Mills Jewelers Notebook
August 5th, 2015
The internet is buzzing about Beyoncé's newest bling — an eye-popping pair of $345,000 diamond stilettos that she'll likely wear in an upcoming music video.

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House of Borgezie owner Christopher Shellis confirmed that he toiled more than two months to hand set 65.50 carats of diamonds — 1,300 in all — onto a special-edition pair of 18-karat white gold stilettos for the 33-year-old Queen Bey.

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“All I can say at the moment is there is a more than very good chance that they are going to be in the next Beyoncé video,” the Birmingham, England-based designer told Footwear News.

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The publication reported that the custom shoes will take the name Stella Constellation, but will be similar in style and opulence to Borgezie's Princess Constellation — a design that the company likes to call the "Eighth Wonder of the World."

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“They are the crown jewels of stilettos. They’re a bit like the 1960s E Type Jag — it doesn’t matter what you do, you’re not going to improve on them,” Shellis told the Mirror. “Occasionally in a designer or artist’s life there may come a moment in time when you stand back and [realize] you may just have created your finest work so far. I think this is truly that moment.”

In 2010, Shellis made headlines with his Eternal Borgezie Diamond Stilettos — shoes designed in 18-karat yellow gold and featuring 2,200 brilliant-cut diamonds. At the time, he revealed that he had to reinvent the fundamental principal of the classic stiletto construction, using a fluted heel shape reminiscent of a lily stamen.

“The result is not so much a shoe, but rather a fine piece of jewelry that can be miraculously, yet practically, worn as the ultimate feminine adornment,” Shellis said.

Shellis is comfortable incorporating elements of jewelry design into his fine footwear because he has more than 25 years of experience in the jewelry field, including diamond setting, gold and silversmithing and precious metal casting.

The House of Borgezie owner likes to promote the fact that he offers a 1,000-year warranty on his top-of-the-line stilettos. So, when Beyoncé's descendants wear out a heel or brake a strap by the year 3015, the repair should be completed for free.

Credits: Stilettos via Borgezie.com, Beyoncé via Getty Images.