You might describe Rosena Sammi as a professional juggler. Not only is she the founder of The Jewelry Edit, a fine fashion jewelry e-tailer specializing in undiscovered jewelry talent, Sammi, a former attorney and fashion jewelry merchandiser, also runs The Jewelry Edit Foundation, a jewelry nonprofit that offers masterclasses, mentorship opportunities, and community support aimed at promoting fresh voices.
“I’m committed to elevating the next generation of talent and introducing people to our industry who wouldn’t ordinarily know there’s a place for them in it,” Sammi tells JCK. “But maybe what I love most is the storytelling. And that’s probably my South Asian roots. Jewelry has always been more than something to wear. The culture, the materials, the memories are just as interesting to me as the piece itself.”
That explains why, during her visit to the Las Vegas jewelry shows in late May, Sammi was struck by the stories she discovered. “I found all the designers were really trying to focus a lot more on storytelling,” she says. “They all had the story behind their collections and were ready to show their inspiration and how they created it, whether it was a one-of-a-kind necklace at Yael Designs or a piece from the New Zealand designer Alice Herald or whoever they were—there was a lot more thought being given to that, which I really appreciate because that’s what I look for.”
Below, Sammi recaps her favorite new discoveries of the week, the style of diamond jewelry she was on the hunt for, and what stood out most about the bold gold collections on offer.
On what she discovered
“Amazingly, in the short time I had, I picked up some great new designers. I’m always looking for people who are doing something that I haven’t seen before. It’s often an international designer. Last year I picked up a designer from Greece and a designer from Belgium working with upcycled stingray skin.
“This year, I picked up Bag Bijoux, who’s designing jewelry for Hermès bags. It’s about having fun with jewelry. And that’s what I really like about it. You can personalize it, and it’s fun and colorful. Bag Bijoux is in diamonds and real gold. But at its heart, it’s playful. And it’s encouraging people, whether it’s in the fine or the costume space, to think about jewelry as a way to accessorize your life.
“I’m also trying to finalize an order with someone I saw at the NouvelleBox salon at the Luxury show. Kiaia is an Italian designer based out of London. She uses unique, original Italian coins. They weren’t illegally taken, like Zendaya’s earrings. They’re a great marriage of history, culture, decorative arts, and jewelry. And I love those sorts of intersections.”
On the category that topped her shopping list
“I went to Vegas with a particular interest in daily diamonds. For my clients, it’s kind of like, ‘What can we wear that we never have to take off but that’s a little bit more interesting and special?’
“I picked up another designer, Mona Ye, whose line, Yé Brand, does some creative, very organic shapes in gold but also diamonds, with an interesting placement of the diamonds.”
On why color is the way forward
“Diamonds and lab-grown were each trying to find their own lane and get comfortable in what they’re doing. I love that in fine jewelry, whether it was diamonds or precious stones, that we’re seeing a lot more color. Yael Designs at Luxury had this incredible one-of-a-kind opal and turquoise necklace that I tried on. I showed it to a client, and they’re interested.”
On what stood out most in the gold category
“I saw a number of bold gold architectural pieces. But what I liked about them was a lot more thought had been given to the comfort and wear of the jewelry. Even with these bigger pieces, they were comfortable to wear. That hasn’t always been the case. I think designers are putting a lot more thought around not only the impact, but the wearability.”
Top: Emperor chain earrings in 22k gold chain with ancient Greek silver hemidrachm featuring Emperor Hadrian, $7,290; Kiaia
- 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
