Celebrity Jewelry

Judge the Jewels: Anna Wintour Tops Vintage Couture With Antique Jewels

She’s wearing two categories of jewels: real and trompe l’oeil.

Published

11 months ago

January 10, 2023

Becky Stone

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A post shared by Carlos Sánchez de Medina (@historia_de_la_moda)

The sighting: Legendary editor Anna Wintour recently attended a state dinner at The White House. But we’re not interested in what political topics may have been discussed, we’re just here to talk about the jewelry.

The jewels: Ms. Wintour is wearing two categories of jewels here: real and trompe l’oeil. That’s right; her bracelets, her jeweled belt, and the majority of her necklaces are all illusory. They are masterfully embroidered embellishments on her gown, which is from Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld’s debut collection in 1983.

On top of the gown is an exquisite piece of very real antique jewelry. According to an Instagram story from @Wintourdrobe, the necklace was acquired from London-based jewelry store S.J. Phillips and is estimated to have cost $36,000 to $61,000. The necklace dates to the Victorian era, circa 1880, and features citrine and seed pearls.

Is there also a pair of earrings under that iconic bob? We’ll never know.

The trends: Anna Wintour doesn’t follow trends. That said…this necklace could be taken as another example of the festoon necklace trend that I still believe is on its way up.

What do we think? Anna Wintour isn’t a celeb I’m especially fond of, but this outfit is fantastic. It’s both understated and a walking showcase of some of fashion’s greatest talents. A perfect choice for this White House dinner, which was both highly visible and not particularly important.

Judgement: 14/10 for surprising, elegant look.

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”