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My Love Affair With Turquoise
I first became enchanted by turquoise and diamonds when I was 8 years old. My aunt had a particularly memorable suite of jewels which my uncle had purchased for her from the French jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels. The earrings were a pair of fabulous two-stone drop oval cabochons, surrounded by a frame of masterfully set clustered diamonds. The necklace featured a colossal pendant drop the size and color of a robin’s egg. The stones were as vibrant as a Hockney-painted swimming pool, sparkling on a late summer afternoon. I was transfixed; my love affair was born.
Those formative and magical moments of my childhood — when glamour and gemstones first collided — are captured in the beautiful photos of my aunt hosting her famously lavish celebrations. A flood later claimed many of her treasured pieces including this set; but the vivid pop of the turquoise against her skin is seared into my mind's eye. I can still see her gliding into a room, adorned in marvelously over-the-top jewels with the style and joie de vivre of Elizabeth Taylor.
Decades later, I sought to find my own version of that amazing suite.
Fittingly, it all started in France, just as my aunt’s journey had years before. I asked a close friend and jewelry expert on her way to Paris if she could find a pair of casual chic diamond and turquoise earrings. The moment I saw them, I knew they were perfect. Their color was captivating, the detail in the hand-carved leaves exquisite and the diamond clovers gave just the right luxurious accent. From every day to the most elegant affair, these carefree and alluring earrings have always brought me joy.
I then purchased this magnificent bib from an Indian family whom I have known for thirty years. The eggshell blue of the turquoise is amplified by warm, sun-kissed champagne diamonds. Its unrivaled craftsmanship and style are the epitome of Bollywood chic. While decidedly decadent, this necklace has also been incredibly versatile. I have worn it as the pièce de résistance with an Etro gown; as a pop of perfection in casual weekend whites; and as the dramatic showpiece with black leggings and a sexy camisole.
