When Stars Align
Brooke Shields and Robert Procop Bring the Cosmos to Carefree
Writer Joseph J. Airdo // Photography Courtesy of Robert Procop Design Studio
On March 3, Grace Renee Gallery will invite VIP guests into the world of “Luminous” — Hollywood icon Brooke Shields and master gemologist Robert Procop’s jewelry collection that captures three years of celestial devotion, designed to evoke the wonder of the cosmos. While the duo won’t be present in person, their vision arrives fully realized, born from a decades-long friendship and mutual fascination with the night sky.
The immersive experience recreates the collection’s original debut beneath the wing of the space shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center. Moon and Mars meteorites will accompany the jewelry, alongside original design sketches that reveal how artistic vision and technical precision converged. For Procop — formerly the Crown Jeweler of the United Kingdom and Shields’ collaborator on philanthropic jewelry projects — the marriage of romance and rigor defines his work.
“Our initial conversations centered on the aesthetics of a piece, then on its feel and the feelings it would evoke,” Shields says. “How would a bracelet best lie on a wrist? How could we best capture and reflect the light? They would sketch independently, then come together to see how best to combine their designs.”
The technical challenges were formidable. Hand-faceting sapphires to a point — mimicking distant stars — demanded extraordinary skill.
Bringing the stars to life proved challenging. Fortunately, Robert has curated a group of master artisans who have expertly hand-crafted magnificent sculptural jewels of the finest materials and workmanship.
What distinguishes Procop’s work extends beyond craftsmanship. While approximately 95% of sapphires in today’s jewelry market are heat-treated to enhance color and clarity, every stone in “Luminous” remains entirely natural — just as Mother Earth intended it. For Shields, who has collected celestial-themed jewelry for over two decades, the pieces possess what she calls “liquidity” — a fluidity that evokes gazing at a moonlit sky.
For Natasha Lazorova, jewelry curator and head gemstone expert at Grace Renee Gallery, hosting this collaboration represents validation of the gallery’s exacting standards.
“There are only a handful of people who have been able to achieve not just the prominence, but the level of craftsmanship that Robert has — the design, the craftsmanship, the whole gestalt,” Lazorova says. “It doesn’t matter what name is on it. It has to come back as absolutely, hands-down stellar. The quality has to be stellar. That’s where Robert checks the box and raises our bar.”
But “Luminous” offers more than aesthetic pleasure. Proceeds benefit the Los Angeles-based House of Ruth, providing shelter, counseling and childcare for homeless families escaping domestic violence — a cause both Shields and Procop champion passionately.
“Through all of this beauty of creation, there’s also this beauty of giving,” Lazorova reflects. “As women, we have all gone through difficult moments. We have to be able to step back at some point and recognize that the difficult times we’ve been through are nothing compared to what other women have been through.”
The gallery has educated its clientele to appreciate not just acquisition, but artistry: construction techniques, historical context, and the stories behind each piece. That discernment matters when encountering jewelry this rare.
While the Tuesday, March 3 immersive experience is by invitation only, the “Luminous Collection” will remain on view at Grace Renee Gallery through Saturday, March 7, welcoming anyone seeking to experience the marriage of celestial inspiration and gemological mastery.
Collectors who decide to own these pieces should choose how and where they want to wear them. Those who cherish them, wear the collection at both cocktail and black-tie events, as well as every day with jeans and a T-shirt.
When the gallery darkens on March 3 and the showcases illuminate like celestial bodies, guests will experience what happens when Hollywood vision meets gemological mastery — when three years of devotion culminate in wearable astronomy. Though Shields and Procop won’t attend personally, their signatures will grace each certificate of authenticity, a reminder that some collaborations transcend presence, leaving behind something luminous.
‘Luminous’ by Brooke Shields and Robert Procop
By invitation // March 3 // 4–7 p.m. // Grace Renee Gallery // Historic Spanish Village // 7212 E. Ho Road, Carefree // 480-575-8080 // gracereneegallery.com