Erica Courtney has defined style and luxury with and iconic collection of chic statement pieces that pushes the boundaries of artisan jewelry. Her jewelry is adorned with vivid colored jewels, whimsical designs and intricate details seduces one with the perfect blend of feminine charm and attraction.
The unique beauty of every woman inspires Erica’s collections. Her designs reflect the power and poise of those who wear them, through the exquisite craftsmanship of renowned master goldsmiths. Erica’s passion for colored gemstones drives her to travel the world, searching for the most rare and stunning natural gemstones to form the centerpieces of her jewelry. Signature Erica Courtney jewelry encompasses countless paved diamonds, eye-catching vintage colored stones, rare Tahitian pearls, all in 18k gold and platinum custom settings with exceptional attention to detail. Every single gem and pearl is handpicked by Erica herself. By working only with pieces she loves, pieces that attract and inspire her, Erica’s intense love affair with jewelry is embodied in each and every dazzling piece in her collection. Regardless of the outfit, Eric Courtney jewelry can make anyone feel like royalty, and undeniably Gorgeous.
The Rosebery pearl and diamond tiara, bracelet and brooch which belonged to Hannah, Countess of Rosebery, feature sizable natural pearls and clusters of diamonds-epitomizing the grandeur of Victorian court adornment.
“The Rosebery pearl and diamond tiara, bracelet and brooch were at the heart of Lady Rosebery’s vast array of magnificent jewels, which rivaled those of the crowned heads of Europe at the time. They are a rare survival of 19th century English aristocratic splendour, as so much ancestral jewellery has been sold anonymously, remounted or broken down. Having descended through various branches of the family and survived the vicissitudes of fashion, the jewels were sold from a private collection for the first time since their creation nearly 140 years ago.” – Keith Penton, Head of Jewels Christie’s London
This striking tiara was once the property of a woman said to have been the wealthiest woman in England, Hannah, Countess of Rosebery (1851-1890), and was an important member of a jewel collection rich enough to rival a royal collection. The Rosebery Pearl and Diamond Tiara has a base of clusters of large button (bouton) natural pearls surrounded by old-cut diamonds and a top of seven natural pearl and diamond drops, all set in silver and gold. It’s a versatile diadem with multiple detachable pieces; the top pieces can be removed (in the same fashion as the Londonderry Tiara , also crafted by Garrard) leaving the bottom row as a smaller tiara, and the buttons can also be used to form six brooches with the top pieces as pendants. A bracelet and brooch, each featuring more clusters of button pearls and diamonds, completed the set.
The tiara dates from about 1878, the same year Hannah de Rothschild married the 5th Earl of Rosebery. Born into the famous banking empire, she was the only child of Mayer de Rothschild and when he died in 1874, the fortune she inherited made her the richest woman in England at the time. Her aristocratic marriage did not come without obstacles, caused particularly by religion (she was Jewish, he was not, and there were hurdles to jump on both sides), but they became an influential couple and her money financed her popular husband’s rise through the political structure. He eventually became prime minister, but she sadly would not live to see it; she died suddenly at the age of 39 in 1890.
Following her death, her husband stored her jewels for nearly 20 years, until their eldest son married and the jewels were split between their four children. Harry, Lord Dalmeny (the future 6th Earl of Rosebery), wed in 1909 and this set of pearl and diamond jewelry was given to his bride, Dorothy Grosvenor, granddaughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster and sister to the 3rd Duke. It passed down in the family and was last known to be part of the collection of the current Duke and Duchess of Westminster , because it was included in a magazine feature on their family jewels. It was sold by Christie’s in 2011 as the property of a private collector, where the tiara went for $1.9 million and the brooch and bracelet together brought in nearly $950,000.
Renowned for his exquisite taste and an unparalleled eye for transforming stones into artistic creations, Martin Katz founded his eponymous company in 1988. The company, Martin Katz, Ltd quickly gained international prominence with a clientele that includes Forbes 400 business leaders, US Ambassadors and other individuals of affluence with a collector’s spirit.
Martin’s passion for gems has earned him wide acclaim for designing beautifully-crafted, couture-quality pieces inspired from his love of vintage jewelry – contemporary pieces with an ‘old soul’. Each piece is one-of-a-kind or limited in production, signed, numbered and made with meticulous attention to detail. His work has been auctioned at Christie’s and Sotheby’s with the hammer prices being significantly higher than the original price they sold for in his salon.
Throughout the years, Katz’s creations have adorned A-list celebrities such as Jessica Biel, who wore his earrings at her wedding to Justin Timberlake, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Sally Field, Barbra Streisand, Ashley Judd, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, Annette Bening, Johnny Depp, Mark Wahlberg, Colin Firth and the list goes on. Having been one of the first to lend jewels to the stars on the Red Carpet, he opened doors for the many others that do so today. Los Angeles Magazine wrote, “[Katz] has taken on Tinseltown like a fairy gem father, adorning stars with glittering rocks for their time in the spotlight and no doubt making such establishment jewelers as Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier turn green with envy in the process.”
Articles about his jewelry are regularly published and many of his spectacular pieces have adorned the covers of Vogue, W, Town & Country, People, Elle and InStyle magazines, to name a few. His body of work is not limited to jewelry: Katz designed the Victoria’s Secret $5 million diamond bra in 2009, created jeweled sunglasses for Ray-Ban, jeweled cell phone cases for Motorola and most recently designed a $1 million perfume bottle for Donna Karan.
Katz attended Indiana University, where he began selling jewelry on campus. Upon graduation he moved to Los Angeles and became an associate salesman at the Beverly Hills Laykin et Cie, a high end jewelry salon located inside of the famed I. Magnin specialty stores throughout California, and it was here that he enhanced his knowledge and love for vintage jewelry and rare gem stones.
Today, Martin Katz is exclusively sold at his Beverly Hills boutique and in the world’s finest department store, Bergdorf Goodman in New York City.
Martin Katz, a luxury jewelry designer based in Los Angeles, is already an established and long-standing favourite among celebrities. Stars like Jessica Biel, Nicole Kidman, Sharon Stone, Kim Kardashian, Eva Longporia, Barbra Streisand, Ashley Judd, Jodie Foster, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, Annette Bening, Johnny Depp, Mark Wahlberg, Colin Firth and many others have been seen on more than one very special occasion (like Oscar nights no less) wearing his designs
Recently, Kim Kardashian was spotted wearing Martin Katz diamond earrings at her wedding with Kanye West. Kim wore the “Tobey” stud diamond earrings surrounded by 100 micro set diamonds set in 18 karat white gold. The earrings were a gift from Kanye and Kim first wore them to Kanye’s New Year’s Eve concert in 2013.
Actress Eva Longoria wore Martin Katz jewelry to the premiere of “Foxcather” at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19th. Eva wore diamond “Toby” stud earrings. She paired her earrings with Martin’s signature diamond micro band ring. She also wore these earrings and a ring by Martin Katz on May 12th, but also May 16th, while hosting the 2014 Global Gift Gala during the Cannes Film Festival.
The jewelry by Martin Katz is available at the designer’s Beverly Hills boutique.
Seattle’s Green Lake Jewelry Works named America’s Coolest Store in 2012 at the NSTORE– the essential trade magazine to jewelry retailers across America – assembles a panel of industry experts to identify the coolest store; an organization that’s providing the aesthetics, feel, products, and service better than anyone out there. This year Green Lake Jewelry Works is proud to report that a panel of industry heavies tapped this stand-alone Seattle studio as the coolest trend-setting store in America right now. It took 16 years of hard work, tenacity, and the help of 45 talented designers, jewelers, and metal smiths who’ve relocated from all over the country to make it happen.
Jim Tuttle is the founder & President of Green Lake Jewelry Works. He’s been a Bench Jeweler & Designer, and is an early adopter & proponent of CAD/CAM, Online Custom work & customer experienced based retailing. Jim has spoken or presented at many industry events, including The Instore show, MJSA Expo, JCK Vegas, Seattle Metals Guild & Gemvision Symposiums . He is also on the MJSA Custom Jewelry Advisory Council. Green Lake Jewelry Works is one of the largest custom shops open to the public, with almost 50 jewelry Artists on Staff.