CLRECOMMENDS
STYLE
NATURALLYEXOTIC
WHENQUEENVICTORIA
was
mourning the loss of her beloved
PrinceAlbert back in 1861, her
majesty adornedherwardrobe
with jewelrymadeof jet, a
190-million-year-oldgeological
mineraloid founddeepbelow the
cliffs ofWhitby, England. Derived
fromdecompresseddecaying
woodof the rareMonkeyPuzzle
tree, jet subsequentlybecame
synonymouswithmourning
jewelryuntil itwas later adopted
by the fashionable flappers of the
roaring ’20s.
Nearly a century later, jet is
among themanyexoticminerals
andunheraldedgems— includ-
ingperidot, ioliteandmorgan-
ite—being rediscoveredby fine
jewelers for everything from
organic-looking rings andneck-
laces to jewelryoddities likehand
bars andear cuffs.
“Jet is founddeepbelow the
cliffs and isquitedifficult these
days tomine,” saysBritishdesigner
JacquelineCullen
,whobuilt her
entire collectionaround the rare
geologicalmatter. Shedescribes
her chunky rings and spikedneck-
laces asmodern reworkingsof an
age-oldmineral once lost in time.
Others, suchas
Ornella Ian-
nuzzi
and
ImogenBelfield
, incor-
porateexotic stones andorganic
minerals to createwhatBelfield
calls “shapes that look like they’ve
beenplucked from theearth.”Even
established jewelers aren’t immune
to the trend:
RobertoCoin
, known
for his extravagant forayswith
color, ismakinga style statement
with themost rareAfricanblack
jade. And for their first collection
forAtelier Swarovski, designers
Viktor&Rolf
opted for anarchi-
tecture theme, coveringvarious
piecesof their black crystal jewelry
in flockedgray felt as anod to their
felt-coveredParis flagship store.
—WILLIAMKISSEL
Clockwisefromtop left:
RobertoCoin
18-karat rosegold, African
black jadeandgreenagatedropearrings;
$1,900,us.robertocoin.com
JacquelineCullen
limited-edition,
hand-cutWhitby jet feather collarwith
blackdiamonds;
around$10,200,
Ornella Iannuzzi
forRockVault’sazurite
and sapphire “Sur laCôted’Azur” ring set
in22-karatgoldvermeil;
around$8,039,
Atelier Swarovski
byViktor&Rolf velvet
nylon, crystal andantique silverwide cuff;
$620,www.swarovskisparkles.com
ImogenBelfield
crushedpyrite,
rubyandemerald ring set in22-karat
gold-plated silver;
around$1,155,
AUTUMN
AA.COM CELEBRATEDLIVING
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