A new art exhibition opens in Las Vegas at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art – “Fabergé Revealed.”

“Fabergé Revealed” will feature 238 both rare and culturally significant Fabergé artifacts. The exhibition will run between November 14, 2014 and May 25, 2015.

The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art (BGFA) partnered with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to display this incredible art collection of rare Fabergé artifacts.

During the late 1800’s into the early 1900’s, the House of Fabergé produced greater than 150,000 objects of art, jewels and silver articles. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts hosts the argest public collection of Fabergé artifacts outside of Russia.

The collection provides a glimpse into the taste and rich history of the powerful Russian imperial family. The “Fabergé Revealed” collection will feature stunning pieces from the original Fabergé. One interesting item is the Imperial Pelican Easter Egg (1897) which was created to celebrate the Dowager Empress of Russia.

Tarissa Tiberti is the Executive Director of BGFA and was quoted, “These treasured objects encompass the beauty of art while also telling one of the most powerful stories in history – the fall of the Russian imperial family. ‘Fabergé Revealed’ will highlight each of the distinct styles displayed in the original House of Fabergé stores in St. Petersburg, Moscow and London centuries ago.”

The impressive Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art is located within the luxurious Bellagio Resort & Casino and is open between the hours of 10 a.m. – 7 p.m daily.

The museum’s current art exhibition is titled, “Painting Women: Works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” and will close on October 17, 2014.

If you are traveling to Las Vegas and would like to attend the “Fabergé Revealed” collection at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, please contact us today. We can assist with your entire luxury travel itinerary. If you like reading about the latest news in the world of art, please follow our luxury blog.

Photo: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

When you select a financial advisor, it’s a very important decision. That person and financial firm they are associated with has a critical role in your financial well-being.

Whether you are currently choosing a financial advisor or considering one to help with you financial planning and retirement needs, the client-advisor relationship is important.

Many people today are not ready for retirement. It’s been reported by the Federal Reserve that 1 in 5 people do not have any money set aside for retirement. That is a very scary fact. How do you stack up?

Rodger Alan Friedman is a financial advisor and wealth management professional, plus author of the book “Forging Bonds of Steel.” Friedman was quoted, “This issue is making news regularly, and financial planning for retirement advertisements have spiked in recent years, in case you haven’t noticed.”

So what traits do you look for in a financial advisor. There are many advertisement out there all claiming they are the best. What is important to you?

Advisors also need to improve understanding their client’s needs. Just as every financial advisor is different, so are their clients. Some need a lot of guidance, some are very independent with minimal interaction.

– Here are four key attributes that clients should look for in a financial advisor.

• Empathy:
What is a client going through? Advisors must have their antennae up. Tears, anger, regrets and frustration are often bound with a person’s finances, and “I have met very few 22-year-olds who can fully understand the struggles, worries and dreams most people experience throughout a lifetime,” he says. Advisors have to develop an approach that helps clients feel comfortable in discussing difficult matters. The client needs to understand that the advisor truly cares and is not there merely for a transaction.

• Perspective & insight:
Perspective and insight are like twins: wherever there is one, the other is not far behind. Planners gain perspective and insight through thousands of hours of listening, collaborating, advising and acting as a steward of the financial assets and dreams of the families they serve. You know when you’re in the presence of these “twins;” it is often said that people with both see with their intellect – they possess vision. Clients should keep their antennae up for these traits when meeting a prospective advisor. Pay attention to how he or she may, as if without effort, intelligently guide the two-way conversation.

• Competence:
When advisors are unsure of themselves, it comes through. When presented with a set of facts, new advisors may not recognize what they are dealing with, or its importance. A seasoned advisor, on the other hand, has dealt with many clients with numerous problems several times over and knows what it takes to solve a problem. That’s why I feel that an experienced financial advisor is the best answer for someone in need of retirement income and financial planning. Also, financial advisors should be very well-read, with self-imposed reading requirements. Learning new ideas and revisiting old ones keeps veteran advisors fresh.

• Ability to listen:
“ ‘You have to have two ears and one mouth,’ my mother used to say; she made it clear that I should be listening twice as much as I was talking, and that advice has served me well in my life and career,” Friedman says. Clients come to an advisor for professional expertise, but they don’t want to be lectured. Advisors have to first listen to clients – their problems, needs and hopes – before offering a professional response. The conversation should flow easily both ways as an advisor and client get to the heart of matters in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

If you are looking for a qualified financial advisor to assist with your financial planning and retirement needs, contact us and we can assist recommending someone in your area. This luxury blog is a great place to follow the latest news in the financial industry.

It’s time to enjoy the Age of Enlightenment and fine skills of watchmaking, with the new Museum Pocket Watch from Jaquet Droz.

Luxury watch brand Jaquet Droz has created a pocket watch that bears the distinguished signature “Jaquet Droz.” The pocket watch was based on an original 18th century movement that dates back to the rich tradition of the fine watchmaking expertise.

Museum Pocket Watch features an antique movement with crown wheel, or verge, escapement. It was found in a private home and provided to Jaquet Droz workshops and included in this stunning and classic timepiece. The historic escapement originated in the 13th century and dominated watch movement until the mid-19th century.

The pivot holes were carefully re-bushed and the pivots re-polished. The result allows the original gilt finish on the plate and bridges to be preserved.

The case of the Museum Pocket Watch is made of 18-carat gold and was the standard of watchmakers during that era. The watch case is adorned with pearls and rubies utilizing jewelry-making techniques that were favored during the 18th century.

The watch dial is beautifully hand-painted and finished using a compass. The dial’s two hands feature feminine looking curves. The hands are carefully hand-crafted from polished, flame-blued steel. They also include a gorgeous fleur-de-lys motif.

Museum Pocket Watch by Jaquet Droz is another ingenious creation and will proudly be housed in the Jaquet Droz Museum.

If you are a fine watch collector, contact The Life of Luxury and we can assist you in both searching for that desired luxury watch and the buying process. Follow all the latest luxury watch industry news by reading our popular luxury blog.

In support of water conservation, the fine watchmaking brand Alpina, in 2014 committed to the Swiss foundation RACE FOR WATER with its ambassador, Aurélien Ducroz.

Aurélien Ducroz is the two-time world freeride skiing champion and 4th arriving skipper in the last Transat Jacques Vabre transatlantic race. Future ski expeditions and races will be done at the service of the much deserving foundation.

RACE FOR WATER Foundation fights hard for the preservation of both freshwater and oceans. The organization rallies the business, education, plus scientific communities towards this important objective.

The project’s goal is to let skier Aurélien Ducroz provide information to help understand of the evolution of seas and oceanic climate. Effort will be made to deploy and recover scientific Argos markers. Exploring territories where the sea and the mountains meet, will be made accessible by sailboat and he will also explore on skis.

Swiss luxury watchmaker Alpina created a special, limited edition watch – Alpiner “4” Chronograph “Race for Water”. Only 400 models will be available for sale worldwide. The stunning Alpiner “4” Chronograph “Race for Water” watch was designed in the foundation’s colors.

Alpina is an independent, family-owned fine watchmaking company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Alpina was founded over 130 years ago in 1883.

Aurélien Ducroz has proudly served as Alpina ambassador for the Race for Water Foundation since October 2013, when he signed the “Water Guardian” charter.

The RACE FOR WATER Foundation is an organization dedicated to water preservation, in addition to attempting to educating and raising public awareness about both the pollution of lakes and oceans by plastic and the preservation of freshwater.

If you are interested in supporting the RACE FOR WATER Foundation and purchasing the new Alpiner “4” Chronograph “Race for Water” watch by Alpina, please contact us today. Keep abreast of other luxury watch news releases by following this luxury blog.

The 20th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance auto show will be held between March 13 and 15th on both the 10th and 18th fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia Island at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island.

The show will honor the classic Porsche 914 sports car. The Porsche 914 was actually the original first mid-engine production from luxury car brand Porsche.

Initially, the Porsche 914 project began as partnership Porsche and Volkswagen. Porsche was searching for an entry-level vehicle to replace the four-cylinder 912. By utilizing the strong production capabilities of Volkswagen, the new Porsche 914 became a reality and commercially viable.

The first 914 prototype showed up in 1968 and was led by Porsche R&D chief Ferdinand Piech, who was the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche.

The 914 was a great success and had strong initial interest from luxury car buyers. it began to outsell the more expensive Porsche 911. Customers appreciated Porsche sticking the luxury car brand’s proud technological heritage and combining it with Porsche dynamics and excellent road handling.

Bill Warner who is both the Founder and Chairman of the Amelia Concours d’Elegance car show was quoted, “Here in north Florida the Porsche 914 found a home and willing customers through the racing exploits of Peter Gregg, Hurley Haywood and Brumos Porsche who took the 914/6 GT to victory in the first IMSA GT race in history on the way to winning the first IMSA GT Championship title in 1971.”

The new Porsche 914 became a true race car and solidified itself as the car to beat on the racetrack. The Porsche 914/6 was “giant killer” by winning half the races on IMSA 1971 IMSA GT championship calendar. The 914 beat the best at the time, including the bigger and more powerful Chevy Camaros, Corvettes and Ford Mustangs.

For avid car collectors, the ultimate Porsche 914 prize would be the 914/8. This awesome sports car was equipped with a three-liter flat-eight Porsche racing engine. Only two 914/8’s were ever created and they were for the Porsche family.

The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance or simply “Amelia” auto show draws over 300 rare vehicles from car collections all around the world. For vintage car enthusiasts, it’s one car show you don’t want to miss.

If you would like to attend the 2015 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance at The Golf Club of Amelia Island, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island in Florida – contact us today. We can help get you tickets and book your entire luxury travel itinerary. Car lovers needs to follow this luxury blog for upcoming car industry news.

Photo Credit: Bill Warner

The WestHouse Hotel New York in midtown Manhattan is a luxurious, Art Deco-inspired hotel that offers luxury accommodations. This top New York City hotel also features the best upscale services and luxury amenities in New York City.

As a luxury lifestyle hotel, the WestHouse Hotel New York continues to evolve and provide its guests the very best available. The luxury Manhattan hotel just introduced The Terrace.

The Terrace is an exclusive rooftop dining and lounge space that is available for hotel guests to enjoy. The Terrace was designed by the award-winning interior design firm, Jeffrey Beers International.

Located on the 23rd floor of the WestHouse Hotel New York, The Terrace offers amazing, panoramic views of Manhattan and provides hotel guests a wide variety of breakfast presentations, afternoon teas, hors d’oeuvres and evening canapés.

The Terrace features a kitchen, private dining room, open dining room, lounge and alfresco terrace. Since private space is only available guests at the WestHouse Hotel New York, you feel like it’s your very own private refuge, city retreat.

The opening of The Terrace marks the official completion of the new hotel build out. The WestHouse Hotel New York opened its doors to hotel guests earlier this year.

To reach The Terrace, guests enter via a central foyer that will lead them into a multi-purpose space that is both functional and elegant, serving as a main dining room and kitchen.

The Terrace is open throughout the day. The private dining room features a gorgeous, long wood dining table that will seat up to 8 people. The decor features inset wall panels with original artwork that one might find in a wealthy estate’s personal art collection.

If you are traveling to New York City and would like to stay at the luxury WestHouse Hotel New York, please contact our travel department. We can assist with your entire travel itinerary. Follow our luxury blog to read about other luxury hotel news releases.

Iris van Herpen designed a stunning über-premium creation that was inspired by the importance of time in crafting the gift box of a new Dom Pérignon champagne.

Iris van Herpen is a respected Dutch fashion designer and creative force. The Power of Creation this end-of-year season 2014 was the inspiration for the beautiful box design by Iris van Herpen.

The new luxury champagne also comes with a limited edition gift box that accompanies the bottle of Dom Pérignon Vintage 2004.

The champagne gift box design utilizes the color green so that it visibly illustrates the process of fine wine creation.

Please enjoy viewing – Dom Pérignon Metamorphosis, The Movie:

Building upon the collaboration with Iris van Herpen, renowned creative visionary Daniel Sannwald assisted in the creative process by contributing his artistically daring digital video in addition to opulent photography.

If you enjoy reading about fine wines and champagne such as Dom Pérignon, return to this luxury blog and keep up with all the latest industry news.

Established in 1789 and the world’s oldest diamond company, Backes & Strauss has introduced the stunning the Harrods Princess luxury watch.

To celebrate Harrods’ Biennale des Antiquaires, the new diamond and emerald watch is a result of a partnership with Gemfields. The new watch will be unveiled in the Fine Watch Room at Harrods for the luxury retail company’s Biennale des Antiquaires exhibition.

The Harrods Princess will be sold exclusively at Harrods luxury department store. The luxury watch is hand-set with 80 beautiful Gemfields Zambian emeralds and 241 stunning natural diamonds for a grand total of 23.5 carats.

The fine watch was created in Switzerland. Each of the gorgeous emeralds from Gemfields were meticulously chosen and cut specifically for the Harrods Princess luxury watch. The beautiful emeralds are the perfect pairing along with the signature diamonds from Backes & Strauss.

Backes & Strauss CEO Vartkess Knadjian was quoted, “We are absolutely delighted to be collaborating with Gemfields. Backes & Strauss uses only the finest natural conflict free diamonds and it was of the utmost importance for us to find an equally discerning partner. Their Zambian emeralds are among the finest responsibly sourced coloured gemstones and the perfect complement to create the Harrods Princess. This ‘pièce unique’ underlines our credentials as bespoke craftsmen ready to rise to the challenges of our most demanding clients.”

The white gold case of the Harrods Princess watch is set with Ideal Cut diamonds that match up with the watch dial. The watch’s immaculate bracelet was created with hand-crafted links decorated with an additional 136 diamonds and emeralds. It’s incredibly exquisite and the combined weight of the just the bracelet is an eye popping 18.6 carats.

The new Harrods Princess luxury watch is only available at Harrods. Contact us if you need assistance is purchasing this fine watch. Return to read this luxury blog and keep up with other luxury jewelry product announcements.

Hi-tech giant Apple continues to push the boundaries of technology and cement the brand as one of the leading innovative companies ever.

Last week in San Francisco, Apple unveiled it’s next generation iPhone – the iPhone 6 plus the highly anticipated Apple Watch.

The new Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are both larger than any Apple phone previously released. On the new iPhone 6 models, customers will be looking forward to larger screens and viewing richer video.

The new iPhones will definitely be the thinnest and most powerful mobile device models yet. You will be able to begin purchasing the new iPhone 6 this week on September 19. The new iPhone 6 will have a retail price of $200 and the new iPhone 6 Plus model will be priced at $200.

While other smartphone makers have been offering larger screens that have been extremely popular with consumers, Apple has been rather slow to adapt. But both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launches should quickly erase any frustration in the core, Apple customer base.

Many consumers like a bigger screen for browsing the Web, playing games and watching videos. The iPhone 6 will feature a 4.7 inch – 1334 x 750 IPS display. The iPhone 6 Plus is larger at 5.5 inches and a 1920 x 1080 pixel panel.

Both new models are manufactured from an anodized aluminium chassis so they won’t rust. The stainless steel Apple logo can be found on the back of each phone. For storage, Apple offers 3 different sizes – 16GB, 64GB and now a 128GB model.

The much anticipated Apple Watch features a square screen and comes in two different case sizes – 38mm and 42mm. The new Apple watch will come in gold, aluminum and stainless steel.
The 18 karat gold version will be named Watch Edition and stainless steel version will be called Watch Sport

It will be interesting to see the public reaction to the Apple Watch. As Samsung, Sony and Motorola have discovered, their smartwatches have not done nearly as well as expected. With Apple’s entry into the wearable market, it could stimulate the entire sector and spur much greater consumer interest. That of course, will turn into newer watch models and advanced features.

The Apple Watch will cost $350 and will be available for sale in stores and online in early 2015.

If you like following new technology product releases like the new iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch, return to this popular luxury blog often, to stay informed.

The luxurious, all-inclusive Spice Island Beach Resort is located on Grenada in the Caribbean. This incredible, tropical property provides its guests several suite accomodation categories that include garden, beachfront and private pool suites.

As one of the premier romantic retreats in the Caribbean, Spice Island Beach Resort is now offering a fantastic honeymoon package. The exciting news is that for newlyweds who stay seven nights or more, the package is available at no additional cost!

The amenity-rich honeymoon package for couples includes flowers upon your arrival at the luxury resort, a bottle of champagne, selection of fresh fruit, various spice-scented body oils, romantic sunset cruise in addition to a couples massage. In all, it’s a $500 value!

Spice Island Beach Resort recently finished a multi-million dollar renovation project. Some of the property areas upgraded included the residence lounge, reception area, a redesigned courtyard plus guest rooms and restaurants. The full-service Janissa’s Spa was also expanded and received an extensive upgrade.

Known as a boutique hideaway, the chic Spice Island Beach Resort is the ideal place for newly married couples to begin their life together in a tropical and very romantic setting.

All of the suites available at Spice Island Beach Resort are air conditioned. The suites feature amazing five-star amenities such as LCD flat panel televisions with cable, large bath tub, dvd player, minibar, Molton Brown bath and body amenities, coffee/tea facility and toaster, safe, soft Italian Frette linen and bathrobes, plus chaise lounges and patio or balcony. Some of the resort’s suites also include your own private pool.

Food lovers won’t be disappointed as the luxury resort in Grenada offers an unmatched culinary program that serves seven-course dinners and covers everything from diet-friendly to decadent. Yum!

With starting nightly rates at only $946 based on double occupancy, the Spice Island Beach Resort honeymoon package is available from now until Dec. 16, 2014.

If you would like to discover true romance and book a reservation and stay at the Spice Island Beach Resort in Grenada, please contact The Life of Luxury. Be sure to return on a regular basis to read about other exciting luxury travel packages published in our luxury blog.

The scenic Napa Valley in California is known for some of the best wines in the world. It’s also a popular destination for travelers to visit the various wineries and enjoy a day of wine tasting.

B Cellars is a premium Napa Valley, award-winning wine producer and just opened of a new winery and hospitality house. The two new buildings are found on the historic B Cellars property in Oakville AVA.

The property sits among some of the best Napa area wineries, including Silver Oak, Opus One, Groth, Rudd, Plumpjack and Gargiulo. The region definitely defines the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

B Cellars is led by winemaker Kirk Venge and operates a multi-vineyard winemaking strategy, to craft exceptional blends procured from Napa Valley’s most desirable vineyard properties. The company continually delivers wine vintages that display distinct character, depth, and layers of flavors.

The new B Cellars additions feature a state-of-the art wine production facility that offers more than 15,000-square-feet of caves for tours, wine tasting, to store wine barrels and host private events. There is also interactive, state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen.

The demonstration kitchen has an open-flame hearth oven that will be the focal point of the hospitality house. The kitchen will be overseen by full-time wine educator and chef, Christina Machamer. She is proud to be a protégé of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. In addition, chef de cuisine Brian Green will be displaying his skills as well. Green was trained under Daniel Boulud and Dominique Ansel in New York.

Next to the hospitality house, guests can wander the B Cellars property grounds. View the culinary gardens and explore, pick, sample and tend to and become part of the various experiential programs offered at the winery.

You will be hosted by B Cellars Wine Guides for both tasting and educational experiences, whch are named – Wine Journeys and Culinary Adventures. Participate in “Treks” throughout the B Cellars property including the Culinary Garden. You will have the opportunity to discuss seasonality, how the local weather makes the Oakville AVA unique within Napa Valley, symbiotic planting theories, in addition to regional soil compositions.

Wine lovers will really enjoy the new Appellation Tasting. Discover the diverse terroir of Napa Valley’s appellations via tasting Cabernet Sauvignon wines from four of the most distinct growing areas. You will first tour the wine production facilities and learn about the entire harvest to bottling process. Next, enter the private tasting area of the caves for a wonderful wine tasting experience. You’ll compares single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons from Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, and Atlas Peak. Each wine served is carefully paired with a variety of artisan cheeses, charcuterie, and flatbreads from the hearth oven.

B Cellars is open for tastings by appointment, seven days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is located at 701 Oakville Cross Road in Oakville.

To book a luxury travel reservation to visit Napa Valley and B Cellars, please contact us today. One of our concierge specialists will assist you. If you enjoy reading about interesting travel destinations, return and follow our luxury blog.