THE JOURNAL
The festive season is upon us. You will no doubt be on the hunt for gifts that make you look great and leave the recipient feeling special. You may well be in a hurry. Something shiny enough to please a magpie suits your needs. But much like puppies – equally easy on the eye – remember that accessories such as watches and jewellery are not only to be celebrated when the “Holidays Are Coming” ad is on.
The idea of embellishing your appearance with metal and stones has been around for millennia. And if you’ve been reading The Journal over the past year or two, you will know that jewellery as non-conformist self-expression is very much A Thing in general in these wonderfully gender fluid times. So, jewellery is about celebrating quality craftsmanship and beauty, yes. But it’s also about longevity. How exactly? Let us count the ways.
First: Canadian artist and designer Mr John Hardy and his namesake brand, inspired by a visit to Bali in the mid-1970s. His pieces tick a lot of boxes for us. Artisans using reclaimed materials. Stones that are ethically sourced. Items that look jolly and creative, too. The best example might just be the multi-bead bracelet here, strung with sodalite, black picture jasper and black onyx.
On more familiar ground, on one level at least, is MAOR. The jewellery brand that is based in LA, which is very much the recognisable spiritual home of fantastic jewellery right now, but makes the cosmos its muse. This is jewellery as irreverent, personality embellishing statement at its most prominent.
On the other hand, you may prefer pieces by Ms Valérie Messika, who uses Paris-based craftsmen, working to a grounded, contemporary brief. The My Move leather bracelet here would provide some subtlety if your hands and wrists are looking a little on the fabulous side.
Indeed, it is not all about embellishment. Nice things can be practical, too. Both Gerald Charles and LaCalifornienne offer fine examples of that genre, here. And both show what an informal, playful strap can do for your wrist, and mood. Rainbow or block blue, we’ll leave the decision up to you.
Back to LA now – Downtown, to be precise – the famous jewellery district, and HQ of Spinelli Kilcollin. This husband-and-wife team craft a fine line in stackable Galaxy rings, one of which is featured here. But they have other strings to their figurative and rather rock’n’roll necklace, too, including a blackened gold and silver bracelet.
Perhaps, though, you’re looking for a gift with history on its side. Chopard, founded in 1860 and sounding like a prestigious composer, might be worth a look. One of the last family-run watchmaking dynasties, Chopard makes pieces that combine in-house movements made in their Fleurier manufacture with cases crafted at their Geneva headquarters.
But time waits for no man. So here are four more up-to-the-minute brands we’re currently excited about. Fun is foremost with EÉRA – a brand inspired by a trip to a vintage Tokyo market. (Note the smiley face necklace shown here. How could you not?) Then we have Foundrae, which is more about intricate details and whimsical charms that serve as modern heirlooms. Different strokes.
That brings us to 42 SUNS and Suzanne Kalan. The former is a very fun and very LA jewellery maker that you already know we’re fans of. And the latter? Suzanne Kalan provides a modern, really rather dramatic twist to classic jewellery design. Think: recognisable baguette diamonds and sliced gemstones.
Last, but certainly not least – especially if your loved one is a watch guy – is this practical bit of kit from Rapport London. Practical in that it winds watches. But also, beautiful because it is studded and made from cedar and glass.
Spoilt for choice? Perhaps. But the thinking here is that there is something for every potential recipient. You just need to decide who they are. Even if that person is you.