Odd Anderson / AFP / Getty Images
DLILLC / Corbis
Frans Lanting / Corbis
Okay, if you're a Northern Californian you've gotta go to the Legion of Honor to this exclusive one-time exhibition of Cartier creations for Americans.
Particularly the spectacular standout 3 pieces that were part of The Duchess of Windsor's collection: the Flamingo pin, the cabochon Sapphire Panther (my favorite of all of her jewelry pieces) and the bib thing-ie (above). These three pieces were part of the most famous and triumphant jewelry auction in history which was held in Geneva by Sotheby's in 1987. The sapphire diamond clip sold for $1,026,667. The ruby, sapphire, emerald, citrine and diamond Flamingo clip sold for $806,667 and the bib necklace sold for $605,000. That historic sale went on to raise a total of $50million. The Duchess of Windsor left her entire estate, valued at approximately $90million, to the Pasteur Institute in the second largest bequest in the Institute's history. All of which has been used to fund the Pasteur's research overthe last two decades which has included AIDS and other of our most pervasive diseases of our modern times.
The above is the famed Tutti-Frutti piece designed for Mrs. Daisy Fellowes. Other exciting pieces: Princess Grace's necklace and engagement ring on loan by Prince Albert II of Monaco, 
Elizabeth Taylor's Cartier ruby and diamond necklace, and Marjorie Merriweather's Indian carved emerald brooch with one emerald dating from the Mughal era. GO see this exhibit.
I am President of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor Historical Society, Inc. If you're curious about the Windsors please check out the Society's website at www.ddows.org
Leonardo Suarez / Reuters
MAURICIO LIMA / AFP / Getty Images 
Itsuo Inouye / AP
It's All Love
If you follow this blog you'll know that I love elephants. This is the sweetest gesture. The Haiti situation was indeed hideous before the earthquake and is beyond disastrous at this point. My heart truly goes out to that country. I encourage everyone to please donate something. They needed it before....but now. I donated to the Red Cross using the text-messaging effort--it involves sending the word "Haiti" in a cellphone text message to the number 90999, which automatically adds a $10 pledge to a person's phone bill.
Finally, Time has recently had some pictures that are interesting to post. Isn't this gorgeous?
I want a baby elephant! Isn't it the best.
Ian Langsdon / EPA
Isn't this beautiful? I'd rather be there. Rather than this right-wing whacko, lonney tune country that we live in these days.The planet Saturn is captured in a photograph taken by the Cassini orbiter. Carolyn Porco, the leader of the Imaging Team on the Cassini mission to Saturn, comments, "This year we had the thrill of observing the Saturn equinox. That's the moment when the sun, seen from Saturn, crosses the equator going from south to north. The sun sets on the rings, illuminating them edge-on. The geometry revealed structures and phenomena in the rings we had never seen before. We saw this famous adornment spring from two dimensions into three, with some ring structures soaring as high as the
Photo: NASA/JPL
For more information and beautiful photos of the Cassini Project visit the link below: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
Philipp Guelland / AFP / Getty
coffee, is usually the only highlight to facing another "fresh hell" of a day ("fresh hell" thanks to Dorothy Parker: A line attributed many times to Shakespeare but actually it's from American author/critic/poet and wit Dorothy Parker. She is reported to have exclaimed "What fresh hell is this?" when her train of thought was interrupted by a telephone. She then started using it in place of "hello" when answering the phone or a knock at her door.)
\gal-uh-MAW-free\ , noun;
I love seeing the colors in Fall. Thanks to friend, John Wieneman, for giving me a glimpse from afar, since where I live in the Desert we have only one season (shades of Summer). John took these in his home state Missouri.
HAN CHUANHAO / XINHUA /LANDOV
Whitehotpix / ZUMAA cub takes a playful bite of a relative's swishing tail in the African plains.
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