A digest of splendour

BESPOKE GIFTING SERVICE 

Whether it’s a delicate sparkly jewel or a luxury timepiece from one of the world’s most prestigious Swiss watch brands, unwrapping a specially chosen gift is all part of the experience of giving and receiving. The Arthur Kaplan flagship store in Sandton City has taken gifting to a new level: here you will receive personalised service as you shop in a safe and luxurious space for statement or timeless jewellery pieces and premium watch brands, including Hublot, Longines, Rado, Frédérique Constant, Victorinox, Tissot, Michel Herbelin, and Seiko.

Arthur Kaplan Sandton City 

KNOW YOUR JEWELS

The Jewellery Council of South Africa (JCSA) was formally recognised as a representative body by the government in 1987. Today, the JCSA is a non-profit company that serves the entire South African jewellery industry, from customers, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, companies, and jewellery-related services to industry bodies. When you buy jewellery from one of the 1 580 accredited members, you can buy with confidence, as each seller is bound to act in accordance with the JCSA’s Code of Ethics and Conduct — this means a fair market price, and responsible, ethical, and sustainable sourcing.

The JCSA is also a one-stop portal for consumer advice, offering all sorts of useful information including knowing your gems and jewels, how to care for them, valuation advice, and what to consider when buying watches and jewels.

When handing a piece of jewellery in for repair

1. Make sure that you receive a remittance slip, which gives full details of the article, for example 15cm, 18kt gold Gucci chain with Italian clasp.
2. If there is a diamond or other precious stone set in the article, request that the jeweller inspect it to confirm it is in fact a precious stone.
   
   
3. In the case of a pearl necklace, make sure that the pearls are counted, since re-strung pearls may result in the string being shorter because it’s tighter.

jewellery.org.za

THE SCENT OF VICTORY 

Renowned for its edgy, unique fragrances, Creed delivers another powerful punch with Viking Cologne, the new scent for him. Designed for the modern explorer, it’s a celebration of journeys to unexplored territories and nomadic royalty. The aromatic interpretation of these men defying the rules is a fragrance that is fougère, which means “fern-like”, describing one of the main fragrance families. A masterful alchemy of dry sandalwood, zesty bergamot, and earthy vetiver, this scent is held together by a mix of citrus fruit and a woody base. “The jus of the Viking Cologne perfume has been an obsession for us,” explains Erwin Creed, who created the fragrance with his father, sixth-generation master perfumer Olivier Creed. “It is so close to the Creed DNA that we wanted to explore a twist of Viking for summer, where the freshness bursts from the perfume, exuding an energising scent that is full of adventure.” Don’t think of Viking Cologne as a lighter version of the warm and dense Millesime Viking, rather a “juicier” partner. 

Creed Millesime Viking EDP 100ml R5 699 and 50ml R5 299

Creed Viking Cologne EDP 100ml R6 499 and 50ml R5 299 

LEAVING A LEGACY 

Sanlam Private Wealth’s collaboration with Andile Dyalvane is rooted in the strong similarities between his wisdom and considered practice when it comes to crafting his once-off ceramic pieces, and their approach to crafting customised private client portfolios to grow and protect wealth.

Dyalvane is guided by “camagu,” the isiXhosa word for gratitude. This ethos connects him to a deep lineage that tracks from the past, through to the present and into the future, embodying the continual creative journey that runs from his ancestors all the way through to future generations. For Dyalvane, “camagu” is represented by an infinite line that reminds him to craft a legacy for those that are yet to come.

It’s the principle of “camagu” that forms the foundation of the new partnership between Dyalvane, Imiso Ceramics, and the Sanlam Private Wealth Bakusasa Trust. Through a network of fundraising initiatives, their plan is to update, upgrade, and maintain infrastructure at Dyalvane’s former primary school in the rural parts of the Eastern Cape. Through a phased approach, the partnership aims to ensure a brighter future for the next generation by providing them with healthy food, creative education programmes and playground and classroom spaces that are conducive to learning and fun.

Keep an eye on sanlamprivatewealth.com and wantedonline.co.za to stay abreast of fundraising progress and future news about this project.

Should you wish to contribute to this initiative, please make a donation to the Bakusasa Trust by scanning the QR code. The trust is a public benefit organisation (PBO) as approved by the South African Revenue Service and is managed by Sanlam Private Wealth. Scan to donate using your ABSA, Nedbank or Capitec apps, or download the Zapper app.

THE HERITAGE COLLECTION 

The new Grand Seiko GMT watch series is a nod to nature’s changing seasons. In Japan, each of the four seasons of the year is experienced in six phases, and all have distinct characters. The GMT watches celebrate one of the year’s 24 seasonal phases or sekki: Shunbun (spring), Shõsho (summer), Kanro (autumn), and Tõji (winter). The Shunbun and Shõsho versions feature the Hi-Beat 36000 GMT calibre 9S86, while the Spring Drive GMT calibre 9R66 powers the Kanro and Tõji creations.

grand-seiko.com/us-en/special/japanseasons

SUMMER LOVIN’

Lazy summer days and beach vibes call for a sultry fragrance to match. And even if you’re not seaside, it’s easy enough to conjure up the views if you’re enveloped in the right scent. The Mediterranean Sea and its culture is encapsulated in Versace Dylan Blue. The version for women — Dylan Blue Pour Femme, an EDP — has an unusual fruity accord that comes from a blackcurrant sorbet, Granny Smith apples, and peach, while the floral addition is an interesting mix of wild blooms — eglantine rose, pétalia, jasmine, forget-me-not, clover, and rosy folia. The base notes of styrax and white woods, musk, and patchouli give it a sensuous finish. “It is my tribute to femininity. I created a strong, sensuous yet refined fragrance for a woman who knows her own power,” says Donatella Versace.

The partner scent for him, Dylan Blue Pour Homme EDT, combines bergamot and grapefruit with fig leaf for that Mediterranean freshness. Violet leaves and black pepper add a masculine dimension, while ambrox, papyrus, and organic patchouli give it heat, and tonka bean, saffron, and pyrogéné incense and musk impart a sensuous edge. “It takes traditional notes and scents and makes them totally modern, totally fresh for today — and tomorrow,” Versace says.

THE BEST OF BOSCHENDAL

With a history dating back to 1685, Boschendal is one of the Western Cape’s oldest wine farms. This year was particularly good as the estate not only celebrated 40 years of Brut Cap Classique but also saw 11 of its wines receive scores of 90 points and more in Tim Atkin’s 2021 report on South African wine. Atkin, one of the world’s leading wine critics, considered more than 1 800 South African wines for this year’s report.

If you’re looking to stock your cellar or gift a wine-lover with something exceptional, consider Nicholas. The 2017 Nicholas is a blend of 41% shiraz (a signature variety for Boschendal), 30% merlot, 15% cabernet sauvignon, 11% petit Verdot, and 3% malbec, and each cultivar is vinified separately to add its own special quality to the blend. The shiraz’s plummy, spicy notes give depth; the malbec and merlot offer vibrant fruit and colour; while the cabernet and petit verdot lend structure. The 2016 Nicholas includes 3% cabernet franc. While both vintages can be enjoyed now, a few years of cellaring will allow them to develop even further.

boschendalwines.com

SIGNATURE STATEMENT

Fresh, clean, sensuous — the aromatic woody Bleu de Chanel is an intense yet refreshing masculine scent, a provocative blend of citrus and wood. It comes in a full line of shaving and body products for an intensified scent throughout the day.

Bleu de Chanel EDP 100ml, R2 40 

A BRIGHT NEW FUTURE

Breitling has introduced a foldable, reusable watch box created entirely from upcycled plastic bottles, effectively reinventing packaging in the watch industry. The sustainable packaging has already been awarded an Efficient Solution Label by the Solar Impulse Foundation, as it is a solution that has a positive impact on the environment and the economy.

From the fabric to the buttons that open it, the new watch box is made from 100% upcycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. PET is one of the most widely recycled types of plastic. The box can be recycled at a dedicated facility where it will be fed back into the PET recycling cycle. Breitling is able to ship the new boxes directly to its markets, meaning that the average distance a box travels is reduced by almost 30%. The fact that the box can be unfolded and shipped flat also means a reduction in transport-related CO2 emissions of more than 60%. What we also love is that the pillow inside the box can be used as a travel pouch. As Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling, says in the company’s Sustainability: The 2021 Mission Report, “A vision is nothing without action. We started working on a sustainable packaging concept with the goal of optimising the impact on the environment, and the result has exceeded our ambitions,” he says.

“It has evolved into a positively disruptive element that has affected many different aspects of our packaging, ranging from material to transport and even to how customers will use the box.” He adds that what is clear about sustainability efforts is “not only how much work we have done to date — but also how much is left to do.”

breitling.com

• From the 2021/2022 edition of Wanted Watches, Jewellery and Luxury.