The 93rd Academy Awards kick off tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. There may not be a traditional red carpet, but the ceremony, which will involve multiple locations and a much different, pandemic-friendly format, is still guaranteed to be drenched in diamonds. The rest of the week features online education that runs the gamut, covering serious topics such as unconscious bias and transparency, and more lighthearted fare, including a deep dive into the legacy of Cartier designer Aldo Cipullo, and the history of the engagement ring.
WATCH
The 93rd Oscars: April 25, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
Here’s what we know about tonight’s Academy Awards: The ceremony will be broadcast live from multiple locations, including Los Angeles’ Union Station (set designer David Rockwell has been charged with transforming the art deco landmark) and Dolby Theatre, its usual spot; there will be a pre-show, starting at 6:30 p.m., featuring performances of the best original song nominees; no Zooming is permitted, but the numerous U.K.-based nominees—including Judas and the Black Messiah’s Daniel Kaluuya (the odds-on favorite to win best supporting actor), The Father’s Anthony Hopkins, and Promising Young Woman writer-director Emerald Fennell and star Carey Mulligan—will be able to watch, and give acceptance speeches, live via satellite from the BFI Southbank in London, where it will be sometime between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. And according to the Oscar powers that be, the dress code is “a fusion of Inspirational and Aspirational.” We have no idea what that means, but we can only hope it involves jewelry. Lots and lots of jewelry.
LEARN
SSEF Classes on Understanding Gemstones: Ongoing (online; free)
The Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF) is offering a series of free, online, self-paced courses designed to help you understand gems, with a focus on pearls and the Big Four (diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires). Available in English, French, and Chinese, the introductory courses cover topics such as synthetic diamonds, emerald treatments, ruby origins, color terms in sapphires, and the rarity factor in natural pearls.
BID
Sotheby’s Sui Generis: Bejewelled Treasures of Time Sale: Through April 28 (online)
Sotheby’s Hong Kong is offering 42 jewelry lots from the late 18th century to modern day that all tell singular stories about the eras in which they were created. Sui Generis: Bejewelled Treasures of Time includes an 11.88 ct. fancy light brown-pink diamond from Harry Winston, an art deco bracelet from the American jeweler Marcus & Co., and three 19th century jewels with royal monograms, including one worn by the children of King William IV. Note: Bidding closes on April 28 at 11 a.m. Hong Kong time—for East Coasters, that’s 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 27.
ATTEND
WJA NY Metro Unconscious Bias Training Workshop, Part I: April 27, 5:30 p.m. ET (online)
How can you recognize your personal unconscious biases, the impacts they have on your professional and personal relationships, and the sources of the attitudes that affect your judgments about others? In part one of this unconscious bias training workshop brought to you by WJA’s NY Metro chapter, LaTonya J. Pegues, CEO of BOAZ Enterprises, will lead participants through exercises designed to identify the biases they may hold and the behaviors that can ensue, from microaggressions to adverse employment decisions. She will also provide tools that can help you reassert control over your thinking and make active choices about what you allow to influence your behaviors and decisions.
IAC Webinar on Transparency: April 28, 12:15 p.m. ET (online)
Initiatives in Art and Culture (IAC) tackles the jewelry topic du jour in its latest “Words Matter” webinar dedicated to transparency. Panelists include (pictured above, left to right): Lisa Bridge, president and CEO of Ben Bridge Jeweler; Ronnie VanderLinden, president of Diamex and former president of the Diamond Manufacturers & Importers Association of America; IAC founder Lisa Koenigsberg; Sara Yood, deputy general counsel of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee; and Mark Hanna, chief marketing officer of the Richline Group.
Jewelers Circle Webinar on Aldo Cipullo Featuring Vivienne Becker: April 29, 10 a.m. ET (online)
Aldo Cipullo, the legendary designer of the Cartier Love and Juste un Clou bracelets, died in 1984, but his legacy lives on in the modernist designs and bejeweled hardware that he introduced to the world of luxury jewelry. On this Jewelers Circle webinar, learn about his life and work from none other than jewelry historian and author Vivienne Becker, who, in collaboration with Aldo’s brother Renato Cipullo, wrote the coffee-table book Cipullo: Making Jewelry Modern. From Aldo’s early life in Rome in the 1950s, through his seminal creative period in New York City in the 1970s, Becker will describe the inspirations and experiences that shaped the pioneering designer’s career.
WJA Los Angeles Webinar on the History of Engagement Rings: April 29, 8 p.m. ET (online)
When did the tradition of exchanging rings to mark a betrothal begin? Why are engagement rings placed on the “ring” finger? And how have their styles evolved through the centuries? Kate Waterman, a GIA instructor of gemology, leads this WJA Los Angeles webinar on the history of engagement rings. Don’t miss this deep dive into the foundation of the jewelry industry as we know it!
Top: In support of #StopAsianHate, we’re highlighting Asian and Asian American jewelry designers in this Sunday newsletter and throughout our editorials this month and beyond. (Dias earrings in 18k yellow gold with pavé diamonds and orange enamel, $3,800; State Property)
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