Couture the Magazine

Cover jewelry by Harwell Godfrey from the Cleopatra’s Vault Collection featuring Muzo emeralds. Cover photography by Elizabeth Lippman. Jewelry enlarged to show detail. Typographic

THE MAGAZINE

We are excited to present you with our inaugural COUTURE Magazine. In these pages, you’ll find just a sampling of the “READ, WATCH, LISTEN” content we produce throughout the year. Our website, TheCOUTUREShow.com, is home to a continuous roster of brand spotlights, interviews, trend reports, style pieces, brand videos, podcasts, industry news and more, highlighting the larger than life personalities and imaginative and innovative designs that make up this incredible community. We love the opportunity to stay connected in this way 365 days a year, and we hope you’re as thrilled as we are to see some of this content brought to life in print.

Thank you to our exceptional designers and brands, our prestigious retailers and our celebrated press for your ongoing passion for designer fine jewelry and luxury timepieces, and thank you for being a part of the COUTURE community.

Gannon Brousseau Director, COUTURE

When people ask me how I ended up working in the fine jewelry industry, I usually mention my childhood rock collection as proof that I’ve always had a passion for the product. And while I love beautiful jewelry, I mean, I love it, the truth is, I also love a good story.

In spearheading the creation of content for COUTURE’s website, I have the opportunity to satisfy the curiosity that’s sparked whenever I see great jewelry. I can discover the inspirations, not only about a single piece or collection, but about a designer or brand’s entire body of work. I get to examine the life events that have formed their world view, shaped their approach to the creative process and established their aesthetic. In short, I get to tell their stories. I also love being able to talk to retailers and other jewelry enthusiasts who share my passion, and to collaborate with incredible writers who bring their own unique perspective to the site.

I am so excited to share with you just a fraction of these stories in our first COUTURE Magazine. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them, and that you are as fascinated as I always am by Marion Fasel’s clairvoyance in identifying trends and beautifully contextualizing their place in jewelry history.

Michelle Orman Editor-in-Chief, COUTURE Magazine

THE TEAM

DAVID PERRY CREATIVE DIRECTOR

David Perry has won many distinguished industry awards. He started David Perry & Associates after working at several large New York agencies, including Ogilvy & Mather and Grey Global. He combines the practiced eye of a designer with a profound knowledge of direct marketing and sales promotion. Current clients include some of the most prestigious names in the Swiss watch and designer jewelry industry.

SUE MILLAR PERRY CONTENT DIRECTOR

Sue is a content strategist specializing in beauty, fashion, home design, and food. Most recently, Sue was Deputy Editor, of Consumer Reports ShopSmart Magazine. Previously, she was Editor-in-Chief of Family Circle’s Special Interest Publications, Editor-in-Chief of Longevity Magazine, and Executive Editor of Self Magazine. Sue has also held high positions at Glamour and This Old House magazines, and is the author of “The Lean and Green Diet” (Avon Books).

BARBARA CHAPMAN ART DIRECTOR BARBARA PECK COPY EDITOR

Barbara has an expansive background that encompasses highend luxury clients and mass marketers, consumer and business-to-business, commercial and editorial, covering virtually every product category and medium. Editorial work includes national and regional magazines, both print and digital.

She has received award recognition from the Society of Publication Designers, The Art Directors Club of New York, The Retail Ad Conference and Catalog Age.

Barbara Peck is a longtime travel editor who was the executive editor of Travel + Leisure and editor-in-chief of Endless Vacation. Born in Vancouver, she lived in Ottawa and Montreal before relocating to New York City, where she tends a backyard garden and rows on the Harlem River. As a freelancer, she edits journal articles for Princeton and Cambridge University Press and writes for Gardenista, Remodelista, and numerous other publications.

TREND REPORT

an eye on style

by marion fasel

Animal Ringdom

Animals have never been extinct in jewelry design. During the 20th century brooches dominated. Now animal rings are climbing to the top of the category.

The award-winning designer Lauren Harwell Godfrey’s claw ring in her Harwell Godfrey collection of creatures features such décor flourishes as her signature triangular shapes, a symbol of empowerment. On the teeth of the claw, she set diamonds upside down so the pointy culets on the bottom of the stone would add texture.

Arman Sarkisyan brings his dreamy gold, oxidized silver and gem set jewelry to life using age old techniques. All manner of romantic motifs decorate the designs, including birds — their symbolic meaning inspires the designer. Doves are a powerful emblem of peace, and the Peace on Earth ring, illustrates the bird carrying its hopeful message around the globe,” explains Arman. “The Mother and Child Ring is an example of the dove’s other meaning, love, showing the deep familial bond between mother and offspring.” The symbolism creates the type of layered meaning that has added to the allure of animal jewelry for centuries.

Renna Taher’s Renna gold jewelry collection began with the coffee bean shell motif to which she has added other aquatic-inspired designs including octopus rings. “Octopi are just so innately elegant in their curves and lines”, explains Renna. The reverse hand-carved crystal designs featuring the octopus are backed with grey mother-of-pearl. When light passes through the gems it almost appears to animate the octopus on the start of a swim.

by marion fasel

Bracele ts for Impact

Last year, the Brazilian designer Fernando Jorge celebrated his 10th anniversary in business with glorious creations including sexy diamond and gold statement bracelets that swoop around the wrist and forearm. Fernando’s lapis, diamond and gold Comet bracelet is more of a solid design inspired by our connection to the earth, but also looks to the stars.

The French-Lebanese designer Selim Mouzannar’s bold bracelets have roots in a couple of eras. Jazz Age women could have danced the night away in Selim’s aquamarine, diamond and black enamel wide bracelets. A regal lady from the Victorian era would have been as happy in his amethyst and gold web like bracelet as any modern woman who wants to make a jewelry statement.

From the moment Kristy Stone launched Retrouvai in 2016, she garnered a cult following for her joyful jewelry. Among all her eyecatching work, the Lollipop collection is one of the most recognizable. Two candy-colored gemstones punctuate each one-of-a-kind piece, like the gold cuffs recently introduced to the collection.

Tabayer founder Nigora Tokhtabayeva takes her design cues from any number of sources, from modern American sculpture to the symbolism of talismanic objects. The results are brazenly large gold bracelets that look like solid tubes swirling around the wrist.

No jewel expresses quite the same kind of bold message as a big bracelet. A symbol of strength and glamour, it’s the equivalent of a luxurious piece of armor in a way earrings, rings and necklaces usually are not.

“If you do it right, one bracelet can be as empowering as a pair.”

Selim Mouzannar

"I look for an abstract shape that feels like it could grow in the forest" Fernando Jorge

by marion fasel

Chains to LOVE

There are many ways COUTURE jewelry designers express their individual styles through chain necklaces. Some look to the distant past for inspiration. Others capture signature styles in their collections through the links of their chains.

Classic and creative, Michal Cadar brings the motifs of her CADAR collection into gold chains handcrafted in New York and Italy. Sculpted hearts with angled sides fly around the Wings of Love necklaces. Playful lariats composed of slinky snake chains have a crocodile on the clasp.

Everything from Ari and Corina Madilian’s Single Stone is made in Los Angeles and has a romantic vintage vibe including the gold chains. The lyrical quality of 19th century designs permeates the large loops of the Single Stone Club Necklaces. They pair perfectly with a locket or symbolic pendant.

Divine variations on the uber popular paperclip chain that look as though they might have belonged to the stylish and sexy Lady Chatterley can be found in the collection. There are also delicate understated styles. The Dash Chain with diamonds is the kind of jewel you put on and never take off.

PROUNIS designer and craftswoman extraordinaire, Jean Prounis doesn’t just study and take design cues from classical Greek jewels, many of her chains are made in the same way they were in the past. “Our chains are made from handpulled 22-karat wire that we alloy in our studio, form into coils, then weave or link to the design at hand, using ancient gold-smithing techniques,” explains Jean. Other chains in the New Yorker’s collection are made in Italy. “We work with a family business that uses antique Italian chain-making machines to our specifications that we then ornament in our studio with our signature clasps that reference antiquity, such as our Fibula and S-shaped clasps.”

“We ornament in our studio with our signature clasps that reference antiquity.”

Jean Prounis

Prerna & Pratima Sethi

A day in the life of SETHI COUTURE

Jewelry designers Pratima and Prerna S ethi make every minute count in a typical work day. Here is what we learned about their creative process, inspiration and influences. It was so much fun!

by michelle orman

Founded in 2009, the sister-run brand Sethi Couture launched with a series of unexpected colors of diamond bands — champagne, pink, green, yellow and black and quickly evolved into a collection of classic and contemporary stacking bands that can be worn together in endless ways.

Growing up in California and raised by parents who are purveyors of rare and unusual diamonds, Pratima and Prerna draw on the Sethi family’s heritage in the industry, while also maintaining a forward-thinking mindset in their approach to business. The sisters credit a combination of their many childhood trips to

Prerna Sethi:

5:45 A.M.: I rise early these days to the coo of our new little addition, Pia. She’s now 5 months old (sleeping through the night, thankfully!) and the morning begins with her breakfast and my cup of tea. Chai with ginger, black pepper, and milk has been my morning ritual since I was young. It’s that cup of comfort I look forward to every morning before getting ready and out the door!

7:30 A.M.: Today I’m heading to the San Francisco flower mart and meeting with Olya from our marketing team.

We are planning an event and ever since our favorite irreplaceable florist, Eryn, moved to Bend, Oregon, we’ve been picking our own

India, their ancestral homeland, in addition to California’s naturespired motifs, for influencing their designs.|

With jam-packed work schedules — overseeing a multibrand gallery in Los Altos, California, multiple custom projects, a new marketing campaign and in-store events — juggled with busy family lives, which include Prerna’s newborn, Pia, we were fortunate to catch up with the dynamic duo who allowed us to shadow them on a typical day. They even shared the mouthwatering Sweet Potato Tacos recipe Pratima whipped up for dinner that night. Check it out at the end of the story.

florals. So we are doing some floral research, but I secretly will use any excuse to peruse the flower mart. It’s overwhelming but so refreshing seeing all the blooms. We ended up staying too long and had to rush out to our next meeting.

9:00 A.M.: We head across town to see our jeweler. We have a few custom proects that I need to review the progress on and finalize the details before heading down to Los Altos to the gallery. We’ve been working on getting the height right on a star ruby cabochon ring with diamond briolettes hanging from the bezel. It has to have the right height so the diamonds hang perfectly when worn. We’ve done a few waxes and are finally able to approve the new design. The original design we hand-sketched before creating a CAD to review with the client. We are happy with how far it’s come.

Prerna & Pia

11:00 A.M.: Most mornings Pratima and I do an early 8 A.M. meeting before our team gets in over another cup of tea. It’s our sister thing! Today we are running late and get a cup of Moroccan tea from our neighbor at Café Nur. We are planning schedules for production and travel.

12:30 P.M.: We decide to take a walk to finish up our meeting and go to our normal spot, Mikado Sushi, but the wait is long and so we skip it to get a quick bite from State Street Market. It’s the newest market in town inspired by foodies and they have the best pani puri stand from Ettan. The walk back is beautiful this time of year.

Pratima Sethi:

2:30 P.M.: It’s Pratima taking over now! After lunch, I have very little time to select diamonds for our P.S. Charm multicolor diamond charms. We have to send them out for production today to make it in time for the special order! I’m leaving work early today for Amelie’s Girls Leadership board meeting and then dropping off

Sweet Potato Tacos

Sweet Potato

1 large sweet potato baked – brush with olive oil, poke several holes in it using a fork, wrap in foil and bake for 25 min at 400 degrees

Leave the skin on as it is the most nutritious part

Season with salt and pepper

Dice into cubes

Black Beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sautee 1 small yellow or white onion, finely chopped

Add fine sea salt, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, teaspoon sambar powder (an Indian mixture of spices typically used in South Indian dishes)

Add 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

Add cup water

Stir in freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Simmer until some water evaporates

Use a fork or masher to smooth out the beans

Amelie [Pratima’s daughter] to club volleyball practice. So I have very little time to get the last few projects of the day completed. This month has been hectic with trunk shows too, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

After I pass these off to Connie, our production manager, we meet back with our team to finish up our Lookbook. We’ll be looking at keeping some placeholders for the photography of the new pieces we are adding to our campaign. And we have to plan the next photoshoot with product and model shots. Last season we styled the product with spices to give some unexpected warmth to the set. We loved using cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne, and cardamom for some texture and color against the black diamonds.

4:00 P.M: I’m headed out to Colorado this weekend for a trunk show and have to merchandise the pieces for our Bring Your Own Bands Stacking Party.

6:00 P.M.: Back at home prepping dinner while my husband, Amaury, picks up Amelie and Star from practice. Can’t wait to wind down and relax in the evening. That’s it for now!

Avocado-Pepita Dip

2 avocados, pitted

1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro (mostly leaves, some small stems are okay)

1 cup pepitas

1 small jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped, or teaspoon red pepper flakes (go easy if sensitive to spice)

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 medium lime) or

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons water

teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Blend all together

Everything Else

8 to 10 small corn tortillas

Crumbled feta or shredded

Mexican cheese

Sour cream

Chop half a Lettuce head

Dice 2-3 Tomatoes

HIDDEN GEMS

We sat down with some of the retailers who make up the incredible COUTURE community to gain insights into their unique store experience and jewelry marketing vision.

by michelle orman

The Seven, New York City: New York City’s charming West Village neighborhood got even more charming last December, when The Seven, a delightful treasure chest of highly curated fine jewelry, opened its doors. The store’s founder, Camille Zarsky, is a long-time lover of jewelry, and she opened her store with the intention of forging relationships with fellow jewelry enthusiasts–turned clients. A former luxury handbag designer, Camille recognizes that jewelry is inherently emotional. Beyond its ability to absolutely make one’s ensemble, people connect with jewelry on a deeply personal level, and Camille is determined to cultivate a client base that entrusts her to find the perfect pieces to tell their individual story.

COUTURE: What’s notable about your store?

Camille Zarsky: I would say the emphasis is much more on the experience as opposed to pushing sales; we’re invested in this for the long term. I’m most interested in building a client roster of people who grow within our space rather than simply turning over quick sales. Jewelry buying is much more of an emotional purchase than anything else; we don’t need jewelry. Jewelry is an emotional experience and an investment that is passed down through the generations, so I wanted to create an experience where people really feel that we’ve honed in on what they’re looking for.

COUTURE: What’s your unique point-of-view?

CZ: The focus is less about “this goes with your outfit” and more

Camille Zarsky

The Seven, interior

about what your life is like. It’s almost like jewelry matchmaking, where we’re very focused on creating a one-of-a-kind experience for the customer and finding the special piece that’s right for them. We worked with Blake Brunson to design the space, and every part of the store was done by hand by some notable artisan in that field. Every aspect is imbued with emotion and represents an important part of my life. The floors are hand-painted, and each panel of wallpaper is also painted by hand and includes trees native to Texas, where I grew up, and Italy, where my late mom is from. The little house I lived in as a child is also included to remind me of where I came from. The name, The Seven, pays homage to my mom, who was one of seven sisters (Le Sette Sorelle), and serves as a reminder of their influence on my life and the support of my family to be independent and to have my own perspective, and not follow the masses.

COUTURE: W hat types of jewelry are your clients really responding to lately and why?

CZ: Spiritual pieces are a big thing right now; people are finding a connection with them. Also, stones in bright colors are something

we’ve become known for, and people are seeking them out, looking for pieces that spark something in them, which is inherent in a lot of the collections we carry. Across the board, the most important thing clients are looking for is one-of-a-kind pieces at any price point. They want things that are special, totally unique, and really personal to them and their tastes and desires as far as jewelry-collecting goes. And, of course, 18k yellow gold continues to be popular.

Korman’s, Austin, Texas: Since it was founded by its previous owner, Russell “Rusty” Korman, in 1973, Korman Fine Jewelry has been an Austin, Texas original. For close to 50 years, Rusty had established a reputation for honesty, integrity and his generous commitment to the community. Drawn to these values, and looking to move to Austin from East Texas, where they’d been working in Larry’s family jewelry business, Kat and Larry Stokes purchased Rusty’s business in November of 2018. The couple set out to bring new life to the store, while also maintaining the principles that are so critical to running a successful fine jewelry business. In doing so, they’ve created a warm, festive atmosphere

Korman’s jewelry

Kat and Larry Stokes

where everyone feels welcome and celebrated.

COUTURE: What’s notable about your store?

Kat Stokes: A phrase I hear often, and I love hearing it, is, “It’s like a party in here! The energy is so good, you guys are always smiling and having a good time!” We pride ourselves on being different in the experience we offer. Of course, we believe that we represent the finest jewels on the planet, but it’s really the experience and the elational connections that set us apart. Every day is an opportunity to celebrate with someone

COUTURE: What’s your store’s unique point of view?

KS: Our point of view starts and stops with our mantra— Celebrate Every Day. Whether that’s our team, our clients or our partners, it’s about celebrating life in general. That was our motto before Covid, and it means more now than ever before; every day is truly a gift. We feel so humbled and honored to be the ones our clients entrust to help celebrate a big milestone or commemorate a special occasion.

COUTURE: Can you tell us a bit about your clients?

KS: We so appreciate Rusty for entrusting us with the business, and we know he’s proud that we’ve made the store a special place within the Austin community. It’s become such a tech town—it’s the Silicon Valley of the East—so connecting with people who are innovating and who appreciate the craftsmanship and design and all the things that go into each piece has been a good marriage of brands and energies.

COUTURE: What specific COUTURE designers or brands are your clients really responding to lately and why?

KS: Austin is a very casual city. We have amazing charity events and galas where people get all dolled up and wear super-fine jewelry. But for the most part, no woman has time to go home and

change her clothes and jewelry and rethink everything before going out at night. Two of our designers, Single Stone and Walters Faith, are so great and so versatile, and the weight and craftsmanship of their work feels important; it’s jewelry that goes beautifully with Lululemon or on a date night. Our clients also love Armenta, and Emily Armenta is just a gem of a human being. She has a beautiful heart and an amazing vision for her company. Her efforts in giving back to women and giving back to the earth make her a rock star in our industry.

Gin & the Banker, Bellevue, Washington: Rachael

Nov had already been running her successful clothing boutique, LaRee, for close to 15 years when she opened her Bellevue, Washington, jewelry store, Gin & The Banker, during the 2018 holiday season. LaRee had showcased a selection of jewelry, and its popularity among her clients had grown exponentially. In order to expand the business further, Rachael created a space that feels less like a traditional jewelry store and more like being warmly welcomed into someone’s home—a home belonging to

Rachael Nov

Armenta stacking rings

someone with seriously good taste in jewelry, where everyone is treated like family.

COUTURE: What’s notable about your store?

Rachael Nov: : I named Gin & The Banker after my grandparents. We wanted to pay homage to them while also creating a space that was a bit sharper, sexier and a little mysterious—we wanted people to question the name. The store is very much a reflection of my grandparents’ home and who they were. It’s a very special space that’s warm and inviting and feels like “I’m home.” That’s how we want other people to feel.

COUTURE: What’s its unique point of view?

RN: What we try to do for our customers is to curate for them and educate them on who we love and who we partner with, while also keeping in mind trend-forecasting with the clothing store. We understand what’s coming in the fashion world, so we’re able to translate that to the jewelry world. We don’t want things looking the same, and the products we carry allow our clients to

build their collections according to their personal taste, their style and the statements they’d like to make with their jewelry. For example, Iliana Makri, Lizzie Mandler and Azlee all do chains, but each has a different technique in how the chains are made by hand and what they can do. We believe in every brand we bring in here, and we’re careful to pay respect to every designer as an individual.

COUTURE: W hat COUTURE designers or brands are your clients really responding to lately?

RN: We love the designers we work with, and we partner with people with whom we see longevity; it’s not just the product they create, it’s who they are as people, how they run their business and who helps them run their business. I’ve already mentioned Iliana Makri, Lizzie Mandler and Azlee, who are all amazing. We also love Emily P. Wheeler, and we’re excited to be growing that collection here. During COUTURE 2022 we picked up a new collection, Tabayer, and we’re so excited to launch it.

Top: Tabayer Opera Earrings

Bottom: Iliana Makri Mini Oval Eye Necklace

Gin & The Banker

International DESIGNER Spotlight

by michelle orman

“I’m inspired by the concept of metaphysical and kinetic energy.”

Ananya

Selections from Ananya Magnificent Jewels Volume 1

Ananya

A ll that GLITTERS

Ananya Malhotra’s designs not only dazzle the eye, they express her Indian heritage and spiritual healing beliefs.

Designer Ananya Malhotra has a deep-seated belief in the power of jewelry and gemstones to tell stories, to empower and to protect. Her eponymous brand, Ananya, which means “unique” in Hindi, is a modern interpretation of Indian jewelry traditions in which the celebratory, spiritual and sentimental nature of adornment is maintained in pieces that complement a contemporary lifestyle. Beautiful as a statement on its own, and stunning when stacked or layered, Ananya’s jewelry is infused with the designer’s spiritual ideology. The subtle complexities of her designs reflect her extensive knowledge of the materials with which she works.

Born into a family in the fashion industry, Ananya was exposed from a young age to a world rich in creativity. Her family encouraged her to forge her own path, and she discovered her true creative calling while studying jewelry design at Central Saint Martins in London. There she immersed herself in her art, received several awards and accolades, and took on projects and challenges that allowed her to expand her design acumen and expertise. Wanting to further her exploration of jewelry and gemology, she earned a Graduate Gemology degree at the Gemological Institute of America. That experience enhanced her reverence for precious gems and deepened her understanding of how to capture the flow of physical energy with various gemstone combinations.

Ananya’s authentic faith in the power of gemstones, coupled with her spiritual and mystical beliefs, continually fuel her creative process. In 2016, feeling she had a blockage in her root chakra, Ananya created a ruby bracelet with a black onyx bar as an antidote to the situ ation. Soon after she launched her collection, and that bracelet design has remained the brand’s distinguishing aesthetic. Her chakra bracelets are now available in more than 50 combinations of gemstones, each offering its own unique healing powers along with its own distinct beauty. In order to fully capitalize on the power imbued in Ananya’s jewelry, many collectors of her work consult with a spiritual healer before each acquisition, while others consult the comprehensive glossary that the brand provides. While Ananya’s jewelry is rooted in Indian spiritual heritage and values, it also embodies a global sensibility. She divides her time between Chennai, London and Miami, and her approach to design is demonstrative of her fresh, cosmopolitan perspective. To honor the profound tradition of Indian jewelry design, she painstakingly hand-selects each stone she incorporates into her work, and she collaborates with master artisans in Jaipur, India, and Bangkok, Thailand, in creating her pieces. This uncompromising commitment to excellence ensures that Ananya’s impeccable standards of craftsmanship are safeguarded throughout every step of the creative and fabrication process, and that the stories attributed to her pieces will evolve with the lives of their wearers.

The

Keeper of a Gemstone Legacy

edgy Brazilian jewelry brand Sauer has b een around for eight decades and still manages to wow us with playful, whimsical design twists under creative director Stephanie Wenk.

The legacy of SAUER, one of Brazil’s most distinguished jewelers, began in 1939 with Jules Roger Sauer, then an 18year-old Frenchman who fled persecution during World War II. Arriving in Brazil, Jules fell in love with its abundance of colorful and enigmatic gemstones. This newfound passion set him on course to become a pioneer in prospecting and promoting precious colored gemstones, earning him the nickname “Gemstone Hunter.” He settled in Rio de Janeiro and founded his business, originally named Lapidação Amsterdam, in 1941. Fifteen years later, when Hollywood and society luminaries were flooding Rio’s Copacabana Palace hotel and relishing the city’s many wonders, Jules saw an opportunity. He opened his first boutique right next to the hotel in 1956. The brand’s artisans combined vibrantly colored precious stones with innovative craftsmanship and designs, and quickly established the aesthetic for which SAUER is still known today.

Eighty years after founding his company, Jules’s commitment to conveying the mysticism and the emotional, physical and spiritual powers of gemstones is still at the core of the brand’s DNA, and extends well beyond his many celebrated designs. His discovery of the country’s first emerald mine, in 1963, opened the doors for Brazil’s place in the international precious gemstone market and distinguished Jules as the most esteemed and respected expert in Brazilian and Colombian emeralds in South America. He was also responsible for introducing

and promoting Imperial Topaz, which is only found in Brazil; Tanzanite, produced exclusively in Tanzania; and Paraiba tourmaline, with its breathtaking neon blue hues.

Stephanie Wenk, SAUER’s Creative Director since 2013, continues to be guided by the brand’s ethos while applying a modern sensibility to contemporary collections. Her background is in psychology and fashion, and her designs are infused with symbolism and femininity. “As a woman at the helm of a brand that boasts a mainly female workplace, I think it’s important to propagate the strength and diversity of the women who inspire us and who remind us that we invariably hold the key to solving the world’s greatest challenges,” she says. Stephanie’s collections are steeped in references to constellations, art movements, architectural studies and scientific discovery, as well as the influences of some of her favorite artists, such as Viren Bhagat, JAR and Suzanne Belperron. Formidable in scale, materials and craftsmanship, her pieces reveal a sense of playfulness and irreverence in their palettes and silhouettes. The brand’s most recent collection, Tarsila, pays tribute to the work of one of the most prominent artists of Brazil’s modernist movement, Tarsila do Amaral. Throughout the collection, Stephanie reimagines the shapes, themes and colors that fueled Tarsila’s pursuit of a quintessential national identity, recreating them in jewels that are three-dimensional interpretations of paintings created in the 1920s.

Stephanie Wenk

“As a woman at the helm of a brand that boasts a mainly female workplace, I think it is important to propagate the strength and diversity of the women who inspire us.”

Stephanie Wenk

Simone Ng

“Yesterday’s tales. Today’s creation. Tomorrow’s inspiration.”

Simone Ng

Opposite: Selections from The Paradise in Harmony Collection

Bejeweled WORKS OF ART

From Arabian Nights to Parisian Chinois, Simone Ng, founder and creative director of Simone

Jewels specializes in one- of-a-kind head-turning pieces that tell stories.

In creating her onein-the-world pieces of wearable art, Simone Ng, Founder and Creative Director of Simone Jewels, evokes stories that are brimming with culture and history. Since she launched her eponymous brand in 2006, the designer has identified annual themes for her collections, and develops her work around those themes. This unique approach to the design and creative process allows her to delve deeply into a concept or period of history, and then to interpret its distinctive attributes in precious metals and gemstones. From Arabian Nights to Parisian Chinois to her most recent 2022 collection inspired by three of the most famous Chinese porcelains from the Qing Dynasty, Simone’s comprehensive understanding of the nuances and subtleties of history, architecture and culture is both intellectual and lyrical.

Simone was born with an inherent love of jewelry: her maternal grandmother collected gemstones and instilled in her a love of color, and her paternal grandfather founded a chain of jewelry and watch stores. Her belief in the power of jewelry and gemstones to empower, to express individuality and to inspire confidence is deeply rooted. She believes we form emotional connections with color, and that one’s preferred colored gemstone is profoundly personal and sacred. Simone is also fueled by the doctrine that jewelry should tell stories that spark connection and conversation, and she makes no compromises in her fabrication process or in the

materials she uses when delineating these tales. A certified gemologist with an incredible eye for quality, Simone is meticulous in selecting the gemstones she uses in her bold, innovative designs. The masterful craftsmanship of her work is intelligent and precise, ensuring that all angles of her multidimensional jewelry are impeccably engineered. The brand’s jewelry is fascinatingly detailed, showcasing an exhaustive commitment to excellence in both creativity and construction. Instant heirlooms, Simone Jewels’ pieces are classic and timeless, embodying the brand’s ethos, “Yesterday’s Tale, Today’s Creation, Tomorrow’s Inspiration.”

In addition to her covetable high-jewelry collections, Simone works with clients to create bespoke pieces. She and her team of internationally trained craftspeople are always cognizant of the need to allow the collector’s dreams and expectations to play a role in the collaborative process, and they educate and provide stylistic and creative direction to help the client determine their own vision of their dream piece. After embarking on extensive research, they create dozens of sketches before presenting the client with only the most remarkable ideas. Once a concept has been approved, the team brings the idea to life. The brand’s bridal line of customizable engagement rings and wedding bands, Sincerely Simone, offers clients the opportunity to personalize the singular expression of their lifelong love.

Diamond SHOW STOPPER

Ten fun facts from the team of Spinelli Kilcollin on developing a new classic.

by michelle orman

Yves Spinelli is the official face of Spinelli Kilcollin, but the company is actually run by both Yves and Dwyer Kilcollin. Dwyer originally took on a less visible role, mainly because she was accepted for a graduate degree in Fine Arts about a year after the couple launched the brand, so she had to shift much of her focus.

Spinelli Kilcollin is now well known for their fabulous interlocking Galaxy ring. Yves got the idea for its design while working at Maxfield in Los Angeles, and commissioned his father, who’d been a blacksmith in Italy before moving to Hawaii, to create a prototype. When the ring arrived, he told his dad that he’d done it wrong; the ring wasn’t exactly what he’d envisioned. But Yves quickly realized how much he loved it, and immediately started wearing it.

When he wore the ring to work, it instantly garnered attention among Maxfield’s clientele (and ultimately, orders). Shortly thereafter, he met Dwyer, who began wearing a version of the ring at her gallery job. Through word of mouth, orders started coming in, and the two realized they were onto something.

They named the first variations of the ring for friends who commissioned pieces.

While it may seem like Spinelli Kilcollin was an overnight success, it took several years for the couple, who are now married and have a child, to be embraced by retailers. Yves even started selling off his beloved record collection to fund their efforts.

A watershed moment came when Ikram, in Chicago, saw the rings

and commissioned one with all-diamond pave. She called Sally Singer, then the Creative Director of Vogue, and told her she must see these rings. A buzz soon followed in the Vogue office, and shortly spread around the world!

As a child, Yves was given a chance to attend a prominent kindergarten in Hawaii. Right before his interview, he accidentally sat on his favorite Hawaiian children’s music record and broke it. He was devastated. His mom offered him a bribe: if he did well in the interview, they’d visit the record store afterwards, a fact that he innocently shared with his interviewer. He was accepted to the school, and remains an avid record collector to this day.

Dwyer is a natural athlete who grew up climbing trees and was part of the rollerblade movement. She continues to be super-active.

When Dwyer and Yves started Spinelli Kilcollin, they were both working for other people and also had a rock band. The toll of running their own business while working two jobs became too much and, much to Yves’ chagrin, they had to shut down the band.

Dwyer and Yves have an amazing “jewelry emergency” story. Yves had designed an engagement ring and was planning to propose to Dwyer during a trip to Tokyo. He somehow misplaced the ring, and panicked! Without telling Dwyer what he’d lost, the two began retracing their steps throughout Tokyo. After searching for hours, with Dwyer trying to calm Yves down, he finally blurted, “It was your engagement ring!” Of course, the ring was discovered safe and sound in a back office at Ron Herman.

Yves Spinelli and Dwyer Kilcollin