Under the loupe: our 2018 watch and jewellery finds

The final piece in Hemmerle’s Hidden Treasures collection has a distinctly festive feel. This snowflake brooch is really getting us in the holiday spirit: intricately carved in bronze, the design took over a year to make, and features a sparkling yellow brown central diamond surrounded by 54 twinkling white diamonds. Who needs a white Christmas, when you have this?

Writer: Laura Hawkins

French jewellery brand Le Gramme’s preoccupation with simplicity manifests itself in pleasingly pristine pieces crafted from precious metals. Almost hypnotising in their geometric repetition, the functional and aesthetic designs are meticulously finished by French ateliers, and are currently available to view at a pop-up store in Paris. Now, a collaboration with Parisian fashion brand Maison Kitsuné gently disrupts this clean canvas, adding a stylish quirk which incorporates the latter’s Japanese roots. An emblematic Kitsuné (Japanese for fox) is emblazoned onto Le Gramme’s designs: perfectly formed, the mischievous animal is cast in dark blue lacquer and eternally strolls across cool sterling silver bracelets, or is glimpsed on smooth, polished keyrings. Additionally, the fox motif has been immortalised in a series of sterling silver objets, enticing animalistic additions for any surface.

Writer: Hannah Silver

We loved Warsaw designer Magda Butrym’s A/W 2018 collection of rodeo-tinged catwalk jewels, and her S/S 2019 collection is just as joyful - particularly this 1920s-style Ash hair pin. ‘I find vintage pins really charming and romantic. As an object the hair pin is a bit forgotten, so I thought it would be fun to revive it,' she says. A boom time for hair accessories, the Jazz Age saw the widespread introduction of Bakelite, which in turn sparked a craze for ornate Spanish combs in eye-popping synthetic shades. Butrym’s modern version takes a simpler form: made of 24-ct gold-plated brass, the Ash pin is set with a bead of mottled, duck egg blue alabaster glass, and hung with her signature strings of crystals.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Saskia Diez is renowned for experimenting with lengths of chainmail, which hang from the ear in long fluid lengths, or twist as a second skin around the body. Now, in an exclusive collaboration, the German jeweller has teamed up with Net-a-Porter on a range of mesh accessories, from bracelets which swathe the wrist, to a bag formed from a fabric of metal links. This party piece nods to the futuristic 1960s fashion of Paco Rabanne, the Spanish designer who pioneered the use of unusual fabrications like metal and plastic. Slip your wrists into the bag's circular handles, and it will jingle jangle with you wherever you go.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

It’s all Greek to Dina Kamal – the Beirut jeweller’s new Archery rings take inspiration from the pantheon of Grecian deities, in particular those gods and goddesses known for their superior hunting skills. Each ring is modelled on traditional thumb braces worn by archers to protect their knuckles as they sling their arrows, taking an elongated form that slopes slightly inwards as it extends, hugging the finger. The curving, pared-back lines have a more organic feel than Kamal’s recent geometric pieces, and we love the muted finish of the Artemis ring in raw 18-ct gold.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Cult North London boutique Tomfoolery commissioned 30 of its jewellers, including Jo Hayes Ward and Daphne Krinos, to craft one-of-a-kind statement rings that steer away from their usual design language. From the resulting treasure trove, the Balthus ring by Scottish jeweller Fraser Hamilton caught our eye - two miniature hands in yellow gold hold up an untreated orange sapphire as though presenting it to the wearer, held on a twisting band. ‘I wanted the gold to appear as though it was a basket for carrying the stone, so I looked into bushcraft weaving for the texture, adapting it into wax before casting,' says Hamilton. ‘I also wanted to use the sapphire’s transparency to show the weaving gold through the stone, creating more depth. The hands are somewhat uncanny and not stylistically designed - they are strange, rather than pretty.'

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Wald Berlin’s nomadic founders Joyce Binneboese and Dana Roski, a former model and a fashion stylist respectively, stock their Mitte concept store with a treasure trove of under-the-radar labels and charms collected on their travels. Now the pair has launched their own free-spirited collection of seaside-style trinkets, with an emphasis on lettered beads and gem-set, gold-plated shells. All made by hand in Germany, it was the Vision of Love earring that caught our eye – threaded with misshapen pearls in shades of aquamarine and turquoise, it’s designed to be worn singly, held onto a gold hoop by a tangled twist of wire.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure: London studio Alex Orso’s modern talismans take the form of everything from discarded ring pulls to streamlined nuts and bolts. This bottle top pendant in brass plated with 22-ct gold has a brushed satin finish on one side, contrasting with a brightly polished shine on the other. The metal gently folds into a dent in the middle, giving the impression that the pendant has been deftly popped off a fizzing bottle of soda – almost the real thing.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

The glass and wrought-iron tracery of London’s Royal Opera House provides geometric inspiration for jeweller Malaika Carr, whose structural pieces take their cues from her day job as an architect. Designing for her own label, Chalk, the arching facade of EM Barry’s Hamlyn Hall – recently regenerated by Stanton Williams – is miniaturised in Carr’s walnut earrings, inlaid with strips of mirrored acrylic. Clean, bold lines mean these aren’t just for opera buffs.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

It’s been five years since Charlotte Dauphin de la Rochefoucauld launched her jewellery maison Dauphin, one that has become synonymous with a contemporary take on fine jewellery. Dauphin’s designs play on fluidity, empty space and champion an interchangeable aesthetic, and now the history of the house has been captured in a new book lensed in collaboration with Paolo Roversi. The publication explores the signature pieces in Dauphin’s canon, and also features portraits of muse Saskia De Brauw, Guinevere Van Seenus (pictured) and Paolo’s daughter Stella, with the maison's architectural sensibility enhanced by stylist Hannes Hetta and hair and make up artist Julien d'Ys. Consider it bejewelled bounty for your bookcase.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

We’ve been hot on the heels of Berlin-based footwear label aeyde since it launched in 2015. Now, in addition to the brand’s sublime footwear offering – which includes sleek slip on mules, square-toed flats and architecturally-inclined heels – the brand has released its first nine piece jewellery collection. The 18-ct gold plated pieces include oversized earrings which unfurl like leaves, distorted hoops and asymmetric graphic studs which can be mixed and matched at will. We’ll be trying these curved metal pieces out for size, alongside our latest pair of aeyde shoes, naturally.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Last spring, we enlisted Rebus to create a signet ring bearing the seal of Wallpaper* Handmade 2017’s motif. We’ve been a fan of the traditional goldsmiths’ studio and signet ring specialist’s designs for some time, and its latest ‘Kournas’ silhouette really gets our seal of approval. Its unusual and asymmetric shape nods to the outline of Lake Kournas in Crete, a favourite visiting spot of Emmet Smith, Rebus director and master engraver. The design brings a modern take on the signature signet ring silhouette, whether you favour a seal of your family crest, initials or portrait.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Increasingly, designers have been incorporating jewellery-inspired elements into their footwear pieces, like beaded anklets which detach from a heel or gems which clip onto the upper of a shoe. Now, Net-a-Porter and footwear aficionado Aquazzura, have stepped further into this glinting world, with a footwear collection created in collaboration with five jewellery designers. Anissa Kermiche, Sabine Getty, Noor Fares, Venyx World and Ana Khouri have all proposed bejewelled designs. We’ve been keen to try Kermiche’s Triple Rondeur earring for some time – a piece conceived as three stacked gold hoops with floating freshwater pearls. This design has been translated into the graphic heel of a high stiletto. Talk about getting off on the right foot.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

LA-based brand Spinelli Kilcollin has bought new meaning to the term globetrotting. The jewellery’s latest 19-piece Zodiac collection is comprised of spherical pendants, single earrings and bracelets resembling miniature planets. This Galina Gold Pavé Drop Earring is really sending us into orbit. Half of its dangling orb has been covered in micro-pavé white diamonds, making for a truly starry eyed experience.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

London-based jeweller Tessa Packard has got the design of her latest ‘Alphabet Bracelet’ down to a T. The piece has been created in collaboration with the National Osteoporosis Society, and features a delicate 18-ct yellow gold vermeil and sterling silver chain, completed with a mother-of-pearl letter charm of choice. This personalised-focused design will be available for one year, and 20 percent of the proceeds of each sale will go to the National Osteoporosis Society. A eye-catching and altruistic design from the word go.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

We’ve got a mathematical monomania for Le Gramme’s designs. The Paris-based jewellery house is renowned for its pared-back rings, cuffs and keyrings, which created in different sizes, are declined arithmetically according to weight. This year, we invited Le Gramme to be part of our Handmade exhibition, and the label worked with Viennese crystal maker Lobmeyr on a range of cylindrical containers, each sharing the same diameter, but ranging in terms of height and use. Now, Le Gramme has teamed up with Mr Porter on an exclusive collection of medallions. Three interchangeable and concentric pendants, in polished and brushed sterling silver, can be passed through a cable chain and worn together or independently. Each piece is named according to its weight in terms of tenths of a gram, and they fit together like a graphic jigsaw puzzle.

Writer: Laura Hawkins 

There’s a spiritual sophistication behind Noor Fares’ latest Prana collection. The jeweller’s latest offering takes inspiration from the ancient meditative concept of the body’s seven chakras - wheels which spin energy through the body, from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. These Sahasrara Earrings – featuring hand-carved curving points of amethyst – evoke the violet shade associated with the seventh primary chakra found in the head, one which is associated with pure consciousness. There’s a symmetrical and diamond encrusted harmony behind the designs, which hang from the ear in line with the chakra’s bodily location, whether or not you believe in the power of spiritual healing.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Santo by Zani’s designs unfold to reveal inner surprises. Founder Zani Gugelmann's transformable aesthetic has culminated in her brand’s latest line of Shield rings, which take inspiration from the mechanical designs of masonic orb pendants of the Victoria era. Her designs have a more exuberant and pop-colour focus, like this colourful yellow gold and blue enamel ring set with light pink sapphire, which opens to reveal an inlayed diamond nestled inside a fuchsia enamel shell.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Foundrae founder Beth Bugdaycay creates jewellery designs boasting a host of mystical symbols. Her inspiration also draws from more everyday elements, and her idiosyncratic cigar ring looks to the designs of paper cigar bands. Now, in a nod both symbology and smoking paraphernalia, Bugdaycay has teamed up with Zippo on a collection of windproof sterling silver and 18-ct gold lighters, animated with magical symbols. The four limited edition styles are available to buy from Browns, and we think they’re a sure-fire accessory addition, whether you favour a cigarette, cigar or simply the allure of an illuminating accessory.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Chaumet has created jewellery for a host of illustrious clientele across history, but it is Empress Joséphine who is most renowned for wearing the Parisian maison’s designs. Chaumet’s evolving Joséphine collection celebrates the style of Napoleon’s famed wife, one which has been reinvented with a new range of earrings, stackable rings and necklaces, which play with empty space and bright colour. The styles encourage individuality, and V-shape rings encrusted with diamonds and cultured pearls can be layered onto the finger at will, or earrings glistening with rhodolite garnets, aquamarines and peridots can be worn asymmetrically, making for unusual and personalised colour combinations. We think Empress Joséphine would approve.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Nature buffs will find that Annoushka’s new Seeds collection of miniature talismans appeals: smoky quartz acorns are capped with white diamonds, 18ct yellow gold sycamore seeds look ready to spiral away through the air, and freshwater white pearls are a savvy stand-in for growing olives. However, it was the shiny horse chestnut charm that caught our attention, with a hidden surprise inside: two halves of spiky gold skin, edged with pavé diamonds, part to reveal a polished ebony conker. A symbol of prevention and foresight, marking the arrival of autumn, it has a particular back-to-school spirit.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

French graffiti artist Kongo’s 2011 graffiti scarf for Hermes is now a collectors’ piece. When Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille asked the artist to hand-paint a watch movement for the RM 68-01 in 2016, collectors were placing their orders before it was made. It’s hard to explain the impact of this spray-painted miniature work of art without seeing it. Good thing it’s on show at Frieze Masters this weekend. As a new partner of the fair, Richard Mille – a watch brand known for materials and process R&D – has curated a selection of rare timepieces from its 17-year archive of designs. Most have been lent for the occasion by the brand’s collectors – the Kongo RM 68-01 is one of them. The graffiti artist individually painted the mechanical components of each, using a microscopic lens, specially developed gloss spray and miniaturised spray-painting tools. The single version on show at Frieze is a prime example. Only 30 pieces were made. All have been sold, including this one.

Writer: Caragh McKay

At Givenchy’s S/S 2019 show earlier this week, guests entered the maison’s dark show space at the Île de la Cité’s Palais de Justice following the beam of a laser trail, which bounced from mirrored walled surfaces. The reflective runway set was a symbol of the show’s theme, one in which the men’s and women’s collections were mirrored within each other, in a silhouette evoking dual sexuality. Reflection was also a key theme in the brand’s XL catwalk jewellery. These included huge chandelier earrings which dangled from the earlobe to the décolleté, or glasses with dangling embellishments twinkling from their frames. These earrings resemble mini mobiles. Their flat metal fragments are suspended in the air like raindrops or icy snowflakes, and their twinkling surfaces also act a reflection of the mirroring theme of the S/S 2019 show.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

From a live cockatoo atop a model’s shoulder to colourful cat head pendants, Micky Mouse shape bowling bags to snake bracelets coiling around the wrist, there were a veritable zoo of animal references on the Gucci S/S 2019 catwalk. But our favourite piece had more of a farmyard-meets-fairytale feel. These marbled acetate pig brooches were pinned to cropped women’s jackets, with their wings flapping across the folds of fabric for fantastical animal farm effect.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

There were references to classical art aplenty on the S/S 2019 Marni catwalk. Just look to the distorted photo prints of busts and shapely torsos which were printed across skirts and asymmetric dresses. Francesco Risso's catwalk jewellery had an equally artful flair, as the creative director constructed miniature figurative sculptures which swung as single earrings or dangled from the neck as long pendants, in gold or glinting blue metal. Swapping museum marble for metallic shades, the pieces had a futuristic feel.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

There’s always an artful element behind Arthur Arbesser’s collections. For S/S 2019, the Viennese designer looked to the works of Italian sculptor Fausto Melotti for inspiration, leaving small ceramic sculptures on the seats of his show guests. There was a sculptural sensibility behind Arbesser’s catwalk jewellery pieces too, as the designer collaborated with Milan-based architect and jeweller Nathalie Jean for the second time. Long asymmetric earrings hung from model’s ears, and swung like graphic mobiles or small pendulums, with some designs covered with a net-like layer of gold chainmail.

Photography: Henrik Blomqvist. Writer: Laura Hawkins

A table informed by the natural beauty of the Giant’s Causeway, the strange landscape of Basalt columns that fringes the coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, has scooped its designer the 2018 UK Rado Star Prize. David Knowles, a 3D-design student from Northumbria University picked up £5,000 for his ‘tactile and intriguing’ work at the award ceremony in London this week. The theme of this year’s brief was ‘On Time/Time Off’, prompting the 10 finalists to explore designs that focus awareness of where time is spent. Could Knowles’ response be the answer for those of us unable to hotfoot it to Northern Ireland’s awe-inspiring shores to contemplate that perennial question?

Writer: Caragh McKay

When designing the jewellery for Jil Sander’s S/S 2019 collection, creative directors Luke and Lucie Meier delved into the German house’s archives for inspiration. They looked to a sleek gold bangle design by Sander herself, and transformed the piece into a bracelet-come-coin purse which hangs delicately from the wrist. Uniform silhouettes inspired the brand’s ready-to-wear offering, encompassed in shapes riffing on workwear, surgeon’s scrubs and ballet dancer costumes. This utility is translated into jewellery which gels pure shapes with loose change-carrying comfort.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

London-based jewellery label RÄTHEL & WOLF delights in exploring the contours of the body through adornment, an enquiry the brand has extended in its continued collaboration with Cologne-based label Paula Knorr on an sculptural and oversized array of S/S 2019 catwalk jewels. For spring, Knorr continues her partnership with Swarovski in both her ready-to-wear and jewellery design. This Swarovski crystal ear cuff is a hyperbolic riff on twinkling costume jewellery, and features alongside a sculptural graphic cuff with a crystal hoop detail, and an finger-covering ring which resembles a carved hunk of ice.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Now in its third season, Matchesfashion’s Innovators programme supports and incubates emerging talent. One the roster for this season’s initiative are a series of burgeoning sustainable labels: upcycling-meets-couture brand Germanier, footwear label Petersonstoop which reworks shoe shapes using offcuts of trainers, customisation-focused fashion brand Noki, and jewellery label Ingy Stockholm. Founded by fashion photography duo Ingela Klemetz Farago & Peter Farago, the label creates chunky earrings using wood which has fallen from trees, and their twisted silhouettes have been naturally distorted by the changing weather. The styles have been imagined in metallic shades and bold hues which represent elements of the earth. This bright pair – which launches today –  really has us seeing red. The pair not only evoke curving chunks of wood, but a twisting trails of magma too.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

There’s an industrial edge behind Miansai’s jewellery designs. Take the brand’s sleek signature cuff, secured using a pavé diamond screw, or its braided leather choker, which secures with a gold plated hook closure. We’re going nuts and bolts over this washer-inspired 14-ct gold ring, with half of its linear form sprinkled with pavé diamonds. An exquisite take on industry.

Writer: Laura Hawkins 

Jeweller Olivia Creber is fascinated by natural forms, like the rugged landscape of the Australian Outback or the jagged outcrops of the Sussex Downs. Her designs convey an organic rawness, enhanced by Creber’s use of clusters of uncut stones. Now, she has turned to the realm of engagement ring design, hand carving an unconventional piece ‘inspired by a breaking storm, and its dramatic light glowing over the natural formations, and irregulations of our awe-inspiring landscapes’. This ring boasts a raw diamond, appearing to burst forth from undulations of 18-ct gold, circled by smaller diamonds. Happy ever after with an extreme weather twist.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Saskia Diez’s disco-centric earrings have been high on our accessory list for some time. Take her stiff, graphic drop designs which resemble lengths of chain, or her slinky extra-long lengths of metal discs which evoke twinkling sequins. Now, the German jeweller has gone to new design lengths, reimagining her signature styles as hair accessories. These paillette-inspired barrettes will ensure your hair catches the light of the nearest disco ball.

Writer: Laura Hawkins 

H Stern has looked to the intense physicality of contemporary ballet for its latest collaboration, translating productions from Belo Horizonte company Grupo Corpo into jewels of striking volume. The Brazilian jeweller’s Breu cuff rises off the wrist in three latticed planes of yellow gold, joining and splitting apart in sinuous waves that play on the tension between the dancers’ geometric-patterned costumes and the curves of their honed muscles. We think it’s completely en pointe. 

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

During the mid 1970’s, Vivienne Westwood’s Chelsea punk mecca Sex was swarming with punks wearing not just safety pins and chains on their clothing, but also using them to festoon their bodies. London jeweller Charlotte Valkeniers has looked to the DIY aesthetic of punk for her latest collection, offering a more refined take on link and chain designs. This interlinked chain cuff is imagined in a blend of metals, and appears as if spray painted for rebellious effect.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

New York-based jewellery label Jemma Wynne’s latest collection is not just music to our ears, but our eyes too. When designing and concepting the latest fine jewellery offering, the brand’s founders Jenny Klatt and Stephanie Wynne Lalin were listening to the sounds of Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and Sade in their studio. These spiralling 18-ct gold and diamond earrings are an aesthetic ode to the smooth melodic repetition of the Neo soul genre; we can’t think of a finer way to get in tune.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

London-based Malaika Carr of Chalk practises both architecture and jewellery design, so it’s fitting that her latest ‘Shaped Objects’ collection takes inspiration from the Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill. Bofill is renowned for his interlocking and pastel hued buildings, like the housing project La Muralla Rosa in Spain or the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco. These earrings evoke the geometric and colour-focused elements behind Bofill’s designs, and are crafted from walnut, mirrored acrylic and Formica.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Italian jewellery label Marco Bicego is renowned for its signature ‘Bulino' technique, which sees 18-ct gold engraved by hand for a raw, scratched effect. For its latest designs, the brand looked to the twinkling skies illuminating the African savanna. These constellations are evoked in this orb-like engraved ring, handset with diamonds.

Writer: Laura Hawkins 

Jeweller Ara Vartanian is renowned for his use of vibrant gemstones, which evoke the high energy of his native Brazil. Now, the jeweller has brought a feline quality to this flamboyance. The structure of this ‘Cat’ ring recalls the face of a domesticated kitty, with one pointed ear encrusted with white diamonds and an emerald. We think it’s the cat’s whiskers.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

There’s an off-kilter aesthetic to Cornelia Webb’s designs. Take the Swedish jeweller’s ear cuffs which appear moulded to the inside of the ear, or earrings and cuffs crafted from metal imprinted with finger marks. Now, in an extension of two successful bridal collections, Webb has bought an alternative edge to the world of engagement rings, with a made-to-order service centred around timeless yet unusual designs. Like this pavé set ring, featuring a textured surface and an off-centre claw set gemstone. The design can be personalised according to gemstone and size; we’ll be searching for suitors in no time.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Nadine Aysoy is feeling particularly fortunate this summer, having taking inspiration from Chinese lucky coins for her latest fine jewellery collection. Discs of white jade are the central element in oversized rings, earrings and pendant necklaces, including these circular drop earrings, set with a halo of tsavorites and diamonds. We're feeling luckier already.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Istanbul-based Esra Karadeniz founded her jewellery label Ekria in 2013, and her designs include rings which swirl and zigzag around the finger. Now, the label has looked to more fluid shapes for inspiration, its latest ‘Timeless’ collection featuring laser-cut rings and necklaces which appear as drips of paint or trickles of molten metal. This ring can be delicately worn towards the top of the finger, like droplets of water splashed across the skin.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Tiffany & Co is appealing to the next generation of fine jewellery lovers with its new Style Studio in London’s Covent Garden. A first for the brand, the 2,160 sq ft store is recognisably Tiffany & Co, with walls painted signature robin’s egg blue, but the house has injected the space with more than a touch of playfulness. Richard Moore, vice-president and creative director of store design and creative and visual merchandising at the New York jeweller explains, 'With this new store concept, Tiffany & Co is embracing the spirit of modern luxury and jewellery buying. The Covent Garden location is a place of creativity, not bound by rules of formality.' Collections including the clean-cut Tiffany 'T' are displayed atop wooden crates and trestle-style tables, ready to be engraved at the #MakeItTiffany personalisation bar, and the 'T' pops up elsewhere as a graphic wallpaper. There’s even a tongue-in-cheek vending machine stocked with Tiffany & Co perfumes – all in turquoise, of course.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Australian jewellers Sarah & Sebastian take inspiration from a diverse range of references, from the signs of the zodiac to deep sea diving. Now, co-founder and creative director Sarah Gittoes, has delved into her mother’s jewellery collection, with vintage-inspired pieces embellished with pearls and coins. ‘Heirloom’ also features a series of curving earrings and rings which hug fingers and earlobes. Take this dainty freshwater pearl-lined ring, which can be slipped onto different areas of the finger, or, for added individuality, stacked with a range of bands from your own personal collection.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

For his Pre Fall 2018 collection, Erdem Moralioglu was fascinated by an imaginary meeting between the English textile behemoth Laura Ashley and the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. The Edo period ukiyo-e painter and printmaker is renowned for his wood block print 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa', which features a wave cresting over a snow-topped Mount Fuji. For Pre Fall 2018, Moralioglu fuses Ashley’s Victoriana floral prints with Japonist motifs, including these encrusted drop earrings, with miniature Koi carps diving over colourful gems and pearls.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

For his Pre Fall 2018 collection, Erdem Moralioglu was fascinated by an imaginary meeting between the English textile behemoth Laura Ashley and the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. The Edo period ukiyo-e painter and printmaker is renowned for his wood block print 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa', which features a wave cresting over a snow-topped Mount Fuji. For Pre Fall 2018, Moralioglu fuses Ashley’s Victoriana floral prints with Japonist motifs, including these encrusted drop earrings, with miniature Koi carps diving over colourful gems and pearls.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

London-based jeweller Loveness Lee, who launched her eponymous brand in 2016, has a fascination with natural forms. For her label’s latest ‘Trans-natural’ collection, Lee looked particularly to the process of decay, finding beauty in the withering of a tree branch or the erosion of a rock. These oversized earrings, made using a mix of gold and silver, evoke gnarling branches or a surface worn over time. When reimagined in precious metals, the designs bring new life to the inevitable process of decay.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

2018 marks a proud milestone in Cartier’s mission to nurture new jewellery design talent. It’s the French maison’s 20th year as key supporter of London’s Central Saint Martins BA Jewellery Design school, where it bestows the annual Cartier Award on a promising new designer, as selected by a panel of industry specialists. The winner receives financial assistance and the opportunity of a one-month apprentice’s residency in the Cartier Paris jewellery workshop. This year, the judges’ favourite was Srishti Shah, whose designs display a strong geometry and a naturally elegant form. But then Shah’s connection to 'history and personal meaning,' underline a dedication to classic design thinking. A strong link to Cartier’s own design story also emerges: 'That Cartier has an outstanding history and individuality that stretches back over a century really fits in with my creative vision,' Shah admits. 'I like the idea of bringing heritage into design, but at the same time not forgetting that the world is moving forward with modern technology. The coming together of both could shape a new jewellery design arena in the future.'

 Writer: Caragh McKay.

Stylist Dana Roski and model Joyce Binneboese launched Wald, a brick-and-mortar concept store seven years ago, before reopening their boutique as an online store. The duo also launched their shell-raising jewellery brand Wald Berlin in January 2018. The label’s current collection looks to beachside retreats and sun-kissed sojourns, and features coffee-bean and swirling sundial shells suspended on hoops or dangling as single earrings, and strung on chains as pendants. Organic, alluring and a shore thing for summer.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

For Elie Top’s debut fine jewellery collection Mécaniques Célestes, one the former Lanvin jeweller launched in 2015 — Top designed enigmatic rings, bracelets and earrings with a central sphere which clicks to reveal a sparkling hidden element. The Paris-based jeweller’s latest Sirius collection riffs on such concealment. This time, a smooth golden orb hides a twinkling centrepiece inspired by the structure of a daisy. This piece, in sapphires and diamonds gently nods to the design of engagement rings, encased inside a sun-like smooth outer sphere.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

There’s an element of cosmic encounter behind Amrapali’s latest collection. The Jaipur-based jewellery brand’s earrings and oversized rings, crafted from diamonds, enamel and hunks of druzy agate, resemble microcosmic universes. The agate's glittering grainy crystals evoke twinkling stars and the outlines of far off galaxies in the solar system.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

In its collaboration with fellow Shanghai-based fashion label Arete, jewellery label J Hardyment took inspiration from forms full of movement. ‘The artist Tracie Cheng worked on a textile print for Arete’s S/S 2018 line,’ says founder Joanna Hardyment. ‘It is full of undulating and almost three dimensional lines. I wanted to create something with the same feeling in mind, so we worked on organic 3-D forms.’ The resulting asymmetric earring styles resemble globules of hot lava, molten metal or metallic pools of water, suspended in twinkling droplets from the earlobe.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Alex Simpson, co-founder of London jewellery brand Alex Orso, designs pieces for men with an emphasis on simplicity of form: ‘I combine uncluttered shapes with familiar objects – especially those that have a retro feel – and elevate them into wearable pieces of sculpture. Our Shark Tooth Pendant is the perfect example: I like the nostalgic authenticity of the shark tooth necklaces worn by surfers back in the 1980s and 90s.’ The faceted pendant is plated in 22-ct gold, then brushed and polished by hand. No surfboard required.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

We’re getting a kick out of Saskia Diez’s latest earring collection -a series of eleven styles inspired by next month’s World Cup, which are structured into minimalist patterns that mirror different football formations. Pearls replace football players, which are delicately connected with lengths of chain - a twinkling take on team tactics. The Munich-based designer’s Soccer Jewels will be launched at Pitti Uomo in Florence, during Fanatic Feelings- Fashion Plays Football, an exhibition celebrating the impact of the game on fashion, which boasts an accompanying pop-up shop of football-inspired designs.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

A favoured motif of Chaumet since Napoleonic times, the humble worker bee attains an elevated status in the French maison’s jewels. Waxy honeycomb translates into bands of symmetrical cells that wind around the finger in the Bee My Love collection. This 18-ct white gold ring possesses a sleekly geometric appeal, but a touch of whimsy is still in evidence: a single diamond is tucked discreetly on the inside of one hexagonal cell.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

There are a host of unusual pieces in Zohra Rahman’s latest collection, from graphic earrings resembling deconstructed butterflies to chunky rings evoking gnashing layers of teeth. We’re feeling particularly attached to the Pakistan-based designer’s sterling silver Fringe brooch, which hangs here from a crisp white shirt, with moving components resembling clinking slivers of tinsel.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

From one Swiss métier to another: Geneva writing instrument maker Caran d’Ache has integrated codes from the watchmaking world into the 1010 Timekeeper, singling out details, textures and finishes from watch dials. Guillochage is engraved onto dials using a rose engine lathe; the lower half of the Timekeeper’s silver – and rhodium-plated barrel is decorated with a Clous de Paris hobnail pattern. Blued steel pomme hands extend along the barrel, seemingly counting down a series of Roman numeral hour markers. Through a curved window – the shape of which recalls that of a moonphase aperture, the ink-filled piston pump can be glimpsed.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

We’ve always had an affinity for abstract floral jewels, their intricate organic forms reduced to minimalist abstract shapes. Take these gold earrings by Canadian jeweller Birks. These oversized petal-shape hoops curve around the neck; stripped back structures in full bloom.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Clare Waight Keller has hit the bull’s eye with her latest jewellery collection for Givenchy. The artistic director has looked to the 12 signs of the Zodiac for her imaginative offering, one featuring pendants and earrings which allow your jewels to evoke your starsign – be it an intricate coiled metal pair of scales for a Libra, or a pair of hoop earrings, connected by Capricorn’s springing goat. Swapping horology for astrology, we’re in the midst of celebrating the sign of the Taurus, one embodied in this mythological bull pendant, not just a motif of tenderness and sensuality, but also sure symbol of Givenchy’s jewellery design prowess.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

London fashion label Tommy Zhong, co-founded by Tommy Zhong and Jenny Nelson, has collaborated with Thread Studio Jewellery on a series of subversive floral jewels, inspired by botanical sculptor Makoto Azuma. ‘We looked at Azuma’s work, in which he uses exploded, dynamic flowers, and ripped pieces of paper to make models of rough petal shapes. We then interpreted those shapes with Thread Studio in shiny or matte metal,’ explains Zhong. ‘We used very oversized proportions, with a raw aesthetic, so the edges of the pieces are unfinished.’

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Last October, we announced the news of Cartier’s partnership with Kering Eyewear, on a joint sunglasses collection which would celebrate the haute jewellery codes of the French jewellery maison. The screw feature is emblematic of Cartier; take its Love bracelet, which is embellished with rows of small screws, and can only be removed from the wrist using a small screwdriver. If you’ve got eyes for such details, then we recommend Cartier’s newly launched Santos de Cartier aviator sunglasses. Made from brushed ruthenium and champagne gold-finished metal, the style also boats a series of tiny screws which curve the contours of the lenses.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

At 181 years old, Tiffany & Co could easily rest on its laurels and count on its legacy to see it through. Yet, under the stewardship of chief artistic officer Reed Krakoff, the venerable American jeweller has unveiled a new brand direction and campaign to bring a youthful new energy to its heritage. To celebrate the milestone, Tiffany & Co brought its signature duck egg blue to the streets of New York, covering coffee carts, taxi cabs, limited edition metrocards and also taking over the ubiquitous neighbourhood cornershop with buckets of paper flowers – a playful nod to its new Paper Flowers jewellery collection.

Writer: Pei-Ru Keh

Jewellery designer and plastic artist Paola Vilas is known for her figurative pieces, reinterpreting sketches and paintings by artists such as Paul Klee, Jean Cocteau and Georges Braque into jewels of boldly exaggerated proportions. Handmade in her native Brazil, Vilas’ Braque ring in sodalite marks a shift from surrealism to cubism as well as a solidifying of form. An eye hewn from mottled blue sodalite with a golden pupil is set into a sculptural, 18-ct gold-plated silver ring, and gazes up from the wearer’s finger.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Tessa Packard, the British jeweller known for her tongue-in-cheek designs, is honing in on jewels as art, chairing a panel at her Chelsea showroom on 9 May, as part of this year’s London Craft Week. Broaching - or brooching - thorny subjects such as the role of the designer as maker in art-jewellery will be Raymond Sancroft-Baker, former European Jewellery Director at Christie’s; Elisabetta Cipriani, who commissions international artists to create wearable sculptures at her eponymous Mayfair gallery; and jeweller Andrew Prince, known for his work with crystal. ‘I believe jewellery to be sculpture in miniature and unequivocally art,’ notes Tessa. ‘For designers who are driven by narrative integrity, such as myself, London Craft Week is a highly valued platform. It enables anyone and everyone to embrace the work of some of Britain’s most talented artisans in a dynamic, creative and refreshingly egalitarian manner.’ 

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Berlin jeweller Lilian von Trapp uses recycled fine gold, sourced from vintage pieces and electronic components, in her minimal, modular designs. The new Odyssey collection takes inspiration from the Hollywood suburbs, and includes these highly polished, triple-stacked creoles in different golds that can be worn as a trio, or split apart and worn separately. 'Places like Ennis House by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the little colourful streets up in the hills, are rarely seen by anyone who doesn’t look beyond the flashy facade of Los Angeles,' explains von Trapp. 'It feels like an inspiring patchwork that all falls into place and somehow makes a satisfying whole.’

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

There’s a spot of sun-drenched inspiration behind Geneva-based jeweller Suzanne Syz’s designs. Take her ‘Over the Moon’ earrings, which feature small beach tote pendants beaded from strings of sapphires, or her ‘Girouettes’ earrings, which evoke twinkling weather vanes. But it was the shores of Comporta, Portugal which inspired Syz’s latest collaboration with the Australian hairstylist David Mallett. During a summer holiday in 2017, the two devised a graphic hair accessory designed to circle a ponytail. Available in white, pink or yellow gold, the band is sure to bring out a sunny disposition, whatever the weather.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

They say good things comes in small packages, and this is a mantra that Swedish watch brand TID has aspired to in the design of its latest timepiece. Since 2012, the Stockholm-based label has been strengthening its versatile designs, and now it has launched its ‘No 1’ model in its smallest size yet. We’re trying this 33mm style out for size, the watch's sleek black ion coated case complemented wonderfully by a tactile black twain strap.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Creative director Charlotte Dauphin de la Rochefoucauld has bought a new fluidity to the graphic codes of Dauphin, with rings adorned with free flowing diamond-set lengths of chainmail. The triangular segments are suspended for a 3D effect, moving fluidly like waves with the motions of the wearer, and demonstrating a freedom in design that changes constantly.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

At Salone del Mobile 2018, Bulgari celebrated its B.zero1 collection with two large scale interactive installations. The first, in the heart of Brera (pictured), is a graphic adventure designed to take visitors on ‘a rule-breaking journey’. Storagemilano’s monochrome labyrinth opens the space, extending the pattern of the B.zero1 collection endlessly across floors, ceilings and surreal doorways, while an illuminated pathway guides visitors through the story behind the iconic jewellery collection. Next, Chilean artist Iván Navarro and Courtney Smith light up the space with their quixotic neons and cleverly placed mirrors. Dutch architecture firm MVRDV have taken the brand’s Serpenti bracelet and turned it into a spatial experience, not dissimilar to stepping into a honeycomb. The second installation, Mirror Cube, sits in the garden of the Bulgari Hotel Milano, luring visitors in with its mirrored exterior and graphic interior. Inside, the hypotonic patterns of Storagemilano’s labyrinth make this the ultimate selfie spot.

At Salone del Mobile 2018, Italian designer Lorenza Bozzoli set her sights on two everyday objects - mirrors and poufs - and reimagined them for Pomellato with feminine aplomb. Decorating the window displays and interiors of both the Via Montenapoleone and Via San Pietro all’Orto boutiques, Bozzoli’s polished metal mirrors take geometric arrangements, marrying reflective elements with dense and decorative fringes. The couture poufs feel equally luxurious, with velvet seats and fringes in contrasting tones. The colour palette for both inspired by the precious stones the Italian jewellery company is known for.

With the Wallpaper* team making the annual pilgrimage to Salone del Mobile, it’s fortuitous timing that Grand Seiko has held it’s latest ‘The Flow of Time’ at the Milanese design fair. The colourful and immersive exhibition celebrates the Japanese house’s Spring Drive movement, which with a perfect glide motion of the second hand, evokes the continuous progression of time. Grand Seiko have collaborated with two artists - Takt Project and Shingo Abe - and the installation features parts of Grand Seiko’s timepieces suspended in glass sculptures, as if floating in the air, surrounded by large scale video screens, projecting clouds, landscapes and abstract shapes. 'The Flow of Time' is on display until 22 April at Cubo B, La Triennale di Milano. Viale Alemagna, 6 Milano.

Writer: Laura Hawkins. 

In celebration of Salone del Mobile 2018, Adornment – Curating Contemporary Art Jewelry has chosen Milan for its latest exhibition. ‘No Matter Matters’, showcases the unusual work of 14 art jewellers, from Hungarian Orsolya Losonczy’s experimentation with muscovite, to Costa Rica-based Amira Jalets innovations using ice. We’ve found South Korean Hyun Jiyoon’s designs perfectly seasoned. Inspired by the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia, Jiyoon uses salt as a form of embellishment in her designs. This graphic 3D brooch has been constructed from stainless steel, spray paint and varnished salt. ‘No Matter Matters’ is on view until 22 April at Gold Black Style, Via San Maurilio 4, Milan.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Dru’s ‘Conservatory Signet' ring has an unusual hidden chamber. Its 18-ct yellow gold surface layer unclasps like a locket, to reveal a secret surface beneath. There’s an element of customisation to the design too. Its hidden chamber finish can be chosen in white palladium, or a more mysterious black rhodium.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Upon its creation 65 years ago, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms took the accolade for being the first modern diver’s watch. Today, the new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscape nods to the original with vintage design features, but the technology at its heart is unapologetically modern. The amalgamation of the old and the new continues with the aesthetic, where tough metal alloys add a sleek, contemporary edge to a profile which remains faithful to the generous proportions of the original.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Master of atmospheric sculpture, Based Upon recently launched its first iteration of wearable work. The ‘Based Upon Self’ collection is part of Lamyland x Selfridges, and contains a selection of miniature sculptures, or ‘modern relics’ each inspired by an individual journey. ‘We wanted to bring the work we do in landscape closer to the body,’ explains co-founder Ian Abell. ‘In the creation of a recent show working with the breath, each wearable object became part of the ritual, a talisman of the meditative state. These works are accessible, immediate and playful.’ The sculptures – powerful rings that span the fist – are intended to inspire peace within the wearer, amulets to help us find stillness in the confusion of the everyday.

Writer: Elly Parsons

When Jacqueline Rabun began designing for Georg Jensen in 2000, she took inspiration from the birth of her twins. The Offspring collection featured a range of jewellery inspired by egg-shaped ovals, symbols of birth and transformation. Now in her continued collaboration with the Danish silversmith, Rabun's latest 26 piece collection riffs on these organic motifs. It comprises of elliptical lines and clean shapes, like this egg-shaped sterling silver cuff, which gently traces the curve of the hand when worn. 'It is important that each piece complements the human form, and becomes an extension of the body...' says Rabun. Minimal and versatile, it’s a piece that will take you way past your breakfast course.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

This month, Munich-based product and jeweller Saskia Diez unveils a new collaboration with cult New York accessories label Pan & the Dream, makers of superfine Italian tulle socks. The result is a highly covetable tulle neck scarf, Diez-spangled with artfully considered silver sequins. If it sounds whimsical, Diez’s feet are, of course, firmly on the ground: 'The moment you have an idea is a nice one. But it’s the one where you feel that you’ve got somewhere, that you’ve got something right that is really precious.' 

Writer: Caragh McKay

It’s fitting that NOMOS Glashütte has titled its latest series 'Tetra Petit Four' – it features the Saxony-based watchmaker’s Tetra timepiece updated in four sugary shades that nod to delectable French confectionary. We’ve got a taste for this azure blue interpretation, which features a handcrafted watch face evoking the crunchy shell of a sugared almond or a chewy raspberry bonbon. If the sugary sensations weren’t enough, the back of the dial can be used to engrave a personalised message – perhaps the name of your most sought after sweet shop?

Writer: Laura Hawkins

It’s fitting that Victorinox’s ‘I.N.O.X. Carbon Limited Edition’ is already a Baselworld  2018 highlight –imagined in a bold shade of illuminating orange, it’s a real style stand out. Ever performance focused, the watch’s 43mm carbon case is 50% lighter and five times more resistant than steel, and its utilitarian khaki dial is protected with a resistant bumper. Available in only 1000 pieces, the design comes complete with a nylon strap which can be unravelled, should you need to replace a shoelace  or secure the lid of your off-piste lunch box. The watch also boasts an in-built flashlight, incase you’re inclined towards an intrepid after-dark adventure.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

There’s a soupçon of sea-faring adventure to Francesca Villa’s designs. The Italian jeweller, who founded her brand just over a decade ago, looks to the ocean voyages of her great grandfather, a captain of commercial vessels, for inspiration. Her rings feature images of ancient sea creatures and turtles, and are circled with delicate rows of diamonds. Villa’s designs, which are available from Browns Fashion, are inspired by the reverse intaglio technique, which has in the past featured a variety of animals immortalised in jewellery using enamel and rock crystal. For this 'Woof Woof' ring, featuring the face of a canine, surrounded by citrine and diamonds, Villa’s inspiration was a little closer to home. 'The dog is called Paolino, the fox terrier which my neighbours owned, back in the years when I lived in Rome.'

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Having mastered the art of precociously subverting familiar watch designs, Bamford Watch Department has now announced its first major collaboration with design trailblazer Hiroshi Fujiwara of Fragment. The BWD x Fragment Zenith El Primero, which will be available from Dover Street Market stores, keeps its original steel case and bracelet but marries sharp monochrome with softer, vintage-inspired design detailing for a stark, contemporary finish.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Border - Jewellery and Photography, which takes place at Galerie Scheytt in Munich until 7 April, presents Mari Ishikawa’s ruminations on what it is to be restricted. Photographs of the sweeping vistas of Atacama Desert and Easter Island are juxtaposed against jewellery in silver or gold casts, which are gloriously incongruous. This piece, 'Border 001', entwines silver and silk, abruptly interrupting the free-flowing transience with a precious pause.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Launching this month in Dalston, East London, new jewellery brand Jakhu Studio's range of handsomely-proportioned silver earrings, ring and objects is driven by Spanish designer Maria Bernal's love of ancient Peruvian metalwork techniques and Japanese aesthetics. She first travelled to Peru in 2012, where she discovered the artisans of the Huancayo region, inspiring the idea of a collaborative partnership. It's testament to her design skills that Bernal has created such a confident, contemporary line from such a confusion of cultural influences, including Dalston itself. Though much of her life and work centres around South America, she was adamant she wanted an East London based for Jakhu. 'I love the personality of Dalston,' says Bernal. 'Its multicultural vibes are inspiring me to achieve what I set out to do.' As originally featured in the April 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*229)

Writer: Caragh McKay

London-based jewellery brand Nocturne pays homage to the designs of William Morris in its S/S 2018 collection. The sharply geometric patterns prevalent on the ceilings and wallpaper in the designer, writer and artist's Walthamstow home and The Victoria & Albert Museum’s Tea Room are here reborn in organic materials. His preoccupation with nature translates into jewellery with shell pearl, ostrich feather and Abalone shells, while deep aqua hues and the gently undulating textures of the glass, rayon and metallic threads hint at nostalgic tales of the designer’s beloved pond at Morris & Co’s workshop at Merton Abbey Mills.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Imagine our delight at finding that Swedish jeweller Cornelia Webb’s latest chunky resin and mother of pearl single drop earrings and cuffs, come transported in brown paper bags reminiscent of old pharmaceutical packaging or storage packets for pantries. Webb’s bags are printed in Stockholm by an 85-year printing machine, and feature blank writing lines which allow the wearer to jot down a description of the piece of jewellery held inside. ‘I like to visualise a woman with her Cornelia Webb packaging all stacked up in one place,’ says the jeweller. ‘So we made ‘Name’, ‘Material’ and ‘Colour’ sections printed on soft untreated paper, so that she could scribble down notes of what’s inside each bag and have a good overview of her collection.'

Writer: Laura Hawkins

HYT’s watches present a simple exterior that belies an incredibly complex interior. The premise is simple enough – miniature bellows push a coloured liquid through a tube on the edge of the dial to show the time intuitively – and more ancient than you might imagine, the idea deriving in part from the Egyptian water clocks of three and half millennia ago. 

HYT’s system is somewhat more advanced, relying on cutting edge medical technologies to ensure the fluids (there’s both a clear and coloured fluid in the tubes) move smoothly through borosilicate glass capillaries a few tenths of millimetre in diameter and internally coated.

The brand has been adept at developing new executions as with the newly launched HO edition that will be sold through HYT’s pop-up store in Miami’s Design District. Combining a red alligator strap with a 2N yellow gold case and dial treated with a microblasted finish, the HO Feel The HYT watch breaks new ground for the Neuchatel brand.

Writer: James Gurney

Paris Fashion Week: For his second runway collection for Lanvin, Olivier Lapidus looked to technological patterns for inspiration, like the visual maps of Tweets or views of the earth’s contours from aeroplanes. Lapidus was also inspired by the graphic formula of morse code, translating Lanvin’s brand name into a series of dots and dashes, which appeared as striped prints on sporty A-line jackets and dresses. The designer also worked with French jeweller Elie Top on a series of catwalk jewellery pieces, from chunky metal torques and rings punched with morse code. Haute hieroglyphics for the technology savvy Lanvin woman. 

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Milan Fashion Week: For his third women’s catwalk collection, Marni’s creative director Francesco Risso spoke of creating a ‘techno primitivism’ – a blend of futuristic fabrications and raw threadbare details, like patent Klein blue coats and spliced silk dresses with trailing hems. This approach was extended into Risso’s catwalk bold and chunky catwalk jewellery designs, which featured metal earrings resembling washers or long feathers which arched from the earlobe and across the shoulder. Risso’s ‘noble armour’ also included chunky enamelled bracelets which were stacked on top of ribbed knits – colourful and hard wearing pieces of protection for the prismatic Marni woman.

Milan Fashion Week: for his second show at the creative helm of Roberto Cavalli, designer Paul Surridge was inspired by the ‘frisk’ of the house, updating its codes with contemporary silhouettes, like voluminous perfume dresses reinterpreted as full shirt dresses, and ombré prints in the shades of Murano glass. Animal motifs are also essential to the ostentatious Milanese house, and the brand’s catwalk jewellery also celebrated the serpent shapes in its history. These snake shape earrings twist and glitter with the contour of the ear lobe, a slithering signature of the brand’s history.

Milan Fashion Week: for its A/W 2018 collection, Emilio Pucci, the Italian house renowned for its effusive prints and experimentation of colour, looked to the American starlets that used to wear its designs. The United States is an enduring influence for Roman luxury house Bulgari too - it opened its first store in New York in 1971 and has even launched collections dedicated to the American flag. It’s a pleasing fit, then, that the brand decided to use archive high jewellery pieces from Bulgari in its A/W 2018 runway show, like this Sautoir from 1970 with cornelian, turquoise and diamonds, and a curb linking chain characteristic of the period. The piece reflects the geometric patterns and  distinct colour combinations intrinsic to Pucci, and all the twinkling glamour of Hollywood.

Last April we celebrated burgeoning jewellery brand Aligheri, the label founded by Rosh Mahtani, which takes cues from the narratives in Dante’s Divine Comedy. Imagine our delight, then, on learning that the brand had teamed up with Eudon Choi for its A/W 2018 catwalk collection, presented today at London Fashion Week. Choi often takes cues from the art and design world, and for autumn he looked to the Cornish town of St Ives - a setting which has attracted and influenced a community of artists including Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Naum Gabo, as well as inspiring Virginia Woolf’s 1927 novel To the Lighthouse. The collection’s accompanying catwalk jewellery takes cutes from the weathered beaches and coastline of the town, like this 'Wreck of Alba' textured gold plated-bronze earring with a freshwater baroque pearl nestled in its curve.

 Writer: Laura Hawkins

Marques’Almeida has been strengthening its catwalk jewellery offering season after season. The label's eye-catching designs have included asymmetric oversized hoops, and chain earrings suspending hammered metal shapes. For its A/W 2018 show today at London Fashion Week, founders Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida took gleaming chunky jewels to new levels, with gem-encased rings adorning model’s fingers like twinkling knuckle-dusters. More delicate was this earring, made up of a length of wire suspending a single dangling pendant. This dark gem appears to hang from the ear on an almost invisible thread.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

For its A/W 2018 show today, Palmer//Harding teamed up with Husam el Odeh on a range of pieces hand wrought by the London-based jewellery designer in his studio. Palmer//Harding is renowned for its innovative and extensive reinterpretation of the shirt, and for A/W 2018, the duo behind the brand presented long shirt dresses in pinstripes, with trailing ties knotted into bows, shirts which ruched in asymmetric pulls at the waist and trench coats with lengths of material which trailed from the collar or ribbons which tied in bows around the cuffs. ‘We were referencing the idea of ribbons, which were translated into silver and rose gold plate’ says Odeh of the collection’s accompanying catwalk jewellery designs. This cuff twists around the wrist like an undulating length of fabric, and features a graphic silver orb nestled in its centre.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

We crowned Simone Rocha’s A/W 2017 collection the best Best Women’s Fashion Collection in our February 2018 issue, but it’s not just just designer’s delicate use of silk, floral motifs and ruffles that has caught out eye. The catwalk jewellery that Rocha sends twinkling down the catwalk includes long crystal droplets which swing from the earlobe, asymmetric faux pearl drop earrings and bejewelled hair slides. Pretty and poetic, they hint at both Victoriana and the childhood notion of dressing up. Lucky for us, we had a sneak preview of the pieces that Simone Rocha debuted today as part of her A/W 2018 show at London Fashion Week. There’s a sense of off-kilter elegance to Rocha’s aesthetic, embodied here in these multi chandelier bow crystal earrings, presented in an unusual colour combination of red, amber and cloudy pink beads. The earrings glimmered alongside bow-detail hair slides and delicate beaded straps of net dresses, and complemented the ruffled tartans and wallpaper-like brocades presented on the runway.

 Writer: Laura Hawkins. Jewellery courtesy of Simone Rocha Boutique on Mount Street 93 Mount St, Mayfair, London W1K 2SY

Maria Black was seeking thrills when designing her latest fine jewellery collection ‘The Loop’. Her most recent offering was borne out of imaginary sketches of stomach-churning rides, and the twists and daredevil drops of rollercoasters. We’re feeling dizzy over this ‘Galaxy Spin’ design which circles around the back of the earlobe. But forget the ear prickling cold slpash that comes with the descent of a log flume, this design is finished with a delicate sprinkling of diamonds.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Benedetta Dubini has long been a fan of ancient motifs, featuring worn antique coins in her designs. The Italian jeweller has blended Greco-Roman influences for her latest collection, and we’ve got our money on this ‘Constantine Ring’, which boasts a Roman bronze coin, set in chunky black rhodium plater silver. The ring, which features tubular forms which wrap around the finger, takes inspiration from Baccellato, a botanical Greco-Roman decorative style, used to embellish urns and vases and the facades of buildings. Handmade in Italy’s capital, the ring is your own piece of plant-inspired ancient history.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Annoushka’s latest collection, Touch Wood, muses on inherent, ancient traditions. Touching wood is a personal ritual, and now the eponymous jewellery designer has drawn on her early childhood to create her own intimate talismans. Looking back on her time spent in Russia, she references the simple, sculpted outlines of wooden churches outside Moscow. Their renowned onion domes are here cast in ebony — so you will, quite literally, be touching wood — diamonds and her familiar textured gold.

Writer: Hannah Silver

A former creative director of Soho House, Kirsty Whyte, is the drive behind new watch brand Freedom to Exist. Husband and wife team Whyte and Paul Tanner have made simple, clean design the trademark for their brand which pairs Swiss made movements with minimalist detailing. Eschewing branding, a subtle dot at the 12 is the only identifiable design constant. Other particulars are carefully considered, with an distinctive oval profile and a choice of two sizes promising easy wearability.

Writer: Hannah Silver

DEA – relative newcomer to the contemporary British jewellery scene – has introduced its second 18-ct gold plated sterling silver collection for S/S 2018. Comprising four ‘stories’, the collection re-works the same themes from the brand’s 2017 debut. Called ‘Armistice’, ‘Serene’, ‘Savage’, and, (most successfully) ‘Backbone’, each sub-collection portrays DEA founder Kareena Assomull’s core message of ‘strength, serenity and peace’. Bold, larger than life designs make use of variant motifs, from seashells, to pistols hanging from hoops, to fish skeleton chokers and rings. Unusual for pieces with such a graphic nature, each is as sensitively rendered as the last.

Writer: Elly Parsons

London-based jewellery designer Rachel Entwistle has unveiled a colourful collaboration with Paul Smith. An ode to abstract sculpture and midcentury design, the gender fluid pieces feature pendants of lapis lazuli, green agate and red coral, suspended like planets amongst geometric strands of sterling silver and gold. They include asymmetric earrings, signet rings and bar necklaces, which make not just sublime companions to the block colours of the latest Paul Smith collections, but to any modern spring ensemble.

Writer: Katie Meston

Paris-based auction house Artcurial has made a move to the Monaco Yacht Club for its latest auction. This includes 'Les temps est féminin’, a sale held tomorrow, which is dedicated to 80 women’s timepieces, boasting designs by Cartier, Vacheron Constantin and Rolex. The sale places particular focus on the designs of Piaget, and we’re particularly enamoured by Lot 191, a diamond-encrusted 1970s timepiece by the Swiss house. Its onyx malachite face nods to Piaget’s elevation of semi precious stones during the decade, and its bracelet strap emphasises the maison’s mastery of metalwork. Showcasing Piaget’s ‘palace technique’, the yellow gold strap resembles a ribbon of raw silk. 

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Geneva-based watch brand MB&F’s avant-garde designs channel superb technical accomplishment into a mischievous narrative. Their latest piece, Kelys & Chirp, is fully mechanical, and brings to life a turtle who walks with a slow, steady gait. Chirp is his companion, a singing bird who springs from her nest to pirouette and warble a tuneful melody. Developed with mechanical music specialists Reuge, it is driven by an extensive 480 components, putting it on the same level of complexity as a minute repeater. 

Writer: Hannah Silver

Lia Di Gregorio’s understated designs play with proportions to breathe new life into familiar forms. Her collections, which have recently become available at Dover Street Market Singapore, celebrate a commitment to clean lines and minimal embellishment. The contrasting geometric outlines of these Cerchio Trapezio 18-ct earrings, delicately undulate with the movements of the wearer. A single fresh water pearl acts as an organic complement to the stark lines of each swinging trapeze. 

Writer: Hannah Silver

Elie Top’s new ‘Four Seasons’ rings and earrings collection explores the symbolic relationship the elements have with the seasons. Top explains: ‘In a light, movable, delicate spirit, the Fire becomes a yellow gold and diamonds ear of wheat for Summer, the Water a silver holly leaf with its Pyrite berries for Winter, the Air a white gold and opal lily bud for Spring, and Earth a garnet and amethyst grape for Autumn.’ The muted hues of the Winter collection, featured here, blanch holly of its vivid hue, cutting an icy, uncompromising form wholly appropriate for the frosty temperatures of the new year.  

Writer: Hannah Silver

Offering an insight into the table habits of contemporary silversmiths is Welbeck-based The Harley Gallery, who have united with the Goldsmiths’ Company for an exhibition running until 22 January. ‘Made For The Table’ showcases the silver created as accoutrements for dining, that the company has acquired over the last 500 years. A dining room displays works from present-day silversmiths, including Adi Toch, Angela Cork and Malcolm Appleby. The best thing since sliced bread? This organic silver bread basket by Nan Nan Liu.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Style preferences may be currently skewed towards the masculine but when it comes to a chic, feminine touch, we’ve always felt attuned to the charms of the La Mini D de Dior, first launched by the house in 2003. This new red-lacquer edition adds a punchy, graphic appeal to the design’s more typically dainty character, while the central wind rose motif is articulated to move with the movement of the wrist. 

Writer: Caragh McKay