La Peregrina: A love affair with pearls. More than 500 years since its discovery in the Gulf of Panama, La Peregrina continues to inspire awe and raise awareness on the incomparable beauty of the queen of all gems – the pearl. In December, La Peregrina fetched more than $11.84 million in Christie’s “Evening Sale of Legendary Jewels from the Collection of Elizabeth Taylor,” breaking two world auction records – for a historic pearl against the previous record of $2.5 million set by La Regente at Christie’s Geneva in 2005, and for a pearl jewel – surpassing the $7 million record paid for The Baroda Pearls at Christie’s New York in 2007.

The return of 'slow design.' The “slow design” movement is gaining momentum in the gemstone and jewellery world, an industry veteran said in a seminar held on the sidelines of VicenzaOro Winter. "Just like the ‘slow fashion’ movement, ‘slow design’ is making its presence felt in the jewellery industry,” said Paola De Luca, head of Trend Vision Jewellery + Forecasting – a permanent research centre that serves as an independent authority for the scientific analysis and interpretation of new trends and consumer behaviour.