JCK’s 10 Most-Read Style and Design Stories of 2023

By Victoria Gomelsky | December 21, 2023

Some years are all about celebrities: what they wore, how they got engaged, which trend they set off. Other years are all about fashion news: big mergers, designer scoops, new products.

This year, JCK readers veered in a new direction by embracing two general themes: jewelry of the past—reflected by an unusual amount of interest in our auction previews—and jewels of the British royal family, both past and present.

Below, we list the year’s most-read style and design stories, culminating with a piece on a certain queen consort’s coronation crown that transformed our comments section into a royal free-for-all.

10. Opal Ring, Tourmalines Headline 2023 AGTA Spectrum Awards

By Amy Elliott

Omi Prive opal ring AGTA best of show — *Best of Show (and best with our writer’s dress): platinum ring with 15.22 ct. black opal, tourmaline, tsavorite garnets, and diamonds (photo by Niveet Nagpal for Omi Privé)*

The American Gem Trade Association competition’s two Best of Show winners, a spectacular 15.22 ct. black opal ring and a suite of four oval paraiba tourmalines totaling 31 cts., weren’t the only glamazon jewels to light up the room when the Spectrum winners were announced in Dallas in October.

9. Princess Diana’s Personally Designed Jewelry Suite Could Fetch $15M

By Annie Davidson Watson

Princess Diana Swan Lake suite — *Princess Diana’s Swan Lake suite comprises a platinum necklace with 8.5 cts. t.w. marquise-cut diamonds, 42.35 cts. t.w. diamonds, and South Sea cultured pearls, and platinum earrings* *with* *1.87 cts. t.w. marquise-cut diamonds, 9.38 cts. t.w. diamonds, and South Sea cultured pearls. (Photo courtesy of Guernsey’s)*

Diana wore a spectacular diamond necklace to a June 1997 performance of Swan Lake at London’s Royal Albert Hall, then returned it to the crown jeweler so they could make matching earrings. Tragically, she passed away before receiving them. We wrote about the jewels in advance of the Guernsey’s auction where they were due to be sold. Not included in our story: On the eve of the sale, the set sold to a private buyer.

8. These Engagement Rings Get Their Bling From the Bottom of the Ocean

By Brittany Siminitz

AZLEE Ocean Diamond Sea Ring — *Sea ring I in 18k yellow gold with 0.43 ct. Ocean Diamond, $10,900; Azlee*

Azlee designer Baylee Ann Zwart told us about her collaboration with Ocean Diamonds featuring gems sourced from the seabeds along the coasts of Namibia and South Africa.

7. We Can’t Stop Thinking About Kate Bosworth’s Engagement Ring

By Annie Davidson Watson

*Justin Long and Kate Bosworth, wearing her ring, at the* Vanity Fair *Oscar party (photo: Doug Peters/PA Wire/PA Images)*

In April, when actors Kate Bosworth and Justin Long confirmed their engagement, speculation about the precise size, cost, and details of her solitaire engagement ring went into overdrive. We offered a few ideas.

6. Cocktails at Tiffany’s: My Night at the Biggest Jewelry Party of the Year

By Victoria Gomelsky

Tiffany party BFA Joe Schildhorn — *A scene from Tiffany & Co.’s grand reopening party on April 27, at the entrance to the ground-floor “World of Tiffany” room (photo courtesy of Tiffany & Co.)*

The Tiffany & Co. store on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street in New York completed its first “holistic renovation” since 1940, with the Landmark—as the flagship is now dubbed—featuring immersive digital installations, 4,090 light fixtures, and artworks by the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Damien Hirst, Julian Schnabel, and Daniel Arsham. Our editor-in-chief reported on the party scene celebrating the reopening (and what a scene it was!).

5. Highlights From Christie’s Sale of Anne Eisenhower’s Jewels

By Annie Davidson Watson

Eisenhower Cartier brooch — *Panthère de Cartier brooch with colored diamonds, onyx, and emerald*

We previewed pieces from the jewelry collection of interior designer and presidential granddaughter Anne Eisenhower that was auctioned by Christie’s, including exquisite designs by Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, an internally flawless 20 ct. diamond, and a ruby bracelet worn by Marlene Dietrich in Alfred Hitchcock’s Stage Fright.

4. 5 Exceptional Vintage and Antique Pearl Pieces

By Annie Davidson Watson

Fred Leighton brooch — *Entwined hearts brooch in 18k yellow gold and enamel with diamonds and pearls, $7,000; Fred Leighton*

Pearl lovers, and fans of antique jewelry in general, appreciated our selection of jewels that have stood the test of time, including Victorian keepsakes, a bold David Webb necklace, and a ring emblematic of Hollywood’s golden age.

3. King Charles III’s Coronation Crown Is Getting an Update

By Annie Davidson Watson

In January, a minor update to St. Edward’s crown—the 17th-century crown historically used at the moment of coronation—garnered a great deal of interest among JCK readers.

2. Sotheby’s Opens Freddie Mercury’s Jewelry Box to the Public

By Annie Davidson Watson

Cartier Queen brooch — *Cartier Queen Number 1 brooch in gold*

Jewelry once owned by legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury drew more eyeballs than expected to our preview of the Sotheby’s September sale featuring his memorabilia, including artwork, stage costumes, handwritten lyrics, and more.

1. Queen Consort Camilla Modifies Queen Mary’s Crown Ahead of Coronation

By Annie Davidson Watson

*The Cullinan diamonds in a brooch worn by Queen Elizabeth II (she called them “Granny’s Chips”) were reset in Camilla’s coronation crown.*

In mid-March, about six weeks before King Charles III’s coronation, we reported that his wife, Camilla, would be the first consort since the 18th century to be coronated in an existing crown rather than a newly commissioned one. Check out the comments section to see just how much passion Camilla and her crown incited among royal watchers.

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