Ashley Zhang Is Your Source for Something Old, Something New (and Something Stunning) Engagement Rings
Ashley Zhang Is Your Source For Something Old, Something New (And Something Stunning) Engagement Rings
“Given the choice,” says jewelry designer Ashley Zhang, showing off her stunning vintage moval (a cross between a marquee and an oval) engagement ring, “I almost opt for a vintage piece.” But that’s not to say Zhang is living in the past. With fingers riddled in bright and shining rings of her own making, the 27-year-old designer defines her newly launched self-titled line of bespoke bridal fine jewelry as a mash-up of modern and vintage. It’s an eclectic aesthetic that spans far beyond the Crosby Street Hotel, where I meet Zhang to talk all things, well . . . diamonds. From Paris to New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between, she explains, women are passing on seen-them-before stones and play-it-safe settings for something a bit more unexpected that comes with a storied history. The thinking seems to be, says Zhang, that if this is the biggest purchase you’re going to make, it had better have sparkling personality.
“Every piece tells a story,” says Zhang, summing up her first collection of one-of-a-kind, conversation-starting jewels. The designs—among them the Margaret (Zhang is obsessed with the British royal family), a traditional Asscher cut with tapered baguettes that’s livened up with a two-stone open setting—are unique not only in appearance but in origin. Zhang, who has been collecting vintage fine jewelry from all over the globe for many years, takes inspiration from her personal stock and almost always begins her custom collection with upcycled, sustainable antique stones. “It’s like a treasure hunt,” she says of the search that can take anywhere from days to weeks, depending on what the client desires. In pursuit of stones, Zhang scours the diamond district and consults a small network of vintage jewelry dealers around the country. “I only collect and create pieces that are personal and special to me,” she says. In truth, as I open the lid to reveal her collection and begin to pile on the precious trinkets, I feel as though I’m peeking into her private jewelry stash.
But out of the box they come: handcrafted Art Deco-, Edwardian-, and Georgian-inspired pieces, all enhanced with contemporary elements. “So you have something old and something new,” says Zhang of her signature small details, like tiny cut-outs that let light shine through. “I like to take elements out of their original context—combining, say, a classic center-stone setting with a band that’s a bit more contemporary can reveal the beauty in each.”
Looking for a ring—or want to not-so-subtly drop a hint? Browse the full collection here.
