Enamel is ubiquitous in fine jewelry, yet it’s almost always seen on fashion pieces. Rarely, if ever, do designers use enamel in engagement rings.
Into that void steps British jeweler Alice Cicolini, whose stunning Sari Lucknow bridal jacket stack is proof positive that enamel and bridal are a gorgeous, if unexpected, pairing.
Made by Cicolini’s gold and enamel masters in London (and named for a city in northern India), the stack is composed of a 1 ct. old mine-cut diamond engagement ring set in 14k gold in the center, framed by two white enamel jackets dusted with pavé diamonds in hues from cognac to white. The ring and jackets can be worn together or separately. When the jackets are worn alone, they resemble a chic white cigar band with a delicate pattern of stylized golden florals.
“The jackets are inspired by the Indian archer’s ring form and can be worn as the sparkling adornment for the central diamond ring, on their own as a shield, and then they can also slot together to create a wide band,” Cicolini tells JCK. “I feel that my customers really respond to that versatility. The pattern is inspired by a Lucknow sari that I bought when I visited the city over a decade ago, and is accented with a graduating pavé of cognac, champagne, and white diamonds.”
Cicolini, who used to live in India and now travels there regularly (she answered our questions from the airport in Jaipur), is one of the industry’s most distinctive and authentic enamelists. In her deft hands, enamel is the alternative engagement ring material of our dreams.
Top: Sari Lucknow engagement ring in 14k gold with 1-ct. diamond, $8,830, enamel and 14k gold ring jackets, $10,080; Alice Cicolini
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