designer at Louis Vuitton, who is my accent opposite. “I’d rather wear a piece of jewelry than a pair of panties.” Miceli is decidedly in the adventurist camp of jewelry wearing. Much like tellow adventurists Victoire de Castellane, designer of Dior Fine Jewelry, and Margherita Missoni, Miccli delights in unexpected twists and is completely unsnobby about provenance or price, a distinguishing feature of her category. “Marc Jacobs taught me to keep in mind two conflicting worlds that aren’t related,” says Miceli, whose most recent designs combine costume diamonds with color-Hecked rope. Missoni, who paired Temple St. Clair gold Bracelets with cheapo wooden bangles bought on the street for this year’s Costume Flower charm Bracelets gala, concurs. “You never know what’s real and what’s fake,” she says.
Adventurists also tend to tinker with jewelry and create things themselves. On her index finger, Miceli brandishes an enormous diamond set on a pyramid of pav diamonds that she made herself-before she ever started designing jewelry as a job. “I couldn’t find a setting I liked on Place Vend?me, so I said okay, I’ll do it myself.” Nevertheless, as Ellen Barkin proved with her major JAR unloading, a jewelry personality need not be a lifelong commitment. Amanda Ross, a former fashion editor at Bazaar and a Cartier collector, is attracted to statementmakers (like the Elsa Peretti Open Heart bracelet-sapphire Buccellati she chose as an engagement ring) now that she lives in Los Angeles. “I love every minute of wearing it,” she says of her sparkler. “I’m wearing even more jewelry now that my clothing has become more relaxed.” And there is nothing wrong with taking elements from an opposing jewelry category. Ross is hardly ever without a strand of daytime pearls around her neck, and Sorokko is downright traditional when it comes to jewelry dress codes, leaving the skulls for day and Return to Tiffany Heart tag bracelet jewels for nighi. “I feel old-fashioned this way,” she admits. “Only courtesans wear diamonds before 5 P.M.” Which Jewelry Personality Are You? TRADITIONALIST Idol: Elizabeth Taylor. Qualities: Lives and dies by the four C’s.
Loves family heirlooms. Hates anything remotely trendy. Collects: Anything emerald-cut. Coveted brands: Cartier and Harry Winston-the bigger the better. Husband/boyfriend: Can’t go wrong with gift Bead Bracelets. MINIMALIST Idol: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. Qualities: Keeps jewelry maintenance to a minimum. Relies on tried-and-true favorites. Collects: Manolos. Coveted brand: Dean Harris. Husband/boyfriend: Gives a spa day as a gift and saves lots of cash. EXHIBITIONIST Idol: Miuccia Prada. Qualities: Travels the world to discover extremely rare finds, thrives on showstopping pieces, and cannot bear the thought of wearing anything anyone else has. Collects: Massive cocktail rings. Coveted brands: Codognato, JAR, Taffin, and Buccellati. Husband/boyfriend: Completely helpless, except when called upon for a credit-card signature. ADVENTURIST Idol: Victoire de Castellane. Qualities: Makes magic with a limited budget. A creative type who loves odd combinations. Collects: Fake- and real-stone Necklaces with equal fervor. Coveted brands: Dior, Vuitton, and small labels like Irene Neuwirth. Husband/boyfriend: Can give her anything; she’ll make it work.
