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Brand News: Kimberly Pucci Launch; Mikimoto Teams With Hotel; CIRCA, Blue Nile Are Now Cousins July 31, 2019 (0 comments)
Kimberly Pucci Launches Jewelry, Handbag Companies Focused On Self-Purchasing Women
Newport, RI—Kimberly Pucci (left), a bespoke designer of handbags and jewelry for private clients, is bringing her luxury goods brand to a wider audience. After cultivating a clientele of high-net-worth individuals throughout the United States and Europe, she is launching two new businesses and a select ecommerce offering at kimberlypucci.com.
Kimberly Pucci Vault specializes in luxury jewelry and one-of-a-kind loose diamonds. Pucci’s longstanding relationships with the world's most elite jewelers and diamond and gem dealers provide a rarefied selection of ready-to-wear necklaces and couture cocktail rings.
Kimberly Pucci Atelier creates bespoke luxury handbags for the well-travelled, discerning client. Pucci’s partnerships with leather goods artisans in Tuscany, Italy, affords a high level of quality and customization. Clients can personalize their bag with choice of color, weave, stitching, hardware and more—and build a suite of options for every destination.
A model shows pieces of Kimberly Pucci's new jewelry collection and handbag line.
Pucci also is taking private appointments at her newly opened showroom in the heart of Newport's historic waterfront district. Clients can view the entire spectrum of leather colors for handbags as well as rare pieces from leading jewelry designers including Monica Rich Kosann, Syna Jewels, and Gumuchian, as well as custom-created pieces.
"True luxury allows a woman to wear exactly what she wants when she wants. It includes her in the creative process. It expresses her individuality." says Pucci. "I love that I can give my clients that freedom, with the very highest level of quality and craftsmanship—and at a value the big luxury houses simply cannot offer."
Through Merger, Circa Becomes Kissing Cousin Of Blue Nile
New York, NY—Circa, the consumer jewelry buying service founded in 2001, is merging with Mondiamo, an online diamond buyback service whose owner, Adama Partners, has a miniorty ownership stake in Blue Nile. Not surprisingly, Mondiamo has the exclusive to handle Blue Nile’s diamond buybacks.
For now, the two will remain separate brands, but their back-office functions will be combined and Mondiamo will benefit from Circa’s 12 physical buying offices, thereby eliminating the key barrier for some potential customers: not wanting to sell an expensive piece of jewelry by mail.
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Ritz Carlton And Mikimoto Team Up To Serve Pearl-Themed Fare
Shanghai, Pudong, China—The Ritz Carlton Hotel and renowned Japanese pearl brand Mikimoto have partnered to create an afternoon tea experience inspired by pearls.
From August through October, the “Pearl Treasures” afternoon tea, available at the hotel’s Aura Lounge & Jazz Bar, will include treats inspired by pearls, including white chocolate balls with a slight sheen to them designed look like edible pearls, and a litchi rose dessert made to resemble an earring from the Mikimoto collection. These will accompany a chef’s modern version of traditional afternoon tea fare, where finger sandwiches yield to smoked salmon flan, or orange-infused lobster topped with a mango and asparagus jelly.
The experience also features a drawing for one lucky customer to win two round-trip tickets from Shanghai to Toyko. The trip includes a three-night stay at the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo with a visit to Mikimoto’s boutique in Ginza. Air travel is presented by All Nippon Airways, the third partner in the tea experience.
The Ritz-Carlton/Mikimoto tea experience. Image courtesy Ritz Carlton via Luxury Daily.
Ritz Carlton’s afternoon teas are often used as brand partnership opportunities. Another such tea was created four years ago with Italian sports car brand Ferrari, in which special treats were created in Ferrari’s signature red color from ingredients sourced in its home region of Maranello, Italy.