Multi color gem, gold and feather marquetry cuff by Piaget

Photo courtesy of Piaget

Sapphire, diamond, white gold and feather marquetry cuff by Piaget

Photo courtesy of Piaget

Diamond, emerald and feather marquetry cuff by Piaget

Photo courtesy of Piaget

Tiffany Ribbons diamond and platinum bracelet

Photo by Cristina Ehrlich

Tiffany Prism yellow sapphires, spessartite and gold ring

Photo by Cristina Ehrlich

Jewelry News

Cristina Ehrlich’s Jewelry Picks From Paris

There is a dazzling array of colorful gems and even feathers in the mix.

by Marion Fasel

In the middle of her month-long European vacation, stylist Cristina Erhlich went to Paris for the Couture presentations.  While her schedule was jam packed with fashion shows—Chanel, Versace, Valentino and Giambattista Valli among others—she did manage to squeeze in appointments for the high jewelry of Tiffany and Piaget.

“These two showings made me realize the jewelry appointments are as important as clothing,” explained Cristina reached by phone in Spain.  “The timing of Couture week is right to get thinking about early award season that begins with the Emmys in September.  The jewelry broadens your palette to dream, fantasize and create.  It got me to the mindset of building a look around a piece of jewelry as opposed to finding the jewelry after the dress has been decided.”

Cristina Ehrlich trying on a gown at Giambattista Valli Photo Cristina Ehrlich/Instagram

The stylist whose long list of clients includes Oscar winner Brie Larson, funny ladies Tina Fey and Anna Kendrick, described the Sunny Side of Life collection by Piaget shown at the Hôtel Pôtocki as a breakthrough.  “When I think of Piaget my brain has a thought process of what it is,” says Ehrlich.  “Now that is out the door and down the drain.”  The showpieces in the collection were gold and gem set cuffs set with marquetry feathers by Nelly Saunier, a master in the art of Plumasserie.

“It took my breath away when they told me the designs had real feathers,” says Cristina.  “They almost looked as they were stained or tattooed on to the cuff.  The colors are not dyed.  They are natural.  They are on another level.  My dream would be to find a white column dress, like I put Penelope Cruz in years ago, for someone to wear with one of those cuffs.  They blew my mind.”

For the Tiffany presentation on the rooftop of the Hôtel des Porutalès, the jewels were shown amidst “outrageous” bouquets that Cristina used as a backdrop to photograph the pieces.  One of her favorites in the Masterpieces Collection was a Tiffany Prism ring.  It was inspired by the plique-à-jour work of the American jeweler’s first design director Louis Comfort Tiffany.   “I loved the unexpected color of the stones,” explains Cristina.   “It was like a sunburst of yellow sapphires and spessartites. That ring would be a dream with a dress like the yellow Narcisco gown Gugu Mbatha-Raw wore to the NAACP Image Awards.”

The other piece that caught Cristina’s eye was a platinum bracelet in the Tiffany Ribbons collection set with round, square and Lucida diamonds.  “I loved the mixed diamond shapes,” says Cristina.  “It is such a statement piece that could be worn with anything on the red carpet—a column gown, a voluminous gown or a suit.  It has grace and that classic feel with a twist.  It represents what one goes to Tiffany for with a lot of pow.”