Introducing The Chicest Sculptural Jewels This Season
Jewelry doesn’t have to be dripping in diamonds and gems for it to be alluring – and these cool, contemporary jewelry brands are all championing the curves and contours of modern metalwork
If we were to generalize and divide jewelry lovers into two distinct camps, there are those who are drawn to diamonds and serious sparkle, and then there are those who appreciate a more artful aesthetic – who love to indulge in the big, the bold and the beautiful silhouettes that can be molded out of precious metals. “Many people prefer wearing all-metal pieces for daywear, leaving flashier, stone-set pieces for after-dark dressing,” explains Emily Johnston, fine-jewelry buyer at NET-A-PORTER. “Oversized, statement metal designs mean you only need one or two pieces to really finish your look, and they’re generally very versatile, so the chunky cuff that you pair with a spring jacket and denim at the weekend would look just as striking with a little black dress.”
The current trend for sculptural jewels is nothing new – many of the earliest examples of artefact jewelry are all-metal designs, as we learned to bend and sculpt precious metals long before we mastered the art of faceting gemstones. Major artistic movements of the 20th and 21st centuries such as Cubism, Surrealism and Futurism have all had their influence over all-metal jewelry design codes. And when artisans focus less on technical gem setting, and more on the metals themselves, they’re able to focus on unexpected silhouettes and exaggerated proportions. Today, technologies such as 3D-printing are allowing designers to go even further – with evermore avant-garde creations that have greater flexibility and dynamic lines and sit snug against the contours of the body.
Few master this sculptural dynamism quite like Fernando Jorge. Hailing from Brazil, Jorge founded his brand in 2010, and is now synonymous with fluid, organic silhouettes that feel like miniature works of sculpture on the skin. Jorge’s talent lies in crafting buttery gold into sensual shapes, meticulously assessing how each piece will move intuitively with its wearer before it is hand-finished by his team of expert artisans. Another magician with metals is Danish designer Sophie Bille Brahe, who initially became known for her contemporary pearl creations but is now also admired for her swirling, twirling 18-karat gold designs, often studded with the finest diamonds. Bille Brahe’s ‘Ocean’ rings mimic the motion of waves and the smooth contours of sea creatures and shells, allowing its diamonds to seemingly flow upon the finger.
The natural world is a consistent muse for designers of sculptural jewels, with leaves, water, flora and fauna offering interesting silhouettes that can be played out in precious metalwork. YSSO’s ‘Calypso’ cuffs are inspired by the seductive nymph in Homer’s Odyssey, with fluting that evokes sail rope and perhaps even seaweed. The two fit seamlessly together and are fittingly hand-carved in Greece from gold-plated bronze. Chloé’s gold-tone cuff features overlapping clamshells, while Khaite’s gleaming ‘Tidal’ earrings also look as if they’ve been plucked from a mermaid’s trove – their asymmetry highlights a precious pearl upon just one drop. Wear them with a white shirt and tailoring to elevate your work wardrobe, while a bandeau neckline will create the perfect canvas for them to accent an eveningwear ensemble.
Sculptural designs are where silver really comes into its own – and with a burgeoning trend for all-silver stacking having taken off in the last few seasons, there are plenty of designers who are experimenting with kinetic, free-flowing forms. Lié Studio is another Danish brand harnessing its Scandi influences to create modern and artful designs, often working in sterling silver. Also inspired by curvatures in the natural world, its bold, chunky pieces still manage to retain a feeling of understated elegance. Alighieri, meanwhile, showcases just how supple silverwork can be with its ‘Bones of Rebirth’ necklace, designed to symbolize strength and healing, and crafted from recycled silver. Even for lovers of the brilliant glimmer of diamonds and gems, its high-shine finish is impossible to ignore. So whatever your personal jewelry style and whichever piece you choose, just be sure it gives great gleam.
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The people featured in this story are not associated with NET-A-PORTER and do not endorse it or the products shown