The rise of demi-fine jewellery and the best brands to shop now - The Telegraph |
| The rise of demi-fine jewellery and the best brands to shop now - The Telegraph Posted: 11 Feb 2018 12:00 AM PST  High jewellery, fine jewellery, costume jewellery and fashion jewellery – they're the categories we're all used to, right? As a refresher: 'high' counts as rare, one-of-a-kind pieces made with the finest craftsmanship and the most precious of materials – the sort of things you daren't even glance at on Bond Street. 'Fine' is 18ct gold, precious and semi-precious stones, costing up into the tens of thousands. Then there's 'costume': it's flamboyant, it's fantastical, but it uses clever alternatives to its precious counterparts (glass, crystal, brass, etc). And finally, 'fashion': the quick-fix jewellery on the high street. Only now, there's a new kid in town, and it's one to take seriously – but not too seriously.  Catbird Kitten Mitten 14ct gold and diamond bracelet, £290, Net-a-porter Enter 'demi-fine', an emerging jewellery category that hits that sweet spot between fine and costume. How? Well, it all boils down to the price of gold. Gold is expensive, and 18ct gold – the preferred mix of pure gold and other metals used in all fine and high jewellery – is more so than lower carat weights (usually 14ct, 10ct, or 9ct). So when a jeweller uses one of the latter golds in a piece, it's going to be less expensive for them to produce, and less expensive for us to buy.  But – and this is the important bit – demi-fine jewellery still has intrinsic value, incorporating precious and semi-precious gems alike, or simply by virtue of being made from a precious metal, not just coated in it (unlike vermeil or gold-plated pieces). 'While I love the warmth of 18ct gold, 14ct gold is my favourite to design with,' says Wing Yau, the designer behind New York demi-jewellery brand WWAKE. 'It's subtle, yet still holds true to the luxury of fine jewellery. Our customers are drawn to what we consider "understated statements": little bits of luxury that can be worn every day, and then passed down for generations. Subtle design is key to making the jewellery feel personal, rather than ostentatious – these women are buying the jewellery to reward themselves, after all, not to impress anyone else.  When used in the diminutive pieces that WWAKE creates, 14ct gold is hard to differentiate from 18ct, although in general the lesser the carat weight, the less 'gold' the metal looks. But at 14ct, it's a very small difference, which works for Yau. And she's not the only one going down this track. A raft of independent designers are embracing the medium, creating collections that are far more affordable than traditional fine jewellery. Here are the 10 demi-fine names to know now... Loren StewartRachel Loren, Satya Stewart and Annah Stewart-Zafrani are the trio behind LA brand Loren Stewart, and started off upcycling vintage jewellery for themselves and friends. Their superfine gold chain is adorable – especially when turned into a choker with a tiny diamond suspended at its heart. Sophie Bille BraheHer designs are as sweet and discreet as the Copenhagenbased designer herself. Minimal, modern and quietly luxurious, Brahe's single earrings can hold an entire outfit together. A new take on her Petite Elipse design sees a generous swoop of gold looping the earlobe, top-andtailed with two gleaming Akoya pearls.  Maria Black diamond-cut Viva ring, £385, Liberty London; Teardrop amethyst earring, £400 each, Jacquie Aiche; Small Prism necklace, £460, Sarah & Sebastian; Jasmine earrings, from £100, Laurie Fleming; Sophie Bille Brahe Lulu 14ct-gold, pearl and diamond earring, £720, Net-a-porter Maria BlackAnother Dane, Maria Black's simple pieces have just a little bit of edge. Her new Diamond Cut collection sees 14ct gold faceted to sparkle like diamonds, with a scattering of tiny stones. Our pick is the single Colette earring in rose gold, which makes a graceful statement by swooping up the lobe. Laurie FlemingThis Torontonian sprinkles a little fairy dust on all her work – the hand-carved designs and slightly askew-set stones make her delicate pieces seem ethereal and otherworldly. Her stacking rings subtly shimmer with hand-faceted mother of pearl, diamonds, emeralds, opals and coloured sapphires, and beg to be worn together en masse. laurieflemingjewellery.com WWAKENew York-based Wing Yau designs whisper-fine pieces using only the most delicately hued gemstones: opals, coloured sapphires in watery blues and cranberry pinks, luminous moonstones and white diamonds. Her signature pieces are single studs designed to be mixed together – the Three Step Point style in opals or sapphires resembles a tiny constellation.  Cyndra ring, £890, Laurie Fleming; Petite Eclipse earring, £605, Sophie Bille Brahe; Blue Three Step Bar earrings, £400, WWAKE; Loren Stewart 4ct gold and diamond choker, £640, Net-a-porter Sarah & SebastianSydney duo Sarah Gittoes and Robert Sebastian Grynkofki find inspiration all around, from the Great Barrier Reef to contemporary art. The long chain earring from their Oil collection sees a fine chain of gold suspending a single tiny diamond within a cage-like structure. Modern art for the ear. Jacquie AicheThis LA-based designer brings hippy chic to the demi-fine category, incorporating rough-hewn gemstones and Native American turquoise relics into her pieces, which range from diamond-dripping belly chains to tiny, brightly coloured stud earrings. For the latter, her use of opals, tourmalines, and tanzanites – alongside diamonds – in rustic settings make for beautiful pops of colour on the earlobe. CatbirdBrooklyn-based hipster label Catbird's 14ct gold pieces start at around £30 – for a splinter of gold to sparkle in your earlobe. But it's the adorably named Kitten Mitten bracelets, which wrap around the finger and the wrist, that tempt the most. Harbouring a tiny diamond, the chains are so fine they're almost invisible – in the best possible way.  N+A New York 14ct gold and diamond ring, £940, Tom Foolery; Maria Black rose-gold diamond cut Ciara earring, £280, Liberty London; Gold hoops, from £65, Felt N+A New YorkJapanese sisters Noriko and Akiko Sugawara, now based in New York, handmake demi-fine jewellery with a distinctly organic feel. Rustic settings and textured gold set with black and white diamonds feature often, but it's their all-white diamond Cluster Branch ring we're coveting. FeltThis gorgeous Chelsea store and etailer sells all kinds of jewellery but its 9ct gold hoops in a range of sizes are a dream come true. Their lower price makes loading up with different-sized earrings a no-brainer. |
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