Jewellery designer Solange Azagury-Patridge celebrates three decades of precious wit

This month, Solange Azagury-Partridge, the self-confessed self-taught jewellery designer celebrates three shining decades of her eponymous brand in the first book dedicated to her career, Solange: Jewellery for Chromantics. The book traces the creative journey of the former languages student who blagged her way into the London fine jewellery scene almost by mistake.

It started with a kiss. In the mid 1990s, having become engaged to her now husband, Murray Partridge, the nascent designer decided she would create her own ring. When, at last, she held out her hand to reveal a large, rough diamond precariously perched on the side of a big, bombé-style gold band, friends and acquaintances could not get enough of it. They began asking if she might turn her eye to unique jewellery designs for them, too.

With a stint as Boucheron creative director, under the auspices of Tom Ford during his Gucci era, between 2001-2004, Azagury-Partridge has continued to innovate in her own cheeky way. Producing seriously precious topsy-turvy collections and striking one-off pieces, each is dipped in a mélange of wildly conflicting cultural references, from biblical symbolism to the thrill of visual chaos and words that harbour multiple meanings.

Today, that ‘first kiss’ has become a brand all its own. Hotlips by Solange is a gorgeously glossy ode to to the designer’s signature jewel: a chubby smacker of a kiss produced in sterling silver and enamel. There’s even a whole shop and a sweet range of merchandise dedicated to Solange’s semi-precious pout. 'Today, because I am able to produce the pieces in a more inexpensive way, Hotlips is available to everybody,' says the designer. 'That is such a pleasure for me, because my jewellery can be pretty inaccessible to most people.' Hotlips by Solange has, in turn, introduced a new generation of fans to the designer's work. It's a win-win situation for designer and jewellery lover alike because, as the designer Phoebe Philo puts it: "Solange is a true original”.

We asked her to single out three design moments in her 30 year career:

Uncut Gems 1997

'My first collection featured uncut gemstones set in silver designs that I gilded because I couldn’t afford gold at the time. The look, earthy and a bit medieval, Roman, even, gave the stones a warrior-like toughness that I loved. So, this cuff, set with uncut stones straight from the earth was a big one for me. When I started designing it, I thought, “Why don’t people design with the natural shapes of the stones?”. The natural shape is just as beautiful as a man-made one, isn’t it? It has a different appeal – more chaotic, less ordered—but it’s no less beautiful. I thought I’d design jewellery with uncut gems forever. It’s one of my favorite pieces, partly because it was when I was finding my style and building confidence. Back then, I was exploring jewellery and learning as I went, looking to others before truly finding my own voice. I suppose you might say that my whole career has been an exploration, for better or worse.'

Kinetic 1999-present

'Kinetic pieces are hard to create, they are almost like watchmaking. When I introduced kinetics into my jewellery, it opened a whole new world to me. I first explored engineered movement in jewellery in 1999, and one of my favorite pieces is the Diamond Fringe ring. With its swingy, swishy movement, it’s so feminine and sensual, especially if you speak with your hands – your ring’s moving with you. It’s so nice to play with your jewellery, isn’t it? It’s essential. That added element makes it special. In 2017, I created my Moon and Stars Spinner ring, with a diamond ‘moon’ and rotating diamond stars, like planets, spinning around it.'

Family Sky, 2019

'I do these little Family tablets, and I really love them. The rings are so sweet, kind of like children’s first drawings. There’s something immersive about them. If you’re feeling down and you put a tableau ring on, you can imagine the landscape, the lovely blue sky, the green grass, the little fluffy clouds, and the sun shining. It also has an imperfect element, which I love because perfect things never appeal to me. I always end up roughing them up somehow. The colour, this turquoise, is an interesting choice for the sky. Many would use something darker, like lapis, but I don’t see it as a bright, sharp day; it’s soft and calming. To me, this ring is like a perfect English summer’s day – warm, peaceful and perfectly soothing.'

Solange: Jewellery for Chromatics;

Solange.co.uk