Star Struck Style

When I was a kid, my family owned an atlas that had a few interesting features. The one that fascinated me the most was a double-page spread of mineral samples from all around the world. I could stare at those rocks all day!

I still get into rocks, although my tastes have grown to be a little more sophisticated than they were back then. I own some interesting gemstone rings, and I’m always eager to share the story of the stones when someone offers me a compliment on my jewelry. I also visit auction sites regularly to see what’s for sale. The history behind some of these treasures is more fascinating than the rocks themselves.

For that reason, I’ve decided to discuss some of the most iconic pieces of jewerly of all time and the “vibes” I get from them. I don’t want anyone to think that I believe I have psychic powers. I simply have developed a set of aesthetic correspondences to astrology, so when I look at something, I often say to myself “Oh, that’s a Scorpio necklace if I’ve ever seen one.”

Curiously, I was pondering that idea a moment ago when I decided to look up the zodiac sign of Barbara Hutton, the original owner of the necklace in the photo. Of course, she’s a Scorpio!

The Hutton-Mdivani Jade Necklace was sold for $27.44 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels & Jadeite sale on April 7th, 2014. Jewels du Jour (click the link above) featured the fascinating story of the necklace shortly after the auction. The author, Clive Kandel, is a treasure himself.

While there is no definitive list of correspondences between specific minerals and zodiac signs (various sources give various interpretations of astrological crystal lore), the sordid history of the necklace struck me as Scorpionic. Scorpio is related to the eighth house which rules over death, legacies and other people’s possessions. The idea that this necklace ended up being found under Nina Mdivani’s deathbed is reason enough for me to call it an icon of Scorpio style.

Take the time to read the story of this magnificent piece of jewelry. I don’t know why Hollywood hasn’t made the story of the “Marrying Mdivanis” into a movie. They really were something else.