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August is the time of year when ALL the fashion magazines are rolling out the fall season trends. I love looking at the new styles, but tend to get a little exasperated with all the clothes, shoes and handbags shouting from the pages.

My spirits soared, though, when I came across this Must-Have Accessories for Fall editorial over at Harper’s Bazaar online! They included a few ladies’ watches. Sure, they were spotlighting this fall’s on-trend leopard and bold red, but my eye was quickly drawn to the model’s wrist. Lo and behold, there was my must-have fall accessory – a gold watch!

Here, Harper’s Bazaar styles a gold Cartier and gold Chopard Ice Cube with their fall looks. Cartier and Chopard have long been the ultimate go-to for ladies fashion and high-jewelry. If you’re like me, though, and want something a bit out of the ordinary, obsess with me over these gold watches:

I love the sporty yet totally feminine look of this red gold Corum Admiral’s Cup Competition 40 watch with its mother-of-pearl dial and unique 12 side diamond-set bezel.

And what is there not to love about this totally elegant yet quirky Piaget Limelight Magic Hour pink gold watch. Its movable oval diamond-set bezel gives you 3 different looks in just one watch.

So now when you feel like you can’t look at another pair of shoes or another “it” handbag, remember this season’s true must-have accessory — a gold watch at your wrist.

PS. Here’s another picture of the Piaget Limelight Magic Hour so you can see each of its three looks. Thanks for your question, Silvia!

We recently discussed the forthcoming collaboration between renowned Brazilian jeweler H. Stern and renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Neimeyer here. Jewelry is in many ways simply architecture of a smaller scale; beauty and function must be balanced in a delicate art of engineering. It’s no surprise that throughout the years so many architects have lent their creativity to our bejeweled world.

This new H. Stern collection finds its inspiration in Neimeyer’s hand-drawn sketches. Thus, we find graceful arcs and squiggles embellished with diamonds, all impeccably executed by H. Stern’s craftspeople. The collection is due to launch this fall. Here is a sampling:

I leave you with this charming video homage to Niemeyer. I like its playfulness, and how effectively it shows the power of line. We need very little to convey a story or create beauty. Diamonds, though, always help.

Last week I somewhat gleefully shared a tale of heartache, woe, and (alleged) battery, so I thought, lest you think me nothing but a cruel beast, I should share a heartwarming tale of redemption. Consider this my version of Chicken Soup for the Jeweler’s Soul.

I recently read the story of a woman who, thirty years later, returned to the scene of her crime – a jewelry store at which she’d worked – to confess the theft of some two dozen jewels and return the loot. Amazing, no? The skeptics among you may read the story in greater detail here. Tears were shed. Forgiveness was granted. And the world became a better a place. Amen.

Crafting inspiring parables is no easy feat, and I make no claim to success. But how can I focus on elevating your minds, when my own is distracted by the question: Well, Miss Goldsmith, if you were to abscond with a bevy of beautiful baubles, which would they be?

Clockwise from top left we have: South Sea pearl and diamond earrings and ring from Tara; an onyx and diamond ring from Di Modolo’s “Favola” collection; a “Stars” pearl necklace from H. Stern; and a diamond bracelet from Di Modolo’s “Tempia” collection. All jail-worthy jewels, don’t you agree?

It seems I must do a little more Chicken Soup reading myself, and I’m sure this curmudgeon’s beleaguered coworkers would second that. As for the other, my employer needn’t worry. Miss Goldsmith doesn’t have the combination to the safe.

I loved The September Issue, so imagine my embarrassment when someone else pointed out to me that Anna Wintour practically lives in an H. Stern necklace (or two) throughout the film. Sherlock Holmes, I am not, for my powers of observation were apparently on holiday, or perhaps I was just distracted by a giant tub of popcorn.

While I’m not one to dwell on my failings, my guilt has inspired me to show some extra H. Stern love, and what better place than here? Anna Wintour wore several necklaces similar, if not identical, to the citrine “Sunrise Necklace” featured in this look:

Earth/Sky by jmlan

As always, I love to see bold, gem encrusted jewels worn sans evening gown. This piece illustrates the wonderful color variation to be found in natural gemstones. Here, citrines travel from pale butter to caramel to triple malt scotch. Here is the H. Stern “Sunrise Necklace” with some of its kin:

I love the skinny, pointed prongs on these gumdrop-like gems. The ring is tourmaline, and the earrings are, I suspect, tourmaline, peridot, citrine and blue topaz.

Last week, I mentioned all the press that designer K. Brunini has been getting for her latest collection, Body Armor. These mixed-material, fit-for-a-warrior pieces have been getting well deserved attention, as we discussed here and here. Meanwhile, her earlier, nature-inspired work has – quite rightly – been no less ignored. None other than Gisele Bundchen wore a K. Brunini orchid brooch in a recent issue of Muse:

I wasn’t familiar with Muse, which bills itself as “the Fashionart Magazine”. There is some undeniably gorgeous photography on its website, so if you’re turned on by that sort of thing, check it out here.

There is also an arty video of Gisele, though the brooch in question cannot be seen. There is a pair of earrings, though, that look as if they could be attributed to K. Brunini. Without the magazine in hand, I can’t say for certain. They are appropriately twig-like. Perhaps one of you Dear Readers could enlighten me?

Before you venture off to suss that one out, here is some more of K. Brunini’s nature-inspired work:

All the above jewelry is fashioned from 18 karat gold, sterling silver, and gemstones such as diamond and ruby. In addition: the hummingbird pendant is carved from mammoth tusk; the orchid brooches are carved from bone; and the raven ring is carved from jet. Each one is a miniature sculpture you can wear.

Oh, how I love juicy gossip. As I’ve trolled the internet these many months looking for tasty bits on my favorite brands (all for you, Dear Readers), there’s been one story that’s kept cropping up. When it did, I’d raise my fist to the sky and say “Aww, shucks, how did I miss that one?” To my delight, the New York Post – known for all things juicy – has just re-aired this bit of dirty laundry, and so now I have a timely excuse to share my lurid fascination with one little detail in a tale of love gone wrong.

The love gone wrong is that of celebrity chef Todd English and his ex-fiancée, whom he (maybe) dumped at the altar and who (maybe), get this, “socked him with a Chopard watch during a fight over a prenup.” Everything, of course, is alleged, and I’ll leave debating the veracity of these tales to those who care. True or not, I am massively entertained that it’s never just a watch, it’s a Chopard. That is only right and proper, no?

The New York Post article, as is to be expected, is no random piece of news fluff. English is back in the limelight promoting his new restaurant, Ca Va, at the InterContinental New York Times Square. In the article, he’s pictured all decked out with “piercing blue eyes and tousled gelled hair” – and a massive wristwatch of indeterminate make. Please go have a look, and if you have any luck identifying it, let me know. Somehow I suspect it is not a Chopard.

If I wanted to make a deadly weapon of a Chopard timepiece, I’d throw in my lot with one of these babies:

The Miglia Mille, naturally, for its large case size and stainless steel construction. Really, when you’re going to bop someone on the head, a leather strap just won’t do. Chrono all the way, of course. Find someone with the right prison-gleaned shank-crafting skills, and I’m sure they could work wonders with those buttons. And then there’s the Ice Cube, because those square corners look so promising, and if you’re going to risk jail time, at least you’d do so looking good.