Star light, star bright, the first star I see tonight…

Last night leading luxury jeweller
BIRKS invited media and select guests to their tony Bloor St. boutique in Toronto to discover timepieces and jewels from
Van Cleef & Arpels Paris atelier. The exquisite collection of cocktails rings, bracelets and necklaces have the power to stand alone; but fittingly each carefully curated piece has a story, and who better to tell the tale than the house’s most revered patron, Nicolas Luchsinger (Vice President and Heritage Curator). We stole a few precious moments with Monsieur Luchsinger to ask what his five favourite sparklers are of the entire array; naturally not an easy feat as one, or five, is truly never enough.

The “Abstraction” Ring "This is from our newest High Jewelry collection called
Bals de Légende which draws inspiration from five of the most iconic masquerade balls of the 20th Century. This particular ring is based upon the famous
Black and White Ball hosted by Truman Capote in 1966. Not only is the mounting great (which makes a 15.54c ring very wearable) but the stone is an antique stone from the mythical mines of Golconda; quite phenomenal."


The
Perlée” Diamond Clover Bracelet "A very wearable piece which still discreetly shows our infamous Alhambra motif in a subtle way, and the fact that it is in rose gold makes it so contemporary and youthful."


Pont des Amoureux watch This romantic piece tells a story of two lovers meeting for a Parisian rendezvous at both 12 noon and midnight each day for a magical kiss. This theme reminds me of Alfred and Estelle Arpels and their beautiful love story which resulted in the birth of our Maison. The piece also brings together the remarkable works of Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and Dominique Baron who bring their expertise to the timepiece as the best among the world’s movement creators and enamellers, respectively."


“Estate” sautoir (Circa 1970s) "This beautiful and chic colorful sautoir is a masterpiece of our 1970s creations showcasing a great design. It is so representative of a time period where jewelry was worn a very casual way."


"Birds of Paradise" "This contemporary reinterpretation of a theme so dear to the VCA where birds and nature have been such a great source of inspiration to our House since the ’20s."

If money were no object, which piece would you buy?