Jewelry tends to have a pace slower than fashion, yet nevertheless it is constantly changing, growing, and evolving. Here at Vogue we pride ourselves on maintaining our fingers on the pulse while continuously pushing forward to what’s next. We buzz with excitement when we find a new jewelry designer or brand that brings novelty to the discipline, pushes the envelope, and embraces history in its own way.
Our list below includes jewelry designers that look to antiquity and vintage inspiration—Rafael Indiana, Ophelia Eve, and Juju Vera. Some designers like Annika Inez and twin sisters Amalie and Cecile Moosgaard of Lié Studios created their brand to fill the void of beautiful, sculptural, and versatile basics. Others, such as OX NY and MysteryJoy, were drawn to the medium after training and working in the diamond and gemstone industry. The below list represents a group of jewelry designers who aren’t simply one thing and bring a freshness to the jewelry world that inspires the imagination and the hope of acquisition.
Juju Vera
After working as a vintage dealer, New York-based Julia Ferentinos was inspired to make her own jewelry and objects. Ferentinos’s debut collection showcases gold and silver pieces that draw heavily on her Greco-Roman heritage while being modern in size and attitude.
Lié Studio
Versatility is at the center of twin-sister-led brand Lié Studio. The pair focus on simple, wearable pieces—mainly metals—that can be incorporated into busy lifestyles—like their own.
Annika Inez
Swedish born jewelry designer, Annika Inez, creates pared back jewelry that breathes calm into every outfit. We love her modern use of the heart shape, boldly as a pendant on cord as well as an interpretation to create a chain link.
Pamela Zamore
Pamela Zamore looks to inspiration in fine art, decorative art, and vintage jewelry to create 18-karat jewelry that is definitively anti-trend. The 18-karat gold pieces have signature definition and dimension without being too hefty for the wearer.
Ophelia Eve
Family members Samantha and Beth Yorn have teamed up to create a colorful line of fine jewelry that embraces brushed gold, knife edge cuts, and vintage settings. Jewelry lovers will know Beth Yorn from celebrity favorite line Elisabeth Bell and Samantha Yorn formerly of the Vogue Jewelry Team—the brand officially launches October 7.
Edward Borgo
In the second act for his eponymous brand, Eddie Borgo has grown up and embraced fine materials and precious gemstones in his Edward Borgo offering. Borgo, a former Vogue Fashion Funder and CFDA award winner, moved his studio to Los Angeles and championed the city with his fresh signature: palm fronds.
At Present x Jalil Johnson
The collaboration between digital creator and jewelry enthusiast Jalil Johnson and At Present (a next-gen online jewelry curatorial marketplace of storied Ben Bridge jewelers). The capsule champions big ideas in a modern design: pieces that are gender fluid; acrostic jewelry—a vintage jewelry technique used to create hidden messages for the wearer by the first letter of the stones used; and timeless forms that can be worn day-to-night.
Mystery Joy
Joy Toledano harnesses her love of the fantastic, mysterious, and magical in her playful pieces. Trained in Antwerp and Paris, Toledano became disillusioned with mined diamonds and started using lab-grown diamonds for her gold and enamel jewelry that is handcrafted in Paris.
OX
New York-based siblings Jessica and Michael Busiashvili created their ergonomic fine jewelry brand out of a desire to democratize diamonds. Michael drove his gemologist sister Jessica to patent their creations and build the OX brand—the pieces are versatile and can be worn separately or together.
Rafael Indiana
Handmade in Istanbul, Rafael Indiana infuses ancient mythology, carved stones, and the warm yellow gold tone of 24-karat gold. The pieces have a found quality that directly reference iconography.
Vertigo
Taylor Sade created Vertigo jewelry out of a want for timeless jewelry that felt individual and versatile. Sade’s bold and whimsical pieces are handmade in New York City with deadstock material lots from all over the world.