HOW TO GIFT ITRüdiger Alber of Wempe
jewelers has been buying
his wife baubles every
year for 30 years. Here’s
how to find the perfect
piece for someone else:DO A DATE “There’s
nothing wrong with
shopping together. Have
some Champagne and
get treated and forget
about the world. The
shopping itself can be an
experience.”BE CURIOUS “Observe
the lucky person. Is it
something to wear on a
daily basis or a special
occasion? It’s not about
how much you spent but
how much you thought
about it.”30 –LOVE “Tennis
bracelets continue to
be big. You never have
to take it off, it fits
instantly, you can wear it
for years and years, and
it goes with everything.”ANDIFITALLGOES
HORRIBLYWRONG...
“You want to go with a
store that’s reputable, so
if you don’t get it right, it
shouldn’t be a hassle to
exchange it.”Sevan Bicakci makes every piece of jewelry by hand in his Istanbul
studio, which is recognizable only by a drawing of a dagger above the
door. (His last name means “swordsman”; his great-great-grandfather
was a swordmaker in the Topkapi Palace.) Today he turns his blade on
jewels, carving their undersides into designs that can be seen through
the faceted front, a process called reverse intaglio carving. The
resulting images—often birds or fantastical buildings—are paintedwithin the cavity. In some rings he also adds diamonds to the face of
the carved gem, and these are his hardest projects. Bicakci estimates
he cracks about eight pieces for every one he finishes. In December
he’ll showcase his first such “solitaire” collection, including this ring, in
which he’s carved seagulls in flight out of an oval topaz painted blue. It
features 2.49 carats of diamonds, including the 1.19-carat oval on top.
$49,770; 786 409-7156JEWELRY Bloomberg Pursuits November 18, 201972