Up-and-Coming Jewelry Brands to Know
The jewelry you stack, clasp, and slide on every morning is such a personal thing. If you’ve yet to find a piece that embellishes your style or if you’re simply after a few new company names to add to your following list, there are a handful of emerging fine jewelry brands that you’ll want to immediately add to the jewelry box on your bedside table.
FoundRae
Charms and heirlooms have a new meaning thanks to Beth Hutchens. The founder of FoundRae wanted to modernize the slightly antiquated aesthetic most would normally associate with personalized wearables. In 2015, she created a line that aligns with your values and personality. Not only that, but each piece looks timeless. Whether you decide to wear it for decades or pass it down, the necklaces, bracelets, medallions, and more will retain their appeal. Unsurprisingly, the brand and designer have both won numerous awards, and the mystical, astrological, and meaningful tenets and symbols featured on the jewelry have landed well with shoppers and celebs (hey, T-Swift).
Spinelli Kilcollin
This luxury jewelry brand had humble beginnings as partners Yves Spinelli and Dwyer Kilcollin dreamt up and launched the brand from their garage. Now, these fine jewelry pieces are handcrafted at its studio in Los Angeles, and uphold the definition of “minimalism.” That being said, the rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets are far from basic. The shapes are sleek but memorable, featuring unexpected hoops, textures, and stacks. Spinelli Kilcollin is also a master of mixing metals. What was once considered a no-go has proven to be a lovely way to layer and make the most of showing off your favorite cool and warm-toned golds and silvers.
Brent Neale
Fine jewelry can be a little plain in the eyes of some folks. No matter how shiny a herringbone chain or sparkly a pavé diamond earring is, without some saturation or a flashy motif, it won’t sit right with maximalists and fans of color. That’s where Brent Neale steps in. The candy-colored jewels dotting the rings and necklaces of the brand are the most sophisticated and nostalgic take on the bedazzled pieces you’ve probably draped yourself in as a child. Everything from dew on spiderwebs to bubbles to classic fairy tales inspires the lines that come from Brent Neale. Founder Brent Neale Winston is a fan of art and the ’60s and ’70s, which also tellingly translates into her jewelry. Vivid and bright, just one item is enough to make a statement, but in all honesty, these pieces look just as fun (and their brilliance magnified) when stacked in multiples on fingers and necks.
Sophie Buhai
Featuring long, exaggerated shapes, perfectly rounded cabochons, and mesmerizing swirls, Sophie Buhai is a brand to watch. The bold pieces show exactly how fine jewelry doesn’t have to be limited to delicate chains and bands. Founded in 2015 by Sophie Buhai, she wanted to create lasting pieces that weren’t coming at the expense of the planet. Much of the collection is made with recycled and responsibly sourced materials and stones. The sculptural shapes are eye-catching, but even more enticing are the stones the brand chooses to use. Rather than the expected precious gemstones, shoppers will find pops of red jasper, dashes of cobalt lapis lazuli, and the soft white glow of pearl. The brand has also left the confines of the jewelry box and has created other jewel-laden collectibles, including silver candles, pill boxes, and even toothpicks.
Sophie Bille Brahe
Handmade in Italy, it’s easy to please most tastes with Sophie Bille Brahe jewelry. Much of the work is characterized by spirals and waves of circular diamonds, which may remind you of galaxies — and that’s no happy accident. The Danish founder of the same name is a descendant of a famous astronomer, and it’s easy to draw comparisons between the night sky and the dazzling gems in her jewelry. While the main collections are stunning, don’t miss the wedding line either if you’re soon to be a newlywed. The engagement rings and bands have a classic air about them but are a far cry from anything you’ve seen on other sites. A recent addition to the brand’s collection of goods is Murano glass, featuring dreamy shapes and colors molded into vases.
Marlo Laz
For another brand that produces pieces that pop off the screen and the wearer, look no further than Marlo Laz, which was founded in 2014. The items that designer and founder Jesse Marlo Lazowski creates have a global influence, much of which comes from her travels. From India to New York to Egypt, the charms, pendants, medallions, rings, and other accessories feel fun, worldly, and unique to other fine jewelry lines on the market. While the array of picks is bold, it’s hard not to find something to love and its collections have been swooped up by the eyes, necks, and wrists of stars such as Kerry Washington and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Jennifer Meyer
Another brand hailing from Los Angeles, Jennifer Meyer does fine jewelry that’s capable of being dressed up or wearing day to day. While many pieces on the market feel too flashy to wear out for a coffee date or to run errands (and others feel too simple for a fancy dinner), this brand straddles the line perfectly. Link chain bracelets, turquoise pendants, and diamond necklaces can all be found here, ranging between playful and sophisticated aesthetics. The company has even expanded into fragrance, featuring lotion and candles, which feels like a fitting extension for a fine jewelry brand.
Retrouvaí
Made-to-order is becoming more sought after in the fine jewelry world, not only because it offers more one-of-a-kind pieces, but due to its sustainable nature, too. It’s something Los Angeles brand Retrouvaí does well with its handmade pieces. Kirsty Stone, the founder, is inspired by vintage and antique items but she makes them wearable for the modern day, which comes through in each piece. That’s really what defines all of the collections, whether it’s the magical Talisman pendants, nostalgic Heirloom earrings, or the delicious-looking rings from the Lollipop line. Retrouvaí has expanded its portfolio from wearable jewelry, adding trays and vases, too.
Carolina Bucci
Carolina Bucci is a fourth-generation fine jeweler and the brand she created with the same name truly shows it. This lineage of jewelry-making began in 1885 and Bucci has continued the tradition in Florence, Italy. It’s hard to find a company that can create such a contrasting and surprising range of pieces with such success. Shoppers will find simple, small link chains, colorful diamond-studded bracelets, woven rings, and precious stone beaded bracelets that look reminiscent of the plastic versions from childhood — all from the same brand. This understandably makes it a clear favorite for stars like Sarah Jessica Parker.
SHAY
You haven’t seen the rainbow fully personified until you’ve perused SHAY’s jewelry collections. Headed up by mother and daughter team Ladan and Tanaz Shayan, it’s impossible to forgo glamour when browsing the pieces embedded with emeralds, black diamonds, and pink sapphires. The name of the game for wearing this brand? Layers. Piling on chokers, necklaces, rings, and bracelets is encouraged, especially when it comes to showing off the impeccably sparkly jewels and silhouettes that make up each item. The founders make the most of their ability to span two generations and create precious articles that can be coveted for a lifetime by anyone at any age.
Jacquie Aiche
For many years, fine jewelry was neatly categorized and often had to look a certain way to be considered luxury. Jacquie Aiche and her eponymously named jewelry brand banished this idea in 2007. Free-spirited and ethereal, the pieces made by this Los Angeles-based company are meant for “adorning.” The aesthetic involves body jewelry, layers of gold chains, stacks of earrings, and plenty of gemstones. Aiche has noted previously that she aims to design with her intuition and incorporates stones that are meant to heal and provide different energies depending on what the wearer needs.
From dainty to bold, these emerging fine jewelry brands will ensure you have something special to wear for any occasion. Not only that, but finding the right piece is another way of fully embodying your fashion sense and tying together an outfit — all through the magic that we call accessorizing.
