We can all use a little rainbow in our lives.
The collection below includes several bright, beautiful, exceptional jewelry designs from last year’s Couture Show in Las Vegas. That event plays host to hundreds of preeminent designers and brands from around the world. It’s a delicious destination for hungry retailers, from fashionable independents to some of the world’s most distinguished stores on high-street.
Couture also attracts prominent trade media, including writers from Town & Country, Vogue, W magazine and others. In fact, Anthony DeMarco’s descriptive coverage for Forbes appealed to my ear, as the pieces did to my eye, so I’ll be reprinting some of his lovely descriptions below.
Like many events around the world, Couture will not take place in 2020. Let’s see if we can chase that depressing cloud away with a brilliant rainbow of colored designs from last year.
The color Red
We jump aboard our rainbow with this shimmering pair of layered pink-gold and red-enamel earrings. Set with 9 white diamonds apiece, the design by French-Lebanese jeweler Selim Mouzannar is called “Fish For Love.”
To Orange
Riding up the rainbow’s curve, we slide from pink to orange, finding a second sensational earring design. Intended to be reminiscent of the legend of Leda and the swan, Lydia Courteille’s graceful creation is called La Vie En Rose.
Anthony DeMarco writes –
Lydia Courteille is one of the world’s most important high jewelry artists and her annual appearance at Couture never disappoints. The Parisian jeweler’s newest collection, La Vie En Rose, is a tribute to the glamour of the women in her home city. They include elaborate pink-colored earrings made of pink gold, titanium, sapphires and morganites that easily detail the inspirations for the collection, which are Parisian glamour, sexy lingerie, night cabarets and the erotic side of antique mythology.
To Yellow
As we approach our rainbow’s summit we’ll keep sliding, this time to yellow (the bright yellow of gold, of course) where we encounter another fish-themed design from renowned author, artist and inspiration, Paula Crevoshay.
Anthony DeMarco writes –
Paula Crevoshay is a highly successful jewelry artist who specializes in unique creations. Many are on display at museums around the country including the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and in the National Gem Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. More recently her works have appeared at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the Mines ParisTech museum in Paris. One of her pieces at Couture was a highly crafted fish made of gold with flowing fins and scaly body blowing bubbles made of blue gemstones.
To Green
As we crest the arc of our shimmering rainbow we move to the center, look down and see the town of Muzo, Columbia below. Regarded as the world capital of emeralds, Muzo the company controls the supply chain of the goods they mine, all the way from extraction to distribution. They are also designing and producing emerald jewelry, including the necklace pictured here, with 228 carats of emeralds, as well as yellow and white diamonds set in 18k yellow gold.
To Blue
Starting down the far side of the rainbow, we’ll slide from green to blue, where we discover a third breathtaking piece inspired by sea life, and one of the show’s award-winners from newcomer Ara Vartanian.
Anthony DeMarco writes –
Ara Vartanian had quite an impressive first showing at Couture. The Sao Paolo, Brazil-based jewelry designer with an international following and star collaborations, became the first recipient of the “Best in Debuting” prize from the Couture Design Awards. A new Octopus two-finger ring, one of his most popular designs, is in 18k white gold set with diamonds and centered with a 27.76-carat pear shaped Paraiba tourmaline.
To Indigo
We’re gaining momentum in our descent. The end is in sight as our beautiful blues deepen to Indigo with this unique Art Ring by Anna Maccieri Rossi. She is certainly no stranger to success, having collaborated with Cartier, Jaeger-Le Coultre, Bulgari, Tiffany & Co. and Ferragamo. Notably accomplished in the watch industry, all of her collections are inspires by the theme of time.
Anthony DeMarco writes –
The Art Ring by Anna Maccieri Rossi combines the creativity of her native Italy with the craftsmanship of Switzerland where she spent many years doing artisan work in the watch industry. This 18k yellow gold ring has a mother of pearl “dial” (think watches) painted with an art rendering in lacquer and topped with four blue sapphire indexes. The other part of the ring contains a rectangular Lapis Lazuli and four diamonds.
And finally, to Violet
Before we return to the ground we slide to the edge of our rainbow and it’s final color. Greek jewelry artist Lito has showcased pieces in galleries and stores around the world. Her “Tu Es Partout” (“You’re everywhere”) collection includes the ever-seeing eye, which Lito intends as a constant reminder to keep your eyes open, look, observe, create, live and find beauty everywhere.
The end of the rainbow
Of course, at the end of the rainbow one expects a pot of gold. In the style and spirit of the exceptional pieces here I provide you with the following gold treasure, an immensely striking Petals Ring from David Yurman, crafted in 18k gold with diamonds and crowned by a cultured South Sea golden pearl.
Do you feel rich yet?
Bonus rainbow
If the beauty above hasn’t made you smile, I dare you to frown now.
I leave you with the delicious artistic chaos of Suzanne Kalan’s Rainbow Frenzy Eternity Band, featuring a myriad of sapphires and diamonds in 18k white gold. It’s a rainbow you can literally keep wrapped around your finger on a rainy day.
While composing this piece, visiting these beautiful designs as I reflected on the wonders of nature, I found it deeply comforting to remember that no matter what storm we’re weathering there is always the promise of a rainbow at the end.
