I visited the new H.Stern boutique in the beating heart of Knightsbridge; the recently opened flagship store is located on Sloane Street, a stone throw’s away from Harvey Nichols and Harrods. Since I have already visited H.Stern boutiques in both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in Brazil, I was curious to see what the London boutique has to offer!

During this particular visit, the pieces that really caught my eye were all the jewels from the stunning signature Stars collections, textured yellow gold bracelet and ring, whose shape was reminiscent of delicate pebbles from the Golden Stones Collection, and a unisex timeless watch from the Sapphire collection.

H.Stern’s timeless Stars collection, which consists of brilliant star-shaped jewels inspired by a Victorian tiara from late 19^th century, continues to be as popular as ever. Stars Collection is conceptually important for H.Stern, as the jewellery brand has Stars in its name – Stern means star in German. I think that any of the rings, earrings, and necklaces are perfect if you want to channel the whole chic “rock-chick” look! The Stars Collection is absolutely my favourite; likewise, over decades the classic and romantic art-nouveau style of the collection has won countless hearts in Brazil and Europe. I remember clapping my eyes on a pair of classic, yet fabulous H. Stern Stars earrings quite a while ago, and they have been at the back of my mind ever since!

H.Stern is widely known for its own distinctive colour of gold, “noble” gold that exhales the warmth of yellow gold allied to the elegance of white gold, and for extensive use of cognac diamonds: such smoky tint of a precious stone enhances the colour of gold. The rings, pendants and earrings are darkened with a special finish that adds even more vintage character to the designs.

Stern is the foremost jeweller in Brazil and the epitome of pure Brazilian luxury and glamour. Wearing a piece of jewellery from H.Stern instantly adds a touch of class and luxury to any outfit, be it either a casual day look or an elegant evening event. In my opinion, an interesting piece of jewellery can be a powerful fashion statement even with the simplest of outfits!

H.Stern pieces are loved by many Hollywood celebrities and have adorned the necks, ears and wrists of many well-known actresses and singers including Cate Blanchett, Angelina Jolie, Sharon Stone. Of course, it goes without saying that H.Stern is incredibly popular amongst Brazilian celebrities: Fernanda Lima, Sabrina Sato, Deborah Secco.

H.Stern was founded in Rio de Janeiro back in 1945 by a 22-year-old German émigré, Hans Stern. In the 50’s, Hans started a worldwide expansion on the already successful brand in Brazil, and TIME Magazine called H. Stern “the king of diamonds and coloured gems”. Currently, H.Stern is the pre-eminent jeweller in Brazil; its second largest market, interestingly enough, is Israel.

Over the decades, H.Stern has captured many a heart in its native Brazil: it has that distinctive element of je ne sais quoi that makes it stand out from a plethora of other jewellery designers! There is something amazing about this jeweller that cannot be put into words. Perhaps, it’s the combination of various factors to perfection: unique and interesting designs, innovative use of many gorgeously coloured gemstones, exciting collaborations, collections that are so distinctly different from each other.

The new H.Stern boutique is a real treasure chest with many exciting jewels for you to discover; it sells a vast range of the Brazilian jeweller’s collection.

Similar to Tiffany’s, who is famous for long-term collaborations with renowned jewellery designers such as Elsa Peretti and Paloma Picasso, H.Stern also stands out for working with celebrated designers and architects. The current collection at the new H.Stern store includes pieces from the wonderful, exclusive collaboration with one of the most prominent American designers, Diane Nov Furstenberg. The DvF by H.Stern, consisting of rings, earring and bracelets made from gold, diamonds, and coloured gemstones, is inspired by an independent, powerful woman. The DvF by H.Stern is all bold simple lines and clean forms. Another interesting collaboration in store at the moment is with the late Oscar Niemeyer, one of the most influential Brazilian architects and one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture. He was passionate about curves in his designs, therefore the Oscar Nirmeyer collection consists of delicate, sinuous rings and bracelets in white and yellow gold, encrusted in diamonds.

Another new collection that deserves a mention is the Iris collection. These jewels, inspired by the vast expanses of oceans and seas and their hidden, yet to be discovered treasures, reminded me of the wonderful time I had whilst exploring the coral reefs by diving during my stay at the Four Seasons hotel in the Maldives. The marine life there is so stunning and rich with a myriad of vibrantly coloured fish, gorgeous spiral-shaped seashells and sinuous forms of other bizarre underwater creatures, and I feel the Isis collection has captured my impressions of the sea and its raw, intense beauty perfectly!

I also loved the sleek, handmade watches from the Sapphire collection. H.Stern’s first Sapphire watch was launched in 1985 after years of research and several drawings. The case of such a watch is crafted of sapphires thus rendering it highly resistible to any outside damage: it is so hard that it can only be scratched by a diamond, the only precious stone harder than a sapphire according to the Mohs scale. Mohs scale is a mineral hardness scale, which rates the scratch resistance of minerals and gems.

The design of each watch is simultaneously retro and contemporary: you can easily imagine a fashionable lady Rio wearing a timepiece from the Sapphire collection. Luckily for us, these watches are very affordable, with the simplest models starting at around £3000. I will definitely be adding a watch from the Sapphire collection to my Christmas wish list, since I am obsessed about sapphires! Both a jewel and a timepiece in one.

I will certainly be going back to the London H.Stern store to further investigate the collections of dazzling jewels that they have on display. I absolutely cannot wait to go back to Brazil in order to visit H.Stern workshops to personally witness what must be very laborious process of creation of such beautiful ornaments!

I would love to hear what you think by leaving me a comment below. Thank you! Discover 10 things to know about Brazilian Jewellery style!

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GEMOLOGUE by Liza Urla is a celebration of fine, fashion and vintage jewellery featuring exquisite global discoveries, trendy urban street style, exclusive interviews and rare jewellery reviews.

GEMOLOGUE jewelry blog by Liza Urla is featuring talented jewellery designers, trendy urban street style, exclusive interviews and rare jewellery reviews. This jewellery blog’s goal is to encourage and educate about jewellery online in a fresh and original fashion to inspire women and men across the globe in a fashion and travelling context.

Jewellery blogger, writer Liza Urla, the founder of GEMOLOGUE, is a London-based and NYC-educated gemologist, who has travelled to and lived in many countries. She is now one of the most influential digital jewellery tastemakers. Her jewellery influence has been acknowledged by Financial Times, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

*Photographed by Julia Flit. Styling and Art Direction by Liza Urla. All photos belong to GEM Kreatives for GEMOLOGUE.

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