There was a time in the mid- to late-aughts when it seemed like the key to becoming a bona fide street style star only involved sporting a sparkly, crystal-covered costume bauble (or 20). But the heyday of colorful bib necklaces and rhinestone arm parties has passed, and now a new guard of independent jewelry designers are offering heirloom-worthy designs for a wide array of budgets. What that means: really nice jewelry that you'll want to wear every day, for the rest of your life. "Minimal" and "subtle" are the words of this era, and designers have been churning out creations that encompass them both — as well as "timeless," and "unique."Fashion veterans Gaia Repossi and Delfina Delettrez have been focusing on fine fashion bijoux for years, but what is exciting about the new wave are the relatively lower price points — for example, Lauren Klassen’s gold padlock earrings start at $200 (not $2,000) — and the emphasis on local production and materials. Also, fine jewelry is now being touted as something people can own to wear every day. Because if you’re going to shell out for a four-digit choker, it should be something that you’ll want to wear 24/7, and not just on special occasions.
Here, eight very fine brands to consider making part of your jewelry family.
Beaufille
Toronto-based sisters Chloé and Parris Gordon debuted a seasonless fine jewelry range last year, as a complement to their chic RTW and accessories label, Beaufille. It was a natural progression for the brand, which already counts Lady Gaga and Selena Gomez as admirers and just showed at New York Fashion week for the first time in February. Parris had studied jewelry and metalsmithing at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (while Chloé majored in textiles), and swoon-worthy seasonal accessories have been part of the Beaufille DNA from day one. For the fine collection, classic designs were tweaked and adapted to offer delicate, everyday basics in 14K gold and precious stones to the cool girls who are already devoted to the label's sexy LBDs and elegant kick-flare pants.
Beaufille Pistol Earring, $375, available at Plan de Ville.
Beaufille Gypsy Peach Pearl Ring, $300, available at Loversland.
Beaufille Diamond Pavé Easy Rider Earring, $1,160, available at Plan de Ville.
Sophie Bille Brahe
London Royal College of Arts graduate Sophie Bille Brahe has firmly established herself as one of the most covetable jewelry-makers today; since her first season in 2011, the line has been picked up everywhere from Dover Street Market to Barneys New York and Net-A-Porter. The most expensive item from her spring 2016 range costs over $17,000, but many smaller pieces are priced under the thousand-dollar mark.
We’re big fans of her signature croissant and ellipse styles, and love that Brahe cites seemingly disparate but equally awesome references such as Marky Mark circa 1991 and the skies of ancient Egypt as seasonal inspirations. For spring 2016, she’s introducing more organic, branch-like shapes into the collection, and has launched a highly collectible earring capsule with Sacai.
Sophie Bille Brahe Ligne Perve Ear Cuff, $6,580, available at Barneys New York.
Sophie Bille Brahe Alexander 18-karat Gold Diamond Earrings, $3,170, available at Net-A-Porter.
Sophie Bille Brahe Louise Grand 14-karat Gold Pearl Ring, $935, availaable at Net-A-Porter.
AUrate
It’s not inconceivable that nascent company AUrate might disrupt the jewelry trade for the same reasons that Warby Parker has impacted the eyewear market. Founders Sophie Kahn and Bouchra Ezzahraoui met in grad school at Princeton, and launched in December 2014 with a mission to sell fashionable fine jewelry at lower prices by adopting a direct-to-consumer model. Everything is designed and made in New York City using sustainable and ethically sourced diamonds and metals. There’s a book-giving charity component to sales, and the collection includes both understated layering pieces and heftier statement items. The best part? Almost a quarter of the current assortment rings in at under $200 a pop.
Note: Want to see the pieces in person first? If you’re in NYC, AUrate has a pop-up shop at 958 Madison Avenue until early April.
AUrate Tapered Solid Cuff, $395, available at AUrate.
AUrate X Earrings, $150, available at AUrate.
AUrate Flower Necklace Closed, $650, available at AUrate.
Charlotte Chesnais
Charlotte Chesnais’ line is just over a year old, but this Parisian talent has long proven her design chops: She spent nine years at Balenciaga with Nicolas Ghesquière and led the brand’s first jewelry line, and later consulted for Kenzo, Maiyet, Maison Kitsuné and Paco Rabanne. No wonder her debut collection under her own name, inspired by abstract shapes and redesigned basics, was awarded the ANDAM accessories prize last summer.
Manufactured in France, Chesnais’ silver, vermeil and 18 carat gold designs have already been picked up by over two dozen international vendors, including Matches Fashion and Moda Operandi. This fall, she’ll be introducing precious stones such as diamonds, sapphires, and topaz into the collection. May we suggest that you claim a piece while her award-winning styles can still be had for under $500?
Charlotte Chesnais Hook Large Single Earring, $300, available at Monnier Frères.
Charlotte Chesnais Eden Bracelet, $2,350, available at Opening Ceremony.
Charlotte Chesnais Medium Saturne Earrings, $535, available at Farfetch.
Ming Yu Wang
Jennifer Wang founded Ming Yu Wang in 2013, pursuing jewelry after studying fashion design at FIT and initially working in apparel. While it is her hefty statement pieces that have been photographed by Interview and i-D, we really fell for the collection after trying on the smaller, powder-coated geometric rings and earrings. The unique matte white and black coatings, as well as Wang’s inclusion of semiprecious stones such as onyx and agate, add a memorable tactile dimension to her sleekly minimal, slightly futuristic designs (Wang references classic science fiction films as an inspiration). It's jewelry that feels as good as it looks.
Ming Yu Wang Key Earrings, $205, available at Ming Yu Wang.
Ming Yu Wang Collider Necklace, $2,529, available at Ming Yu Wang.
Ming Yu Wang Pixel Ring Quartz, $525, available at Assembly New York.
Quarry
Vietnamese-American designer Ninh Wysocan, who works out of Manhattan’s Chinatown, introduced Quarry in 2011, eight years after launching her namesake line. Sculptural and more minimalist, Quarry also sits at a lower price point: From the bold and curvy Claes brass necklace to the dainty Murus gold ring, all her pieces max out at $900.
Inspired by art movements (for example, the new fall collection references sculptural work by early 20th century non-figurative and abstract artists, such as Ossip Zadkine and Alicia Penalba), Wysocan’s designs are so graceful that many could double as sculpture in their own right. We say, time to start building a collection!
Quarry Adelaide Earrings, $188, available at Quarry.
Quarry Salvador Necklace, $470, available at Bird.
Quarry CT Cuff, $285, available at Creatures of Comfort.
Lauren Klassen
Those push-pin shaped earrings covered in white diamonds, and 14 carat gold padlock necklaces that you have been coveting from Ssense? They’re by designer Lauren Klassen, who now lives in Montreal but previously worked in Tokyo with brands such as Jeremy Scott and Peter Pilotto. She launched her eponymous label in 2013, and already has been featured everywhere from Vogue to Cosmopolitan. Rihanna, Madonna, and Cara Delevingne have been spotted rocking the made-in-Canada jewels.
Klassen’s delicate gold and silver designs, which mimic common disposable objects, take inspiration from art-world concepts of semiotics and reproduction. To keep things interesting, she uses a wide variety of studio techniques, from high-tech 3-D printing and laser engraving to traditional jewelry-making methods, such as wax carving and metal forming by hand. The offbeat inspiration for her latest collection? Office supplies.
Lauren Klassen Paperclip Bracelet, $1,000, available at Lauren Klassen.
Lauren Klassen Padlock Earring, $275, available at Lauren Klassen.
Lauren Klassen Silver Diamond Nail Earrings, $915 $640.15, available at Totokaelo.
Selin Kent
A favorite of actresses Emma Watson, Angelina Jolie, and Jennifer Lawrence, this up-and-coming Brooklyn brand offers architectural gems with playful lines and clever shapes (example: rings that stack like puzzle pieces). Designer Selin Kent favors a minimal, geometric aesthetic, but always manages to include an unexpected detail or two into her pared-down designs that inevitably catches the eye. The collection, featuring 14 carat gold, rubies, and white and black diamonds, is handmade in New York with responsibly sourced materials. To top it off, we love that Kent names each piece in homage to strong female musicians, heroines from books, writers, and artists that have inspired her.
Selin Kent Françoise Pavé Ring, $1,210, available at Selin Kent.
Selin Kent Rose Gold, Black Diamond, And Ruby Stud Earrings, $545, available at Love Adorned.
Selin Kent Elena Ring, $2,850, available at Fivestory New York.
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