Discover how a discrete diamond or an occasional opal can zhoosh up the finest frock

The Cartier Magicien Collection diamond Incantation necklace has a 22.84-carat sapphire; Cartier’s Oracle necklace holds emeralds from Colombia and diamonds.

Big girls need big diamonds” was Elizabeth Taylor’s take on the subject, while Coco Chanel famously asserted that “a woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls.” Despite their slightly different preferences, it is safe to say that both were firm believers that jewellery can make or break an outfit, particularly when dressing for a gala event or a high society soirée.

The key to achieving the requisite sophisticated look is balance. Ideally, a dazzling sequin dress, for example, should be complemented by small, dainty earrings and very little else. Simple, classic dresses, meanwhile, can be spruced up with a jaw-dropping statement piece, such as Piaget’s Sunny Side of Life pink gold necklace, complete with an oval-cut Paraiba tourmaline from Mozambique, all surrounded by diamonds, pink sapphires and yet more blue tourmalines. As a rule of thumb, if one item is overstated, the remainder can be a little more demure.

A prime example of the former, courtesy of Piaget, is a stunning pair of 18K white gold dangle earrings, fetchingly adorned with 460 brilliant-cut diamonds in a cascading circular design. These were recently modeled to great effect by Jessica Chastain, the US actress and Piaget brand ambassador. In a similar vein, white gold cuffs emblazoned with blue sapphires or Piaget’s emerald and diamond jewellery sets all add a touch of glamour to any gala gown.

“As a rule of thumb, if one item is overstated, the remainder can be a little more demure”

Cartier is also clearly in the “go big or go home” camp, a commitment underlined by its diamond Incantation necklace, an accessory that can be transformed to suit any occasion. This choker-style necklace can be easily elongated, while its detachable Ceylon sapphire pendant can also be worn as a ring. Even more playful options courtesy of Cartier – and just perfect for complementing a cocktail dress – are its desert-themed collection of cactus-shaped rings, earrings and necklaces.

For those looking for a bold splash of colour, Bulgari’s Ispirazioni Italiane necklace dazzles with an array of pink tourmalines, amethysts, emerald beads, red spinels and diamonds. Chopard has also chosen to forefront diamonds in its Temptations Haute Joaillerie collection, with the range boasting a sophisticated set of earrings with oval-cut, marquise-cut, pear-shaped and brilliant-cut diamonds.

While earrings and necklaces in vibrant colours are very much in vogue right now, any budding Ms Taylors and Ms Chanels – with a distinct penchant for classic gemstones – will still surely find something to catch their eye in this season’s jewellery collections.

Pair nude shades with a bold liner for an unforgettable look

Discover nude shades that range from barely there to foundations and liner you’d apply to make a statement.

Microplane zester makes light work of grating

Billed as the absolute king of graters, the Microplane 40020 is said to be so adept at grating and zesting it has dropped into everyday shorthand as the generic term for a hand-held grater. Designed to be comfortably held in the fashion of a traditional carpenter’s rasp, the Microplane is reputed to be sharper and simply better at anything that requires grating or zesting than your everyday box grater – the use of which often results in lumpy gratings and painfully grazed knuckles.

Thanks to its plethora of surgically sharp holes, grating with the Microplane results in a fluffier grated product, said to not only look far more appealing but also delivering a grated product that has a finer and more consistent texture, as well as a sharper flavour. Suitable for just about anything that might need grating, the Microplane effortlessly handles all manner of texture. Just perfect for truffles, it will easily grate anything – from softer ingredients, such as cheese, right up to tougher items, including nuts and spices.

Zesting with the Microplane is, apparently, not only quicker and more efficient but also results in tastier, more flavoursome trimmings. These, in turn, impart more flavour to your dishes, resulting in an inevitable bombardment of compliments at your next dinner party. Dishwasher-friendly, the Microplane is as easy to use as it is to clean and maintain. No sharpening is required and it is available in a wide assortment of colours.

www.microplane.com

How to turn a living room into a space worth living in

Just what makes a living room a space worth living in is a matter of some debate. While some homeowners agonise over interior design, delicately weighing their options for colour, pattern and texture, others wonder whether the accent wall should be wasabi powder green or smoky taupe.

With feng shui thrown into the mix, a home design project could seem an endless task. Perhaps short circuiting the problem, others opt for a more minimalistic approach, allowing only the bare necessities – a few chairs and the occasional table – to enter their personal space.

Regardless of style, most would agree that a living room must have two key qualities – comfort and warmth. As some of the world’s most lavish homes clearly demonstrate, however, another factor is becoming equally important – intrigue.
Contemporary living rooms need to be provocative spaces. Whether that stems from their unique shell-shaped structure or their all-glass construction is entirely down to the unique vision of their occupants and their chosen interior design teams…

1. Keen skiers looking to relax after hitting the slopes would be hard-pressed to find a more suitable locale than Aspen’s McLain Flats Estate. At once both modern and cosy, the design of this mountain resort eschews the typical bulky lodge look. Overall, the house fetchingly blends into its snow-capped mountain backdrop. Boasting a fireplace, potted plants and any number of lounge chairs and sofas in a selection of warm colours, this living room is just the perfect place to get nice and toasty with a cup of hot cocoa or maybe something stronger.

2. The living room of La Maison des Deux Fleurs – The House of the Two Flowers – is just one of the many spaces in this residence specially designed for entertaining. The house, set in a gated Wisconsin community, can comfortably host up to 150 people at any one time. The lounge – simply ideal for breakaway groups at parties – features a corner-set piano, a central space complete with mauve-hued sofas and chairs, and a third lounge area immediately adjacent to the TV and entertainment centre. A series of classical oil paintings, suspended illumination and a potted tree all add to the room’s stylish and artistic ambience.

3. The prospect of living in a glass house in the depths of the woods both intrigues and deters in equal measure, yet any negativity is immediately dispelled by one glimpse of Switzerland’s Lake Lugano House. Situated in a secluded nook, overlooking both Lake Lugano and the Swiss Alps, this living space forefronts a classic design, complete with all-white furniture, save for a few dark throw pillows.

4. A one-off conch-shaped abode, the Nautilus certainly stands out as one of the most remarkable residences in the Valley of Mexico. After ascending the stone steps and entering the house through its hidden front door, visitors can be forgiven for feeling slightly shell-shocked upon encountering the dazzling disco-esque lights that filter into the living room through its mosaic outer wall, with each circular glass section offering a different rainbow shade. This undeniably groovy lounge is the perfect setting to escape the outside world or to forsake reality entirely.

5. The Lyons Demesne estate is an Irish manor fit for a king. Set about an hour’s drive from Dublin, this Georgian style house sits amid a 600-acre bespoke space. Since its completion in 1785, the estate has undergone numerous renovations, with the most recent all down to its immediate former occupant – the late Tony Ryan, the eponymous founder of Ryanair, who sought to restore the home to its former glory.

Van Cleef & Arpels go for gold with latest collection

Gold doesn’t have to be worn in just two dimensions. That, at least, is the intention behind the latest additions to the Van Cleef & Arpels’ Perlée collection, a range featuring the brand’s iconic beaded gemstone design and pearls of gold in pink, yellow and white iterations.

Three new Between the Finger rings all feature a unique semi-circle design, complete with gold band in one of three colours, topped with a carnelian, malachite or turquoise gemstone. The rings can be paired with a gold and diamond pendant or matching earrings.

www.vancleefarpels.com

Gafencu’s guide to choosing the sweetest seven-seater

Nowadays, it seems that two rows of seats no longer suffice. It could be the move towards bigger broods or perhaps an increased reluctance to expire on the part of the more doddery outposts of the extended family. It could even be that many now crave to put more space between themselves and the PlayStationing bings and bongs that now inevitably emanate from rear seats.

There are, of course, numerous “people movers” offering, at least, treble rows. The downside is that they’re all too often little more than re-styled delivery vans, with added windows and marginally less industrial interiors.
For those motorists who find themselves with both a large family and a desire to keep their self-respect intact, there are, thankfully, a few other options available. In fact, many SUV off-road cars are also available in a three-pew configuration.
The Mercedes Benz GLS 550, the Audi Q7 and the Lexus LX570, for instance, all offer seven or more seats. While each of them has enough badge-cred to impress at the school gates, which one is best?

Looks

The first and most important job of any luxury seven-seater is not to look like a non-luxury seven seater. In this department, the Mercedes leaves observers in no doubt that it’s not a van. Combined with the car’s enormous overall scale and chiselled bodywork, the Merc has all the road presence required for intimidating other road users. Presence, but perhaps not beauty.

The Audi fares rather better in the looks department. Where the GLS is all straight lines and sharp angles, the Q7’s bodywork takes a softer, more rounded approach. If the Q7’s shared heritage is noticeable to the discerning, the Lexus LX570’s roots are blatantly obvious to all. The model is based heavily on Toyota’s wilderness-conquering Land Cruiser. The Lexus stylists seem to have invested little or no effort into disguising that fact, merely slapping on the corporate radiator grille and a few logos.

While all three cars are big, the Lexus is vast. It wears its size well though. The LX570 looks like it’d be equally at home parked outside a downtown pedicurist or a mud hut half way up Mount Kilimanjaro.

Luxury

Naturally, the first test for any car competing in the seven-seater category is the comfort offered by the third row. The GLS creates a good impression right off the bat with its nifty power operated seats. Raising or lowering the GLS’s back seats is relatively straightforward. With a gentle prod of a pleasingly chunky button, electric motors do all the hard work. In terms of size, though, these part-time pews are big enough to comfortably seat two adults, even over long-ish distances.
This level of pampering is typical inside the Benz. The driver is almost overloaded with luxury toys, while confronted by an intimidating phalanx of buttons.

Although restrained, the Q7 – the biggest of the Audis – feels far from austere. While the driver is faced with more or less as many buttons and switches as with the Benz, their arrangement across the broad, swooping dash seems less crowded and easier to comprehend. As with the Merc, there’s a similar power-operated folding mechanism. The Audi’s part time seats are, however, a little smaller, resulting in a cramped feeling for adults.

The third row of seating is where the Lexus LX570 plays its trump card. It can not only match the power-actuated convenience of the German cars, but it also beats them hands down by having a rear pew fit for three, taking its total seating capacity to eight. Although nicely put together and undoubtedly luxurious, it’s hard to escape the feeling that this is luxury as an afterthought, rather than being intrinsic to the vehicle.

Driving

In its 550 guise, the Mercedes GLS’ not-so-secret weapon is its horsepower. The 4.7 litre twin turbo V8 produces an entirely unnecessary 450 horsepower, enough to propel the car to 60 mph in a genuinely fast 5.3 seconds. All that force is transmitted to the four-wheel drive system via an automatic gearbox, which boasts nine forward gears.

Predictably, for so large a car, the steering is incommunicative and the feel through the brake pedal is dull. Attempting to drive the Q7 hard, though, reveals a surprise – it’s not that bad. It stays reasonably flat under heavy breaking and doesn’t produce too much body roll under cornering. Despite the Audi’s 3.0 litre supercharged V6 producing 333 horsepower it’s only a blink slower to 60 than the Merc – 5.5 seconds. Fuel economy is better too, consuming 10.7 litres per 100km to the Benz’s 11.3. The Lexus is bigger than the other two and feels it. Even with the biggest engine its 383 horsepower 5.6 litre V8 can only manage the sprint to 60 in 7.2 seconds. Piloting the LS 570, with its tremendous size and eight seats, is very much like driving a bus. Control inputs result in lazy outcomes on the road, while any attempt at high-speed manoeuvring results in alarming pitch and roll angles.

Gafencu’s Choice

While impressive, the Mercedes is hard to love. It’s too obvious, the interior lacks cohesion and the driving experience is disappointing. The Lexus is only really a choice for those who plan to do some proper off-road work but don’t want the military feel of a Land Rover Defender or the Toyota on which the LX 570 is based. Or for those who really do need that extra eighth seat.

The best all-rounder and Gafencu’s choice – despite its slightly smaller rear seats – is the Q7. It’s the nicest to look at inside and out, as well as being the most car-like to drive.

Woven winter winners to keep you warm

With winter just around the corner, these knitted jackets, scarves and handbags will keep you warm and make you look fashionable during the cold months.

Light up your home with cordless lamps

Lladró, the Spanish porcelain designer and manufacturer, has created a new line of cordless lamps inspired by nature’s most dazzling light-makers. All items in its new Firefly collection seek to replicate the delicate glow given off by the luminous insects as they flit across the night sky. The lamps’ lightweight design makes it easy to move them from the living room to the outdoor patio to create a warm ambience for any family party or barbecue. Each lamp comes with chargeable batteries and independent LED lights.

www.lladro.com

Jonathan Young

You grew up in Hong Kong. Can you tell us a little about your childhood?
I was born here and lived in the city until I was 12. We then moved to Beijing, which was quite unusual back in the 1980’s. At the time, most people were looking to move to Canada, the US, the UK or Australia. As my father was going to work in Beijing, he thought it would be good for me to experience life there for two or three years. I studied at a local school and began to learn Mandarin. I’m glad I did. It’s so much easier to learn a language when you’re young. In total, I spent two years studying in Beijing, then I went to boarding school in the UK.

Marie-Christine Lee

Marie-Christine Lee is the founder of both the Sports for Hope Foundation and Sports Max.

You are the founder of the Sports for Hope Foundation. What led you to set up this particular charity?

I have always loved sports, ever since I was a child. I fundamentally believe that sport can be hugely beneficial – both mentally and physically. Sport gives people a goal and it teaches them to be persistent in many other areas of their lives. It instills in people a never-give-up attitude, something that is essential to have no matter what your aim in life.