REVAMPING OLD TREASURES

A veritable treasure trove may be languishing unloved in many a drawer or safe in homes throughout the country. Jewellery, unworn, unloved, unfashionable, is kept by women – and some men – as it is too good to throw or give away and thought unlikely to have much resale appeal.

But a new service provides the means to cash in on some of this unwanted treasure or certainly give new life to an old piece.

Launched last autumn with the backing of a major organisation that specialises in repairs and renovation of jewellery, Bloom & Co will undertake to transform or repair jewellery items, match existing pieces, and source suitable stones.

Right, a diamond from a pendant has been inserted into a redesigned ring.

Offering a UK-wide service, they provide an online tracking system that allows customers to watch the progress of their order throughout its process. Examples of current projects include making a new ring from an old engagement ring, replicating a missing diamond earring, and reworking an old necklace. Rings may be resized, gems matched, new clasps applied to brooches. Prices for remodelling start from £200. Go to www.bloomandco.co.uk for further information.

SPECIALISTS IN RARE BEAUTIES

Noone is ever going to want to have the magnificent necklace shown here redesigned. It is one of many exclusive pieces carried by top jewellers, Hancocks of the Burlington Arcade, founded in 1849 and still family owned. They sell, and buy, rare and original jewels, including antique items.

This stunning necklace, by Gattle, dates from the 1920s and features round brilliant diamonds, baguette diamonds, navette diamonds and fancy cut diamonds,with a large emerald and calibre emeralds, and some onyx.

It is priced from £50,000 to £100,000. Contact Hancocks on www.hancocks-london.com

HANDMADE TIME PIECE

Watch fans are not so much bothered about telling time as by the movement of it – as created in fine timepieces.  And the luxury brand, Officino Panerai, presented a whole family of new movements at the Salon Internationale de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva recently that will be attracting collectors attention.

Housing the new P.9000 handmade movement is this Luminor 1950 model from the Manifaturra Collection, offering a whole range of  functions quite apart from its time-keeping aspect, not least of which is that it remains water tight up to a depth of 300 metres. This is no idle claim. Founded in Italy in 1860, now Swiss owned, the company had long years of being supplier to the Italian Navy, its watches used by Italian commando frogmen during WWll.

Silvester Stallone may be credited with the brand’s renewed popularity in 1995, when he was so taken with its style that he ordered a batch of them, with a signature ‘Slytech’ on the case back, as gifts for his friends.

Now, it is often a case of joining a long waiting list to obtain one of these watches,

For the technically minded, this new version of the Luminor 1950 features the P.9000 movements with calibres of 13 ¾ lignes diameter, two barrels which guarantee 72 hours of power reserve; a single piece rotor which winds by moving in both directions thanks to an ingenious ratchet device; a balance wheel with adjustment screws, oscillating at a frequency of 4 Hz; a date display and stop seconds device which allows for accurate synchronisation of the hand with an external time signal, all housed in a 44mm steel case.

Priced from £5,700, available from Harrods or Selfridges, or ring 020 7312 6894 for selected stockists nationwide.

GAME ON FOR TV ADDICTS

The latest nifty little gadget for helping TV and radio addicts stay in touch provides a 3.6inch high quality screen and stereo speakers.

It has a DVB-T digital TV and DVB-T radio receiver, with built-in expandable antenna. There's 4.2 memory slot which will hold music, pictures and videos: MP3 music, JPEG photos, and MPEG video playback. Two games included. The rechargeable Lithium Ion battery has a typical life 0f 4 hours for TV playback, 6 hours video and 8 hours MP3 playback. At just 122mm x 78mm x 18.4mm, weighing 200 grs, its a go-anywhere player - but be warned, you need to check that there is digital transmission available in your area. Price £149. Go to www.hauppauge.co.uk for further details.