London-based fine jeweller Liv Luttrell has released a limited-edition collection of four silver rings that celebrate her signature sculptural forms and the time-honoured craft of cire perdue, more commonly known as lost-wax casting.

“In the ancient process of lost-wax casting, the finished [carved wax] form is sent to be cast in the precious metal of choice and in the process, the wax melts away,” says Liv. This method of making allows the designer, who was recently part of Melanie Grant’s Forces of Nature jewellery exhibition at the Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery in London (by appointment only, until November 27^th, 2021), the freedom to create forms as she wishes, refining the design in wax until she’s happy. Lost-wax casting, used by many contemporary fine jewellers today, is a truly ancient process, with the oldest known example of cire perdue recorded in the 6th century BC.

The jeweller spent time experimenting with making her own wax carvings during lockdown to better understand the craft process, and this collection represents the first time she has used the technique within her own collections. “The lockdown brought its moments of space and time to indulge my love of design,” she shares. “I have relished the joy of researching shapes and patterns of art, sculpture and the luxury of time to contemplate natural surroundings, from the large scale of a rolling landscape in my native Dorset to the simple weight of a beautiful rock. Shapes emerge, form and reform following curves and it is through this process that my latest four rings have evolved.”

Liv Luttrell silver Fara ring, £490, shop at Liv Luttrell

The four limited-edition silver rings, crafted in the UK using responsibly sourced silver, draw inspiration from icons of art and architecture: Isamu Noguchi, Frank Lloyd Wright and Felix Candela, to name a few. Liv also references the expressive shapes of African masks.

In an interview with The Jewellery Cut earlier this year, the designer said: “I conceive each piece of jewellery as a piece of art.” And it is indeed immediately apparent that these four sculptural silver rings – Vol, Fara, Folde and Vale – are works of art in their own right. With an impressive scale and weight (each is solid silver, not hollowed out), the rings are powerful and evocative; reminiscent of modern-day armour. The Fara ring, for example, weighs more than 30 grams.

As you run your fingers along every ring in the collection, you can see and feel the mix of high polish and brushed finish – Liv Luttrell’s very own precious chiaroscuro.

Liv Luttrell silver Vol ring, £490, shop at Liv Luttrell