Lebanese jewelry line lures locals

Tag : glass & crystal vases


Chairman of the Environmental Commission Sandra Paul, left, ForeignAffairs Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon, and Stechers Ltd CEO, SheenaThorpe, admire a pair of earrings at the unveiling of Ilmes FineJewelry Collection at Stecher’s Ltd, Long Circular Mall, StJames, on Friday. Photos: Shirley Bahadur
By Michelle Loubon
From a land famous for its cedars, an exquisite line of Ilmes FineJewelry imported from Lebanon was unveiled at Stecher’s Ltd,Long Circular Mall, St James, on Friday.
The argyle blended in beautifully with the cornucopia of crystal,Chinese vases and tropical pieces like a parrot perched on a limb.
Specially invited guests slipped past theposter—Ilmes—The Adoration of a Woman—into thewelcoming presence of Stechers’ chief executive officer SheenaThorpe.
With a style as polished as the jewels, Thorpe invited guests toview, even caress the gems.
Among the guests were Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon,chairman of the Environmental Commission Sandra Paul, and attorneyMichael Quamina.
Thorpe said: “It’s a fine line. It consists of 18-caratwhite and yellow gold. It’s a great gift for someone close toyou. It’s ideal for Christmas gift-giving. The range includessemi-precious and precious stones like diamonds, topaz, turquoiseand gold.
“It is glamourous, trendy,traditional—yet formal.”
Among the other pieces presented were Persian turquoise, pearls,coral, citrine, garnet, Tahitian pearls in a medley of grey, black,brown and white.
Displaying a pair of dazzling chandelier earrings, Thorpe added,“It’s fine jewelry. The craftsmanship of the jewelry isimpeccable, a rich palette.”
The Ilmes line consists of rings, bracelets, necklaces, wristbands,earrings and brooches (fetching $28,000.)
18-carat white gold and diamond collection
Thorpe boasted that the jewel in the Ilmes crown was its 18-caratwhite gold and diamond collection.
Jewelry connoisseurs had the pick of a ring ($5,530), bracelet$50,000, and earrings $40,000.
Delicately gliding her hands across the gems, Thorpe said:“These pieces are exclusive—really, really, finejewelry.”
She said a diamond collection was commonly judged by the “fourCs”: carat, clarity, colour and cut.
Tilting a diamond ring, which caught the candle’s flame, shesaid: “You know what they say: Diamonds are a girl’s bestfriend.”
While Thorpe expounded on the line’s exquisite beauty,Gopee-Scoon popped in. As Thorpe explained the intricacies of thecraftsmanship, Gopee-Scoon said, “It's just soglamourous...yet trendy. The pieces are lovely. You have differentgemstones. It is still classical with a modern flair.”
Self-proclaimed jewelry connoisseur Joy Dumas, a member of UnitedNations Association of Trinidad and Tobago (UNATT), said: “Igot some of my pieces from Haile Selassie’s mines. These arebeautiful. I love the amethyst and the pearl. It’scontemporary.”
Maria Gonsales, in the company of Renais Charran, secretary toSpanish Ambassador Fernando de la Serna, said, “I doappreciate fine jewelry. The line is esoteric.”
Charran chimed in: “They only have pens for the men.”
Janine Thalma couldn’t resist purchasing a pair of white pearlearrings and diamonds at $3,000.
Sipping from a glass of red wine, she said: “The pearls arebeautiful.”n The Ilmes Fine Jewelry collection is availableexclusively at Stecher’s Ltd.