From A Diamond-Covered Gun to Royal Adornment at Las Vegas Antique Jewelry Show

Diamond covered six-shooter with matching bullets from Ely & Co.

Between the group of tradeshows under the JCK banner at the Mandalay Bay Resort on the South end of the Las Vegas Strip and the Couture Show at Wynn Las Vegas toward the North end, there were seven jewelry- and watch-related tradeshows going on in what is now known as “Las Vegas Jewelry Week.”

Inside the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show

One of those shows was the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show, held May 30 – June 2 at the Paris Las Vegas Convention Center. It’s a low-key event compared to many of the other tradeshows. Decorations are few, exhibitor booths are as simple as can be. But the true excitement and value of this event is in the cases and displays. Everything from a diamond-covered six-shooter with matching bullets to objects belonging to the Sultan of Brunei were on display. Tiaras fit for a queen shared spaces with rare objects of adornment from Bulgari, Boucheron, Tiffany and Graff.

18k yellow gold Victorian Bow Pin with 30 cts. of natural blue sapphires and 5 cts. of rose cut diamonds from Vivid Diamonds & Jewelry.

Rare colored diamonds and gemstones set in platinum and works by some of the world’s best-known independent jewelry designers were in abundance. These are pieces that are not only rare and beautiful but have provenance and stories that add even more value and intrigue to what was already seen as extremely valuable.

Fully Hinged 18k Yellow Gold Bangle by late 19th Century jewelry designer, Carlo Giuliano. The piece is set with square sapphires, rubies and trimmed in diamonds. There’s also a pair of shell like images set with mine cut diamonds and a square ruby curl. White enamel with powder blue enamel Etruscan forms also adorn the bracelet along with a touch of black enamel to remind the wearer of Queen Victoria's loss of her husband, Albert. Giuliano was a personal friend and private jeweler to the Queen. The piece is available through Joden World Resources.

The selected group of images shows just some of the highlights of this event.

Graff Diamond Necklace from Eric Originals & Antiques.

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A 6.23-ct. Fancy Colored Diamond and Platinum Necklace with a 2.04-ct. fancy yellow pear-shaped diamond and a 0.52-ct. fancy intense orangy pink diamond and 3.67 carats of white round brilliant and marquise-shaped diamonds from Vivid Diamonds & Jewelry. This item was sold at the show.

Heart formed hair locket by Carlo Giuliano. The face of the cherub is created with powder blue and pink enamel surrounded by a pattern of complex blue and white enamel in the revival style of the Art of Hans Holbein. Threads of gold run through the hair of the cherub. The piece is available through Joden World Resources.

A 9.89-ct. Diamond and Platinum Bracelet with 5.98 carats of mixed shaped fancy yellow diamonds and 12 pear shaped diamonds (1.92-cts.) surrounded by 1.3 cts. of round brilliant cut diamonds. A 1-ct. fancy brownish orangy pink-shaped diamond is on the center stone of this piece from Vivid Diamonds & Jewelry.

A display case showing various pieces belonging to the former Sultan of Brunei from Ely & Co.

A 7.41-ct. Set of Fancy Colored Diamond Earrings with two pear-shaped fancy deep yellowish orange diamonds weighing 2.75 cts. accented by D S12 Marquise-shaped diamonds weighing 3.12 cts. and 0.50 cts. of round brilliant cut diamonds from Vivid Diamonds & Jewelry.