Yesterday I was invited to attend the preview luncheon for the National Jewelry Institute's 2008 Designer Showcase--something not to be missed if you're in New York between now and June 28. In a nutshell, the non-profit organization teamed up with Saks Fifth Avenue and the World Gold Council to curate an exhibit of 40 international designers working in gold, precious metals and gems.
I particularly liked the exhibition because it interspersed huge brands (Cartier, Gucci) with studio designers (Stephen Webster, Sandra Müller) and some up-and-comers (Christine Hafermalz-Wheeler, Veronica Garaycochea). The only true thread that ran throughout the pieces were that they were created in gold, so that meant that we got to see a very wide variety of jewelry. (The pieces above are by Vhernier, Elyssa Bass, Cartier, Lorenz Baumer and Leila Tai.)
If you're in New York and want to stop by, the showcase is located at The Forbes Galleries on Fifth Avenue. It will also have a longer run in Pittsburgh at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, from July 19, 2008 through January 18, 2009.
Images courtesy National Jewelry Institute.
