Jewelry/Fashion Happenings Around Manhattan

After a few rainy weekends, the forecast for New York City this weekend is Sunny and climbing in temperature. We had 90 degrees in April, which dipped down to the 40/50s and raining for four days straight and this week, we will experience lower-than-normal May temperatures. Now I know you don’t come here for me to give you a weather report, so let me get to the point—it’s a day to be out and about and looking at jewelry if you are visiting or live in or close to Manhattan.

First, let’s start with the Lagerfeld exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Exhibit. There were so many awe-inspiring looks at the Gala that gave a nod to the legendary designer in multiple ways, both personally and professionally that was fulfilling for a night of celebrity watching, but if you want to see 65 years of the visionary’s work, then head on over and get tickets for Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. It begins with his work in the 1950s and goes up to his final collection in 2019. This from the museum’s website, “Most of the approximately 150 pieces on display will be accompanied by Lagerfeld’s sketches, Lagerfeld’s fluid lines united his designs for Balmain, Patou, Chloé, Fendi, Chanel, and his eponymous label, Karl Lagerfeld, creating a diverse and prolific body of work unparalleled in the history of fashion.”

After that, you can walk over from 5th Avenue and 80th Street to 66th and Madison and stop in at Fred Leighton, where you can peruse some of the best antique/vintage jewelry in town. It’s a favorite stop for tourists and New York collectors alike. Just look at the windows and you will get drawn in. I am sure they will highlight some of the pieces in which they dressed some of the A-listers at the MET Gala, such as these rings on Emily Ratajkowski. They also have some awe-inspiring pearl period pieces.

And speaking of pearls, it’s perfect timing for the “Restringing The Pearl”, an exhibition and sale that explores personal and cultural perspectives on pearls as classic symbols of elegance, status, and chic, is now on view at The Jewelry Library! Curated by designers Petra Class and Biba Schutz, Restringing the Pearl features myriad artists working in the medium from experimental to edgy to classic minimal designs. In a Zoom call with Petra and Biba, both in London, I asked:

What is it about pearls for you that led you to curate this show?

Biba: “It wasn’t about the pearls; it was what the pearls represented––our individual histories. We started talking about what pearls meant to our mothers and grandmothers, to younger members of our families and us, too.”

Petra: “ It’s funny now, but when we were younger, Biba and I rejected pearls; they were too conservative for our younger punkster selves.

Biba: Everyone experiences pearls in some way, whether it’s costume jewelry, authentic pearls, or a story about them. The history of the pearl is fascinating, and the Jewelry Library will have some books on display to explore that history.

The exhibition/sale with be on view April 27–June 6, 2023. Tuesdays–Fridays, 11:00–6:00 pm. Saturdays, 11:00–4:00 pm.

After you take in the exhibits and jewelry of the stars, head further downtown to The Seven West Village for a trunk show of some of the best Mother’s Day jewelry around. Samantha Jackson from Heavenly Vices will be there, where she will introduce her Lock Stories collection, including a modern take on sentimental and combination locks with symbolic motifs and words, cartouches, and charming miniatures of meaningful pieces. Samantha will also reveal the centerpiece of her Love Stories collection, antique engraved coins from the 19th century, known as Love Tokens. In the Victorian era, love tokens started as gifts from a beau to his belle. Over time, their popularity extended far beyond these traditional boundaries to commemorate more than just romantic love – the most popular of which are Mama and Mother love tokens – just in time for Mother’s Day! They will have pre-set love tokens as well as loose love tokens from their diverse collection and sample bezels to select from to build a one-of-a-kind tribute to the special women in your life! These are perfect, particularly since Mother’s Day is getting rather close. Saturday, May 6, 2023 from 11:00-6:00 at 330 Bleecker Street at the corner of Bleeker and Christopher.

So take in the more temperate weather, the sunshine and the glow of jewelry.

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