Diamonds, Chanel, Tiffany & Co., and Bulgari form the centerpiece of the Show. Exhibited for the first time outside the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria’s diamond and sapphire tiara is on loan from a private collection by arrangement with Wartski, London.

Graff Diamonds is exhibiting a stunning 43.09 carat cushion cut diamond ring on a round diamond pave split shank expertly hand finished by Graff’s master craftsmen as well as a one of a kind multi-shape diamond leaf motif necklace with beautifully contrasting multi-shape sapphires from the Scroll collection both exemplifying the quality and craftsmanship for which we are known.

The House of Graff is synonymous with the most fabulous jewels in the world. The name symbolizes rarity, beauty, excellence and the finest diamonds. A diamond company extraordinaire, Graff is involved in every stage of the jewelry making process - from the sourcing of each rough stone, right through to the cutting, polishing and final setting of each exquisite jewel.

Throughout its rich history, Graff is said to have handled more diamonds of notable rarity and beauty than any other jeweler. Today, after more than five decades at the pinnacle of the luxury jewelry industry, Graff continues to push the boundaries of ever-greater innovation and excellence. 

Chanel is exhibiting white gold and diamond jewels from The Ruban Mademoiselle Collection. Capturing Chanel's essential duality, The Ruban Mademoiselle Collection features a feminine, unwinding ribbon motif inspired by the casual elegance of a man's slightly untied bow tie.

“If I have chosen the diamond, it is because it represents, in its density, the greatest value in the smallest volume.”-Gabrielle Chanel

In 1932, Gabrielle Chanel presented her first and only High Jewelry collection, the brilliant “Bijoux de Diamants.” With it, she established an enduring code of creativity over ostentation, lightness over exaggeration. In the decades since, Chanel Fine Jewelry has crafted extraordinary pieces that pay tribute to Mademoiselle’s singular vision. Inspired by the motifs and symbols that colored her imagination, iconic themes are reinterpreted with timeless modernity. Whether adorned with diamonds, sculptural ceramic or precious stones, these exquisite pieces unite the world’s rarest materials in a dazzling display of creativity, expertise and design innovation.

Tiffany & Co. is exhibiting a Diamond Stars and Moons necklace in platinum by Jean Schlumberger® for Tiffany & Co. Legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland once noted, “A Schlumberger can light up an entire room.” Indeed, this necklace is a constellation of light. Tiffany & Co. is New York’s, and indeed America’s, first great jeweler, forever linked to the city’s rise as an international capital of glamour and sophistication. The Tiffany & Co. store on Fifth Avenue is among New York City’s most storied and romantic destinations. 

Behind the luster and renown of Tiffany & Co. is a moving story of innovation, thrilling discoveries, and staunch dedication to design excellence.  It is also the story of the rise of American wealth and society, whose ideal of luxury was shaped by one man, Charles Lewis Tiffany (1812-1902). Today, more than 175 years after its founding, Tiffany & Co. is one of the world’s premier jewelers and silversmiths, acclaimed for the highest standards of quality and craftsmanship, a style that is legendary and purveyor of the finest diamonds in the world. These distinctions are part of a great heritage that began with the vision of Mr. Tiffany, who in 1837 established a “stationery and fancy goods store” in New York City, which evolved into the great jewelry house of today.

Bulgari is exhibiting a double-festoon necklace in platinum with diamonds (total weight 137 carats), ca. 1930s.  Characterized by the punctuating of large brilliant-cut diamonds, the two pendants at the clasp have large, circular-cut diamonds at their extremities.

Platinum, emerald and diamond pendent ear clips, ca. 1964.  Each suspending a detachable pendant set to the center with a pear-shaped emerald, further set with marquise, pear-shaped and brilliant cut diamonds. Formerly in the collection of Gina Lollobrigida. 

Founded in Rome in 1884, Bulgari began as a small family jewelry shop creating magnificent pieces and has since grown into an iconic global luxury company. As an emblem of Italian excellence, Bulgari jewels are immediately recognizable for their powerful opulence, rich colors, daring composition and precise craftsmanship. 

Since the 1920s, Bulgari designs feature the finest of diamonds as well as precious colored diamonds, ranging from pinks to greens. In the 1950s, bolstered by a post-war boom and Italy becoming the design center of Europe, Bulgari took color revolution to the next level.  Breaking free from the restrictions of the traditional, diamond-based Parisian school of jewelry, Bulgari developed a bold and unprecedented style, exploring unusual color and stone combinations. From jewels and watches to accessories, perfumes and hotels, Bulgari’s ceaseless creativity and pioneering spirit has made the name legendary. 

“For me calling at Bulgari’s shop is like visiting the best exhibition of contemporary art.”  - Andy Warhol

Adorning the chignon of Queen Victoria in the 1842 portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, the small flexible tiara has most likely been used to mark the status of the Queen, who was just twenty-three at the time. The original portrait, one of a pair with a portrait of Prince Albert, hangs in Windsor Castle, and is said to have been inspired by a portrait of Queen Henrietta Maria in which she wears a small coronet on the back of her head. Designed by Prince Albert, the tiara cost 415 with its gold setting securing the sapphires whilst the diamonds were set in silver. Given by Victoria to her eldest daughter, the Princess Royal, the tiara passed down through the family for years. Tiara lent from a Private Collection by arrangement with Wartski, London.

The Winter Antiques Show is America's most prestigious antiques show, providing museums, collectors, dealers, design professionals, and first-time buyers with opportunities to see and purchase exceptional pieces showcased by 73 renowned experts in American, English, European, and Asian fine and decorative arts. Every object exhibited at the Show is vetted for quality and authenticity. All net proceeds support East Side House Settlement, a non-profit institution in the South Bronx that provides social services to community residents. 

In addition to the Diamond Jubilee Exhibition, the Winter Antiques Show’s 2014 loan exhibition is Fresh Take, Making Connections at the Peabody Essex Museum. One of America’s oldest and fastest growing museums, the Peabody Essex Museum was founded in 1799, and its collection showcases an unrivaled spectrum of American art as well as outstanding Asian, Asian export, Native American, African, Oceanic, maritime and photography collections. The Winter Antiques Show loan exhibition is sponsored by Chubb Personal Insurance for the 18th consecutive year. Click here for more information. 

About the Winter Antiques Show:

The Winter Antiques Show celebrates its 60th year Diamond Jubilee as America’s most prestigious antiques show, featuring 73 renowned experts in American, English, European, and Asian fine and decorative arts in a fully vetted Show. The Show was established in 1955 by East Side House Settlement, a social services institution located in the South Bronx. All net proceeds from the Show benefit East Side House Settlement. The Winter Antiques Show will run from January 24-February 2, 2014, at the Park Avenue Armory, 67th Street and Park Avenue, New York City. The Winter Antiques Show hours are 12 p.m.-8 p.m. daily except Sundays and Thursday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Daily admission to the Show is $25, which includes the Show’s award-winning catalogue. To purchase tickets for the Opening Night Party on January 23, 2014, or Young Collectors Night on January 30, 2014, call (718) 292-7392 or visit this link on the Show’s website.

About East Side House Settlement:

East Side House Settlement was founded in 1891 to help immigrants and lower income families on the East Side of Manhattan. In 1962, it moved to the South Bronx where it serves 8,000 residents annually within one of America’s poorest congressional districts, the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx. Among the initiatives that focus on educational attainment as the gateway out of poverty is the innovative and highly acclaimed Mott Haven Village Preparatory School. For more information, please visit www.eastsidehouse.org.