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The Ethos Art Collection: Latest Jewelry of Jetsetters

Luxury Jewelry: The aftermath buzz rising from this year's Cannes Film Festival stemmed not from the latest acclaimed film, director or producer. The attention captured this year came from Ethos, which is a fashion company that specializes in offering one-of-a-kind handcrafted jewelry. The offerings, which are called the Ethos Art Collection, are wearable art. Jetsetters are embracing pieces so fervently that it is prompting a very favorable demand-supply situation for an organization that began in 2005. The uniqueness of these ornately designed renderings instantly pegs wearers as collectors and not just mere attention-seeking "fashionists" bobbing for the latest must-have accessory to remain vogue.

The fetching jewelry is made from Kenyan zebu bone, African vegetable resin, Ethiopian bakelite, and Venetian glass. Zebu is a strain of humped cattle that lives in tropical climates; vegetable resin is an eco-friendly substitute for plastic products; and bakelite is a heat-resistant, brittle plastic-like material produced when heat and pressure are applied simultaneously to phenol and formaldehyde. A renowned mobile phone manufacturer recently announced that the volume button on the side of its phone is now made of vegetable resin. I guess jewelry made from cows bones and eco-friendly plastic substitutes doesn't sound as alluring as Kenyan zebu bone, African vegetable resin and Ethiopian bakelite. Venetian glass is always great. It is colorful, well made, and goes back to the 13th century.

However, art (and its value thereof) is in the eyes of the beholder. And the beholders seen wearing these decadent, signature-piece ornaments, which are available only via auctions or private showings, at Cannes included Paris Hilton, Ethan Hawke, 50 Cent, Sir Ian McClellan, Tara Reid, Mario Van Peebles and Sherry Lansing.

For LxM James Rothaar