Monthly Archives: November 2008

Historic blue diamond may fetch $16 million at Christie’s

This extraordinary blue-gray diamond (on the picture above) was given to Infanta Margarita Teresa by her father King Philip IV of Spain, on her engagement to her uncle Leopold I of Austria-one of the most historic events in European history.
This girl was the portrayed in Las Meninas), the most famous painting by Spaniard Diego Velazquez. In a political move, she was engaged to Leopold I, who later became the Holy Roman Emperor, and that was when her father gave his 13-year-old daughter the diamond as part of the dowry. Sadly she died aged only 21, having given birth to four child, of which only one survived beyond childhood.

It is believed that the Wittelsbach diamond originated from the Indian diamond mines, was passed into the Austrian and then Bavarian crown jewels, and was finally sold into private hands in 1931. It makes part of the current private collection since 1964.

According to a Christie’s spokesman said “no examples” of coloured diamonds comparable to the Wittelsbach have been put up in an auction before.
“Blue diamonds are rare and to offer a blue diamond of this size, quality, shape and provenance is truly extraordinary.” Actually, the nearest comparable coloured diamond sold at Christie’s was one just a third of the size, a 13.39 carat intense blue diamond that fetched £5.5 million ($8.9 million) in May.

In addition, “the appearance of a large blue diamond, among the rarest of colours, with a history that can be traced back to the 17th century and 300 years of royal connections will surely be a thrilling occasion for all collectors of exceedingly rare jewels and works of art.”

The Wittelsbach diamond is the star lot in Christie’s auction Jewels: According to estimates, the 35.56-carat gem, almost once inch in width, with a 300-year-old royal history, could raise up to 10million pounds ($16 million) when it goes under the hammer on December 10.

It is on public display at the auction house in King Street, St James’s, London, on Friday 5 December and from Sunday 7 to Tuesday 9 December.

Business Jet Rendez-Vous : Soaring to New Heights in Macau !

We previously reported on the 2008 Macao Business Jet Rendez Vous at the MGM Grand Macao from 24th – 26th October 2008.

The third edition, once again, brought China’s elite business leaders to the most exclusive business aviation platform in Asia.

A record number of the best aircraft, including Bombardier, Cessna, Cirrus, Dassault, Embraer, Eurocopter and Gulfstream were on display at the Macau Business Aviation Center (MBAC), culminating in a much anticipated event attended by over 150 VIPs and aviation experts.

The celebrated event was held at the MGM GRAND Macau and MBAC from October 24th to 26th, attracting China’s most distinguished aircraft owners and potential jet buyers. The event organized by Jet Asia-Pacific magazine offered a unique occasion for the industry to showcase the latest capabilities in the field of business aviation.

For this year’s edition VIP guests were flown in from Beijing, Dalian, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Shenzhen via private jets and helicopters to the MBAC.

“Following the previous years’ success, we were able to generate more support from the industry to enhance this unique event” said Mr. Walter Wang, Jet Asia-Pacific magazine editor-in-chief.

Aircraft on static display comprised Bombardier’s Challenger 650 and Challenger 850, Cessna’s Citation X, Cirrus S22, Dassault’s Falcon 2000 and Falcon 900, Embraer’s Legacy 600, Gulfstream’s G200 and G450. The Eurocopter EC120 and EC 135 were also on hand at the venue for exclusive helicopter demo flights.

“This event brings a unique true experience to Chinese entrepreneurs and leaders. During their flights to and out of Macau, they can benefit from the advantages offered by business aviation: flexibility, comfort and privacy. I am confident that Chinese will rapidly consider Business Aviation as a support tool to their international development.” said Mr. Jerome Desmazures, Director of Sales for Dassault.

Apart from sampling impressive private aircraft, guests also indulged the unique service, accommodation and facilities at the MGM GRAND Macau. On the first night’s event, guests enjoyed the ‘Jet and Art’ dinner in the Grande Praca dazzled by exclusive masterpieces brought by Opera Gallery. A one-time opportunity to view Chagall, Botero, Chu The Chun, Dali outside their natural exhibition room in this beautiful arena.

On Saturday, various activities were running in parallel. Ladies enjoyed the Bulgari Exclusive Jewellery and Watch Workshop where they were able to preview over 60 pieces of exclusive jewellery and complication watches that are being shown in Macau for the first time while gentlemen were more focused on the Private Jet Workshop, the Exclusive Maybach Experience and the Longfor’s Summer Palace real estate developments.

At night, Mr. Olivier Burlot, Managing Director of Blu Inc Media (HK) Limited and Ms. Pansy Ho, Managing Director of MGM GRAND Macau gave a welcome speech to commence the Gala Dinner. “Undoubtedly, the annual Jet Rendez Vous serves as a networking occasion for business elites to exchange business information and share opportunities with each other. This year, many guests have travelled in private jets from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau to MGM GRAND Macau, one of the world’s leading and most respected hotels and luxury entertainment resort. I hope all guests enjoy top-class lifestyle and be content with all the activities and entertainment organized” said Ms. Pansy Ho.

The event culminated in a prestigious ‘Jets and Jewels’ Gala Dinner with an astonishing Bulgari jewellery model show featuring 14 sets of exquisite High Jewellery especially flown in to Macau for this event. This year’s gourmet dining also featured a selection of the finest things in life including champagne from Perrier Jouet and Martell cognac.

Given the success of the event, expect Jet Rendez Vous to be a regular fixture in Asia’s luxury aircraft calendar of events.

Eco Architeture: Sky Village

The municipality of Rødovre, an independent municipality of Copenhagen, Denmark, announced yesterday MVRDV and co-architect ADEPT winner of the design competition of the Rødovre Skyscraper. The 116 meter tall tower accommodates apartments, a hotel, retail and offices. A public park and a plaza are also part of the privately funded scheme.

The new skyscraper with a total surface of 21,688 sq meters will be located at Roskildevej, a major artery East of the centre of Copenhagen. The skyscraper is shaped to reflect Copenhagen’s historical spire and present day high-rise blending in the skyline of the city, it further combines the two distinctive typologies of Rødovre, the single family home and the skyscraper in a vertical village. Consideration of these local characteristics leads to Copenhagen’s first contemporary high-rise.

Responding to unstable markets the design is based on a flexible grid, allowing alteration of the program by re-designating units. These ‘pixels’ are each 60m2 square and arranged around the central core of the building, which for flexibility consists of three bundled cores allowing separate access to the different program segments.

On the lower floors the volume is slim to create space for the surrounding public plaza with retail and restaurants; the lower part of the high rise consists of offices, the middle part leans north in order to create a variety of sky gardens that are terraced along the south side. This creates a stacked neighbourhood, a Sky Village. From this south orientation the apartments are benefitting. The top of the building will be occupied by a hotel enjoying the view towards Copenhagen city centre. The constellation of the pixels allows flexibility in function; the building can be transformed by market forces, however at this moment it is foreseen to include 970 sq m retail, 15,800 sq m offices, 3,650 sq m housing and 2,000 sq m hotel and a basement of 13,600 sq m containing parking and storage.

Flexibility for adaptation is one of the best sustainable characteristics of a building. Besides this the Sky Village will also integrate the latest technologies according to the progressive Danish environmental standards. Furthermore the plans include a greywater circuit, the use of 40% recycled concrete in the foundation and a variety of energy producing devices on the façade.

$2,500 Titanium Tricycle

Parents who go around thinking their kids are ‘worth their weight in gold’ get to hold them to an even higher titanium standard now.

For the uber-rich kid who has everything money can afford, the titanium bike is worth the temptation. It’s nearly indestructible, making it perfect for use with kids who are less than gentle with their toys. The frame is made entirely of pure titanium which makes it only half as dense as steel and as corrosion-resistant as platinum.

The luxury make includes carbon seat, white leather saddle and white rims with tires for $2,500. The tricycle is being offered by the owner of Loopfietsjeswinkel.nl which is apparently the leading supplier of training bikes in the Netherlands, and you can safely assume it’s probably a one-off design.

Piper-Heidsieck « upside-down »

Viktor & Rolf have never been ones to follow the conventional rules of design. Last year they redefined classical style and reinterpreted the iconic object of champagne on behalf of Piper-Heidsieck bringing an upside down twist to their Rosé Sauvage champagne bottle to create a really striking and sophisticated objet d’art.

The Rosé Sauvage bottle becomes a phial. The inverted flute of champagne becomes a goblet. The base of the bottle, now at the top, which reproduces the proportions of the legendary champagne cork and its wire cage and foil, is enhanced with a pink and black gold ribbon stamped with the Piper logo. The secret? A tightly-fitting sleeve slipped over the preformed plastic shell that encases the bottle, all of which enhanced by classic labels in pure champagne tradition.

And while their imaginations are limitless, the bottle certainly is not. It’s priced at 65 euros ($90) and has been available since November 2007 from an exclusive selection of retail outlets, including Colette in Paris. Piper-Heidsieck « upside-down » has recently been awarded at the Monaco Luxe Pack fair !

iBangle Fantastic future iPod

According to Yanko Design, Apple may soon add an iBangle to its army of i-ness

The aluminum bangle will feature a trackpad so your finger can slide and tap its way through your music. There’s no screen, but designer Gopinath Prasana figures you can navigate just fine with an audio-oriented navigation system. As for the earphones, forget about it! The audio sound is transmitted via wireless earbuds!

Worried about fit? You see that blue inner band? Push a tiny button on the side and it fills with air, expanding to fit snugly around your wrist, particularly helpful if you’re taking it on a run or hike.

The iBangle currently exists in concept only and It might take a few years for this iBangle design concept to end up on your wrist.

Asia’s top 20 restaurants

As part of the launch of the inaugural edition of The Miele Guide, the much anticipated first-ever ranked list of Asia’s Top 20 Restaurants was announced at The Miele Guide Dinner on October 31, 2008.

This year, Hong Kong has emerged as the best city in Asia to dine in. Eight restaurants in The Miele Guide’s Top 20 are in Hong Kong.

It is also worth noting that one chef-restaurateur has three restaurants in The Miele Guide’s Top 20. Joel Robuchon (the French chief), once heralded as the world’s greatest chef, is undoubtedly helping to transform Asia’s culinary scene through his restaurants in Hong Kong, Macau and Tokyo.
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UK’s Largest Shopping Mall Opens in London

London was yesterday, the official home of Britain’s largest shopping mall with the launch of the $2.8 billion Westfield London Shopping Centre in Shepherd’s Bush , a massive 265-store, glass-roofed shopping center.

The centre’s owners, Westfield and Commerzbank AG are confident that the looming British recession, the worst since 1991 will not negatively affect the potential profits of the centre’s future.

Steven Lowy, managing director of Australian based Westfield said that the project was built with the future in mind. The new mall is targeted to serve 20 million shoppers per year and Westfield aims for sales of £1 billion ($2 billion).
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Madonna to Be Face of Louis Vuitton ?

It’s safe to say this this hasn’t been such a great week for our dear Madonna. But look on the bright side – Guy may be gone, but the pop superstar is reportedly being courted as the next face of Louis Vuitton!

Last week, on her way to the New York Kabbalah centre, Madge chose to accentuate her stony-faced, all-black gym ensemble with Louis Vuitton’s Pulp Weekender bag. We hope she gets it in the divorce ! Insiders report the 50-year-old is “very interested” in modelling for Louis Vuitton.

Marquis Yachts enters Hong Kong

One of the world’s rising stars of mid-sized luxury yachts made a glamorous entry to Hong Kong with a lavish launch party ! Marquis Yachts, a US-based luxury yacht builder that sports the latest in Italian design, made a dazzling debut to Hong Kong with a sizzling launch party last month, on 3 September at the Aberdeen Boat Club.

Leisure boating aficionados and high net worth individuals gathered at the Club to witness the first public showing of the Marquis 420 Sport Coupé, a 42-foot yacht that’s been winning praise from boat reviewers for the fine work of Nuvolari-Lenard, the Venetian naval architectural firm responsible for the look and feel of the Marquis line.

The chic launch party took place on a terrace just above Aberdeen Boat Club’s main quay, allowing invited guests a chance to look over the sleek Sport Coupé while champagne and canapes flowed. A number of guests took the chance to personally inspect the 420, and were impressed with what they saw. The avant-garde Italian interior and exterior are beautifully complemented by the functionality, which includes joystick manoeuvring, a fully-enclosed cabin with aircon, a retractable roof and extendable rear deck.

Olivier Besson, managing director of Asia Yachting, the regional dealer for Marquis, said that four serious buyers came forward after just one viewing – a very impressive result.

Indeed, luxury sailing yachts and motorboats are becoming the ultimate accessory of the super-rich in China. Out of the just 400 private boats registered nationwide, almost all of them are motorboats. But, Adrien Magnan of Marine Dragon Consulting in Shanghai cites that the amount spent on luxury boats has been escalating upwards by tens of millions of dollars in the past few years. Pleasure sailing, virtually unheard of in China until a few years ago, is becoming increasing popular. Chinese millionaires are willing to spend a fortune on yachts and aircrafts. Looks like the wealthy Chinese customers are seeking a western lifestyle.

Robert VanGrunsven, the president of Marquis Yachts, arrived in a luxurious Maybach limousine, which dropped him off just yards from the speaker’s podium. VanGrunsven commented on the winning combination of European design standards and US build quality and pricing. Olivier Besson addressed the crowd shortly after, saying that the 420 offered Hong Kong boaters “total comfort, total style and total luxury when cruising local islands and bays.”

One of the key highlights of the glamorous night was a watch display by Blancpain, featuring models bearing best of brand products and riding onboard the 420, which executed several turns past the on-looking crowd. Rebecca Yeung, the 2003 Miss Hong Kong, was master of ceremonies at a night that illuminated and exhilarated. Asia Pacific Boating magazine and sister publication China Boating , both published by Blu Inc Media, were media partners of the prestigious event.

I have personnaly spent a day on this amazing yacht and wow, I must say it was very exciting.

This yacht is one of the first boats designed to take full advantage of the space-saving qualities of the Volvo-Penta IPS drive. The huge 60-sq.ft. cockpit with teak sole flows past a bi-folding door into the flush salon (inlaid hardwood) to create one huge entertaining area. No step up! Just one, large flowing deck which will keep cocktail parties mingling instead of breaking into two groups which always happens when the bridge deck is raised to accommodate the inboard engines. Just Check out the video below : )

Marquis Yachts in Asia are available exclusively through Asia Yachting (www.asiayachting.net).

More information on Asia-Pacific Boating can be found at www.asia-pacificboating.com.

New York The Magnum Edition


Here’s your chance to show just how much you heart New York : Magnum is launching a new Edition of the book “New York” published by Gloria that includes agelatin silver print by Leonard Freed (estate stamped).There are only 25 of them available worldwide.

The book hosts 1500 images, 756 pages, weighs 12 kg (26 pounds) and is housed in case designed to look like a skyscraper.

The book features the most iconic images of New York by some of the most respected photographers of our times .Included among the 28 featured Magnum photographers are Annie Leibovitz, Helmut Newton, Patrick Demarchelier and David Baily, exhibiting some of the most iconic images of New York alongside chapters written by such literary talents like EB White, Tom Wolfe, Anthony DeCurtis and Ric Burns, among others.

The book has thirty three chapters covering every aspect of the New York story, including history, architecture, design, art, fashion, music, film, television, dance, sport and 9/11. Chapters have been written by the cream of New York literary talent including Ric Burns, Anthony DeCurtis, Don DeLillo, Paul Goldberger, David Halberstam, Pete Hamill, Michael Kantor, David Remnick, James Sanders, Gay Talese, John Updike, EB White, Colson Whitehead and Tom Wolfe.

The Magnum edition also includes a 11×14 gelatin silver print by Leonard Freed, estate stamped – whichmeans that each print is authenticated by the Estate as being made from the original negative and approved in quality to be to the photographers standards. The actual stamp is a blind embossed stamp that is made on the bottom right margin of each print. Leonard Freed was of the league of photographers who never editioned their work. He never sold tremendous amounts of prints and never had exclusive gallery representation , making this book a true collectible.

The book will be launched on 5 Nov with an event at National Arts Club in New York. To reserve a copy email jennifer@magnumphotos.com . The price is $4,000.