The fall auction season is heating up, and Christie’s has announced that its Magnificent Jewels sale in New York will feature three exceptional colored diamonds: a rectangular-cut 8.77-carat intense-pink diamond, a cushion-cut 3.81-carat vivid-blue diamond, and a square-cut 5.13-carat vivid-yellow diamond. Additionally, the sale—on October 15th—will offer three top-quality D-color diamonds, weighing 25.30 carats, 18.28 carats, and 9.52 carats. These six notable stones are estimated to fetch between $850,000 an…

The German shipyard Lürssen—which will deliver the world’s largest privately owned yacht, the 591-foot Azzam, this fall—continues to impress with its newest build. Developed under the project name Niki, the six-deck yacht recently completed sea trials, and its owner is set to christen the vessel Solandge upon delivery this fall. The 280-foot yacht features exterior lines penned by the Norwegian naval architect (and frequent Lürssen collaborator) Espen Oeino, with interiors from interior designer Aileen Rodrigu…

The famous Beverly Hills Hotel cabanas and poolside restaurant—which have appeared in numerous films over the decades featuring Hollywood’s A-list celebrities—have been given a facelift. Under the guidance of Tihany Design, the 11 poolside cabanas have been updated with hand-painted murals, new furnishings, and the latest technology, and guests can reserve the hotel’s new pool terrace—which accommodates up to 100 people over two levels—for private parties overlooking the pool.
The hotel also unveiled its rede…

Sonus Faber, Italy’s prominent loudspeaker manufacturer, began delivering its new Olympica line of speakers this month. The line comprises two floor-standing models and a smaller, stand-mounted/bookshelf form, all of which borrow the design approach of the company’s top-of-the-line models while paying aesthetic homage to the famed Italian architect Andrea Palladio and his Teatro Olimpica in Venice.
Like Sonus Faber’s flagship $120,000-per-pair Aida speakers, the models in the Olympica line feature a lyre-shap…

The Art of Bulgari: La Dolce Vita & Beyond 1950-1990 opened this month at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, featuring 150 specially selected jewelry designs that reflect the brand’s defining era. During the 40-year period, the Italian jewelry house forged contemporary designs using a mix of big, bold, colorful gemstones and chunky gold. From the Roman-coin pieces to the snake ones, many of these early themes defined a pivotal period in Italian design.  
In addition to jewelry, the exhibition incl…

For the opening of its new 6,000-square-foot penthouse suite, occupying the entire eighth floor, Rome’s Regina Hotel Baglioni is featuring an art installation titled Luxury Is Not a Waste. Vincenzo Basile of Basile Arteco curated the project specifically for the new suite (from approximately $18,700 per night), which—with three bedrooms, two living rooms, a dining room, 3,122 square feet of wrap-around private terraces, and a hot tub—feels more like a private home. A total of 26 decorative pieces range from Mu…

It’s difficult to say the words “single malt” without quickly following them up with “scotch.” But while Scotland is indeed the largest producer of single-malt whiskies, Japan is the second-largest distiller of single malts in the world. This revelation is even more impressive when one realizes that while Scotland has well over 100 distilleries, Japan has one tenth that number, with only Suntory and Nikka as dominant brand names. But of these two, Suntory is decidedly the larger entity, and it has much more re…

Wajer & Wajer, the Dutch builder of sophisticated weekend cruisers and tenders, has launched its new flagship, the Osprey 38. Whereas the yard’s previous flagship, the Osprey 37, was more of a transport tender, the Osprey 38 is a true leisure vessel, with more padded deck areas for lounging and the ability to use it as a ski boat (with an optional rear-facing video camera). The Osprey 37 is also much sparser in its design, while this new model is more elegant, with cues taken from classic cruisers from Riv…

Thailand’s Anantara has opened the first glass-floored, overwater accommodations in the United Arab Emirates. Anantara Dubai The Palm debuted September 15 on the eastern side of Dubai’s most famous artificial island chain.
Why to Go: You can escape the chaos of Dubai and still experience the city’s attractions. Anantara joins dozens of hotels on the Palm Jumeirah, including beach resorts by Kempinski, Atlantis, and One&Only. The Thai-based hotel brand sets itself apart by offering the region’s first overw…

The Harry Winston Ocean Tourbillon Jumping Hour—one of the latest timepieces in the watchmaker’s Ocean Collection—employs a new mechanical movement that features both a tourbillon and a jumping hour. The movement utilizes 330 components that took more than 1,500 hours to develop.
The tourbillon has a 60-second rotating cycle and runs while suspended from two steel bridges—rather than at the back of the movement, as in most models. It is positioned between two panes of sapphire glass, so it appears to be float…