LAPADA is London’s most glamorous antique jewellery fair taking place in September on Berkley Square. Join Liza during Collectors Preview worth £71 on the 21st September 2015 from 6-9pm.

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The winner of GEMOLOGUE first “Be a Jewellery Blogger for an evening”, Kristina, tells us all about her glamourous experience at LAPADA.

Last weekend, an email dropped into my mailbox announcing me as the winner of GEMOLOGUE’s Be Jewellery Blogger for the Night Experience at LAPADA Art and Antiques’ opening night. I entered the competition by regramming my favourite jewel from GEMOLOGUE’s Instagram account, and very unexpectedly, I won! What a lovely thing to look forward to on a Monday night, and beat the Monday blues we all succumb to!

As you might imagine, I was absolutely thrilled to get a small taste of what it is like to be London’s top jewellery blogger – a job many young women dream about – and immerse myself in the beautiful world of antique and vintage jewellery at the glamorous champagne reception at LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair. This is an unmissable event for lovers of all things antique, and alongside GEMOLOGUE’s founder, Liza Urla, I got the opportunity to chat to London’s leading antique jewellery dealers and learn the secrets of their trade while trying on hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of jewellery.

As soon as I set my foot inside the fair, I was greeted with a cold refreshing glass of champagne and welcoming smiles from Liza and her team.

I imagined that there will be a handful of winners, so when I was told I was the only one – my excitement surged to another level! Liza gave me a brief but insightful introduction to the fair. LAPADA Art and Antiques Fair is a very special event: antique dealers, who gather on Berkeley Square in London every September, display the creme de la creme of their luxurious ware: furniture, art and, of course, jewellery.

Opposite the entrance I spotted a delicate white stand with glittering jewels from Lucas Rarities, one of London’s leading antique jewellery dealer. As we approached, I could see that some of the pieces were from renowned jewellery designers: Jar, Belperron and Cartier among many others. However, my eye was instantly caught by a marvellous French Art Deco set  – a ring and a bracelet crafted from platinum, diamonds, and my favourite gemstone, emerald! Putting on these two incredible pieces instantly made me feel like a million dollars – both captivating and elegant , these jewels were fit for royalty and I knew that I was about to have a fairy-tale like evening.

As I was admiring the jewels on myself and chatting to Sam Loxton, getting insider’s information about acquiring such marvellous pieces, I was photographed by Julia, who is the photographer at GEMOLOGUE  and responsible for all the beautiful images you see on this site. I was really overwhelmed by this point, because being photographed by a professional photographer at such a glamorous event was a first for me!

We stopped at Moira’s Fine Jewellery, another of London’s foremost dealers. Here I tried on a striking gold Victorian Snake Bracelet set with sapphires and emeralds.

As we slowly strolled through the fair, sipping on champagne, Liza described the ins-and-outs of the fascinating world of jewellery to me, the world I know little about, but would certainly love to learn more. And that’s why in a couple of months’ time I am starting a gemology course in London.

Meanwhile, I am interning at Backes & Strauss, one of London’s oldest diamond companies still in operation, and producing today bespoke jewellery timepieces. Visiting this fair with Liza was certainly a tantalising amuse-bouche for someone who is about to pursue a career in the realm of fine jewellery. How different it is from my Geosciences degree!

Afterwards, Liza introduced me to Sandra Cronan, an inspiring woman and a wonderful story-teller, who also happens to have a splendid collections of opulent period jewels.

Once again, I instantly spotted some stunning emeralds amongst her dizzying array of sparkling jewellery. I tried on a ring, a bracelet and two hair clips – all these pieces were magnificent and far beyond what I had imagined I would ever be trying on! Julia was close by to capture this fairy-tale moment of me wearing priceless pieces with my favourite gemstone. Then Sandra placed a delicate Edwardian tiara on my head encrusted with diamonds – now I truly felt like a princess!

For the whole evening, I felt like I was the queen of the world of jewellery – if only I could have stopped time in order to revel in all these glittering jewels, sparkling champagne and the undeniably glamorous atmosphere of LAPADA for a while longer. Every single jewel I tried on this evening was magnificent: brilliant diamonds and rare gemstone all incorporated into wonderful antique designs. I wonder if it is possible to be blinded by so much sparkle in one night?

Our final stop was John Joseph, where we looked at antique engagement rings  – every one unique, but all sparkling and mesmerising. A great stop for any bride-to-be!

I would love to thank Liza and her team for this wonderful Jewellery Blogger experience. I had a wonderful time, and learnt a great deal from Liza!

Discover glamorous Buccellati experience of the winner of GEMOLOGUE previous”Be a Jewellery Blogger for an evening” here.

Thanks for stopping by. Are you looking forward to the next competition? Leave me a message in the comments below.

I am extremely happy to announce that my new jewelry book – GEMOLOGUE: Street Jewellery Styles & Styling Tips – is now on Amazon. I’m so excited. It’s the first book of its kind solely dedicated to jewellery. 

You can sign up for GEMOLOGUE newsletter below and I also share  jewellery on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook  and Youtube if you’d like to connect, or feel free to say hello info@gemologue.com

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GEMOLOGUE jewelry blog by Liza Urla is a celebration of fine, fashion and vintage jewellery 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, The New York Times, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

*All photos belong to GEM Kreatives for GEMOLOGUE.

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