JJ Number 8 Jewelry Releases ‘Freedom’ Video

I have been following the JJ Number 8 jewelry brand since I first met the founder of the company, Jamie, at the 2011 Centurion Jewelry Show, where she was selected as an “Emerging Designer” winner.

The brand specializes in marquise-shaped gemstones with cabochon finishes as well as hoop earrings. The pieces are colorful and playful. Jamie (who prefers to be called “JJ”) also has a knack of presenting her brand in a stylish way through her marketing and advertising programs by focusing on the Southern California lifestyle that is so much of a part of who she is. 

She has now extended her branding to a new medium with the release of the video “Freedom,” featuring a beautiful woman in beautiful jewelry enjoying the Southern California beach lifestyle.It has become the centerpiece of all of her new marketing activities. 

“When I design JJ Number 8 jewelry, I have this world I escape to in my imagination,” Jamie said. “It’s a world that brings me peace. Up until now, it’s been a world that I've only been able to express through my jewelry. But I wanted to share this world and bring the story to life through film and artistic cinematography and invite everyone to experience it with me.”

Jamie said the video mixes a nurturing calmness, fun and soft energy, and playful femininity.

“To me, it celebrates what it really feels like to be a woman,” she said.

It's good for me to see young jewelry brands with quality products and a strong focus continue to grow and prosper. The video is below:


"FREEDOM" BY JJ NUMBER 8 JEWELRY from JJ NUMBER 8 JEWELRY on Vimeo.

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LEOPARD + ADIDAS

Photo via: Miel mon Miel

Kind of obsessed with this fun leopard coat and Adidas tee mix on Christel.

Get the look...

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ps- Don't forget the Shopbop 'Friends + Family' sale ends today.
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A Big Pink and a Big Blue Diamond Fetched Big Bucks At Christie’s

Two fancy colored diamonds were the top sellers at Christie’s New York Magnificent Jewels sale Tuesday. Meanwhile, the diamond engagement ring that Kris Humphries gave to Kim Kardashian at the same sale made lots of noise but ended up only having the 12th highest sale price at $749,000.

The top lots among the 389 offered were:

* An 8.77-carat rectangular-cut fancy intense pink VVS1 diamond that sold for more than $6.3 million, or $721,200 per carat (top photo). The buyer was Moussaieff Jewellers, a luxury retail jeweler with stores in London and Geneva.

* A 3.81-carat rectangular-cut fancy vivid blue VS1 diamond that sold for nearly $4 million, or more than $1 million per carat (pictured above). The buyer requested anonymity.

The other top lots are as follows:

* A 25.30-carat rectangular-cut D color VVS1 diamond that sold for more than $3.1 million.

* An 18.28-carat cushion-cut D color VVS2 diamond that sold for more than $2 million.

* A 15.88-carat cushion-cut Kashmir sapphire that sold for more than $1.8 million.

* A 10.75-carat rectangular-cut D color internally flawless diamond that sold for nearly $1.4 million.

* A 17-carat rectangular-cut F color VS1 diamond ring that sold for more than $1.2 million. The ring was part of Diana Dollar Knowles Collection. Knowles, who died March 4 at the age of 95, was a noted San Francisco philanthropist and patron of the arts.

The auction at Christie’s Rockefeller Center headquarters took in more than $46.6 million with 75 percent of the items sold by lot and 85 percent sold by value.

However, the sale also notable for a number of big-ticket items that failed to sell. Among them:

* An 18k pink gold and platinum ring set with a 2.47-carat heart-shaped fancy purple-pink diamond and flanked on either side by a modified heart- shaped fancy intense blue diamond, weighing approximately 1.22 and 1.16 carats. Its high estimate was $1.55 million.

* A 37.20-carat modified pear-shaped fancy deep brown-yellow diamond mounted in 18k rose gold with a high estimate of $800,000.

* An 11.70-carat circular-cut diamond, with the shoulders set with baguette-cut diamonds, mounted in platinum that had a high estimate of $800,000.

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DIANE KRUGER | SHEARLING JEAN JACKET

Photos via: Just Jared

Diane Kruger out in Beverly Hills in a shearling denim jacket and studded boots.

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Kim Kardashian’s 20-Carat Engagement Ring Fetches $749,000 At Auction

Kris Humphries reportedly said he just wanted to move on so he can’t be too disappointed for the price his 20.5-carat diamond engagement ring to Kim Kardashian achieved at auction Tuesday.

The NBA basketball player, who paid a reported $2 million for the diamond and platinum ring for the reality TV star in 2011, saw the ring sell for $749,000 during Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction. While the ring did not sell for its original price it did easily exceed the high auction estimate of $500,000.

Listed simply as an “Impressive Diamond Ring,” the ring designed by Lorraine Schwartz is set with a 16.21-carat rectangular-cut diamond with I color, VS1 clarity. The diamond is flanked on either side with a trapeze-cut diamond, each weighing approximately 1.80 carats. 

The celebrity couple separated after 72 days of marriage in 2011. The divorce became final in 2012.

Although reports started circulating as to the owner of the ring, the provenance wasn’t confirmed until an unidentified person representing Humphries told E! News that it was indeed being sold by him. 

“He has long-since moved on and is very much looking forward to a successful auction at Christie's on Tuesday, and of course to returning to the court this upcoming NBA season as a Boston Celtic,” the representative said in a statement to the entertainment news network.

Rahul Kadakia, head of Jewelry for Christie’s Americas and Switzerland, who led the auction, announced that a portion of proceeds will benefit a charity. 

Bidding began at $200,000 and quickly rose to $480,000. After a pause it went to $520,000. It then slowly climbed to reach a final bid of $620,000. Commission and fees bought the price of the ring to $749,000.

It was the last item of the morning session of the auction. It is scheduled to resume at 2:30 p.m.

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes Website.