Buys - If You Only Have 30 Minutes At The Jewelfest.....

Let’s face it – we all love bling. That’s why we did a preview of the Jewelfest. Now, Madam is giving you a first-hand low-down and lap-up of the glitterati at last night’s opening of the 2nd part of the Singapore Jewelfest. If you feel in need of new sparkles, this is the place to get it ‘cos most pieces here are either new in town or making its debut before they hit the stores later; plus, many jewelers there are offering as much as 50% off their brand new baubles, but do bring your UOB card.

But if you are short on time, make a beeline for the more unique brands in the bejewelled tent. Here's what you can do:

First stop, feast your eyes on the most expensive piece in the festival to get into the mood: this gorgeous baby (Grandiosa) by Goldheart costs over S$6.38 million, and each diamond on the choker alone is 1 carat! The big rock in front? 30 carats, and the whole necklace weighs in at 206.95 carats. You’ll need a couple of body guards around before you wear that out for din-dins.

Second most expensive piece is from Mouawad – huge massive yellow and white diamonds, over $4million.

Moving on, I liked March Jewels which does gorgeous nature-themed jewelry, from the little dinky animal rings (the Whimsy range we featured earlier – the birds and squirrels move on a hinge) which cost just over $1000, to the fabuliciously over-the-top reptile rings in the shape of a crawling iguana that sat so nicely on the contours on my finger, to a naughty snake-and-rose combination.

The lotus range (pictured here in black gold and fancy diamonds) is also beautifully graphic, and Madam couldn’t help but part with a little hard-earned moolah for a pendant from this range – just like wearing a piece of art!

The thing about March is, they design for ladies like us – lusciously experienced in life, and old enough to carry off bold, brilliant bling that 20-something-year-olds simply can’t pull off with the same aplomb.

By the way, March Jewels does not have retail outlets yet – but they plan to open by end December this year in Novena Square, Clifford Centre and OG Orchard Point. You heard it at SimplyFab first!

Across them is Voi Jewellery which specializes in huge cocktail rings. Nice stuff, but what caught my eye were candy coloured eternity rings (from $400plus each after discounts) you could stack on your finger. These guys are at Fullerton Hotel and Suntec City Mall.

Italian jeweler Zydo also has lovely, nostalgic cocktail rings....See?

For the first time, Soo Kee has brought in Versace jewelry which turned out more affordable than I thought. The gold V-ring (pictured, ring in the centre) smoothly curls around your finger, and is customized to your little digit. After you pay for it – just over $2000 only! – you’ll have to wait 2 months for it to be made just for you. Not bad value for a ring you can wear literally every day. The Versace range will be available at Soo Kee outlets at Tampines Mall, Vivocity and ION Orchard after the fest.

If you like colour, take a look at Bibigi at the Tianpo showcase; for serious natural pearls, see Baerling including the necklace with a ‘lady’ sitting on a piece of jade (but be prepared to fork out serious money too); and for jade, Malaysia’s Straits jewelry has some nice pieces.

So much bling, so little time….

- Ee Waun