Lately, jewelers have been looking to the ancient world for design inspiration. From incorporating actual artifacts to drawing on ancient civilizations, as Noora Shawqi does with The Nile collection, designers are taking ancient and archetypal symbols and giving them contemporary meaning. Meluzza does just that with its You Are My Sunshine collection.

Here, an enduring jewelry motif—the sun—is interpreted through the lens of Greek mythology, drawing inspiration from Helios, the Greek god of the sun. Meluzza uses heliodor (yellow beryl), a relatively under-the-radar gemstone, alongside fancy vivid yellow diamonds to translate that symbolism into earrings, a pendant, and a set of rings.

“I have always been fascinated by mythology; ever since I heard these stories for the first time, they seemed to best explain the world around me,” says Paula Doebrich, founder and CEO of Meluzza. “When I was little I often traveled with my mom, visiting ancient ruins in Greece, Turkey, or Egypt. All of these visits made that world seem closer and more realistic. Decades later, a visit to Venice, where the symbol of the sun is ubiquitous, inspired me to capture it in the form of jewelry.”

For Doebrich, the choice of heliodor—a naturally eye-clean gem that measures between 7.5 and 8 on the Mohs scale—also provides an opportunity to introduce consumers to a gemstone they may not know. “I love working with rare gemstones because I believe that there are so many stones that don’t get enough attention,” she says.

“Sadly, the average consumer doesn’t know about many stones that are excellent for use in jewelry, and a lot more interesting than the ‘big three.’ When I decided to make a sun-inspired piece, I knew I would feature a heliodor because it is named after the Greek sun god Helios—what better way to tell a story than letting the gemstone do the talking? Heliodor was also a great choice due to its golden-yellow color and excellent clarity.”

For the earrings, the designer opted to go with all fancy yellow diamonds, citing the difficulty in finding saturated heliodor in the small size necessary for the pair. “The vivid yellow diamonds have the shine that makes the studs stand out, and they’re GIA certified, too,” Doebrich says.

With the sun so ubiquitous in jewelry, it can be difficult to imagine how designers continue to find fresh ways to interpret the motif, let alone translate Greek mythology without becoming overly literal. Doebrich accomplishes that, giving the collection an ancient-meets-modern sensibility while keeping the pieces firmly rooted in everyday wear.

“I make an effort to take the old, the new, and create something that will be relevant when taken out of context,” the designer says. “With the You Are My Sunshine pieces, I wanted to create things that can be worn daily, and remind the wearer that they are loved.”

To achieve a timeless look, Doebrich added texture to the sun through a combination of straight and wavy rays. “Each piece has its own distinctive detail. The You Are My Sunshine pendant features small fancy yellow diamonds along the rays, adding shine and helping the piece reflect light in an unexpected way. The ring set offers flexibility and stacking potential, with two bands featuring wavy and straight rays accented by fancy yellow diamonds, plus a solitaire heliodor ring that can be worn on its own. The earrings feature vivid fancy yellow diamonds to maximize sparkle on a smaller surface.”

With its combination of symbolism, everyday wearability, and an opportunity to introduce consumers to an unexpected gemstone, Doebrich believes the collection’s strongest selling point for retailers is its “wearability, and meaning that everyone can find in its message.”

Top: You Are My Sunshine ring set in 18k yellow gold with heliodor and 0.2 ct. t.w. fancy yellow diamonds, $8,200; Meluzza

• Subscribe to the JCK News Daily
• Subscribe to the JCK Special Report
• Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
• Follow JCK on X: @jckmagazine
• Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine