This Gothic-Romantic Charm Bracelet Was Inspired by Nick Cave
London jeweler Annoushka is well-known for her enchanting charms, but my eye was immediately drawn to the far-from-traditional, albeit no less beautifully crafted ones she was wearing at a recent lunch at Claridge’s in London—diamond vampire fangs complete with a ruby droplet of blood, a tiny gold pistol that spins to reveal a diamond bullet, and a church that opens to reveal a happy couple at the altar.
These part-gothic, part-romantic stories in miniature are the result of a new collaboration between Annoushka Ducas and Susie Cave, cofounder of The Vampire’s Wife, a fashion label that is a favorite among London’s style insiders. Ex-model Susie approached Annoushka to create the bracelet, having first had the idea years before with her husband, the Australian front man of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.
“The songs Nick writes are often very visual and can be represented by simple symbols,” said Susie. “I wanted to make a piece of jewelry that took the idea of the traditional charm bracelet but played around with it in that each charm corresponded to one of my favorite of Nick’s songs.”
The vampire’s fangs reference “Release the Bats,” the first song Susie heard Nick perform with the Birthday Party. The church bears the lyrics from its inspiration, “God is in the house,” and the bride and groom are naturally likenesses of Susie and Nick.
“We spent many happy hours sitting around Susie and Nick’s kitchen table in Brighton working on the designs and bouncing ideas off each other,” said Annoushka. “Although Susie and I have different design aesthetics, we are both captivated by the nostalgia and memories that charms evoke.”
Indeed, Annoushka has brought their designs to life with intricately detailed, gently subversive charms that are designed to be worn in different ways—whether on a bracelet, earring, or necklace. Together, she and Susie have made it possible to take your pick and tell your own story. The new collection launches this week.
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