Modern Jewelry Trends

One of the most entertaining parts of the Oscars tradition is the variety of “winners” and “losers” lists that come out after the event. It’s gone beyond the awarding of best picture, best actress, and so on, to best and worst dressed, best and worst jewelry, best and worst hair, best and worst couple, and on and on. At Oscars 2008, perhaps no one exemplified winning and losing more than Damiani. The Italian jeweler dressed Tilda Swinton, and received lots of publicity for its jewelry on the best supporting actress Oscar winner. (Another story entirely is Swinton’s baggy black dress, which looked like a leftover costume/cloak from the “Chronicles of Narnia,” and received a lot of worst dressed honors, which of course is still plenty of priceless publicity.)

But straight out of a Hollywood film, Damiani then made headlines around the world when, almost simultaneously, its Milan, Italy showroom was robbed of millions in jewelry. The thieves pulled off the dramatic heist in part by digging a tunnel from a building next door. Trying to put the best spin on the situation, Damiani released a statement supporting its victimized employees, saying that at least most of their “Masterpiece” collection was in LA at the Oscars. Thankfully no one was hurt. Nonetheless, it was surely much more publicity, and drama, than Damiani ever bargained for this Oscar season. - Matthew Kramer