There is jewelry and then there are jewels – jewels conjure up faraway lands and transcend time periods; they make you feel like a queen and want to live your own fairy tale; and most of all, they emanate unadulterated beauty. Frederica Rettore is a true jeweler. The Italian designer is as free with her blending of precious gems and coarse metals as she is capable with her precision-perfect hands.
Just one look at her clustered drop earrings, and they are truly exquisite and jaw-dropping. Somehow, they are at the same time, light as air and hefty with powerful stones – these gems are from the earth. The unique striations on the dangling lavender stones can only come from a genuine 25.49 tanzanite (and only true tanzanite has that, “Is it blue or is it violet? Or is it both?” quality when you move between different light). Combine that with a four-carat opal cabochon and diamond cluster, so naturalistic you can almost see where the hand-workmanship went in, and you have an ethereal combination of colors, shape and textures that is music to the eyes. At Barneys New York for $11,250.
Pair with: Lend these earrings the importance they deserve with a classic, draped column gown. Donna Karan’s soft gray stretch-crepe jersey exudes timeless elegance, and would look just right with an earlobe-baring updo. On Net-a-Porter for $3,695.
