After celebrating the ten-year anniversary of her eponymous brand last year, Melanie Georgacopoulos was keen to mark the milestone with a change of direction. Her new jewellery collection, titled Carats, is the first time she has worked with both natural pearls and diamonds.
In a play on texture, Georgacopoulos unites the two materials, the hard diamonds appearing to sink into their soft cushions of mother-of-pearl. The effect is of spontaneity; the diamonds, seemingly just pressed in, follow the laws of gravity and force the jeweller to relinquish control. ‘The loss of control was a feeling I have had since Covid-19 started, and it was important for me to find a way to showcase it in my jewellery,’ Georgacopoulos says.
‘I luckily found the right lapidary that I was able to trust to carve the mother-of-pearl based on sketches I had done. Ultimately, “losing control” not only reflected the Covid situation we all found ourselves in, but it also resulted in acceptance and hope that everything will be all right in the end. I am very happy with the carving and the embedded technique, and the end result is even better than I had hoped.’
The pieces observe the natural, uncut shapes of the diamonds; as with pearls, they have been used in jewellery straight after being harvested or unearthed. In a pair of earrings, Georgacopoulos nods to her familiar sliced pearls technique by slicing through a rough diamond. In other jewels, different cuts and colours of diamonds add a playful juxtaposition, while asymmetrical pairs of earrings celebrate the natural imperfections of the stones.
For Georgacopoulos, it is finally the right time to embrace working with diamonds. ‘It added more processes to each piece and meant I had to find the right setter as I used different kinds of diamonds and diamond setting techniques: roughs, old mine cuts, brilliants and pavé,’ she says. ‘But, finding the right balance between the diamonds and the natural pearls was a welcome challenge.
INFORMATION
-
Studio Nicholson deepens its Japanese connection with a Yoshida & Co accessories collectionUsing hardwearing Japanese nylon, London-based label Studio Nicholson has united with Yoshida & Co’s POTR line to craft a trio of accessories in founder Nick Wakeman’s favoured hue of ‘darkest navy’
-
Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa on harmony, nature and their RIBA gongThe SANAA duo are celebrating their RIBA Royal Gold Medal 2025 in London today, and talked to us about self-reflection, the year ahead, and the need to create harmony in our environment
-
The Kerfield Arms is south-east London’s hot new gastropubIn Camberwell, this stripped-back haunt comes courtesy of the team behind The Baring in Hoxton
-
Samuel Ross unveils his Hublot Big Bang watch designSamuel Ross brings a polished titanium case and orange rubber strap to the Hublot Big Bang watch
-
Playful design meets chic heritage in the Hermès Kelly watchThe new Kelly watch from Hermès rethinks the original 1975 timepiece
-
Discover the tonal new hues of the classic Nomos Club Campus watchThe Nomos classic wristwatch Club Campus now comes in two new collegiate colours. The perfect graduation gift from the Glashütte manufacture
-
Bulgari unveils the thinnest mechanical watch in the worldThe new Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra watch is a record-breaking feat of engineering
-
Breitling and Triumph unite on a racy new watch and motorcycle1960s design codes are infused with a contemporary edge in the collaboration between Breitling and Triumph
-
Gerald Genta’s mischievous Mickey Mouse watch design is rethought for a new eraThe Gerald Genta Retrograde with Smiling Disney Mickey Mouse watch pays tribute to Genta’s humorous design codes
-
Shinola honours Georgia O’Keeffe with a new watchShinola Birdy watch stays faithful to the minimalist codes of Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting, My Last Door
-
Bulgari’s new book celebrates women and high jewelleryBulgari Magnifica: The Power Women Hold, published by Rizzoli New York, takes a closer look at the female muses who inspired the spectacular Magnifica high jewellery collection
