These Are the Jewels You Should Be Buying This Holiday Season, According to the Pros
Now that the calendar has officially turned on December, your holiday shopping plan (such as it is!) should be just about final. But what if it’s not? What if you’re still scrambling for gift ideas? We’ve asked five retailers around the country, from the shores of Southern California to the mountains of New England, to come to your rescue with a luxe hit-list of their hottest, available for purchase pieces. Just remember: When it comes to the type of one-of-a-kind creations noted below, you snooze, you lose.
Camille Zarsky, owner and founder of The Seven West Village, New York City
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The notion of curation has become so central to the way people shop today that it’s easy to forget there are actual curators behind the gift guides and carefully vetted displays we see online and in stores.
Zarsky, a former handbag designer, realized she excelled at picking out things for other people to buy and, one year ago, turned that talent into a dreamy jewelry boutique, The Seven, named after her mother’s siblings.
Since opening in Manhattan’s West Village last fall, she’s noted rising interest in eclectic and singular designs that are as playful in style as they are serious about their craftsmanship.
“One-of-a-kind pieces remain high on everyone’s list, and emeralds combined with unique gems continue to be a strong seller within that range,” Zarsky tells Robb Report.
She cited an earring and necklace combo by the New York designer Jade Ruzzo, featuring Muzo emeralds and Tahitian pearls, and L.A.-based designer Jenna Blake’s cabochon emerald rings as especially popular picks.
“We continue to see yellow gold and diamonds perform well,” Zarsky says. “Diamond solitaires done in a more unique way, like Melissa Kaye’s Lenox pendant with black enamel, are great holiday gifts.
“Colorful jewelry is also in demand, with designers like Emily P. Wheeler, who we are seeing strong sell through right now,” she adds. “I love her turquoise and pink Queen of Hearts earrings and carved stone Heart bracelets. Devon Woodhill also recently launched a very joyful collection of sapphire lockets—one we can’t seem to keep in stock is a pink multi-colored sapphire square locket that radiates happiness on any wearer!” Thesevenwestvillage.com
Jillian Sassone, founder and creative director of Marrow Fine, Chicago
Sassone, a former medical device rep, dove headfirst into the jewelry industry after her grandmother passed in 2015, leaving behind heirloom jewels that needed a little… reimagining. Sassone’s effort to remake the inherited jewels into pieces that felt more wearable was the foundation of Marrow Fine, a thriving fine jewelry retailer headquartered in San Diego.
Earlier this fall, Sassone presided over the opening of Marrow’s third showroom, in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago, where the new space—located at the base of the residential building that houses Adalina, one of the city’s buzziest restaurants—features a “babe cave,” an intimate salon privé at the back of the store that’s been designed to resemble a hollowed-out ruby. Dominated by a custom marble table, it’s the perfect space for holiday shoppers to deliberate their purchases.
“Metal-heavy, bold rings are trending and will continue to gain popularity into 2024,” predicts Sassone. “Think mid-century influenced bombe rings and bezel-set gemstones. We’re also seeing white diamond tennis bracelets continue to trend upwards. These are a classic fine jewelry staple and something you’ll own and wear forever!” Marrowfine.com
Chris Davies, designer and owner of Elevated Matter Gallery, Hudson, N.Y.
The emphasis at the Elevated Matter Gallery, a private salon in a historic Warren Street townhouse in Hudson, N.Y., is on promoting work by artist-jewelers who are active at the bench and have directly engaged with their pieces.
“Our jewelry artists such as Anthony Lent, Elizabeth Garvin, Andy Lif, Stella Flame, as well as myself, create directly with our own hands,” says Davies, who founded the gallery in 2021.
In November, Elevated Matter exhibited at the 12th edition of Salon Art + Design in Manhattan, where it organized an exhibition titled “Hands On” that invited visitors to play, touch, and discover its jewelers’ work.
Davies says that clients come to the gallery seeking pieces with “an immediately recognizable style that is both new and timeless.”
He singled out Stella Flame’s hand engraved intaglio 18k gold ring set with cultured pearls, yellow and blue diamonds and green and blue sapphires, as well as Andy Lif’s Cobra Bolla, a sculptural biomorphic ring in 18k gold with pave diamonds.
“Bold sculptural pieces that are wearable are what our clients want,” he adds. “Interesting luxe pieces with detail, craftsmanship and a unique point of view that can go from day to night.” Elevatedmatter.com
Moti Ferder, Chief Executive Officer of Lugano Diamonds, Newport Beach, Calif.
Founded by Ferder in 2004 as a single deluxe jewelry salon in Newport Beach, Calif., Lugano Diamonds has since expanded across the country, with seven locations including Aspen, Palm Beach, Greenwich and Houston.
Earlier this year, the retailer opened Lugano Privé, a 7,500-square-foot members-only space adjacent to the Newport Beach salon, designed to provide the company’s jewelry clients with experiences, from five-star meals to special performances. The only two prerequisites to joining are that people must be clients of Lugano — and they must have a history of philanthropy.
Giving is built into Lugano’s DNA. Not only does the company partner with big organizations such as the Aspen Institute, it also teams with local nonprofits focused on everything from curing Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy to matching disadvantaged youth with mentors.
Lugano’s other major commitment is to the global equestrian community. The company sponsors some of the world’s most prestigious equine events, where Ferder and his wife, Idit, are fixtures. Well-versed in what high net worth individuals are coveting, the Ferders have noted interested in bold, diamond-set chains and fancy shape stones. “Chain necklaces are timeless and incorporate seamlessly into the lifestyles of our clients, who wear them in the daytime with casual looks and to events in the evening,” Ferder tells Robb Report. “Lugano Diamonds’ unique take on these symbolizes the one-of-a-kind pieces our clients are looking for.”
The throughline that connects everything, Ferder says, is wearability.
“We find that our clients seek pieces that fit into their daily lives, expressing their unique styles and how they wish to present themselves,” he says. “Whether they are dressed for a gala or a more relaxed, casual look, the pieces should be flexible in how and where they can be worn.” Luganodiamonds.com
Tim McClelland, founder and designer of TW McClelland & Daughters, Great Barrington, Mass.
McClelland is the antithesis of a cutting-edge jeweler—and that suits him just fine. A classically trained metalsmith, he studied at Boston University’s now defunct program in artisanry before settling in the Berkshires, where he made soulful, artsy jewelry with his former business partner, the fourth-generation gem dealer Walter McTeigue, under the McTeigue & McClelland label. Over the years, McClelland earned a reputation for working at the bench the slow and old-fashioned way, using tools that wouldn’t have looked out of place in an 18th century workshop.
When “McII,” as the brand was affectionately known, closed up shop in January 2020, McClelland began devoting his energy to a solo project that’s bearing fruit this fall, now that his new showroom and workshop—located in McII’s original Great Barrington location—has begun welcoming visitors. Joining the effort are his two daughters, Emma and Sophie, along with his wife, the metalsmith Carrie Harper.
Buyers in search of unique, understated designs set with spectacular colored stones and bearing details that betray McClelland’s profound respect for the jewelry greats—including the Art Nouveau master Rene Lalique and the Renaissance-era goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini—will find plenty of highly giftable options.
Take TW McClelland & Daughters’ selection of one-of-a-kind gents rings fashioned from wrought iron, gold and platinum, and set with eclectic stones, including a rare fancy grey diamond and a singular trapiche sapphire, or signature styles such as the convertible Sunflower pin/pendant rendered in an 18k “bloomed” gold, referring to a Victorian-era technique that McClelland has perfected. He strips the alloy from the surface of the gold, leaving a silky burnished patina beneath it. You won’t find any bling here—but what you will find is the very essence of quiet, confident luxury. Twmcclelland.com
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