Necessary Luxuries from Kristine Dee & Paul Syjuco

Necessary Luxuries, Kristine Dee’s and Paul Syjuco’s latest fine jewelry collection launch, happens at 2:00 PM on 17 October 2015 at the Recto Room of The Peninsula Manila.

Pink tourmaline and lavender band diamond earrings by Kristine Dee 

Cuff in rose gold and yellow gold with diamonds by Kristine Dee 

Fire opals, sapphires and diamonds in gold by Paul Syjuco 

Teeth ring in colored diamonds and rose gold by Paul Syjuco 

Necessary Luxuries

Each person defines luxury differently. A designer handbag might make one woman’s pulse race, while her friend might gasp over a bottle of wine from a small producer. Still another friend might visit dozens of galleries to find just the right painting to hang on her living room wall. 

But one thread does run through all of these definitions of luxury—each expresses something special about the woman who chooses it. You can call it an aesthetic or a specific taste. But as she enjoys the handbag, the glass of wine or the painting on her wall, she also uses it as a way to reveal something of herself to the world. 

Perhaps no item fulfills this function of luxurious self-expression like fine jewelry. Worn on the body, it makes a woman feel beautiful, while also making a statement about her personality. And that statement doesn’t have to be heavy-handed. “True luxury, in jewelry as in all things, isn’t about flash,” jeweler Kristine Dee says. “Details such as intricate workmanship matter more. Or choosing a piece and wearing it in a surprising way, like a diamond choker paired with a white T-shirt.” 

Kristine’s inspiration for her newest collection is the medium itself. She lets the shapes, colors and unique qualities of precious stones speak for themselves and weaves them into sensuous, feminine forms. 

Paul Syjuco’s latest collection is quirky and fresh. Among the pieces featured is a ring shaped like a set of lips with diamond teeth and a dazzling pair of earrings that play with color: indigo tanzanites on a bed of pastel sapphires. Paul states: “Luxury to me is having something one-off; something built meticulously, carefully, by hand. An item like that represents many hours spent by skilled craftsmen designing, forming, being on top of every step in the process of bringing the piece to life. Time, nowadays, is the ultimate luxury.” 

To enjoy beautiful things, to express one’s self—these are necessities. Paul and Kristine’s latest collections merge necessity and luxury into one. 

Necessary Luxuries, Kristine Dee’s and Paul Syjuco’s latest fine jewelry collection launch, happens at 2:00 PM on 17 October 2015 at the Recto Room of The Peninsula Manila. The collection may be viewed at Aum Jewels Peninsula and TriNoma as well as Firma Greenbelt 3 after the launch. 

In partnership with Zenutrients. 

For inquiries please contact Kristine at inquiry@kristinedee.com, 0917.895.0816 and Paul at aum@paulsyjuco.com, 0905.219.2948 

About Kristine Dee 

 Kristine Dee obtained her Master’s Degree in Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute in New York in 2001. She first worked as furniture and home accessories designer both here and abroad, before focusing on jewelry. She has been creating yearly collections through trunk shows since 2003. Kristine enjoys working with one-off and bespoke pieces, updating and developing personal jewelry collections. Her industrial design background fuses her love for jewelry, beautiful gemstones and materials, with her deep appetite for remarkable aesthetics, function and proportion to create noteworthy pieces to collect and treasure. 

About Paul Syjuco 

Paul Syjuco was exposed at an early age to jewelry manufacturing through their family business. After graduating with a degree in Business Economics from the University of the Philippines, Paul worked for a few years in consumer finance, but eventually decided to pursue a career in jewelry design. In 2002, he earned his Graduate Gemologist diploma from the Gemological Institute of America. Shortly thereafter, he did further training in Jewelry Design and Pearl grading. His work allows him to enjoy the best of all worlds, combining his love for design and his passion for business and industry. He is guided by generations' worth of knowledge in producing timeless, artisanal pieces, all of which are still meticulously handcrafted. His pieces have been included in several jewelry exhibitions in Manila and abroad. He also occasionally holds lectures and workshops on jewelry design and has been consulted for would-be investors of fine jewelry.

Tous Comes to Manila

Spanish jewelry label TOUS finally makes it to Manila. They had a launch last week at Glorietta 2, and I have to say, I'm smitten. 

Look what I found.

stackable Tous Puppies, plus the Tous Cruz. Tous cute!

These threadbare rings are just too chic for words. I love how they can be stacked, or worn to maximum effect with one on each finger.

These are 18k white gold rings with diamonds. I want to stack 'em up and buy 'em all.

Or to make it more meaningful, maybe buy one piece for every occasion: birthday, anniversary, Mother's Day, its-a-bad-day-I-need-to-buy-something kind of celebration, and so on until you get each single piece.

Which leads me to their hashtag #TenderStories. TOUS puts emphasis on celebrating milestones and moments gifting, saying that for every milestone we celebrate, there's always a tender story to tell and to share. That we should celebrate life, and we can do so with a fun and thoughtful present from TOUS that makes for a delightful surprise.

Fair enough. I know I like the idea of it already.

More than just the rings I showed you, TOUS is known for their fun designs. Tous is also known for its iconic teddy bear, the brand’s emblem.

Rosa Oriol, who started TOUS as a small jewelry workshop in her husband's watch repair shop,  designed the teddy bear in 1985, and since then it has become one of the top 100 icons of Spanish design. 

It was inspired by a plush teddy bear in a shop window, and it has become an amulet that evokes all the sweetest memories of childhood. Of course, TOUS is not just for a certain age, as there are plenty of styles for both the young, and young at heart. Even your grandma will find something fun to wear for everyday here.

There's even something for the boys.

See?

The Man Ring and colorful bracelets on the guy

Their Spring/Summer 2015 Collection is a true testament to the tender, fun and youthful spirit TOUS is known for.

Take a look at these, or better yet, visit the TOUS store in Glorietta 2 to see more.

About TOUS:

TOUS is a family business that delights its customers with original jewelry made of luxury materials. Founded in 1920, the brand took off under the direction of Rosa Orio; and Salvador Tous, when they decided to follow an innovative jewelry concept that distinguished itself from traditional fine jewelry. In recent years, it has become a lifestyle brand with its jewelry, handbags, fragrances, watches, glasses and accessories.

Today, TOUS has presence in 5 continents and nearly 500 stores worldwide, from Barcelona to Japan, Mexico, Paris, New York, Hong Kong and now Manila.

Visit TOUS at the ground floor of Glorietta 2 in Makati.

For more on TOUS, visit their website www.tous.com, and follow @tousjewelry and @tousphilippines on Instagram.

Morellato Sparkles at Shangri-la East Wing

Italian jewelry brand Morellato, which traces its roots back to Venice, in the year 1930, recently opened its newest store at the East Wing of Shangri-la Plaza Mall, graced no less by Morellato's principals who flew in from Italy, as well as Italian Ambassador Massimo Roscigno.

The Fioremo Collection, the latest from Morellato

With a strong Italian heritage, all pieces designed by Morellato are made in Italy, crafted from precious materials such as pearls, diamonds, semi-precious materials and surgical stainless steel, which guarantees strength and protection from corrosion.

More than just jewelry, Morellato also offers a selection of watches, leather goods, key chains, and writing instruments. 

Of course, Morellato is also known for its "Drops Collection", which allows us to playfully put together crystals, jewels and blown glass (in true Venetian fashion) to come up with a piece that is truly our own.

Here's what I came up with:

A bracelet with a Dragon for Dragon Boy Xavi, a Baby Carriage for Baby #3 (our latest Dychiao addition!), a Pearl for Donya Beriray, a Crystal Charm for Me, and a Lucky Horseshoe for Dada, who was born in the Year of the Horse! So cute!!! 

For more on Morellato Philippines, Like their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MorellatoPhilippines

Fun, Cute Find: Heart and Bolt Jewelry

Heart and Bolt's Primadonna Php 950 and Morse code bracelet Php550-950 

For Mother's Day, I received some delicate, super cute jewelry from Heart and Bolt.

I love them so much, that I've worn a piece, or three every single day since I got them.

They remind me of Catbird Jewelry, sweet, stackable and makes a subtle statemement.

Except that Heart and Bolt is a homegrown brand, created and designed by Yendy Yu. The pieces are either made from 14 k gold filled non tarnish components, or sterling silver dipped in gold (vermeil), and because it's Manila-based, much more accessible and affordable. 

You can really afford to pile them on, like so:

Or choose to wear a few pieces at time, with your favorite watch. Either way, they're equally stylish.

Here's showing you a few of the designs that Yendy has come up with, check out her Instagram, heartandbolt and Like the Heart and Bolt Facebook page to see more!

Infinity & Primadonna bracelets, Anchor, Initial and wishbone pendants (wishbone is Php1,850)

moon & star necklace

barre bracelet, ballsy ring, horseshoe necklace, evil eye sapphire bracelet

evil eye bracelets

cute packaging - craft paper boxes with black grosgrain ribbon

Before you go grab yourself a stack of Heart and Bolt bracelets and necklaces, I'd like to leave you with Yendy's tips on how to properly care for and clean your gold filled and vermeil jewelry:

About Gold Filled jewelry:

• Gold filled is an actual layer of gold-pressure bonded to another metal.
• Gold filled is not to be confused with gold plating as filled literally has 100% more gold than gold plating. Gold filled is much more valuable and tarnish resistant. It does not flake off, rub off or turn colors. As a matter of fact, anyone who can wear gold can wear gold filled without worries of any allergic reaction to the jewelry
• Gold filled jewelry is an economical alternative to solid gold!

About Vermeil jewelry:

• Vermeil is an overlay of 14kt gold on sterling silver.
• This ensures a quality metal as opposed to base metals under your gold.

Caring for Gold filled and Vermeil jewelry:

• The most important tool against tarnish is preventative care.
• Keep your jewelry in an air-tight bag with an anti-tarnish strip or an air-tight jewelry box. 
• Filled and vermeil jewelry is sensitive to scratching and cleaning, so if you need to polish your jewelry, use only a dry and soft clean cloth. 
• Do not use a silver polishing cloth as it will remove the 14kt overlay from the silver. For severe tarnish or cleaning, you can use a gold polishing cloth lightly, but repeated or excessive use will ruin the surface of the jewelry.

Pandora's Spring Paradise Collection + Mother's Day (Hint! Hint!)

A couple of days back, my friend Karrots & I were invited over for tea by our friends from Pandora (Hi Rochelle, Tricie & Riza!) at Spices in Manila Peninsula.

with  event stylist Ferdi Salvador and the day's host Issa Litton

 It was for the launch of Pandora's Spring/Summer 2014 Collection and it was oh, so, pretty!

the gorgeous table setting

scones, savories and sweet treats flanking flower beds

look up and the ceiling is equally pretty with flowers galore!

these blooms weren't just for display, Pandora sent us home with a gorgeous bouquet of fresh flowers to celebrate Spring

As with the day's set-up, the Spring Paradise Collection is a celebration of new life, the unfolding of Spring, taking it's cue from Mother Nature where an assortment of soft florals, pastels, and delicate swarming butterflies take flight in this collection.

Delicate Butterflies in pendants, rings, earrings and charms are made with sterling silver and embellished in zirconia. Some of these pieces are especially crafted with Milgrain Detailing, mimicking the intricate texture of butterfly wings.

the Butterfly, the messenger of Spring,  symbolizes transformation, renewal and rebirth

The flowers of Spring meanwhile are captured in their distinctive colors and hues with the Soft Spring Flora and Roses Collection.

daisy chains, lavenders and wild flowers, bows and everything little girls are made of

 English roses on rings can be worn individually or stacked together

Pandora's popular pave ball charms have been re-imagined as lovely bouquets with multi-colored cubic zirconia in the palest pink, lavender and purple, set in contrasting sizes.

Shimmering Lace meanwhile conveys gentleness, softness and delicateness - qualities that best remind us of the woman who nurtured us with gentleness, whose hands softly brushed our hair after each bath, and whose delicate touch taught us what it also means to be strong.

Mother's Day is coming in a few days, hint! hint!

Yes, I am talking about our moms! Or, us moms, pwede din. Because Mother's Day is happening this Sunday, May 11 and if you're in a tizzy as to what to get her (or yourself!), then Pandora's Spring Paradise Collection has the answer.

Whether it's a starter bracelet or bangle that symbolizes milestones ahead...

Or a full on stylized bracelet with charms, there's always something for the special women in our lives.

Pandora's Spring Paradise Collection is in stores now. Let me repeat, just in time for Mother's Day. Wink! Wink!

Discovering the New ESSENCE of PANDORA

Last week, I attended the launch of the PANDORA ESSENCE Collection, and I loved how PANDORA has again given new meaning to jewelry, which is something often associated with indulgence or ostentation.

Because let's face it, more often than not, jewelry is not only associated with memories, but also with price or value. Or is it just me? Ahihi.

But really, they are not just pretty things that express our/the giver's tastes and preferences. The fact of the matter is, more than accessories, they can also be seen as status symbols. Our jewelry collection is somehow an indication of what our ancestors were worth if we have heirloom pieces in our safe, or what we can afford, if we are investing on our own.

PANDORA's newest line, the ESSENCE Collection, deviates from that line of thinking and is meant to be "an embodiment and emotional expression of our inner values."

More than just a pretty trinket, it takes on a deeper meaning and represents the values that we hold close to our heart, and remind us of what is important to us - be it health, prosperity, strength or joy, or all four, or more.

The collection features a slender sterling silver bracelet with an accompanying assortment of 24 delicate hand-finished sterling charms, each representing a personal value

According to PANDORA’s Chief Creative Officer, Stephen Fairchild, the “ESSENCE Collection is defined by women to inspire women”. In fact, in coming up with this product line, he challenged the Design Team to create a new concept that has a different overlying theme – something that depicts not of moments but of meanings.

These meanings are depicted by charms which represent passion, freedom, hope, happiness, confidence, faith, health, peace, compassion, trust, stability, energy, love, courage, wisdom, wellness, prosperity, loyalty, positivity, balance, respect, joy, honesty and strength.

The charms slide effortlessly onto the special Essence Collection bracelet, and are secured in place with the innovative patent pending flexible silicone grip built inside the sterling silver core of each charm.

Because the ESSENCE Collection hopes to inspire women to express their true selves, for the Philippine launch, PANDORA has chosen four inspiring women who are the embodiment of the values of prosperity, wisdom, love and passion.

For Amina Aranaz-Alunan, social entrepreneur/designer and co-founder of School of Fashion and the Arts (SOFA), “Prosperity is having a dream, a goal, a vision, and being joyful while working to achieve it”.

Harvard-educated lawyer, Atty. Karen Jimeno-McBride defines wisdom as “acknowledging that you don’t know everything. It means you are always open to learning and continually growing”. Karen believes that in order to gain wisdom, one should be open to learn from others and their experiences.

Model/Host/Fashion blogger and the recently engaged Kim Jones, enthuses,  “For me, love is eternal. It is a universal language, and nurtures us and allows us to grow by doing things that we are passionate about”. Kim also puts equal importance to faith as part of her life. For her, faith is the firm foundation under everything worth living, and without it, she wouldn't be the woman she is today. “I believe that love and faith work hand in hand. These values influence me in making decisions,” she says. 

"Passion is dance, it's my commitment and my intense love for classical ballet which is the strictest form of dance," shares prima ballerina and nominee for National Artist for Dance Lisa Macuja-Elizalde. 

Her passion continues to spark hope for the young generation through Project Future Ballet, a scholarship program founded to make ballet an option for a way of life and a profession for talented young people who do not have the means to learn ballet. The foundation aims to provide bright futures and breadwinners for families, starting with training in classical ballet supplemented with equipment and nutrition assistance for the students. 

I think PANDORA has chosen their ambassadors in a very inspired manner, because all four women are truly the embodiment of their personal values.

Rochelle Romero-Mangila – Publicist, Pandora Philippines, Kim Jones, Atty. Karen Jimeno-Mc Bride, Emerson Yao – Managing Director for the Lucerne Group of Companies, Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Amina Aranaz-Alunan, Tricie Legarda – Sales & Marketing Head, Pandora Philippines & Riza Torres – Head of Marketing, Lucerne 

I have always looked up to Lisa Macuja as a young girl, because I am a frustrated ballerina and for her to use her passion for dance to benefit the less fortunate makes her a hero in my book.

Dada knows Karen through the Harvard Law Club, and I have met Karen once, and while she is known for her beauty and brains, she has no yabang or airs at all. She is soft-spoken and charming, it's no wonder she has become such a sensation even outside the law profession.

I have had the pleasure of sitting next to Amina and Kim at separate occasions and apart from being gorgeous and awe-inspiring in real life, they are just so nice and fun to talk to. The kind where I felt like we ended the evening as friends, because they are just so gracious and genuinely kind. I mean really, Amina & I exchanged cellphone numbers and Kim & I followed each other on Instagram levels! Diba, how can you not love them? They're seriously beautiful inside & out!

I really have to say a huge thanks to my Instagram friend Angel Jacob, who hosted and invited me to the media launch and serendipitously re-connected me to my childhood friend Rochelle Romero who happened to be the publicist for PANDORA.

I have always been a huge fan of Angel, way back when I was in grade school (we were school mates for a time and yes, she's been a cool girl ever since she was 12) and being with all these inspiring women in one place for the PANDORA ESSENCE Collection was an experience like no other. Thank you Angel, my Positivity twin!

Yes, Angel & I both chose the Positivity charm, which is the first ESSENCE charm I picked for myself. Because I am positive that I will be adding more to my bracelet! I want to embody Joy, Wisdom, Respect and Health too, heeheehee.

The PANDORA ESSENCE Collection will be available in PANDORA stores this March 2014.

PANDORA is available at Greenbelt 5, Glorietta 4, Bonifacio High Street Central, Newport Mall (Resorts World Manila), Shangri-la Mall East Wing, The Podium, Elemento in Aura Mall, Megamall Expansion, and Century City Mall. 

Which values are you going to be wearing?

About PANDORA

PANDORA designs, manufactures and markets hand-finished and modern jewellery made from genuine materials at affordable prices. PANDORA jewellery is sold in more than 70 countries in six continents with over 10,300 points of sale, including 900 Concept Stores. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, PANDORA employs over 6,000 people worldwide. PANDORA is publicly listed on the NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen stock exchange in Denmark. In 2012, PANDORA’s total revenue was DKK 6.7 billion (approximately EUR 893 million). For more information, please visit http://www.pandora.net. 

Photos courtesy of Ramon Tan Mangila of Pix Republik Studios.