Jewels with childhood references are showing up everywhere right now, with a strong emphasis on gems you would wear while roaming the schoolyard before the first bell or the hallways between periods. It’s not just contemporary brands; even fine jewelers are looking to the past to create pieces with references to a carefree adolescence. Rather than focusing on playground cool jewels, we’re highlighting creations with more sophisticated academic and social references to the school year (and year-round).
This is achieved in lush materials, including gold, diamonds, sapphires, mother-of-pearl, and enamel in autumnal blue, burgundy, and green tones. Updated classics are the most obvious at achieving this trend, like Kathryn Bentley’s enamel locket for hiding a picture of your secret crush, Marie Laure Chamorel’s lush version of a friendship bracelet (bonus, it’s already made for you) and Jonne Amaya’s timeless name-plate necklace . Brent Neale’s bubble letter studs are a welcome addition to wearing one’s initials and include the full alphabet, while Marla Aaron’s ampersand lock is a lovely addition to any neck mess.
Then, there are a little more abstract pieces that include Silvia Furmanovich’s hand painted animal motif earrings , one of which is a unicorn that looks oh-so familiar to anyone who has actually cracked open a dictionary (a real book, not a website!). Yvonne Léon’s ring watch is an innovative switch for telling time from a basic watch and will .
