Joan Rivers Selects Ernesto Moreira Jewelry for
Post-Emmy Fashion Wrap Show
HOUSTON - Houston’s Ernesto Moriera made his own fashion statement at the 2006 Primetime Emmy Awards held in Los Angeles August 27. The handsome Spaniard turned many heads on the red carpet, but not only for his dashing good looks. Moreira’s jewelry creations designed for the soon-to-open Smith Gem Vault at the Houston Museum of Natural Science were selected by the Platinum Guild International-USA to be presented to stylists coordinating wardrobes for Emmy Award celebrities.
Comedienne and fashion maven Joan Rivers selected Moreira’s fabulous platinum Tahitian pearl and Russian diamond necklace to wear while she and daughter Melissa dished on their post-Emmy TV Guide show, “Joan and Melissa’s Emmy Fashion Wrap Up”. The necklace is one of many that will be on permanent display in the Smith Gem Vault at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. The Smith Gem Vault is scheduled to open to the public November 17.
So taken with his designs, stylists are now clamoring for more of Moreira's work. He has already been invited to walk the red carpet at the February Academy Awards where several new creations from his own line, Coleccion Museo, will be up for celebrity grabs.
The extraordinary beauty of some of the world’s finest gems comes to life under the skilled hands of jewelry designer Ernesto Moreira. Commissioned by the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Moreira draws from decades of experience as an internationally acclaimed designer to create artistic masterpieces for the Smith Gem Vault, permanently housed in the Museum’s Cullen Hall of Gems & Minerals. Thousands of hours of meticulous design and superb craftsmanship have gone into creating this stunning jewelry collection which includes rare sapphires, garnets, amethysts, Russian diamonds and aquamarines cradled in precious metal, and all bearing Moreira’s signature style. In this unprecedented display of pure color, movement and intelligent design, Moreira perfectly captures the beauty found in nature, and transforms these gems into stunning works of art.
Born in Cuba and raised in Spain, Moreira’s Latin influences are evident in his award-winning jewelry designs. His loves of simplicity – and the reflection of his international, artistic environment—infuse his jewelry with an elegance and significance that is at once modern and timeless. At age 19, he was featured in his first gallery exhibit and continued to publicly display his work throughout his college career, winning numerous scholarships. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jewelry Design from the University of Houston, and his Master of Fine Arts in Jewelry Design from the Rochester Institute of Technology—School for American Crafts.
Moreira launched his own design firm, Ernesto Moreira Couture Jewelry in 1999. His first collection was an immediate sensation and garnered critical industry acclaim. His innovative designs have garnered many awards; he is a two-time Spectrum Award winner, and recipient of the American Facet Award. Moreira was also named a “Rising Star” in the JCK Las Vegas ByDesign Pavilion, and was featured in the JA New York International Jewelry Design Guild’s New Designer Gallery. In 2002 Perles de Tahiti, G.I.E., honored Moreira in its Tahitian Pearl Trophy competition for his stunning Adora “Raindrops” Necklace.
