Sophie-Birgitt Debuf founded her eponymous jewellery brand in 2014. Since then, the Belgian-born, Hong Kong-based designer has carefully honed her geometric aesthetic. ‘When I started, I walked all over Hong Kong with my sketchbook, just looking and drawing the skyline, seeing patterns in everything,’ she reminisces. ‘In those skyscrapers, I saw beauty in the ugliness.’
Now she has launched 'Angles', a debut collection of rings and earrings in cubic, rhomboid and parallelogram forms. There’s a three-dimensional aspect too, with hinged pieces that are designed to be layered or to be worn on their own. Sophie-Birgitt pieces are made in her Hong Kong atelier, using 18-carat gold and diamonds ranging from champagne to cognac. Green, yellow and grey diamonds and blue sapphires are also offered for private commissions.
Left, 'Kinetic' earrings in 18-carat blackened gold and white gold with hand set pavé diamonds. Right, 'Sunrise at Midnight' earrings in 18-carat blackened gold and white gold with hand set pavé diamonds
Debuf has formerly called Rome, Paris and Ho Chi Minh City her home, and used to commute between Myanmar and Hong Kong, where she worked in private equity before deciding to develop her natural interest in jewellery. ‘What started as an interest turned into a hobby, and my passion is now my job,’ she confirms. Having taken private lessons in goldsmithery from a Central Saint Martins graduate, Debuf learned the trade at the bench. ‘The contrast between the worlds of banking and design sparked my determination to do what I want to do.’
‘My pieces are not traditional,’ Debuf says of her concrete-jungle-inspired pieces. 'The strong, geometric aesthetic can sometimes daunt people, but once they try on the jewels, they are surprised at how ergonomic they are.'
Left, 'Audacity 1' earrings in 18-carat white gold with black and blue sapphires. Right, 'Love Triangle' ring in 18-carat blackened gold with hand set pavé diamonds
Left, 'Between the Lines' ring in 18-carat yellow gold with hand set pavé diamonds. Right, 'Cubic Halo' ring in 18-carat yellow gold with hand set pavé diamonds
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Sophie Birgitt’s website
-
Year in review: top 10 furniture launches of 2024, as selected by Wallpaper* global design director Hugo MacdonaldThe furniture launches that wowed global design director Hugo Macdonald this year
-
Unboxing beauty products from 2024, as seen on the pages of Wallpaper*Wallpaper's 2024 beauty picks included Chanel lipstick, Bottega Veneta perfume and solid soap from the likes of Aesop, Celine, Diptyque, Hermès and Sisley
-
The cosiest alpine retreats to book in EuropeBrowse the Wallpaper* edit of European alpine retreats where to fully embrace the ski season
-
Art takes London: Tiffany & Co, Damien Hirst and artists take over Selfridges' windowsFour British contemporary artists celebrate Tiffany & Co's pioneering history with a series of storied window displays
-
Late summer jewels: what to wear at Golden HourLate summer signals a jewellery style-shift. These independent designers have got it covered
-
All smiles: How a grillz jewellery making class in London became an international hitWhat started as a passion project quickly exploded in popularity. We get the story behind the grillz-making workshop at Cockpit London
-
Emerging jewellery designers to get to knowThese independent, new and emerging jewellery designers and brands from New York to Paris are firmly on our radar
-
Jewellery designers share their most precious personal piecesA host of jewellers give us a peek at the jewellery which brings them joy and solace
-
Playing it cool: pearls are having a momentWe've been deep-diving into boutiques around the world to find the very best calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form. It seems jewellers have been busy rethinking pearls, with contemporary (and often affordable) results
-
Eternity rings for the modern coupleEternity rings, whether sleekly minimalist or sprinkled in diamonds, can be a chic and contemporary love token
-
Alternative engagement rings with an edgeAs the sales of engagement rings sky-rocket during lockdown, enjoy our off-kilter curation of edgy and unconventional engagement rings
