How Jewelers Rose to the Occasion in 2021
They were the talismans we held tight, connecting us to the loved ones we couldn’t see. They were symbols of faith that we would be dressing up for parties soon. They were our only visible flourishes on work-from-home Zoom calls. During a year of disorder and heartache, jewelry delivered more than a few feel-good moments.
The industry swiftly adapted. Auction houses became vibrant e-commerce platforms, and jewelers deepened client relationships by bringing gems directly to their homes. Designers also rose to the occasion, using their gifts to craft relevant work and help those in need.
Aficionados, in turn, shopped. In the early days of the pandemic, Sotheby’s sold a Cartier Tutti Frutti bracelet for $1.34 million, the most ever paid for a piece of jewelry online. Just months later, Christie’s broke that record with a 28-carat diamond that sold for $2.1 million. That was only the beginning—the shopping spree of 2020 ran the gamut. Some bought whimsical charms and symbolic pendants; others invested in gems to put away for the future, deciding that this was the time to finally check items off their wish lists. Together, these were affirmations of the enduring power and significance of jewelry in good times—and bad.
In a year when jewelry could have felt trivial, the industry instead proved mighty. In lieu of our annual Jewelry Awards, T&C salutes those artists and mavericks, not just for surviving 2020 but for reigniting our passion for the truly precious, personal, and lasting. Bravo to all.
Illustration by Marcos Chin
Leader of the Pack
By Erik Maza
When T&C polled the crew we affectionately call our Jewelry Mafia, one name came up again and again: Lauren Harwell Godfrey. The California designer epitomized the fusion of style and substance by donating profits from her signature black onyx broken heart charm to the NAACP. “While jewelry can seem frivolous, this was a moment it became relevant and actionable,” says T&C contributor Will Kahn. More than $100,000 later, Godfrey says, “This isn’t even close to over yet.”
More Action Heroes
By Leena Kim
In a year of instability and upheaval, it was remarkable to see how quickly the industry mobilized to support those in need. Actress (and newly minted jewelry star) Cynthia Erivo channeled her impeccable taste into curating a collection of charms for charity. Nearly 100 jewelers pledged to donate a portion of their proceeds to the hungry. A legend of midcentury jewelry design inspired a scholarship fund for young Black talent. And sales of sapphire rings helped doctors in their fight against the coronavirus. During our darkest hour, these individuals showed us the way.
What our Friends Loved
Now Streaming: Jewelry
By Erik Maza
“When they talk about the lights that guide the way, this is them!” Stylist Zerina Akers was referring to the image above, from Beyoncé’s visual album Black Is King, which indeed arrived like a supernova of beauty, talent, and vision during a dark summer. The Maryland-born costume designer could have said the same of all the jewelry she put on display: rope necklaces by Laurel DeWitt, armlets by L’Enchanteur, and earrings by Lorraine West, Sarah Diouf’s Tongoro, and A-Morir Studio. In doing so, the founder of the shopping directory Black Owned Everything also used her (and Bey’s) most ambitious canvas yet as a platform to lift up other creatives of color.
The Real Wonder Woman
By Leena Kim
For Wonder Woman, jewelry is essential for survival: Her tiara doubles as a weapon, and her bracelets shield her from enemy fire. But what of her off-duty hardware? In the new Wonder Woman 1984, her alter ego Diana Prince wears the Bone Cuff created in 1970 by Elsa Peretti. For the cuff’s 50th anniversary, Tiffany & Co. reissued the designer’s most coveted originals for the first time in nearly 20 years, cementing the now 80-year-old Peretti’s status as modern jewelry’s very own superhero.
The Other Small Screen Scene Stealers
By Erik Maza
Not the Oscar winner, the NBA MVP, or the Hulu heartthrob. It was the jewels they wore that we couldn’t stop binge-watching.
We Might Have Dreamed About These
By Olivia Hosken
But they did happen, thanks to these technical wizards. Francesca Amfitheatrof brought us the stars in sapphires and diamonds, and Lucia Silvestri painted Baroque frescoes in sapphires and rubies. Reed Krakoff exalted colored gemstones, and Boucheron somehow pulled off feathers—in white gold and diamonds.
There’s a Cat in the White House
By Olivia Hosken
And maybe also on your wrist? Felines have been associated with power ever since they accompanied ancient Egyptian pharaohs, and one will join the Bidens in their DC domicile. But it wasn’t a house pet that caught Cartier jewelry director Jeanne Toussaint’s eye: It was the panther. Now the figurehead of Cartier’s oeuvre, La Panthère made its first full appearance in 1917, on Toussaint’s personal cigarette case. Several trips to the Paris zoo and one panther fur coat later, Toussaint designed the Panthère emerald brooch for Wallis Simpson in 1948—and socialites all over the world pounced. Today the inimitable big cat appears in geometric white gold covered in diamonds, with glowing emerald eyes—an architectural triumph for the modern head of the pride.
Our Great Protectors
By Olivia Hosken
Any trinket can be a lucky charm, but a true amulet carries some serious mojo all its own, like Verdura’s Hayden Planetarium–inspired Zodiac and Lito’s Pop Art evil eye.
This story appears in the February 2021 issue of Town & Country.
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