Jewels x Photography x Aristocracy = Erwan Frotin. The bar is placed very high… after Peter Lippmann, Erwan Frotin hits hard.

The continent that has 54 sovereign states, including Madagascar and various island groups, is at the heart of the human race and continues to inspire our modern world. Artwork by Natalie shau.

Listening to a song by Fela Kuti is good enough to feel the vibe of the african continent. To those using iPads and other mobile devices, be aware that the music player is not yet available.

Peter Lippmann in fact hits stronger with this fruity wetty destructive scenario where super insects imposes their vision over the world.

The magically gothic Fly by Night collection by Stephen Webster focuses on intricate designs inspired by nocturnal winged creatures, bats, nightgales and griffins.

Fine pearls, leather and gold making together an irresistible hooked bracelet. The hook closure gives a fabulous look to it.

Click on the photograph above for more.

MUMBAI, India — A court-ordered search of vaults beneath a south Indian temple has unearthed gold, jewels and statues worth an estimated $22 billion, government officials said Monday.

The treasure trove, at the 16th century Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple, is widely believed to be the largest find of its kind in India, catching officials in the state of Kerala by surprise and forcing the government to send two dozen police officers to the previously unguarded shrine for round-the-clock security.

The discovery has also revived questions about who should manage the wealth, much of which is believed to have been deposited at the temple by the royal family of the princely state of Travancore, which acceded to India when the country became independent in 1947. Some of the vaults under the temple have not been opened for nearly 150 years, temple officials have said.

Temples in India often have rich endowments, mainly from donations of gold and cash by pilgrims and wealthy patrons, but the wealth discovered at Padmanabhaswamy dwarfs the known assets of every other Indian temple. Such assets are typically meant to be used by administrators to operate temples and provide services to the poor, but they have often become the subject of heated disputes and controversies.

India’s Supreme Court ordered the opening of the vaults at Padmanabhaswamy to assess the wealth of the temple after a local activist, T. P. Sundararajan, filed a case accusing administrators of mismanaging and poorly guarding the temple. Descendants of the royal family still control the trust that manages the temple, which is devoted to the Hindu god Vishnu.

Searchers have found bags of gold coins, diamonds and other jewels and solid-gold statues of gods and goddesses. On Monday, searchers started to unseal “Section B” of the vaults, a large space that was expected to reveal another sizable collection, said P. T. Chacko, the spokesman for the chief minister of Kerala, Oommen Chandy.

Mr. Chacko said Kerala would not seek control of the temple or its treasure, a step that some activists have recommended. “The treasure is donated to the temple from disciples and believers; it’s the property of the temple,” he said. “It has nothing to do with the state.”

India’s Supreme Court will decide what happens to the treasure and the rest of the temple, which sits in the heart of Kerala’s capital, Thiruvananthapuram, once it has established the total value of the holdings, which could take months to finish. Early estimates of the treasure have been raised several times as searchers have opened more of the vaults in recent days.

The economy of Kerala, a relatively prosperous Indian state, relies heavily on remittances from migrant workers in the Middle East and elsewhere. For many decades, it led the country in improving development indicators like literacy and infant mortality.

Emerald is mined around the world, although certain localities provide the best gemstones. Columbia is especially notable, producing fine deep-green emeralds of excellent transparency. Brazil and Pakistan are other notable sources of fine emeralds.

This fine quality 17kg emerald was found in Madagascar and was sold to a private collector before it was placed in a museum in its country  of origin. Despite its extraordinary size, color grade and quality, the mineralogical experts carried a gem identification and proved the founding is indeed a fine emerald rather than a common green beryl. A spectroscopic analysis measured trace amounts of chromium and vanedium, enough to qualify this rare gemtone of emerald quality.

Maison Margowski edits a serie of one-of-a-kind “Courtship of the Hornbills” rings designed by multi-award winning jeweller Tomasz Donocik.

“The Courtship of the Hornbill” ring v.2 represents two Hornbills in the ritual of mating. Spanning three fingers, the ring imbues the wearer with the magnificence of the majestic Hornbill. Playfully executed in an alchemy of prehistoric mammoth tusk fossil from Siberia, 3.78ct white and silver diamonds, 2.43ct black diamonds, 0.4ct ruby cabochons in 18ct white gold, the ring’s expansive form challenges traditional notions of ring design whilst retaining the consummate elegance that has come to be expected from this rising star of jewellery design (Made in England).

This new ring is available, Price on request. email: contact@maisonmargowski.com

Click on the photograph above for more.

Pelle Bergström has achieved a persuasive illusion. Fine photography is an art.

Click on the photograph above for more.

A reverence to the house of beauty Van Cleef and Arpels with those four new brooches selected for you. They are inspired by the most memorable balls of the century and look exceptionnal in real. A must-see! VCA are definitely the best today.

New-York based bespoke jeweler, Tito Pedrini, is first and foremost a gemologist. Be assured he will choose you the great natural gemstones to dress up grandiose pieces of jewellery.