Vicente Agor Precious Jewelry

the dog (and cat) days of summer.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:20:00 +0000

It’s Labor Day weekend; the traditional end of summer here in the United States. A few of our customers, fellow designers, friends, and retailers shared some photographs of their favorite pals on a lazy sunny day.

My original intention was to post this in early August, but a totally crashed computer and numerous lost files meant a delay of a few weeks. But even if we posted this in the middle of winter, you have to know that the loved ones pictured here, bring a ray of sunshine and a warm smile to someone everyday.

The Mills Brothers - "Lazy Bones" play

our newest collection.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:38:00 +0000

wedding day jewelry.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Tue, 25 May 2010 22:04:00 +0000

So glad that we could help you with a little gemstone jewelry for your special day!!

aol's shelter pop.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Fri, 07 May 2010 23:25:00 +0000

Our dog Patu takes center stage in AOL's ShelterPop.com feature, "My Living Room is My..." The design and decorating website asked 13 creatives for a glimpse into their worlds and how their living rooms served as multi-purpose rooms. Although we used the living room to spread out our inspiration and mood boards, Patu obviously used the living room as his bedroom. He jumped into every shot while the photographs were being taken!

See the full article and slide show here. We are slide 4 of 13.

world gold council 2010.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 03:46:00 +0000

For the fifth consecutive year, the World Gold Council has honored Vicente Agor Precious Jewelry. Edited by a Blue Ribbon Panel of industry experts, our 18kt gold fine jewelry was chosen to be a part of the esteemed World Gold Council juried collection of new gold fine jewelry designs for 2010.

Naturally, we are thrilled and grateful for this honor!

Mark Rothko's "Yellow and Gold" 1956. Image from here.

fire and ice.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:57:00 +0000

Life imitates art or art imitates life?

When we designed our precious jewelry collections, Volcanico and Antarctica, the design concept was fire and ice. Little did we know that fire and ice would become a reality in Iceland this past week. News of the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull (AYA-feeyapla-yurkul) volcano – dormant for almost 200 years - captured our attention at the studio.

This photograph by Ragnar Axelsson via National Geograhic.com shows an icecap exploding and is everything but a gentle reminder of the power of Mother Nature and the respect we should have for this incredible gift called planet Earth.

Thankfully the 500 local residents were evacuated without incident.

For a BBC video of the volcano, please click here.

iceberg on the chanel catwalk.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:50:00 +0000

This week, Karl Lagerfeld and company imported a 265 ton iceberg from Sweden for the Chanel AW/2010-2011 catwalk presentation during Paris Fashion Week. During this spectacular and titanic (sorry, just had to) show, models for the illustrious French brand walked through the melting ice water on the runway, presenting innovative knits and new designs.

On a similar, yet vastly different budgetary note, we will be unveiling new precious jewelry designs from our Antarctica collection at the Smart Jewelry Show in Chicago. We launched this inherently cool collection of gold rings, earrings and pendants in 2008 and have continually added “one of one” items to the collection for our international collectors. And while I will readily admit that our marketing budget is not the same as powerhouse Chanel, the quality and craftsmanship of our fine jewelry is representative of any superior luxury house.

If you are a qualified fine jewelry retailer, please come see us at our for-the-trade presentation in April. We will have some exceptional fine jewelry to enjoy and friendly warm personalities that can keep any chill at bay.

And although we won't have an iceberg on display, perhaps we’ll have some icy cool refreshing mints and extra ice cubes for your Diet Pepsi. =)

For more on the iceberg presentation, please look at the Wallpaper.com post.

Photo and more iceberg runway facts from New York Magazine, theCut Blog.

Please click here for more information on the InStore Smart Jewelry Show.

the genius of ok go.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:23:00 +0000

I love things that are clever and quirky. And this video by the band, OK Go (with the help of Syyn Labs) definitely falls into that category.

Watch, marvel and laugh with delight.

For more information on the making of this vide visit wired.com here

Inspired by a tweet from the lovely @ByMinhKhue

a green olympics.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:56:00 +0000

The glory that is the Vancouver Winter Olympics continues this week. What makes these Games even more glorious is that this marks the first year in which recycled metals were used to create the Olympic medals. Since our fine jewelry is made with recycled precious metals, this news made me very happy, because ecology makes us all winners.

For more information, please read the ScientificAmerican.com blog post here.

Inventive nature photography by David Lev.

Inspired by a tweet from @ReturnToBohemia

valentine's day gift guide 2.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:46:00 +0000

Isn't this a sweet silhouette? The Examiner.com featured our 18kt gold silhouette pendant with a diamond accent as part of their annual Valentine's Day Gift Guide. Using a photograph that you provide, these silhouettes are individually drawn and then hand-cut with a tiny jeweler's saw We just finished a sterling silver and diamond silhouette pendant of a beloved family dog that I will be posting a photo of soon!

Thank you very much to the Oakland Style Examiner, Kasey Ellison! To read the entire story, please click here.

UPDATE: Uncle Beefy of the deliciously delightful design blog, The Bedlam of Uncle Beefy wrote about our custom silhouette pendants also. Please take a look at his post here!

valentine's day gift guide.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:23:00 +0000

Fashion editor, Catherine Dayrit recently wrote about our beautiful 18kt gold/fine silver pink tourmaline ring in the 10x blog. Featured as part of the National Jeweler’s 2010 Valentine’s Day Gift Guide, we agree wholeheartedly that this ring is a perfect choice for your sweetheart ... or for you!

The ring is from the seventynine47 collection by Vicente Agor and is also available in a stunning Swiss blue topaz or glorious peridot shown above. The name of the collection, “seventynine47” is derived from the atomic element numbers for gold and silver. (Remember that from the periodic table in chemistry class?) Read the 10x blog post in its entirety here. Thank you Catherine!

18kt gold/fine silver pink tourmaline ring, style# sftr02-pt retail $690
18kt gold/fine silver Swiss blue topaz ring, style# sftr02sb retail $390
18kt gold/fine silver peridot ring, style# sftr02pd retail $390
prices subject to change due to precious metals market fluctuations

twenty ten.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 20:38:00 +0000

For more information on our hand cut silhouette pendants, please visit our website here.

we get the nicest emails.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:03:00 +0000

A client sent us greetings from her long awaited vacation. As you can see, she expressed her appreciation for our hand-cut fine jewelry.

Thank you Susan for the wonderful note. Glad you love the earrings!

isaac mizrahi cosmopolitan november 09.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:03:00 +0000

Designer and style arbiter, Isaac Mizrahi provides his keys for creating personal style in the fashion editorial, ”Isaac’s Elements of Style” in the November 2009 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. True to form, he delivers his lines with wit and charm, focusing not only on trends but on the creation of a unique and standout style. When talking about when it is appropriate to splurge, Isaac and the editors combine a dress from the Isaac Mizrahi New York Women’s collection with our one of a kind, 18kt gold, fire opal in matrix, cognac diamond ring.

“Knowing when to splurge is an art. There are just two rules: Splurge on the most classic thing in the world - you will have it and cherish it forever. Splurge on the most insane thing in the world. You will have it and cherish it forever.”

We couldn’t agree more.

brenda stowers.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:55:00 +0000

Brenda Stowers was the first retailer to discover me as a fine jewelry designer. Graceful and independent minded, Brenda managed the San Francisco Saks Fifth Avenue fine and designer jewelry departments. Always willing to offer me advice or words of encouragement, she recognized and encouraged the talent of other jewelry designers - many who have become internationally renowned.

We found out that Brenda passed away from cancer just days ago. Since our inception, we have as a company, donated fine jewelry and time to a variety of worthwhile causes including the prevention and cure of cancer.

And suddenly it is personal.

On Saturday we will fundraise and participate in the City of Hope “Walk for Hope to Cure Breast Cancer.” We will walk to honor our mentor, colleague and friend.

Image from here.

the end of summer.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:34:00 +0000

I’ve got a touch of melancholy as summer draws to a close. Even though it doesn’t officially end until September 21 this year, Labor Day was always the signal that the days were getting shorter and that the start of school was around the corner. But the end of something always means the beginning of something new. As a kid, it meant new Saturday morning cartoons and new classmates. And now, it means a new season and new jewelry collections.

Stay tuned for our updates on the latest jewelry designs from Vicente Agor!

the knot, summer 2009.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:17:00 +0000

The Knot magazine featured our 18kt chain and diamond necklace in their Summer 2009 issue. Given its matinee length, the magazine used it as an example of a great necklace for a bride to wear, especially if the she has a higher neckline on her gown. Thank you to the wonderful editorial team at The Knot!

eunice shriver.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:24:00 +0000

Eunice Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics, took a personal life experience and created an organization that now benefits millions of individuals with mental disabilities.

When this visionary passed away, her daughter, Maria Shriver read a eulogy about her mother:

“She took adversity and turned it into advantage. Inspired by the rejection she saw many women face, especially her sister Rosemary and her mother, and other mothers of special children; she turned that into her life’s focus and her life’s passion and mission. Her own brand of what I’d call maternal feminism. She believed 100 percent in the power and the gifts of women to change the language, the tempo, and the character of this world.”

Personally, I grew up with two sisters and several mentors throughout my professional life were women. As a result of listening, talking, watching and growing up with these women, I gained an insight and respect for the complex choices that a modern woman must face. It is one of the reasons why as a jewelry design company, our mythical muse - the person we design for - is a smart, remarkable and empowered woman. A woman who understands that femininity and brains are not mutually exclusive.

The beautiful eulogy describes a daughter’s love for her mother and the love expressed in return. Though it is obviously a personal homage, it a relevant read for women and men. For me, it serves as an inspirational reminder that it is okay to be different, to think different, to do the best and be the best. I invite you to read the tribute in its entirety here. Rest in peace, Mrs. Shriver.

Image from eunicekennedyshriver.org

Update: As I was posting this entry, I learned that her brother, Ted Kennedy passed away. Condolences to the Kennedy family.

Back.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:40:00 +0000

Whew! All finished with the server conversion. Our email, blog and website were down for a bit, but it was done all in the name of a stronger web infrastructure for our company. Interesting side note: since changing our web host, all of our spam has gone away!

We are glad to be back online. More soon!

Image from here.

the story of ferdinand.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:01:00 +0000

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf (with illustrations by Robert Lawson) is one of my favorite childhood books. Even though it was first published in 1936, this sweet story of a bull who enjoys the simplicity of sitting in a peaceful pasture still holds a relevant lesson for children of all ages today … especially given the frenetic nature of our modern times.

Amazingly, this book is Michael’s favorite too. Michael is my wonderful business/partner and we both have a copy of this book from our childhood. Although I am sure we can share, I gladly acquiesce the “fave” designation to him because like Ferdinand, he will stop and take the time ... to smell a flower. As a result, he is the one that continues to teach me to take the moment and enjoy the clarity that nature provides. And so this bud's for you Michael. Happy Birthday!

Image: A scan of a personal book complete with lovingly worn and well-read yellowed pages along with some smudges from a child’s sweaty grip on its beloved spine.

a moment of gratitude.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:34:00 +0000

Going on right now, just after the noon hour, is an event that occurs every 1000 years. It is 12:34pm and 56 seconds on July 8, 09. Or 12:34:56 7.8.9

I love calendar dates like this and especially since it is the turn of the century, we are experiencing a lot of these dates (the last one was 8:08:08 on 8.8.8). At the studio, we use these once in a lifetime minutes to stop, recognize and be grateful for something in our lives and business. At Vicente Agor we are grateful for our customers, because they are the basis for our business. It is our customers that we want to thrill and delight. It is our customers that have recognized the passion and artistry that we have imbued into all of our jewelry. For us, it is an appreciation that goes beyond this one minute.

haute couture fall 2009.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:37:00 +0000

It’s amazing what you might stumble upon while browsing in a thrift store. Stacked in the back of an aisle were these two seemingly disparate home décor signs just waiting for someone to capture their random placement in a photograph.

The Haute Couture Fall 2009 fashion shows continue in Paris through Wednesday, July 8. As a designer for a fine jewelry company that creates precious one of a kind collectibles, the artisanship and craftsmanship of these shows fascinates me. And despite the discussions about the demise and relevance of this rarified art form, apparently Divine intervention is working in its favor. =)

For more coverage of the Haute Couture, try style.com.

Photograph taken by me.

the fourth of july.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:07:00 +0000

When I was a freshman in college, I knew I wanted to be in business (whatever that meant!) And just in case General Mills asked me, I naively came up with an advertising slogan for my favorite childhood icon and mascot, Poppin’ Fresh, the Pillsbury Dough-Boy. My slogan wasn’t related to a class assignment. It’s just that I was taught to always be prepared for the opportunity. You know, just in case.

Years later - after waiting for the "Win A Million Dollars By Creating A Slogan For Your Favorite Childhood Icon Contest" that never came - I have finally decided to reveal my idea. It is an especially appropriate tagline for today:

“Poppin’ Fresh. The Great American Roll-Model.”

Not bad for a sixteen year old, huh? Happy Independence Day!

world gold council.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:47:00 +0000

For the fourth consecutive year, we have been honored by the World Gold Council. Each year, jewelry designers from around the globe submit their gold creations for consideration. The criteria for selection is based on design, innovation and salability. Winners represent the Council’s point of view for the year and were chosen by a Blue Ribbon Panel of fine jewelry industry experts.

I am delighted to be a part of this fabulous group of designers – many that I have admired from afar and some of whom have become our friends over the past few years. About a year and a half ago, we were highlighted on the World Gold Council consumer website magazine, “Gold Inspirations,” as a featured designer.

My personal thanks and appreciation goes out to World Gold Council for their gracious designation.

Photo courtesy of World Gold Council and www.gold.org

sf ethnic dance festival.

noreply@blogger.com (vicente) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:25:00 +0000

The 31^st annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival – an exuberant month long celebration of world dance - just finished on Sunday. I have somehow convinced myself that if I go to an incredible multi-cultural event like this, my desire for global travel might be temporarily satiated. And wouldn’t you know, it has just the opposite effect. Get me on a plane!

dance troupe: Shabnam photo: RJ Muna