Iconic jewels and the women who have worn them


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Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

After the former first lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis was diagnosed with cancer in 1994, she decided to auction off a number of her jewellery pieces. Among the items put under the hammer by Sotheby’s was this triple-strand faux-pearl necklace. The piece – best known from a photo of JFK Jr affectionately tugging at the strands – was estimated to bring in between US$500 and $700 (up to Dh2,500). Instead, the single item sold for an astounding $211,500 (Dh776,800), while the total auction garnered an impressive $34.46 million (Dh126.6m). While Kennedy Onassis owned a number of pearl necklaces, this particular piece was said to be her favourite and the one she wore most often. Believed to have been inherited from her mother, the necklace features faux pearls – a popular trend among the wealthy at the time – and the strands were set in the same manner as those owned by Coco Chanel. By allowing a space between the inner strand and the outer two, the pearls lie comfortably on the neck without lumping, a design style that has eventually come to be known as Channeling.

Grace Kelly

When Prince Rainier III first proposed to Grace Kelly, he did so with a Cartier eternity band of rubies and diamonds. But when he saw other starlets in Hollywood sporting flashier pieces, he quickly reconsidered his original offering. The new ring, also by Cartier, would feature a 10.5-carat, emerald-cut diamond, flanked by two baguettes. The gifting of the ring would not only signify the start of their 26-year marriage but a long-standing relationship between Princess Grace and Cartier. It is for this reason that Cartier was the jeweller of choice to recreate some of the princess's most iconic pieces for Olivier Dahan's film Grace of Monaco.

Princess Diana

When Lady Diana married Charles, Prince of Wales, in 1981, she would sport, on the first of many occasions, the Spencer Tiara. A Spencer family heirloom that is said to date back to the 1800s, the diamond and silver tiara features different elements created by various jewellers over the years. In 1919, the centre element was a wedding present from Lady Sarah Spencer to Lady Cynthia Hamilton, wife of Albert, Viscount Althorp, Diana’s grandfather. The centrepiece would eventually be remounted to add four matching pieces in 1937. The tiara is often mistaken as a royal item because of the frequency with which Diana wore it. As it was only on loan to the princess while she remained part of the Windsor family, the tiara went back to Diana’s father following her divorce and was passed on to her brother. For a time it was on display as part of a travelling exhibit on Diana’s life and is meant to eventually make its way back to the vaults at Althorp.

Elizabeth Taylor

While shooting Cleopatra in Rome in 1962, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton took a stroll to Bvlgari's flagship store. Burton would frequently buy Taylor lavish jewellery and Bvlgari was one of the her favourites, leading Burton to quip: "I introduced Liz to beer, she introduced me to Bvlgari." On this occasion, Taylor was presented with two emerald necklaces. After trying both on several times, Taylor opted for the smaller of the two: an emerald and diamond brooch suspended from an emerald and diamond necklace, with the emeralds hailing from Colombia and Zimbabwe. In a 2012 Christie's auction held in New York, the necklace sold for $6.13m (Dh22.5m). The sale was part of a larger collection featuring a number of Taylor's favourite pieces and would set a new world auction record of $137,235,675 (Dh504m), toppling the $50,281,887 (Dh184.7) amassed for the Duchess of Windsor collection, which was sold in 1987 at Sotheby's Geneva.

Queen Victoria

The day before Queen Victoria’s wedding, Prince Albert presented her with a large, oblong sapphire brooch set in gold and surrounded by 12 round diamonds. The piece, named Prince Albert’s Sapphire Brooch or Queen Victoria’s Wedding Brooch, was worn on her wedding day and frequently thereafter until Albert’s death. In her will, the queen left a number of pieces to the Crown, including a pair of stud earrings, a diamond necklace and earrings set, and the Sapphire brooch. Queen Elizabeth II herself has often been photographed wearing the stunning piece. The brooch was not the only piece of jewellery gifted to Queen Victoria by her beloved Albert over the course of their marriage. An emerald and diamond tiara – created in 1845 by Joseph Kitching for £1,150 (Dh6,200) – was one of the more memorable items. Unlike the sapphire brooch, however, Victoria did not designate this piece to the Crown. Instead, it remains in the hands of her descendants.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is known for her chic yet simple wardrobe choices, usually consisting of monochrome or all black. It’s no surprise, then, that the Hollywood actress chooses to wear an equally understated, though no less chic, timepiece – most frequently The Cartier Tank Louis. It is, incidentally, the same timepiece favoured by the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Louis Cartier himself, adding a historical element to the already classic piece. The watch itself features a rectangular frame in 18-carat gold with a circular-grained crown and sapphire cabochon. The understated Cartier Tank Louis also includes a 057-calibre quartz movement, silver-grained dial, blued-steel sword-shaped hands and alligator-skin strap. Jolie is also known to own a number of other classic timepieces, including a Chanel Premiere Ladies and a Patek Philippe Minute Repeater, a surprise wedding gift from Brad Pitt.

PROFILE OF SWVL

Started: April 2017

Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport

Size: 450 employees

Investment: approximately $80 million

Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

Cultural fiesta

What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421,  Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day. 

THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

Various Artists 
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
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Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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The specs: 2018 Maxus T60

Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000

Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder

Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm

Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm

Transmission: Five-speed manual

Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

NYBL PROFILE

Company name: Nybl 

Date started: November 2018

Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence

Initial investment: $500,000

Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)

Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up 

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

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THE DETAILS

Deadpool 2

Dir: David Leitch

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz

Four stars

Ultra processed foods

- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns 

- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;

- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces

- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,

- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.

The specs

Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder

Power: 220 and 280 horsepower

Torque: 350 and 360Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT 

On sale: now

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.