Precious beasts and spring gems: the top five jewellery pieces to invest in this season
Of all the creatures that have been turned into jewellery, not many look like they could feasibly end up landing on your jumper. Cartier’s famous panthers, as glorious as they are, wouldn’t be quite as welcome on one’s shoulder were they fully grown, precious versions of themselves. Insects, on the other hand, are totally different beasts.
Italian jeweller Vhernier’s caterpillar brooch gets its colour from the yellow agate layered beneath clear rock crystal, and is just the right side of plump to look adorable nestled on the front of a cashmere jumper. Delfina Delettrez’s bee brooch seems to drip with honey.
Clockwise from left: 18ct rose-gold, sterling-silver, diamond and tsavorite Scarab ring, £2,334, Bibi van der Velden; 9ct yellow-gold, citrine, black-diamond and yellow-sapphire To Bee or not to Be brooch, £1,420, Delfina Delettrez; pink-gold, diamond, sapphire and spinel Jardins Araignée ring, price on request, Chaumet; 18ct white-gold, diamond, yellow-agate and rock-crystal Bruco brooch, £6,450, Vhernier; 18ct rose-gold, tourmaline, rhodolite, amethyst and pink-sapphire Rhino Beetle ring, £9,180, Daniela Villegas at Browns
At Parisian maison Chaumet, the prettiest pink sapphire turns a spider into a delight instead of a fright, while Dutch designer Bibi van der Velden’s stackable scarab rings are just the sort of beastie you’d happily host on your finger.
Finally, to Mexican jeweller Daniela Villegas, who relishes what makes others shudder, setting a trapezoid tourmaline in the back of a rose-gold beetle, surrounded by gems. Be still my beetling heart!
Spring's top five wishlist
Fire red spinel earclips, £POA, Margaret Jewels
Geneva-based jeweller Margaret loves an antique reference, but the modernist vibe of these almost indecently vibrant spinel earclips has me reeling – in the best way.
Dubini King of Cappadocia pendant featuring a silver coin in 18ct gold with blue topaz, £3,440, matchesfashion.com
There’s old, then there’s really old. This pendant from Italian designer Dubini sees a circa-116BC silver coin of Ariarathes VII set in gold and dotted with blue topaz cabochon studs.
Four Seasons Summer Wheat ring in 18ct gold and diamonds, £POA, Elie Top
Parisian designer Elie Top likes to put a spin on things (literally - his spinning rings are his trademark) but the delightful simplicity of this dangling Wheat ring doesn't need any hidden tricks.
Rosa dei Venti diamond bracelet, £POA, Giampiero Bodino
This five-cross diamond bracelet from Italian designer Giampiero Bodino is from his Rosa dei Venti capsule collection – and I think it would look just as cool on a man with a leather jacket as it would a woman in a gown.
Iconica rose gold and diamond rings, from £3,360, Pomellato
Okay so it’s not one thing, it’s three, but this trio of chunky rose gold bands cleverly studded with diamonds in star, raindrop and navette-shaped settings are just too pretty to be parted.
