It’s day 1 of JCK LUXURY 2015—the first show of North America’s unofficial jewelry week—and I’m ready to see new work! The shows that take place this week are important to so many: me for market work and writing articles, buyers for selecting holiday inventory, and designers for paying their bills.
While I look forward to stopping by as many booths as I can and being delighted by the myriad design surprises that await, I did have an opportunity to do a little early research on some of the folks who are exhibiting. Here are 12 designers and/or showrooms of designers whom I’m particularly excited about seeing at JCK LUXURY, JCK Las Vegas, or Couture.
Every Line at LUXE Intelligence, LUXURY Elite Enclave #11
Bracelet from Larkspur & Hawk
With designers such as Larkspur & Hawk, Madstone, newbie Realm (Ann King’s new line), and countless—there are a lot here!—others, LUXE is a destination for retailers to see if you want great design.
Mutliple lines at Roseark Showroom, JCK Las Vegas Design Center #S11100
Earrings from Karma el Khalil
Roseark is a lifestyle store in Los Angeles whose owner, Kathy Rose, is known for spying great design early in artists’ careers, so it makes sense that she is debuting a showroom full of talent—Elisabeth Bell, Karma el Khalil, Queen Vee, as well as her own eponymous line and others—at JCK.
Little h, JCK Las Vegas Design Center #S11106
Earrings from little h
Hisano Shepherd has helped to innovate design in the pearl category. Don’t miss her geode-like, hollowed-out pearls set with seed pearls or inverted diamonds and other stones.
Chi Huynh from Galatea, JCK Las Vegas Design Center #S10717
Momento diamond engagement ring from Galatea
Huynh is another innovator in the pearl category, and if you’ve heard about his Momento pearl jewelry, know that he’s now offering the technology in diamond engagement rings—the perfect place for an embedded sweet sentiment.
Devta Doolan, JCK Las Vegas Design Center #S10907
Rings from Devta Doolan
I saw Doolan’s work for the first time only a few years ago in the AGTA Spectrum Awards submissions, and I fell for his weighty designs with a contemporary classic aesthetic and super high-end materials like 22k gold. Plus, that name—Devta—is just so great that I want to meet the person to whom it belongs.
Harika, JCK Las Vegas Design Center #S10801G
Stud earrings from Harika
The line has a minimalist vibe with unusual silhouettes, fresh cluster styles, and killer stud earrings (some that look like they have mini jackets). This line is new to me, so I’m looking forward to inspecting the styles firsthand.
Samira 13 Jewelry, JCK Las Vegas Design Center #S10806
Pearl face necklaces from Samira 13
Those pearl skull faces. That is all.
Melissa Kaye at Couture, Design Atelier #15
Hazel rings from Melissa Kaye
JCK has featured the work of this jewelry newcomer quite a bit in the past year. She has a sweet, fresh look built on clever combinations of small stones and some fun looks in engagement rings as well.
Nikos Koulis at Couture #420
New engagement ring with black enamel from Nikos Koulis
Koulis’ new black enamel engagement rings set with classic diamond shapes are as refreshing and covetable as his chic earring jackets. Every piece this man makes is more desirable than the next! Whatever you do, don’t miss seeing his work in person.
Lauren Harper at Couture #1004
Crazy beautiful earrings from Lauren Harper
Harper continues to amaze me with her gorgeous styles that are indeed “fierce and feminine” as her tagline states. Every piece is a statement maker, set with ethereal-looking gemstones and airy gold designs.
Suzanne Kalan at Couture #908
Engagement ring with diamond baguettes from Suzanne Kalan
I adore Kalan’s scattered-stone signature, and I was captivated by her baguettes when she introduced that collection two years ago. And at this show, she’ll debut a line of engagement rings and bands. (Stop back tomorrow to see some of the styles before Couture opens on Thursday!)
Bird-motif ring-to-wrist piece from Colette
Nobody makes birds like designer Colette Steckel, gracefully swooping over knuckles and digits in ring-to-wrist numbers and perched peacefully as studs on the ear. She makes a lot more than that, though, and every year I’m delighted to see what’s inspired her newest looks.
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