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  • The Jewellery Cut to help raise £60,000 for charity Trekstock

    The Jewellery Cut is teaming up with Twin magazine and Whistles to raise money for Trekstock, a charity that gets young adults in their 20s and 30s moving again when cancer puts their lives on hold.

    The Jewellery Cut co-founder Rachael Taylor will be joining a charity trek to the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco, organised by fashion store Whistles and Twin magazine. The trek is aiming to raise £60,000 for Trekstock, which will go towards a mix of practical and social programmes that aim to support young people through and beyond their experiences with cancer.

    The trekkers – a mix of 30 high fliers in the media and fashion industries – will ascend to the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains in just six days this May, climbing up 4,000ft. This challenge is no walk in the park, with long days, undulating terrain, heavy packs and making camp by sunset.

    “Trekstock does brilliant work with people who are struck down by cancer at a time in their lives when they should be their most active, so I’m delighted to be joining Whistles and Twin to help them raise funds for this very worthwhile cause,” said Taylor, who is raising money through JustGiving. “The trek is going to be a huge personal challenge, but I’m looking forward to it. For those of us who are able, we take the ability to walk for granted every day. I’m going to trek into the Atlas Mountains because I can, and do it for all the people who cannot. And hopefully, the money we raise will enable Trekstock to get just some of those people back on their feet.”

    The Whistles x Twin x Trekstock challenge to the Atlas Mountains is aiming to raise a total of £60,000 for charity. To support Rachael Taylor on her fundraising adventure in Morocco, you can donate here. Supporters who pledge more than £100 in a single donation will have the option to be featured in a dedicated post across Taylor’s social media profiles – please make your name or company name clear when donating.

  • Created in the UK: A new mark of British excellence

    If clothing labels and food packages can display country of origin information, why can’t jewellery pieces? This was the spark within the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ), a British organisation created to support the interests of jewellers, which led to Created in the UK – an initiative launched towards the end of last year.

     

    Any piece of jewellery crafted in a precious metal, such as silver, gold, platinum or palladium, requires – by law – a hallmark to indicate the purity of precious metal in the alloy. A stamp of 375 tells us we are buying 9ct gold, 750 means it is 18ct, or 925 is code for silver.

     

    Further optional marks can be applied, such as a Maker’s Mark or unique symbol that identifies the craftsperson or brand that made the piece, as well as marks that show the year it was hallmarked and the location of the Assay Office that struck the marks – the UK has four, based in London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh.

     

    A new mark for British jewels

    Now, there is also the Created in the UK mark; a new additional mark that will identify pieces of jewellery that are made in Britain. To be permitted to display this mark on a piece of jewellery, brands and designers need to apply for a licence through the NAJ and go through an auditing process to verify the location of their workmanship. Those that qualify can also display the Created in the UK logo on their website.

     

    “This mark is all about differentiating between jewellery made in the UK and jewellery that is made elsewhere,” explains Lindsey Straughton, jewellery industry promotions ambassador at the NAJ. “With the UK leaving the European Union, we believe there will be a growing market for authenticated, UK-made jewellery.”

     

    What makes Created in the UK especially exciting is that its remit extends beyond precious metal jewellery. “You don’t have to have a hallmark on jewellery to have this additional mark,” explains Straughton. “Designer-makers can purchase a punch, made by the Assay Office, to mark their mixed-media jewellery and fashion jewellery. We are also inviting independent retailers to get a licence and mark bespoke pieces made in their on-site workshops.”

     

    A spotlight on homemade jewellery talent

    Just a few months in, the Created in the UK initiative is still very much in its infancy, but Straughton is excited about its potential. “We believe UK-made jewellery creations with the additional mark will be the collectable heirlooms of the future,” she says. “Through Created in the UK, we can highlight and emphasise the diversity and quality of jewellery being made here in the UK. I believe jewellery shoppers will be pleasantly surprised at just how much craftsmanship and talent there is right on their doorstep.”

     

    Designers who have spent their whole careers creating jewellery in the UK are welcoming this new way to prove their credentials. “In my opinion, it has been a long time coming,” says Hackney-based jewellery designer Ana de Costa. “[My jewellery has] always been British-made and to have a mark that allows me to clearly communicate this to clients, whether it be on my work or on my website, is great.”

     

    Phil Spencer is the managing director of London DE Fine Jewellery and has jumped feet first into the Created in the UK initiative. He says: “We pride ourselves on the fact that we create bespoke jewellery that is handmade in Hatton Garden. Creating jewellery in London carries the advantage that we can be certain of the ethics of the suppliers we use – something you cannot be sure of if you are outsourcing production thousands of miles away. I think the UK can position itself as the leading centre for high-quality ethical jewellery production in the 21st Century.”

     

    What qualifies as Created in the UK?

    There are already some existing legal requirements in place to determine what can and cannot be declared UK made. “One of the key conditions of securing the mark is that pieces must be ‘manufactured or produced in the country in which they last underwent a treatment or process resulting in a substantial change’,” explains Gemma Perry, chief executive and creative director of engagement ring specialist House of Solus, which is based in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. This means gold plating a piece of silver jewellery in the UK when it was made in the Far East, or adding a gemstone in a UK workshop to an imported Italian gold ring, does not constitute a ‘substantial change’ and therefore a piece made this way will not pass as Created in the UK.

     

    Fortunately for House of Solus, this condition of ‘substantial change’ was easy to meet as the creation of its jewellery takes place not just in the UK, but within walking distance of its studio on Warstone Lane in Birmingham’s The Jewellery Quarter. “We believe that the Created in the UK element of our business is a key selling point,” says Perry. “The future potential of the scheme could absolutely lead to the mark being something clients look for. I think it could also be the point of difference that sways a client when deciding which jeweller to purchase from.”

     

    This raises the question of whether a certified piece of British-made jewellery will become a luxury. Will shoppers be willing to pay more for Created in the UK jewels? De Costa is already convinced the answer is yes. She says: “I have always believed that being made in Britain carries huge kudos in the luxury goods business abroad. I am also a firm believer that the quality of traditional fine jewellery making in the UK is exceptional, so the mark helps to emphasise this.”

     

    Created in the UK is a point of difference for UK designer-makers in the hectic jewellery world. If enough brands get involved, perhaps the presence of the additional mark could open a gateway for American and Asian jewellery lovers to recognise British craftsmanship as a league of its own. It certainly doesn’t hurt to try.

  • Dispatches from a sapphire hunt in Sri Lanka

    Though it feels now like many moons ago, I was lucky enough to spend the month of August soaking up the sights, sounds and smells of beautiful Sri Lanka. I began the jaunt catching up on quality family time and indulging in a spot of hammock swinging and page turning. But, I’m a jeweller – and there was no way I was going to travel all the way to the earth’s sapphire capital and not dive head-first into a glittering world of gemstones. Before long, my relaxing holiday became a research trip, and not one that I’ll be forgetting in a hurry.

     

    Once known as Ratna-Dweepa, which can be translated as ‘Gem Island’, Sri Lanka has a booming gemstone industry with a long and colourful history. Thanks to our good friends at ethical gemstone supplier Nineteen48 and their Sri Lanka-based partner Crown Gems, I enjoyed a number of eye-opening excursions that sent me home to Brighton brimming with newfound knowledge. And a pocket full of sparkling new jewels.

     

    With the guidance of Janaka Abayawickrama at Crown Gems, I was fortunate enough to gain access to one of the sapphire mines that Sri Lanka is famed for. There, I got to see the stones in the rough with my own eyes and even had the chance to mine some gems myself.

     

    I also spent some time with an expert gemstone cutter (a skill otherwise known as lapidary) called Sanjeewa, who began teaching me some of the fascinating tricks of his trade. Let me tell you, Sanjeewa is one skilled artisan. I had my very first go at cutting a gemstone; a tense and long-winded experience that really put into perspective for me how hard lapidaries work. My first ever faceted sapphire took hours of intense work but watching an untreated lump of mineral transform into a smooth, glassy lozenge, glinting in the palm of my hand, was worth every second.

     

    One day, I hauled myself out of bed in the small hours of the morning (4am, to be precise) to travel seven hours across the lush green island to the Facets International Gem and Jewellery Show. En route – my nose pressed against the car window – I was amazed to spot gemstone mine after gemstone mine dotted along the side of the road. What was a once-in-a-lifetime observation for me was simple day-to-day business in Sri Lanka.

     

    At the jewellery show, my fatigue now overwritten by delirious excitement, I feasted my eyes on some of the most ridiculously gorgeous sapphires I’ve ever seen. The gems ranged from the deepest aquamarine blue to wintery grey and shocking shades of violet and fuchsia, twinkling away silently under the light. Mesmerisingly clear and cut to perfection by skilled lapidaries, only a stone’s throw from their original source, some of these opulent stones were a whopping four or five carats. Feeling like a kid in a sweet shop, I thought to myself that it just doesn’t get much better than this.

     

    It was also great to network with jewellers, designers and traders alike, gaining a clearer understanding of Sri Lanka’s world-famous gemstone industry and establishing new relationships with international suppliers.

     

    Naturally, I couldn’t resist the temptation to buy some beautiful gems to take home to Lebrusan Studio. I chose a selection of small stones in hues of the rainbow and in a variety of cuts; vibrant little jewels that looked like lollipops and were simply begging to be set into a new collection of engagement rings or a show-stopping bespoke piece.

     

    My time in Sri Lanka served overwhelmingly to remind me of why I adore doing what I do. The island has a rich history of gemstone cutting and mining, and what I saw in every person I met was knowledge. Today, Sri Lanka sets an example for the rest of the world with its brilliant sustainable policies for small-scale mining. As somebody who has been besotted with jewellery their entire life, it was really quite beautiful to be immersed in a culture that gems are such a huge part of.

     

    Arabel Lebrusan is and award-winning ethical jeweller, and the founder of Lebrusan Studio

     

  • Cristina Cipolli is a jewellery architect

    There are certain jewellery-designer credentials that always elicit excitement. As an Italian architect who studied in Florence, before switching to design at London’s Central St. Martins, and with a family history in gemstone collecting, Cristina Cipolli has an undeniably desirable backstory.

     

    In 2018, this jewellery name-to-watch began exploring a niche in parametric jewellery designs; a style of often futuristic algorithm-driven design more commonly found in architecture but with exciting possibilities in jewellery. What has resulted is a visual code of minimalism and abstract form in Cristina Cipolli jewels that nods to the designer’s experience in architecture, a discipline from which she has not entirely stepped away.

     

    “It was about finding another forum to communicate, to reach a wider audience, and to create different scales of human interaction,” says Cipolli of exploring jewellery design. “I am driven by a genuine desire to connect with other people. I wanted my work to be connected to a person rather than a place, so the main reason behind the decision to create my own jewellery line was to design small architectures that anyone could wear every day.”

     

    Modernity with a retro twist

    Within the three debut Cristina Cipolli jewellery collections – Sharch, Snaketic and Amazon – the references that inspire each line are unapologetically interpreted, and each is underpinned by historic design cues from the 1960s and 1970s. Sharch follows the anthropomorphic forms of shark fins, fused with design references to modernist-futurist architecture. Snaketic, decorated with diamonds, sapphires and cultured pearls, hones in on serpentine shapes by way of space-age chic. The Amazon line contains twisted or interlinking horseshoe nails that are a “symbol of personal drive, passion and appetite for freedom”.

    cristina cipolli is a jewellery architect

    All three collections are crafted in sterling silver, with options for rhodium plating or gold vermeil, and all are distinguished by the boldness of their motifs. The androgynous quality of her work – whether graphic sautoirs, ergonomic cuffs or open rings – signals that Cipolli is designing for those who truly embrace future-forward jewellery.

     

    Cipolli also creates bespoke jewellery commissions. “I consider making bespoke jewels my speciality,” she says. “It is so similar to the process of making a design proposal for an architectural project. It’s thrilling to realise that I have the ability to give form to their idea and desire – particularly in engagement rings, which are a representation of the clients’ unique love.”

     

    It is through these engagement rings that Cipolli’s inherited enthusiasm for gemstones comes to the fore. Here, she can put her sourcing skills to work – she handpicks most of her gemstones in Jaipur – and play with more substantially sized coloured gems than are found in her main collections.

     

    A family passion for gems

    Despite the hyper-modern appearance of her designs, the seed for Cipolli’s passion for jewellery came from sentimental memories of her grandmother. She was a woman, Cipolli says, who collected gemstones from all around the world. “She would then have them mounted by jewellers or artists in precious metals and non-conventional materials, like iron,” she recalls.

    cristina cipolli jewellery architect

    A jewellery designer with such clarity in her aesthetic vision and purpose is always looking towards the future, and for Cipolli, the next steps are crystal clear. “I’m excited to explore the opportunities of fine jewellery,” she says. “I am currently working on two new collections that will centre on precious metals and gemstones. One is very minimalistic, colourful and completely handmade. For the other, I have the intention of 3D printing the jewels, because they have a complicate design based on parametric forms.”

     

    Though the materials entering into her work are becoming more luxe and the canvases much smaller, Cipolli is approaching her new-found passion for jewels with the same boundless creativity she applies to her buildings. “The main difference [between architecture and jewellery] is that you don’t have to play with space, but with the human body,” she says. “I see jewels as sculptures for the body.”

     

     

    Meet Cristina Cipolli and discover her jewels at The Jewellery Cut Live on February 16th & 17th, 2020, at The Royal Institution during London Fashion Week. Click here for tickets 

     

    jewellery architect cristina cipolli
    Architect and jewellery designer Cristina Cipolli
    cristina cipolli jewellery designs
    Cristina Cipolli silver Sharch cuff
    cristina cipolli jewellery architect creations
    Cristina Cipolli silver and gold vermeil Sharch rings
    the work of cristina cipolli jewellery architect
    Cristina Cipolli rhodium-plated silver Sharch bangles

    The main difference between architecture and jewellery is that you don’t have to play with space, but with the human body. I see jewels as sculptures for the body

    cristina cipolli's jewellery architecture
    Cristina Cipolli gold vermeil Sharch cuffs
    jewellery architect cristina cipolli's pieces
    Cristina Cipolli gold vermeil and diamond Snaketric jewels
    cristina cipolli jewellery art
    Cristina Cipolli’s Snaketric jewels in silver, set with pink sapphires and pearls

     

  • Valerie Jo Coulson on the agony and ecstasy of gemstone inlay

    Valerie Joe Coulson is an American designer whose brand is strongly defined by her personality and philosophy. Valerie majored in Fine Arts with three semesters in jewellery making and recognised quickly that this was the medium for her expression.

     

    “From there on, I have been a self learner,” says Valerie. She has worked as an independent studio jewellery artist since 1979.

     

    All of her pieces, as unique as they are, have strong emotional and literary connections and are created first and foremost for herself, but “within the context of communicating a collective consciousness”.

    “By the age of nine, I was well on in my immersion in the arts and, cognisant of its power and importance to humanity,” she continues. “At the time, reading Irving Stone’s [biographical novel of the life of Michelangelo] The Agony and the Ecstasy, I experienced what I might describe as an epiphany, compelling me to proclaim that I was going to live my life as an artist. My work in essence is a visual biography, steeped in existential contemplations synchronically with history and events which inform, inspire and perplex me.”

     

    Collectors of her jewellery would appreciate the unique and stunning aesthetic of each piece all the more if they were aware of the narrative behind it. They would also relate to it subliminally.

     

    “The defining thread of my beliefs and transcription through my work is woven with the philosophy of Sacred Geometry – the interconnectedness and inseparability of the part from the whole,” says Valerie. “Geometrics are the archetypes of a universal language that describes the seen and unseen order of nature and the cosmos; rhythms and cycles, relationship of form, movement, space and time. I believe this is an intrinsic narrative which resonates through energies and vibrations. Aesthetically and no less paramount, is beauty manifested through symmetry and order. My father in his tutelage often said to me ‘simplicity is beauty’.”

    Valerie’s traditional fabrication methods and the prolific and intricate use of stone inlay, as well as her choice of materials make a strong visual impact.

     

    “I like to refer to them as ‘character stones’, because each has its own script and unique reveal,” says the jewellery designer of her inlay work. “My heart beats a little faster when I look at stones that have chatoyant effect – from the French verb chatoyer, meaning to shine like a cat’s eye – such as opal, tiger iron, tiger’s eye, rutilated quartz, moonstone. They are also the most difficult to inlay as the orientation and cutting is crucial to optimise the beauty the play of light.”

     

    The architecture of Valerie Jo Coulson jewellery is configured via traditional, time-honoured metal-working techniques of fabrication and forming. This structure or bridgework creates the windows or compartments within which to inlay the stone. “In this methodology, I can create sculptural form and painterly canvas utilising a modicum of these precious materials,” says Valerie. “This is integral to me in a spiritual connexion to the land.”

    “The entirety of the work is by my own hands, with the exception of several pieces in the last couple of years incorporating elements which are 3D printed and cast, such as the linkages for the Concatenation d’Etoiles necklace.”

     

    Each Valerie Jo Coulson piece is striking in its own way, inspired as it is by specific events, moods or other works of art. Yet, at the same time, the artist’s signature style throughout the collection is unmistakable. Clients are primarily collectors who buy specifically the Valerie Jo Coulson creation as well as what is ultimately a statement piece of wearable art.

    This story is an edited extract from book BBeyond Jewellery: Spectacular and Collectible Pieces (B Beyond Books, £200). The Jewellery Cut readers can get 25% off the book by using the code JewelleryCut25 at the checkout

  • Fellows restarts live auctions with enormous diamonds

    As jewellery shops are reopening, so too are auction houses. This week, Fellows, which has done a roaring trade during the pandemic with its online-only sales, will host its first public auction since lockdown, reigniting the excitement of the sales room and doing so with some enormous diamonds.   

     

    The Fellows Fine Jewellery sale, due to take place on 23rd July, 2020, at its showroom in Birmingham, is the house’s first live auction in four months. Previews of the lots, which the auction house believes to be worth a total of £1.2 million, have taken place in London and will continue in Birmingham this week.

     

    The 448-lot jewellery auction is a mix of modern, vintage and designer jewels. There will be jewels signed by major houses such as Tiffany & Co, Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier, including a Cartier Love bangle.

     

    The stars of this first auction back, however, are diamonds. Fellows will action off an 8.07ct old-cut diamond set in a platinum ring, as well as a 5.28ct old-cut pear shape diamond in a platinum ring. These major rocks are expected to fetch up to £140,000 and £120,000 respectively.

     

    “After four months with only timed auctions, we are thrilled to be re-starting our live auction calendar with our biggest Fine Jewellery auction of the year,” says Fellows managing director Stephen Whittaker. “We hope that this sale will be the perfect building block on the back of many timed sales, which have received record registrants and attention. We have rigorous health and safety procedures in place to ensure that the sale day is safe and efficient whilst offering the perfect auction experience.”

     

    And for those who don’t wish to step into an auction house just yet, Fellows is offering Zoom previews of the jewels up for sale, and bids can – as always – be made by phone or online.

  • Q&A: Vickisarge on designing jewels for Rihanna’s catwalk

    Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty lingerie catwalk show in New York last month was unusual for a number of reasons: phones were banned; the stage set was enormous; there were live musical performances; the models were genuinely diverse; and the whole thing has been turned into a TV show that can be streamed on Amazon Prime. The other unusual element was the jewels.

     

    Often jewellery plays second fiddle to fashion on the catwalk, but at the Savage x Fenty show during New York Fashion Week, which you can watch on Amazon Prime, the jewels are so bold that you can’t miss them. Enormous headpiece-cum-earrings that graze the top of bras, earrings hanging from sunglasses, body chains, chokers and stacks of bracelets – each selected to bring a sense of drama to an overtly dramatic fashion show.

     

    Models including Cara Delevigne, Alex Wek, Joan Smalls, Laverne Cox, and Gigi and Bella Hadid walked the Savage x Fenty show, wearing these bold jewels, often colour blocked to match the lingerie. Meanwhile, Halsey, A$AP Ferg and DJ Khaled performed on the stage set, designed to look like the Colosseum.

     

    The mastermind behind all of the jewels at the Savage x Fenty show is Vicki Sarge, founder of luxury costume jewellery brand Vickisarge. We caught up with her to ask her what it’s like to work with Rihanna.

     

     

    How did the collaboration between Vickisarge and Fenty x Savage come about?

    “[Milliner] Stephen Jones is a really good friend of mine, and they approached him to do the hats first. Then they wanted to do jewellery, referencing early John Galliano, and Stephen told them that I had worked on those shows. The head of the [Savage x Fenty] design team is called Melissa Battifarano. I had a phone call with Melissa and we got on really well. Everything just fell into place. It felt super modern and something different – I think it was one of the most important shows of the season.”

     

    What was your brief from Rihanna for the jewellery?

    “The wanted it to have that rich feel. Our concept inspirations included Morocco, Sexy Valentines and Baby Doll. Colour played a strong role and we worked in blocks of colour: red, green, black, pink, blue, nudes and teal. When you see the show, you realise what a strong impact this created on stage. The sunglasses were really fun – that was Jacob Kay [the stylist behind the Savage x Fenty show]. He’d already put the little clip earrings onto the sunglasses by the time I got there. It really is a nice thing to do that should catch on.”

     

    How long does it take to pull a collection together for a catwalk show like this?

    “Jacob Kay literally approached me at the end of July. He said ‘What do you think?’ and I said, ‘I’ll do my best’, and they just kept adding things. It’s practically a jewellery show to me. I really only had my first meeting with Melissa, as she lives in New York [and I live in London], at the beginning of August, and we had to have it all ready by 1st September. My August was very busy. I don’t even know how I managed.”

     

    Jewellery is often forgotten about when it comes to fashion shows on the runway, but this was different. Why do you think the use of bold jewels was so important to Rihanna?

    “It was just the richness of the extra layering. I think it was all about texture and richness. They wanted the opposite of Victoria’s Secret, which also has a lot of jewellery but it’s done in a trashy way. Savage x Fenty is about women dressing for themselves and feeling good about themselves.”

     

    Indeed, the Savage x Fenty show is being championed a more relevant, female-centric alternative to the Victoria’s Secret show (which didn’t take place this year in light of the brand’s association with Jeffrey Epstein). In a meme, Instgram agitator Diet Prada captioned a video of Rihanna on stage at the show as ‘Me arriving at Victoria’ Secret’s funeral’. Thoughts?

    “I’ve always been very anti-Victoria’s Secret. I never could understand, other than the average bloke on the street, who would like those things. I saw what Rihanna was doing and thought it was really important. I knew her big issue was diversity, all shapes and sizes. It was so much fun to work with the larger-sized models. Everyone was so cool.”

     

    Did you go to the show?

    “They took us over there three days beforehand, doing fittings. They really took care of you, first class. Rihanna came and thanked us all, as we were all working late. I can’t say enough good things about it. I was able to watch the show in person, and it was out of this world. It was very empowering.”

     

    You’ve worked on many catwalk shows – Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Erdem, Dries Van Noten, Mark Fast, Mimi Wade, to mention but a few. Did Savage x Fenty feel different?

    “It was different for me, as although Steven Jones and I have been best friends for 30 years or more, it was the first time we worked together on a project, so that felt lovely. And what Rihanna is doing is very modern; it’s the future.”

     

    Do you have a favourite look from the show?

    “There were a lot of body chains, which we’ve now been selling a lot of in the shop since the show [all the jewels seen in the Savage x Fenty show are available for sale through Vickisarge]. People want an alternative to just a necklace. The chains can come off, so it can be a necklace, or it can be a wraparound thing. It’s a little bit different. Necklaces have been a slow seller for us – earrings are what sells every day of the week – but this is something new and different.”

  • Five jewels to lift dry January

    As we all scramble to broadcast our New Year’s resolutions to the world, across every social media platform possible, a loud clock is pessimistically ticking. You can bet that in a few weeks’ time we’ll all have given up Veganuary, eaten one too many mince pies still lurking in Christmas-ravaged cupboards, and forgotten to fill out our daily gratitude journals on more than one occasion. But don’t worry, jewellery can help.

     

    Alas! The intention was there. As the fireworks exploded in the sky, we were genuinely hopeful that this New Year would be the one bring an abundance of new healthy habits ready to kickstart our way to a better life. While you might not have been awake for 6am yoga every day in 2019, don’t give up hope just yet – we have some jewels that might just help you step closer to that new year, new you fantasy.

     

    Sometimes all we need to achieve our goals is a little reminding, and what better way to do that than in the form of affirmation jewellery. So here are five positive jewels we hope will inspire and motivate you to keep some of those resolutions (for at least a few days longer than you might have).

     

    An inspirational ring for inner strength

    hether you’re giving up smoking or need a regular kick up the butt to start that new side hustle, what better way than to adorn your fingers with an inspirational Foundrae ring? The New York-based jeweller is gaining a worldwide reputation for its colourful cigar band rings and its ranges of symbolic jewellery. Often carrying the symbols of love, karma and resilience, Foundrae jewels are a constant reminder for the wearer to embrace the meaning behind them. This particular 18ct yellow gold and enamel band has the word fuerza etched across it, which is Spanish for strength.

    Foundrae 18ct yellow gold and red enamel Strength ring, £1,095

     

    A carnelian necklace to vanquish negative energy

    any people believe that semi-precious stones have healing properties. Rose quartz is said to bring you love, whilst green aventurine is believed to provide protection. Piaget’s Possession collection features an array of different semi-precious stones, including onyx, malachite, lapis lazuli and, a personal favourite of mine, Carnelian. Thought to protect its wearer from negative energy, Carnelian is a powerful gem. This rose gold Possession necklace also features a single 0.06 brilliant-cut diamond. Sometimes we need to trust that there is a higher power looking out for us.

    Piaget 18ct yellow gold, diamond and carnelian Posession necklace, £1,500

     

    A sustainable lab-grown diamond pendant

    Perhaps one of your New Year’s resolutions is to live a more sustainable lifestyle. We’ve successfully traded in our plastic coffee cups for reusable ones in 2018, so why not consider more environmentally responsible choices when it comes to jewellery? We’re not talking about chucking out your grandma’s diamonds, but perhaps from now on you could think more about the processes behind your jewellery. We know the devastating effects that diamond mining can have on the environment and Kimaï is a new jewellery brand that only uses lab-grown diamonds made in Antwerp for the conscious and responsible. As younger generations become more conscious and ethical in their purchasing, lab-grown diamonds are frequently being brought up in jewellery conversations. With the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and other billionaires investing in Silicone Valley’s Diamond Foundry, a maker of lab-grown gems, it’s clear that we are in a time of change. This Soul necklace is made in 18ct yellow gold and set with a 0.43ct lab-grown diamond, and would be an elegant addition to any jewellery collection.

    Kimaï 18ct yellow gold and 0.43ct lab-grown diamond Soul pendant, £615

     

    A clever bracelet for fitness fanatics

    Maybe you’re one of the millions of people who have set themselves a fitness goal for 2019. We get it. After a good few weeks of Quality Street tin picking and festive dinners (and drinks), our waistbands aren’t quite what they used to be. Well, why not make that fitness goal a little easier with the Bellabeat Leaf Urban? This fitness tracker has been designed with women in mind; no longer must we strap on bulky watches to track our steps. This tracker has been designed to be worn as a bracelet, necklace or clip. It can track your sleep, steps and stress levels, allowing you to lead a more meditative and healthy lifestyle.

    Bellabeat Leaf Urban smart health tracker, £129.99

     

    Rings to quell the pain of dry January

    Perhaps the biggest January craze is to give up alcohol in the first month of the year. It’s true our livers could do with a break after hefty festivities, and researchers have confirmed that cutting out the booze for a month can have all sorts of benefits, from shaving off the pounds to reducing cancerous cells in our blood. Not much fun though, is it? To lessen the pain of this torturous virtuosity, Tessa Packard’s collection Under the Influence will allow you to feel like you’ve had a drink while your alcohol count remains at zero. As well as some beautifully colourful Mixologist earrings that will brighten up these dark days with slices of citrus fruit (see main image) that you might otherwise hope to see floating in a delicious tipple, there are also these very sweet 9ct yellow gold cocktail umbrella rings. Cin cin!

    Tessa Packard 9ct yellow gold Cocktail Hour rings, £1,200 each

  • Behind the scenes of the BBC’s All That Glitters

    The breakthrough BBC TV series All That Glitters aired earlier this year, giving the public a glimpse into what goes into making a piece of jewellery by hand. Hosted by Katherine Ryan and judged by expert designers, Shaun Leane and Solange Azagury-Partridge, the series aired to a weekly audience of over 2 million, and put jewellers under the kosh in weekly challenges to “find Britain’s next jewellery star”.

     

    All That Glitters proved to be a landmark moment for jewellery, showcasing the talent and craftsmanship of the country’s jewellers to a mainstream audience and helping to demystify what it takes to handcraft a jewel.

     

    But what was it like for the contestants? At The Jewellery Cut Live in association with Fuli Gemstones, you can find out as Rachael Taylor, jewellery journalist and founder of The Jewellery Cut, quizzes some of the contestants from the show in a live talk at the event.

     

     

    behind the scenes of the bbc’s all that glitters
    The season one contestants of All That Glitters

     

    Join familiar faces from All That Glitters, including Sonny Bailey-Aird, Tamara Gomez, Lee Appleby and Daniel Musselwhite as they share stories of what it was like to be part of the series, recalling their favourite moments on screen and from behind the scenes. You will also have the chance to put your questions direct to your favourite contestants.

     

    The talk will take place at The Jewellery Cut Live in association with Fuli Gemstones at 2.30pm on the 16th October, 2021. During this talk, held in the amphitheatre within The Royal Institution in London’s Mayfair, you’ll hear all about their experiences during filming and how the show has had a lasting influence on their lives and work.

     

    bbc all that glitters behind the scenes
    The All That Glitters judges Shaun Leane and Solange Azagury-Partridge

     

    Behind the Scenes of the BBC’s All That Glitters will take place at 2.30pm on October 16th, 2021, at The Jewellery Cut Live, in association with Fuli Gemstones held at The Royal Institution, 21 Albermarle Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 4BS. Early bird tickets start at £10 (£20 thereafter). Book your ticket here

     

    If you want to attend more than one talk, why not upgrade to our AAA Pass? This luxurious jewellery experience includes access to all our talks at The Jewellery Cut Live in association with Fuli Gemstones, a VIP goody bag, a glass of wine, free tea and coffee on both days of the show, and secures you an invite to our exclusive VIP opening night party at which we will be serving drinks and canapés. Upgrade here by selecting the AAA Pass ticket option.