Home Archive for August 2013

The gorgeous Spanish actress Frances Ondiviela arrived on the blue carpet at this year's Premios Tu Mundo wearing a striking black midi-dress that crowned her as one of the most glamorous women of the night. It was also at this even that Frances wore turquoise and diamond pieces from my collection. Here is Frances making her arrival on the blue carpet...

The strapless gown accented by black lace, received all the best praise from all of the night's fashion critics. The perfect combination of a fun yet classic dress with my fabulous jewels is the work of the super fabulous Carlos Mejia, also known as "El Fashion Guru", yet the attitude and sophistication were all Frances.

I have worked with Carlos Mejia for many years, and he is simply divine. Always professional and always hitting the right marks, Carlos has his eponymous studio here in Miami, where he is busy styling best dressed actresses like Frances, among other elites. Here she is looking awesome behind the scenes, just before hitting the red carpet, with my dear friend "El Fashion Guru."

As far as the jewels were concerned, both Carlos and I knew how to identify perfectly the accessories for Frances' chic look. Long earrings and two elegant rings, all hand-made in 18 Kt white gold with diamonds and turquoise. These pieces gave the actress just the right touch required for an end of summer even in Miami.

As you know I love working with turquoise and of course diamonds are always present in all of my collections. I think that putting these two gemstones together is fresh and unexpected, a very exciting way to have a piece go from day to night, especially during the hot summer months. Here is a closeup of all three pieces.

And a closeup of her showing off the hand-picked pieces she loved so much. Simply stunning results!

I loved working with Frances and have admired her career for a long time. Born in Spain but Mexican by heart, her artistic career began upon being crowned Miss Spain in 1980, and, since then, she took the acting world by storm, and has obtained many important achievements in movies and as well in television. In 2006 she was recognized with the “Premio Bravo” for best actress.

Thanks again to Carlos Mejia and all of the team of "el Fashion Guru." Don't forget to follow all of these talented people on twitter and instagram @laondiviela and @elfashionguru.

Love Always

Dani K

I have written about pearls, their history and magic many times, yet pearls, are a gem I keep coming back to. Today I'm going you show you some of my most recent designs, this time using Tahitian black pearls as the starting point for these two very different but very beautiful earrings.

I designed these beautiful pieces with the the city of Florence as a background and inspiration. I was there recently, and fell in love all over again with the churches and the piazzas an and all of the city's Renaissance charm. The black pearls reminded me of all of the masterpieces I saw and the city with all of its intricate and irregular designs. When I was staring at the beautiful grey stonework and marble everywhere, I had to find a way for a woman to carry such beauty around town herself. That is when the idea to use black pearls came about. The black and white diamonds were an obvious complement and the rest is jewelry history.

People have been making jewels from pearls for centuries. They are after all, the oldest known gem. I keep the on the top of my list because due to their beauty and value, they have been able to transcend the test of time. In the 1900's pearls were so rare and valuable, that famed jeweler (and idol of mine) Jacques Cartier purchased the property for his store on Fifth Avenue by exchanging the property for two pearl necklaces.
Black pearls come in a range of colors such as peacock, dark blues and greens, to even multihued. All are super chic and unbelievably gorgeous.The shape of the earrings was also a direct reaction to the elongated and irregular silhouette of the churches, especially il Duomo, which I could not escape while I was there since it's such a landmark.

The pearl and white diamond drop-style earrings above are very avant garde, very modern, much like Firenze herself. What makes them even more compelling is the perfect balance of all the elements. The white and the black, tle light and the dark, the round and the elongated What do you think of my Florentine inspired gems?

Tahitian pearls, or black pearls as they are commonly known, are almost twice the size of the Akoya. These large, dark beauties are treasured for their rarity and exotic color and luster. Year after year, Tahitians increase in value, making them an amazing investment. These pearls are worshiped for their almost metallic color, which varies from light grey to dark grey. In addition to their dark color, Tahitians are favored due to their ability to display different shades of shine on their surface. The most desired are peacock and and cobalt blue colors, but aubergine, magenta, greens, golden-orange, and lemon are also available.

For these earrings I chose black gold because it would make the beautiful and shiny diamonds really stand out. I also went with black because it was super chic like the city it inspired, and looked beautiful against the pearls.

When purchasing pearls, remember that even though the size of a pearl does not determine its quality, it does matter when it comes to price. Because its very hard to grow a larger pearl, usually the bigger the pearl, the higher the price it will fetch.

I love working with pearls and have used them since I began designing jewelry. Due to their amazing characteristics and popularity with my clientele, they are always present in my collections. A pearl can be a symbol of love or a good investment. To me, they are a spectacle of nature and a world or inspiration. 'Till next time.

Love Always

Dani K

Pink sapphires are one of the staples in most of my collections. This sumer I used quite a bit of sapphires because what could go better with rose gold, the hottest thing in jewelry right now, than glittery pink sapphires. Here are two great pieces to illustrate that trend, as well as a bit of history and lore of these beautiful gems.

The enduring and alluring Sapphire forms in more colors than just the legendary Blue Sapphire. Each color exhibits its own unique metaphysical properties and vibrational patterns, yet all are Stones of Wisdom. They honor the higher mind, bringing intuition, clarity and self-mastery. Worn throughout the ages for protection, good fortune and spiritual insight, Sapphires are not only symbols of power and strength, but also of kindness and wise judgment.

Sapphire is a variety of Corundum, an aluminum oxide mineral that forms in prismatic tabular, bipyramidal or rhombohedral crystals, as well as granular or massive habits, and may be transparent to opaque. The name Corundum is of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit korundand applied to opaque massive gems, generally of a dull color. With the exception of Red Corundum, which is Ruby, all other colors of Corundum are Sapphires. Pink Corundum is usually referred to in gemological terms as Pink Sapphire rather than Ruby, though chromium forming with aluminum oxide provides the coloration for both.

Pink sapphires are known to generate feelings of love, forgiveness, acceptance and release. This gentle stone provides strength in difficult situations. This stone combines energies of the heart with a disciplined mind, creating strength in balance. They are also a stone of passion that brings joyful play to any relationship, help overcome shyness, dissolve emotional blocks, open your life to love and help release the past and overcome past wounds.

Pink Sapphire is an ideal stone of emotional and psychic protection, especially in situations where one has no control in directing events, but cannot simply depart either. Sapphire is exceptional for calming and focusing the mind, allowing the release of mental tension and unwanted thoughts. It encourages opening the mind to beauty and intuition, bringing lightness and joy as it restores balance within the body. As a professional support stone, Sapphire provides awareness of higher principles in archeologists and historians, stimulates the mind and wisdom in executives, ministers and writers, and increases discernment and good judgment in journalists and lawyers.

As far as the power of their color, pink sapphire reflects the toned-down, more feminine aspect of red color energy, bringing determination, commitment, and caring. Its soothing color calms feelings of anger or resentment, and can aid efforts to meditate and reflect. Pink is the color of new love, new romance and new relationships. It increases developing sensuality, and can help overcome heartache, aiding in the improvement of our caring and loving abilities.

These two pieces, my "Miami" bracelet and the beautiful white agate "Gia" ring from my Wanderlust collection are great pieces to wear pink sapphires in. They are both timeless and wearable and make a perfect statement for the modern woman who is powerful and independent, yet still feminine and soft.

It is this duality that has always drawn me back to pink diamonds. This hard and soft aesthetic is a great inspiration for me, especially when I am dreaming up color and gemstone combinations.

Hope you enjoyed my post on pink sapphires and I hope to see you back here soon.

Love Always

Dani K

Daniella Kronfle

“SOLO HAY UNA OPORTUNIDAD PARA VIVIR”

Por Redacción Expresiones

A sus 37 años el nombre de esta guayaquileña radicada en Miami consta en el libro Jewelry International, en el que también aparecen prestigiosas joyerías como Bvlgary, Chopard, Buchelatti, Cartier y de Grisogono. Aprovechamos la visita de Daniella Kronfle a la ciudad que la vio nacer para descubrir a la mujer que hay detrás de la gemóloga favorita de Thalía y adentrarnos poco a poco en el mundo íntimo de la diseñadora de las coronas de Miss Ecuador y Miss Continente Americano.

Su voz es fuerte, determinante y nada vacilante a la hora de decir lo que piensa. Sin embargo, cuando sonríe lo hace sin reservas y aquella primera impresión de una creativa con porte de empresaria cambia drásticamente para dar paso a un divertido diálogo que se extendió por cerca de una hora en la sala de su casa cuya decoración devela sobriedad, orden, buen gusto, arte y calidez.

Salud y bienestar

”Soy una mujer que vive pendiente de lo que come y del ejercicio, practico yoga. No le temo a la muerte, pero sí a las enfermedades. Así como me alimento sano, el fin de semana disfruto de la pizza y una hamburguesa con papas, duermo hasta la hora que quiero y me tomo un vinito. Luego regreso a mi estructura de trabajo y disciplina. Manejarte con un esquema te permite avanzar en la vida. Está en mis genes porque mi madre es así también”.

Sus admiradoras

“La primera celebridad en lucir mis joyas fue Bárbara Palacios, Miss Universo 1986, y lo hizo para ayudar a los niños con cáncer en Venezuela. Cuando ocurrió no lo podía creer porque no soy la única diseñadora de joyas en el mundo y en Miami tienes muchas opciones. Eso me motivó a querer más celebridades (ríe)”. Hoy la lista incluye a Thalía, Chiquinquirá Delgado (fotos), Ana Bárbara, Patricia Manterola, Jaqueline Bracamontes, Sonya Smith, Ana de la Reguera y Julieta Venegas.

Su esencia en cada joya

“En cada pieza única que hago (la elaboración tarda ocho semanas) hay dedicación y entrega. El proceso incluye la perfección en el trabajo, el pulido del oro, la limpieza, el engrase en piedras y la calidad de la misma. Soy muy exigente y cuando algo se exhibe en mi vitrina es porque pasó todos los filtros. El ojo fácilmente se enamora de algo bonito, cuando hay arte, se nota y con todas mis piezas me quiero quedar. La tendencia de ahora es el oro rosado en combinación con zafiros de colores, también predominan los anillos grandes, hasta dos en una mano y las pulseras con eslabones”.

Enamorada de Florencia

“Casarme en Florencia fue una experiencia maravillosa, mi conexión con esa ciudad es fuerte porque estudié allá mi carrera. Me marcó en muchos aspectos, cultural y artísticamente. Entrar en contacto con la orfebrería pura y la historia del renacimiento me dio el DNA como diseñadora. Esa ciudad es el centro cultural de las artes plásticas hasta hoy encuentras buenas escuelas para el diseño de joyas, modas, restauración y pintura. Sus maestros respiran arte porque han crecido en un museo viviente, se sienten orgullosos de transmitir sus conocimientos”.

Entre la lectura y la música

“Escucho de todo, desde música italiana hasta Armando Manzanero, The Beatles, The Doobie Brothers, Hall & Oates y Ambrosia. Como actores admiro a Meryl Streep y Jack Nicholson por la evolución de sus carreras. Lo que más disfruto es la lectura, por un tiempo leí a García Márquez, hoy me inclino por las biografías. He leído las de Napoleón, Julio César, María Antonieta, Frida Kahlo, Leonardo Da Vinci. Ahora leo El retrato de Dorian Gray, de Óscar Wilde.

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WWWW: Frances Ondiviela

Blue Sapphires and the Venezia Bracelet

Paraiba Princess Ring

Fall Preview and a History of Serpents in Jewelry Design

Florentine Inspiration: Black Pearls

Pink Sapphires: All You Need to Know

Press: Revista Expresiones

“SOLO HAY UNA OPORTUNIDAD PARA VIVIR”

Por Redacción Expresiones