The Cult of Shamballa

Pia Exber-Morris showing-off the Shamballa Jewels bracelet she got at the Nathan Adelson Hospice luncheon this Spring

Like their contemporaries in the world of fashion, certain jewelers make "signature" pieces. Fans of these designers are inducted into a de facto cult and become "friends" with each other, merely by striking-up a conversation with someone whom they deem to be in the know. Once, while waiting for a restroom on an airplane, I was befriended by a random lady because she noticed I was wearing a certain brand of watch and decided right then and there that I must be her sort of person. True story!

A Shamballa Jewels bracelet of macrame with black Tahitian pearls, balls of pave black diamonds, and balls of 18kt white gold

So it is with Shamballa Jewels.

Immediately recognizable, I know a doorman who has allowed entry into some of New York's finer establishments solely because he spotted a Shamballa bracelet on the man or woman in question and figured he/she must "be someone" - or at least “get it” and have the wherewithal to be worthy of entry.

Also, I’ve found that when you’re all “Hey! Shamballa, huh? Right on…” that folks like Rihanna, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Daniel Day Lewis, LeBron James, Ellen DeGeneres, Heidi Klum, and Ashton Kutcher are put far more at ease than if you just run up and accost them (but maybe that’s just me…).

A fierce lady at the home of Dana & Greg Lee models her Shamballa bracelet at an NWP luncheon earlier this Fall

As each piece is made by hand, no two are ever precisely the same - but they are all imbued with that sense of intrinsic well-being that comes straight from the centeredness of Shamballa founder Mads Kornerup, and his band of merry elves in Denmark.

Part of that well-being derives from the spirit of philanthropy that Mads insists upon for his company, having donated bracelets from Shamballa Jewels to numerous charity events in Las Vegas, including Nathan Adelson Hospice and Keep Memory Alive/Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

Here I am modeling my Shamballa bracelet as part of my "Gay Gatsby" ensemble at the opening of Encore for Steve Wynn's birthday party this Winter

As much trustafarian as Tibetan, as much Upper Eastside as SoHo, I liken the bejeweled macramé bracelets as the jewelry equivalent Italian luxury brand Marni. It's not worth explaining, because either you'll get it or you won't - but if you do, you know that when you see it on someone else, chances are that you've just found a kindred spirit - and perhaps, a new friend.

Article I wrote for the October '09 "Men's Issue" of GOTHAM with a Shamballa Jewels bracelet in the center of the page

The bracelets of Shamballa Jewels are available in Las Vegas at Neiman Marcus (in the Precious Jewels Salon) and in New York at Barneys New York.

A Shamballa Jewels bracelet of brown macrame tied around balls of ebony centered around a ball of pave brown diamonds in 18kt yellow gold