Welcome back to my day-by-day breakdown of the 2023 edition of The COUTURE Show, which recently returned to the Wynn Convention Center.  As my notes were more comprehensive on Day 4, I have broken out each of the designers with whom I met—Arunashi, Goshwara, Karen Suen Fine Jewellery, Bayco, and Assael—into their own article.  Enjoy!  Up next: KAREN SUEN FINE JEWELLERY!

Sunday, June 04: Day 4 (1pm – 6pm)

While It is unescapably accurate that the role of colored gemstones and minerals, as well as colored alloys, and techniques such as enameling, have become increasingly more prominent in jewelry design as people become more concerned with expressing their own personalities and individuality than in years past; it always amuses me when I learn that another editor has come away from COUTURE declaring that “Color” is a hot trend.   

Besides the fact that colorless diamonds are always going to be in style—certainly, if DeBeers has anything to do with it, and especially with the rise in high-quality lab-grown diamonds—you’d have to have a heckuva lotta nerve (and be ignorant af!) to walk up to anyone affiliated with any the five acclaimed jewelry houses I met with on the last day of COUTURE 2023, look them in the eye and tell them, with a straight face, that color is new, is back, is a trend, or is anything other than one of the pillars upon which they (and in many cases, previous generations of their families) have built their respective companies. 

Anyhow, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let’s get to it!

KAREN SUEN FINE JEWELLERY:  It was back in 2017, when Hong Kong-based Karen Suen Fine Jewellery first blipped on my radar, in the form of Suen’s sublime five-strand necklace of conch pearls and diamond beads (which I immediately used for a #WearableProzac post); so I was particularly psyched when Suen first began showing at COUTURE in 2019.  Suffice it to say that after my appointment with Suen at COUTURE 2023, I’m still delighted.

This year, Suen introduced her new Dream of Galaxy collection.  Consisting of celestial-themed (think: stars, comets, moons, etc.) mix-and-match earrings, and stackable rings, as well as necklaces and bracelets perfect for layering—available in both 18K gold and 18K white gold, and with versions featuring partial diamond pavé or fully pavéd (the choice is yours)—the incredibly versatile and wearable ‘Dream of Galaxy’ collection comes in at a far more accessible price-point than her high jewelry range, though it’s still very much a luxury collection (think prêt-à-porter vs. haute couture).  And while I enjoyed the entire “Dream of Galaxy” collection, I was there to get my hands on Suen’s magnificent creations with vibrantly colored gemstones—Paraiba tourmaline, Colombian emerald, Australian black opal, padparadscha sapphires, etc.—not to mention those conch pearls which, while just beginning to gain appreciation in the American market, have been all the rage in Asia for decades.

So what caught my eye in Suen’s cases, this year?  First were the Colombian emeralds from Suen’s ‘Enchanting Emerald’ collection, which filled an entire case, from where a few pieces really stood out to me.  Among these was the “Yowza!”-inducing ‘Enchanting Emerald’ Colombian Emerald Bracelet with Diamonds in 18K White Gold featuring 15 chunky emerald-cut Colombian emeralds totaling 75.98-carats, in an articulated 18K white gold bracelet set with 948 round diamonds (2.3tcw), that is open on the sides to let in as much light as possible, and another 18 round emeralds (1.8tcw) on the clasp.  Rumor has it that this bracelet has been seen on the wrist of Naomi Campbell (but, as Miss Benita Butrell used to say on In Living Color, "Now, I ain’t the one to gossip so you didn’t hear that from me").  Of course, it just made sense that while I was fondling the bracelet, I’d do so with an ‘Enchanting Emerald’ ring or three.  First, was the ‘Enchanting Emerald‘ Claw Ring, an 18K white gold and black rhodium ring with prongs like claws that grip the marvelous Colombian emerald of 17.58-carats like something out of Game of Thrones, with 10 smaller emeralds (0.24tcw) set into the ring between each claw/prong; after which I shifted gears and tried on the ‘Enchanting Emerald’ Colombian Emerald, Diamond, and Purple Sapphire Ring, an 18K white gold ‘wave’ ring featuring an exceptional Colombian emerald (3.14cts) surrounded by a halo of round diamonds (1.24tcw), set in a sea of purple, plum, and violet sapphires (8.26tcw), with some round emeralds (0.44tcw) thrown in on the shank, because why not?  Finally, rounding out my time amongst the emeralds was the ‘Enchanting Emerald’ Sugarloaf Emerald and Fancy Colored Diamond Ring, featuring a bright 18.47-carat cabochon Colombian emerald surrounded by a double wreath of round fancy colored diamonds totaling 4.02-carats (in hues ranging from pale yellow to dark amber), set in 18K gold, on a ring of 18K white gold set with 1.24-carats of diamonds. 

Bidding adieu to the emeralds, I made my way to a couple of fabulous jewels that take 'on-trend' to a whole new level.  The Padparadscha Sapphire and Diamond Ring features what may well be the finest padparadscha sapphire I’ve ever had on my finger—a cushion-cut unheated Sri Lankan stone of 14.76-carats in the most deliciously intense hue of salmony pink (rather like the insides of a very ripe guava) and with incredible clarity—rising above three rows of round diamonds (0.99tcw) and a single row of ten laterally-set oval diamonds (3.21tcw), held in place by ten prongs of 18K gold set with pink diamonds (0.39tcw), in a ring of 18K white gold.  Is it any wonder that I've dubbed it the Barbie® Dream Ring?  And owing to the very complimentary pink hues of the Conch Pearl and Diamond Tassel Earrings featuring 183 conch pearls totaling 112.44-carats and 20.23-carats of briolette-cut diamonds, with 72 trillion-cut diamonds (5.63tcw), 48 rose-cut diamonds (3.17tcw), and 288 round diamonds (3.33tcw), I likewise nicknamed these the Barbie® Dream Earrings.  [Check it out: Barbiecore for the one percent of the one percent!]

Finally, there was the Multicolored Sapphire and Paraiba Tourmaline Bombe Ring, a commanding cocktail ring with 23 multicolored sapphires (53.13cts), framed by round diamonds (2.31cts) interspersed with 38 Paraiba tourmalines (1.61cts), all set on an 18K white gold bombe ring that would be right at home on a hand holding a flute of Dom Pérignon Rosé.  

COUTURE 2023: Day 4, KAREN SUEN FINE JEWELLERY
Wynn Las Vegas
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