Louvre buys Empress Eugénie's brooch

The Louvre museum in Paris has bought the diamond brooch that is among the few exquisite pieces of the French crown jewels. The diamond-encrusted brooch was made in 19th century by Parisian jeweler Francois Kramer, who designed it specially for the Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III. Shaped like a bow, the elegant brooch features two dangling tassels and 2,634 pink and white diamonds, weighing more than 140 carats. The piece will be soon displayed in Louvre's Apollon Gallery.

Ilias Lalaounis - 5 generations of joaillerie

Ilias Lalaounis has a jewelry tradition that spans five generations. Lalaounis creations represent a synthesis of past and present, a unique interpretation of ancient civilization. Influences as diverse as the Neolithic Age, Mycenaean Art, the Byzantine as well as the nature have all inspired the Lalaounis collections. Age-old techniques such as granulation, filigree, hand-hammering and repousse are used in creating the exquisite and distinctive hand-crafted Lalaounis jewelry.

William Yeoward - the tradition of handcrafting

The design inspiration of William Yeoward is drawn from antique pieces originally made in England and Ireland during the 18th-19th centuries. Each piece is entirely made by hand using the same traditional methods employed over 100 years ago. Unusual hand cutting and engraving are distinctive elements of William Yeoward. This fabulous Isadora Pineapple centerpiece is a true masterpiece made of crystal.

Bebek Badem Ezmecisi - Istanbul's sweetest tradition

Founded in 1904, Bebek Badem Ezmecisi is recognized for being the one and only name in marzipan. The store is located in Istanbul, the state of Bebek and has a historical ambience inside where you feel like you've entered a room belonging to an Ottoman pasha. There are two delicious flavours the store specializes in, almond and pistachio marzipan. The boutique has only one location, which they intend to keep it that way because the production process of the marzipan is very detailed, requiring great care and talent. The prices range from $200 for 2lbs of marzipan to more, according to the weight. 

Chocolat de H. in Tokyo

Chocolat-pencils as seen above, is the product of a collaboration pairing Japanese architect and designer Oki Sato and Tsujiguchi Hironobu the man behind Tokyo's boutique dessert show Mont St. Claire and Chocolate de H. Subtle tableware effectively displays the gourmet chocolate and includes a special pencil sharpener for grating over dessert. Chocolate-pencils come in a number of different blends with varying levels of cocoa. 

Jean Boggio for Franz

A talented artists, Jean Boggio is best known in France for his fantastical, magical jewelry creations. Originally trained as a gold and silversmith, Boggio has been working for prestigious tableware names like Baccarat and Les Hèritiers. Now Boggio has joined forces with the porcelain manufacturer Franz to create a thoroughly modern collection at the very forefront of the latest trends. The ambiance at the Paris showroom is divided into two different inspirations; pop art where the power of bold colors is visible and black+white, a pairing that is as tieless as it is resolutely fashionable. 

Da Vinci of Cannes

Da Vinci is a place for those who appreciate the finer things in life. As the name suggests Leonardo Da Vinci was the primary inspiration for this fien store. Customers are able to try the variety of pens from prominent brands as MontBlanc, Montegrappa and Visonti. Pens, ink, and special paper of the finest quality are kept in the intriguing pen cellars. Fine leather goods, cigars and cigar accessories are also available in this chic store located on 8, rue d' Antibes, Cannes. 

Le Caviar Volga from Cannes

Le Caviar Volga is an elite shop offering a selection of the finest caviar; from osetra to sevruga and beluga. Luxe serving dishes, mother of pearl spoons - to preserve the fragile flavor of the caviar, and blinis, which are small Russian pancakes,  are also available. Located on, 5, rue Marjof, Cannes.

Rondini - sandales Tropéziennes

Since 1927, Rondini has forged a well-earned reputation for its mastery of the classic Saint Tropez sandal. In a small workshop at the back of the store, a craftsman still makes each of the sandal by hand using only the finest leather and the best sewing techniques. 

La Campanina of Alberto e Lina - jewelers of Capri

Founded in 1950, La Campanina follows a tradition which had been passed down from father to son. The boutique located in Capri is famous for its interesting window displays where beautiful jewelry pieces decorate the windows in the most unique and exciting way. La Campanina of Alberto and Lina still remains the preferred venue where the Italian and International jet set choose to meet, constituting a veritable symbol of Caprian savoir faire.

Carthusia Profumi

Legend has it that in 1380 the father prior of the Carthusian Monastery of St. Giacomo made a flower arrangement to Queen Giovanna D'Angio' s arrival to Capri , Italy with the most beautiful flowers available. After three days, while throwing the flowers away, the prior noticed that the water had a distinct smell to it. That smell or the water then became the 1st perfume of Capri. The tradition is now being continued and the limited production means being able to use the same methods as the Carthusian monks. The essence derived from rosemary picked on Monte Solaro is used in men's products, while the essence of Capri wild carnation is used in women's fragrances. All the preparations are made from genuine products of high quality where even the end product is hand-wrapped. 

Boucheron' s 150th anniversary

To commemorate its 150th anniversary, the mastermind of fine jewelry Boucheron has designed a beautiful collection. The Gourmand necklace, as shown above, depicts the glimmer of coloring and the fine geometry of fruits. The white-gold piece is composed of shiny sapphires, which play the lead role in the necklace, and is accompanied with a mix of pink, mauve, yellow-orange stones that add more glamour to the fabulous necklace.

Repossi - jewelry for the royalty

Founded in 1920 by G. Pietro Repossi, Repossi Joailliers is known as the official supplier for the Prince Rainier III of Monaco. The Italian atelier uses the traditional techniques of the goldsmith's trade of Renaissance in order to preserve the majesty of the pieces. As well as designing truly spectacular and glamorous pieces geared towards the royalty, Repossi also provides a more younger and trendy line designed by Gaia Repossi, the 4th generation of the jewelry house. The collection Ere Repossi, designed by Gaia Repossi and Eugénie Niarchos, has a more younger taste when compared to Repossi's traditional designs of haute jewelry. Prices for these eclectic pieces of hand-made jewelry range from $500 for gold lace studs to $50,000 for a gold and rose-cut diamond bracelet.

Antica Farmacista - luxury fragrances

Antica Farmacista captures old-world European charm and mystery with its collection of unique signature scents of the Mediteranean Sea and Tuscany. Each fragrance is formulated with only the world's finest essential oils and natural ingredients, and every product is meticulously produced and presented in an antique inspired apothecary bottle. Antica Farmacista's standard are unmatched and represent luxury fragrance at its best.

D.R. Harris & Co - the British court's chemists and perfumers

D.R. Harris&Co is one of London's oldest pharmacies, which has been in London's James street for over 200 years. They are renowned for their high quality products, soaps, colognes, skin care and oils. Still being packaged exquisitely in their London premises, products are being crafted by traditional methods, hand-made. The pharmacy has been serving the Queen of England and the British court since their foundation.

Potter & Moore of England

John Potter and William Moore founded Potter&Moore in 1749. They were known at that time as physic gardeners where their daily tasks included cultivation of herbs and flowers. Taking their knowledge and expertise in working with natural ingredients they apply it to creating fine bath, body and beauty products. 

Borsalino - luxury hats since 1857

Founded in 1857, Borsalino is famous for its fedora style hat, which is associated with an elegance and style that is purely southern European. The story of the company's success started in Alessandria when Giuseppe Borsalino (1834-1900), a true pioneer of the hat industry, after visiting Italy and France to learn the secrets of the trade, set up the first artisan workshop for the production of felt hats. Relying in old techniques has worked for Borsalino, which has made hats for people from Emperors and Sephardic Jews to Canadian Mounties. Wood-encased tools from the 19th century cranks out fluffy sheets of beaver and rabbit-felt and artisans use antique wooden forms to shape crowns the same way their predecessors did for headgear that has graced Kings and Popes. 

Francis Kurkdjian - créateur parfumeur

Being one of the the bests in bespoke parfumery, Francis Kurkdjian is recognized for his true talent in his great works like the perfume MA Sillage de la Reine, which is a re-creation of French Queen Marie Antoinette's perfume. Kurkdjian's latest masterpiece is the Indult perfume being presented in three different smells; Isvaraya, Manakara and Tihota. Indult , from Medieval Latin indultum means a special privilege granted by a high ranking Catholic Church authority or a King. Each of these fragrances is limited production of only 999 bottles and comes in a beautiful palissander wood box. 

Czech & Speake - luxurious bathing

Established in 1978, Czech&Speake's founder Frank Sawkins' goal was to create a company that combined bathroom fittings of supreme quality with a genuine bespoke appeal. Sawkins wanted to sell the idea of the bathrooms as sanctuary, combined with a modern Englishness, to convey a sense of history, elegance and craft. Bathroom fittings accompanied by fragrances and accessories, Czech&Speake is recognized as a genuine English luxury brand and a rare success of quality and style, vision and tradition.

Besselink and Jones - all things bright and beautiful

Since 1969, Besselink and Jones' exquisite designs and attention to detail have ensured an enviable reputation for decorative lightning of every description. All shades are made in traditional ways by Besselink and Jones' own dedicated shademakers. They use time-honored methods passed down from generations - so everything is handmade with no machines involved. The skills and techniques required to make lightning at their level of quality are drawn directly from English craftsmen of old. Located at 99 Walton street, service of bespoke shades are also available.

Pierre Hermé - Pastry chef who hates perfection

World renowned and award winning French pastry chef Pierre Hermé creates spectacular seasonal desserts and pastries for all to enjoy. Everything inside the shop from the interior show cases to gift boxes are designed in France, creating a unique and stylish pastry boutique. In addition to the Paris boutiques, there is one in Japan as well. Hermé prefers to work with taste instead of the decoration, which is why his desserts are designed to be eaten in full bites for the flavor impact. 

J&R Lobmeyr - royalty's preference for decoration

When it came to decorating the royal palaces with glass, crystal and chandeliers there was only J&R Lobmeyr to fulfill the requirements. Since 1828, J&R Lobmeyr has been creating masterpieces large and small, by skilled artist like Adolf Loos and Joseph Hoffman. Today their creations are being ordered by the Queen Elizabeth II, Sultan of Brunei. J&R Lobmeyr masterpieces can also be found at Russia's Kremlin Palace and the King's Palace in Saudi Arabia.

Köechert Jewellers of Vienna

Retailer to royalty, A.E. Köechert was the jeweller to the Habsburgs, the Austrian royal family, from 1814. Housed in a 16th century building, it is now run by the 6th generation of the founding family. In the creation of Köechert jewelry, only the selected materials that fully meet their many high quality standards are used. Each individual piece of jewelry that leaves the Köechert goldsmiths' workshop bears this mark of quality in the form of AEK - an assurance that the piece conforms with the strict demands of the house Köechert has placed on masterful craftsmanship and stylistic clarity for nearly 200 years.

Aubercy Bootmakers - tradition of shoemaking

Created in 1935 by Reneé and André Aubercy, Aubercy Bootmakers was at first a shop for men's shoes. For Aubercy, the numerous gestures that shoe artisans had executed never changed. After selecting the nicest calf skins, the leather goes into the tanning process held in the French tanneries. Hand-made assembly is the key component of Aubercy, where the uppers of the shoe, the plate, the pinholes, hard ends and the stiffenings are all constructed by hand, not machine punched, in order to give the absolute guaranty of strength and to keep he aesthetic quality. More than 390 processes are spread over at least one month of work which is necessary to realize a pair of shoe as Aubercy Bootmakers think it must be done.