If Lady Gaga is a fan, you can be pretty sure you are dealing with something that's a little out-of-the-ordinary.
The ever-eccentric star was recently spotted sporting a pair of sliced Diamond Bannerol Earrings by the online jewellery brand, Plukka. The elongated, 18K rose-gold earrings were an unusually modest choice, perhaps, for the Queen of Pop, but they certainly highlighted the brand's tendency to create pieces that are just that little bit different.
Plukka - a play on the British colloquialism pukka, meaning superior, and the noun pluck, as in courage and resolution - made its international debut in December 2011 and has since featured in countless big-name magazines and been worn by in-the-know celebrities such as Gaga and Pharrell Williams.
The Plukka website features more than 800 pieces - rings, necklaces, bracelets and hair accessories, in 18K gold, diamonds and gemstones - that range from the unfathomably delicate to the downright outlandish.
A made-to-order business model eliminates middlemen and means that the website can offer prices of between 60 and 80 per cent less than customary retailers. Unsaddled by brick-and-mortar stores, distribution agents, showrooms or inventory risk, Plukka can dispense with unnecessary markups - but is also free to create jewellery that might be considered too risky or creative for conventional retailers.
"Ultimately, who doesn't love incredible creativity at unbeatable prices?" asks the company's chief executive, Joanne Ooi.
Who indeed?
www.plukka.com
sdenman@thenational.ae
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EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
FINAL SCORES
Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs
(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)
Sharjah 131 for 8 in 19.3 overs
(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)
More on animal trafficking
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Section 375
Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadha, Meera Chopra & Rahul Bhat
Director: Ajay Bahl
Producers: Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak & SCIPL
Rating: 3.5/5
The Beach Bum
Director: Harmony Korine
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg
Two stars
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Britain's travel restrictions
- A negative test 2 days before flying
- Complete passenger locator form
- Book a post-arrival PCR test
- Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
- 11 countries on red list quarantine
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)