With the summer just around the corner, jewelry always come to mind when I'm thinking about my trip to the beach. For a certain sliver of the population, the colors tomato red and chocolate brown are guaranteed to put a huge smile on your loved one's face the same way that Tiffany blue might for others. Those are the colors that the jewelry designer James de Givenchy, who sells his pieces under the brand name Taffin, uses for packaging his precious gems. James was kind enough to share some of his exquisite pieces with us. Ladies, eat your heart out!

Peridot, Blue Saphire and 18K Yellow Gold Necklace

James' design of this gorgeous piece of art was inspired by bonsai trees.  James shares, 'I actually keep oversized bonsai-like sculptures in both my home and showroom because I've always found the, aesthetically pleasing. Making the piece was very complicated...the yellow gold snake links ere difficult to work with as we needed to make sure they would and wouldn't bend in just the right areas. It's one of my favorite pieces....I think it's quire stunning.'

Chalcedony, Holly Wood and 18K Yellow Gold Bracelet

James explains, 'This piece was made as part of a series of flat bracelets covered in either lacquer or wood and cabochon stones. Each of the bracelets is different in finish and color. I don't have a  favorite, but think all of them are absolutely fun! Like anything, these  bracelets need to be worn with care, but they're not terribly fragile as the cabs are made of agate....a very durable stone.

Amethyst, Diamond, Silver and 18K Gold Ear Pendants

James comments, 'They're such a gorgeous pair of amethyst.  The stones are Brazilian and quite large with great quality....each over 65 cts in weight. I found them from one of my Brazilian dealers who comes through New York once in a while....he always has beautiful stones. When I saw them, I knew instantly how I wanted to set them. I think this type of setting is a perfect way to showcase a great pair of stones. It's so glamorous!'

Emerald, White Ceramic and 18K Yellow Gold Ring

James explains, 'This is very pretty, old Colombian emerald - flat, great crystal,and beautiful color. I instantly knew I wanted to do an offset band on this ring because of how flat the emerald is. Adding white ceramic with the yellow gold gives the ring a more contemporary feel which I absolutely love! Ceramic is something new that I'm working with; it's a very hard material compared to metal so it won't scratch. I also think it's fun because it's like going back to the time when enameled pieces were 'in' during the 50's, 60's and even 70's...except it's very durable and you don't have to worry about breaking it. This piece could be a cocktail ring as emeralds are quite fragile and not good for every day wear.'

For additional information, please call 212-421-6222.

About James de Givenchy

James de Givenchy, designing under the name Taffin, has become one of the most sought-after jewelry designers today. Raised in France in a family of illustrious artists, de Givenchy moved to New York in search of the diversity that would later inspire his designs. After studying graphic design at Manhattan’s prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology, the French born Givenchy landed a job a Christie’s in the jewelry depart- ment, and thus became enamored with gems. “I fell in love with the engineering of jewelry, its manufacture,” he says. “The construction is as important as the design. Trying to find ways to structure a piece of jewelry is very much like designing a build- ing. It’s this construction that I find so challenging and fun – finding ways of hiding the construction so the design comes forward.”