Mrs Obama wears her St-Erasmus Necklace again!

Here at Zentosa HQ, we love Michelle Obama - not just for her superb taste in jewellery (she first wore the Begum2 St-Erasmus necklace back in 2009) but because she wore it again last month whilst on the campaign trail!  With tough economic climes ahead, it makes sense to recycle accessories, especially ones as gorgeous as the handmade piece designed by jewellery genius, Pieter Erasmus.  Prudent and fashionable - we can't imagine a better style icon to follow!

For those of you unfamiliar with this opulent necklace, it is the creation of South African Born Pieter Erasmus, the brainchild of the St Erasmus Brand.  It draws its influence from 18th Century India. Skilfully handcrafted by artisans in India, this opulent necklace features Swarovski crystal detailing, fresh-water pearls, faceted acrylic stones and gold Zari thread. The centrepiece is a pink crocheted crystal flower.  Intricate, yet wearable, it's one of our favourite pieces.

I recently wore the necklace at a black tie event and it drew loads of admiring glances and compliments.  If you like to be centre of attention (and who doesn't every now and then!), this amazing necklace will make you feel really special.

Top 10 Celebrity Jewellery Must-Haves

Being a bit of an avid celebrity follower as well as a jewellery-enthusiast, I've put together a list of our top 10 celebrity jewellery must-have items since Zentosa.com was established back in those pre-doom and gloom days of 2006. They're not in any particular order and I've cheated a bit by grouping all the Disney Couture pieces together but it's just a bit of fun. If you have any comments or can think of any additions for the list, feel free to share!

1) Kenneth Jay Lane's Large Gold Butterfly Necklace - as worn by Carrie/SJP in the Sex and the City series many yonks ago now, this is still a hugely popular piece. Currently out of stock , we are waiting for the lovely peeps at KJL NYC to send us more. Watch this space....

2) Nicole Richie's CC Skye Black Leather Double Wrap Bracelet - this gorgeous accessory epitomises rockchick-chic, we love it!

3) Michelle Obama's St-Erasmus Necklace - designed by the fabulous Pieter Erasmus, this beautifully handcrafted necklace is made out of gold thread, freshwater pearls and crystals - a true piece of art.

4) Mischa Barton's Dogeared gold wishbone necklace - designed by Hip Californian designer, Dogeared, this gorgeous gold-plated necklace is a classic.

5) CC Skye's Swarovski Angel Wings Necklace - we adore this sparkly piece and so does Rihanna!

6) Kenneth Jay Lane's Breakfast at Tiffany's pearl necklace - this gorgeous piece is a re-creation of the necklace worn by Audrey Hepburn in the iconic movie. Worn by Natalie Portman and Jenny Love Hewitt, it also featured in the 2008 Christmas edition of BBC soap Doctors (supplied by yours truly...)

7) Butler & Wilson jewellery has been worn by celebrities for ever - Beth Ditto is one cool lady who can really pull off Simon Wilson's statement pieces.

8) We think everyone needs (yes, really needs) a Kenneth Jay Lane enamel flower ring - as featured on Lindsay Price from Lipstick Jungle. We love them so much, we have them in a spectacular range of styles and colours. The bestselling style is the classic white and pearl.

9) The celebrity following of Disney Couture is in a league of its own with numerous famous fans including Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie and our own gorgeous Pixie Lott....

10) And finally, our home-grown Duffy in her kitsch yet cool Envelope Love Necklace.

St Erasmus' "Mobama" Necklace

We are super proud to present London/India-based designer St Erasmus' Pink Flower Statement necklace - the First Lady's accessory of choice for the Correspondents' Dinner in May! Michelle Obama selected this necklace to match her fuschia pink Michael Kors dress. This is such an intricate and beautifully handcrafted piece and features fabulous freshwater pearls, gold wire thread and Swarovski crystal detailing.




We are currently out of stock of this stunning necklace but expect delivery at the beginning of September. They are being handcrafted by artisans in India as I type. We expect these to sell out again very quickly so if you would like one, let us know and we can reserve one for you!