By Rachel Garrahan in New York
At an intimate lunch at The Lamb's Club in New York last week, Brooke Shields and Robert Procop jewelry unveiled Legacy Brooke, a new, collaborative collection of jewels.
The Hollywood actress and the jewelry designer, who have been friends for more than 30 years, told a small audience of jewelry writers about the inspiration for the collection and its creative development over three years.
"The genesis of the collection was the cabochon," says Brooke, who loves the tactile texture of this gem cut, which features throughout the pieces in sugarloaf form against a backdrop of diamonds.
Robert, a gem expert, says he sought out the finest stones available: "I looked for cabochons with rich color and true saturation in all light," he says.
Amethyst was the first gemstone they settled on, inspired by gemstone's royal connotations following Brooke's appearance on the US version of the genealogy show "Who do you think you are?" where she discovered that she is a distant cousin of Louis XIV.
Legacy Brooke, the collection title, reflects the actress' passion for family heritage and her hope that the jewels themselves will one day become family heirlooms. "No matter how far we advance, we still want to know where we came from," she adds.
The latticework of the Louis XIV period inspired the design of the gem settings, and amethyst is joined by complimentary shades of blue and green in the form of topaz, peridot and emerald, Brooke's birthstone.
The collection, which will be available for purchase in Spring 2015, includes spectacular limited-edition necklaces, bracelets and rings, as well as a number of one-of-a-kind jewels, including a large rare cat's eye emerald ring.
Proceeds from Legacy Brooke will go to the House of Ruth charity in Los Angeles, which provides housing, support and job training for victims of domestic abuse and their families. "I wanted to be part of a creative collaboration with a charitable component," says the actress, who, like Robert, is well known for her charity work.
