2 MONKEY RINGS FROM SPAIN'S CARRERA & CARRERA TO CELEBRATE 2016 WHICH IS YEAR OF THE MONKEY! AVAILABLE AT CARRERA & CARRERA BOUTIQUE AT STARHILL GALELRY, BUKIT BINTANG, KUALA LUMPUR

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

  

The strength of the monkey 

  The year 2016 is the Chinese Year of the Monkey, the ninth of twelve signs that make up the Chinese zodiac.  A sign that especially stands out for its strong personality and unique character.  

Women who have been graced with this sign possess the gift of self-confidence, are rarely underestimated, and have a contagious joie de vivre that touches all around them as an expansive, powerful wave. 

This year, therefore, the firm wants to offer these women a very special talisman: the Monkey ring. Another small work of art brought to life in white and yellow gold to pass directly from a woman’s hands to her heart with all the strength of this powerful mythological monkey that has become a symbol of legend.   

The sign of the monkey and its Spanish legend;   Character, charisma, and great talent are defining traits of this Chinese sign.  The Monkey brings all of these attributes to those under its influence.  

In addition, of the 12 signs that make up the celestial zodiac, the Monkey is the most romantic of all, and its capacity to fall in love and create legendary stories is one of its main traits along with the strength it gives to women who believe in its energy.   

One story links the sign of the Monkey with the history of Spain.  In the 16th century a legend was forged in the court of the House of Austria (the Spanish Habsburgs) that has been diluted over time but that Carrera y Carrera has revived in the 21st century. It was Isabella of Avis, or Isabella of Portugal, the only wife of Charles V, who was the first to trust in the Monkey’s mythological and exotic power.    

Upon arriving at the court of Madrid, the young empress received a gift from her beloved Lisbon.  A Cantonese Chinese man from Macau, a Portuguese port in China, requested a private audience with Queen Isabella in the name of her brother, John III of Portugal.  

During that private meeting, the mysterious emissary was commissioned with giving the queen an amulet brought directly from his distant lands.  “Your Majesty, in this chest I bring you a gift from His Majesty King John and also of mine, an amulet from my land: The Monkey.  

"In China, women who trust in its power are just and fair, and enjoy eternal love with their husbands.  Your brother King John has wanted to grace you with these gifts secretly and in private so that you may reign alongside the Emperor with a firm hand, and also so that love will always overflow in your royal union.  Keep this amulet close to your heart.”  

When the queen was alone she stared at the red box.  Upon opening it, she discovered a small monkey’s head in gold.  She took it and hung on the left side of her chest, near the heart, and kept it hidden under her dress as her most intimate secret.  

She kept the amulet there until the day of her death.  Isabella governed the vast Holy Roman Empire and Spain during the king’s long absences on the battlefield, and she was always firm and just in her work.  Furthermore, the marriage between her and Charles was an example of love and respect.  When Queen Isabella died, the king mourned her for the rest of his days.    

For 2016, Carrera y Carrera has wanted to rescue from oblivion this special story from the Spanish Habsburg legends.  Commemorating the celebration of the Chinese Year of the Monkey, Carrera y Carrera recalls the most beautiful stories among women who are guided by its influence and their feelings.  

Because the Monkey increases not only the capacity to love but also to be loved, no other sign is as powerful in managing the art of love as that of the Monkey. 

 

As a representation of Isabella of Portugal’s small amulet and to provide women with all the attributes of the sign of the Monkey, Carrera y Carrera has created this unique rings of infinite curved lines.  

They are exuberant pieces that offer a different and almost endless perspective from every angle thanks to the play of lines, openwork, glimmers, and backlights of these new works of art that are one hundred percent handmade, born in the Carrera y Carrera workshops in Madrid. Rings that bring mythological magic and power to women who love the brand.  

  

The sculpture of the zodiacal primate is crafted in yellow and white gold, and the head features the classic matte-gloss finish – the brand’s hallmark – which along with the precious stones fill the pieces with light.  

  

Drawn on the back of the monkey’s neck is a heart that invokes this talisman’s power over love. This is in memory of the legend of the Spanish Habsburgs and Isabella of Portugal, who kept the monkey close to her heart to preserve and strengthen the love for her husband.  

This small detail, located on the back of the rings, has been created by Carrera y Carrera artisans just behind the face of the Monkey to point towards the heart of women who wear these rings, creating an energetic bridge between the two.   

 

The pieces in yellow gold is completed by 41 green tsavorites, 11 orange sapphires, 18 amethysts, and 20 diamonds; in white gold is completed by 70 green tsavorites and 20 diamonds. This exotic play of color is no coincidence, as it shows the upcoming 2016 spring/summer color trends. 

   

Two rings born in 2016 to forever fill with power the jewelry collections of women.  

About Carrera y Carrera  

Carrera y Carrera is an international Spanish jewelry firm considered one of the most prestigious in the world. Present in over 40 countries, the company has subsidiaries in the United States, Japan, and Russia, and boutiques in Madrid, Barcelona, Tokyo, Moscow, Dubai, Bangkok, Macau, and Kuala Lumpur, among other cities. 

 

This iconic brand is characterized by a unique style and precise designs where the combination of matte-gloss gold and work in volumes and carving yield exceptional jewelry pieces, where gold and precious stones come to life.