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Wild Things

It’s one thing to forget the natural world and design jewelry that seeks to remind us of lost connections to primal wonders. It’s another thing to destroy the natural world and design jewelry that re-commits us to protecting those wonders.

By Deborah Yonick, Colored Stone's Trends Tracker

Katey Brunini's Snail Ring

Nature has inspired designers throughout history, but our growing concerns for our planet, as well as our desire to be more connected with reality, have placed a greater, more urgent focus on the natural elements of our world. Today’s hottest jewelry designers are taking cues from Mother Earth and some of her most brilliantly colorful creations. Tree huggers are not the only ones who’ll go wild for these styles.

Favorite themes include insects; animals of the land, air and sea; and plants and flowers. Colored stones are the preferred medium to breathe life into these creations, and with the variety of gems that exist options are aplenty.

Going Buggy

Designers are bugging out over insects, from creepy crawlers to high fliers, creating pieces their fans are not likely to step on or swat at. Mysterious, graceful, whimsical and powerful, these bejeweled insects and their eight-legged arachnid friends are actually very beautiful.

Steven Webster's "Fly By Night" Angler ring in 18K yellow gold and diamonds.

Great examples of how chic these creatures can be are found in the collections of Jamaican designer Anna Ruth Henriques, who paints waif-like images of insects—from mosquitoes to dragonflies—on mother of pearl that she seals under faceted quartz crystal in her signature amulets. More whimsical are her chunky web rock rings in carved opaque stones like malachite, carnelian, and tiger’s eye with a delicate gold spider atop. Spiders, scorpions, and insects are frequent themes in Henriques’ jewelry. Unlike most, she loves bugs and finds beauty and grace in their form and characteristics. Among her most popular pieces are her web cuff bracelet and scorpion earrings.

Also exploring his creepy side, Brit Stephen Webster gives a rock and roll edge to his insect-infested designs featuring diamond and gem pavé encrusted fly pins and giant king bug ring with domed chrysocolla cabochon thorax. Webster’s Angler ring, a part of his “Fly by Night” collection, is not so blatantly buggy in 18k yellow gold and diamonds with chocolate quartz center and bubbly gem cab accents along the sides of the shank.

Anna Ruth Henriquez's Amulet Crystal (with butterfly painted under quartz).	Steven Webster's King Bug Ring.

Animal Magnetism

Le Vian's coiled white and chocolate diamond and sapphire Snake Bracelet.

Designers in tune with the natural world also are attracted to animal motifs, such as Katey Brunini, whose latest Spirit Animal collection pays homage to the animal spirit guides revered in the Native American and Mayan cultures. Evolving from twigs to rattlesnakes to spiders and their webs, this Solana Beach, California artist is now inspired by animals symbolic of various character attributes. Many cultures believe that channeling the spirit of our animal friends can give us super human strength to combat adversity and summon our best and brightest potential. Her turtle pendant, for example, communicates good planning and creativity, while her snail ring inspires self-sufficiency and adaptability. Brunini’s collection includes creatures from reptiles and birds to sea and land dwellers.

Snakes in particular have been basking in the limelight, perhaps because they symbolize shrewdness, transformation, and wisdom. No doubt their twisting and meandering shape bodes well for many jewelry styles, especially rings and bracelets. Some colorful examples are found in the collections of Hollywood’s favorite designer Erica Courtney, like her ring with a gold and diamond snake a top a sparkling citrine center. Or, a coiled white and chocolate diamond and sapphire snake bracelet in 18k white gold by LeVian of Great Neck, New York—sure to raise Cleopatra from the dead.

Katey Brunini's Octopus Pendant	Turtle Pendant by Katey Brunini

Flower Power

Plants and flowers have always provided designers a great deal to emulate in the way of shapes, textures, and colors. In fact, floral prints have remained an important design direction in fashion for many seasons, but this spring is especially overgrown with lush flower and plant motifs.

The power of flowers—in oversize prints, intricate embroideries, and graphic patterns—will be everywhere in themes ranging from Asian inspired to hippy chic to folk fabulous. But not everyone will want to look like a botanical garden, opting for subtler ways of going green. Thank goodness for accessories, more specifically jewelry, to rise to the occasion.

Calla Lily Pin by NAFCO	Lily Pad Pin by NAFCO

From calla lilies to daisies to roses, the Scottsdale, Arizona-based designing firm, NAFCO, takes nature’s most beautiful gemstones and sets them in jewels that are as breathtaking as the most abundantly colorful gardens. The Italian brand, Graziella, also has a stunning collection of gold flowers set with gems in bursting bouquets for cuff bracelets, earrings, rings, and grand necklaces. While the Brazilian jewelry house of Bruner takes many of its design cues from the Rain Forest, recreating a variety of leaf formations in uniquely cut gemstones like smoky quartz, black jade and peridot set with textured 18k gold.

As we look to be more grounded in 2009, the desire to become one with nature is sure to influence design choices that reflect Mother Earth’s creations. Jewelry expressing these motifs will let fashionistas incorporate these trends in a meaningful way, from both a value standpoint to one teeming in emotion and personal style.

Spring Air Pendant by Paula Crevoshay.	Harvest Angel Pendant by Paula Crevoshay.

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