At Swarovski This Season, Marrying Contemporary Designs With Vintage Cuts

Going by the recent surge in vintage e-commerce sites and retail stores here in Singapore, it's pretty safe to say that there is a growing demand for esoteric styles and designs from earlier eras. Though they're better known for their contemporary pieces, one of the star designs of Swarovski crystals' pre-fall collection is the marquise cut - a style that dates back to the 18th century when King Louis XV of France supposedly commissioned a jeweler to create a cut that resembled the lips of Jean Antoinette Poisson, the Marchioness Madame de Pompadour.

Now that's some pretty heady history right there. Marquise-cut gems are typically shaped like elongated ovals, which provides a "slimming" illusion on your finger when set on a ring. At Swarovski however, the marquise-cut gems also appear as pendants on necklaces, bracelets and earrings and in unusual hues such as mint green (the collection was inspired by the Northern Lights).

How to style these pieces? We'd suggest wearing the pieces singly to highlight the unique marquise cut.

The Swarovski pre-fall collection is available in stores now.