Design Discovery

By Carrie Soucy, Senior Editor -- JCK Online, 3/1/2004 2:00:00 AM

It isn't always easy for two designers to work together—but when two manage to hit their stride, the result can be stellar. Such is the case with London-based Lawrence Luikham.

A collaborative effort of goldsmith Adrian Lawrence and designer Yoyala Luikham, Lawrence Luikham takes traditional jewelry designs and gives them a contemporary flair. Lawrence's goldsmith training allows him to make Luikham's designs a reality, while Luikham's passion for design challenges Lawrence's goldsmithing traditions.

The duo's work is timeless yet very much aware of current design trends. Take, for example, international fashion designers' focus on bows, ruffles, flounces, and all things feminine. Jewelry's answer to such trends—along with women's demand for jewelry that is both comfortable and unique—comes in the form of Lawrence Luikham's Ruffles III line. The designers create the pieces in the line by taking fine sheets of solid 18k gold and manipulating them into soft curves, which are finished with a matte center and highly polished surfaces. The pieces draw attention thanks to the interesting 3-D design and perfectly worked alternating finishes.

What is perhaps most fascinating, however, is the attention the pair also put into the comfort factor—reworking the designs until they are as easy to wear as they are to look at.