It’s the holiday season, and there’s no time more appropriate for spectacular jewelry.
Echoing the decorations seen on street corners and in shop windows, in homes and on social media, too, we’re inspired to festoon ourselves with sparkling fashions and accessories—the bigger, the better.
So the first high jewelry collection from London jeweler Aurelia & Pierre, which makes its debut today, is perfectly timed.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a love for luxury and fine craft,” says brand founder and designer Amokeye Adede. “I particularly love jewelry and, after some years of collecting pieces from fine jewelry boutiques, the desire for special and unique creations came about. I started to commission bespoke pieces for myself, which I designed. I would get positive comments from family and friends about these pieces, and they would often ask me to design pieces for them, which I did. I then decided to turn my passion for jewelry and my natural eye for design and detail into a brand, as I had always wanted to pursue entrepreneurial activities at some point. Thus, Aurelia & Pierre was born!”
Adede, who was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, before moving to England for boarding school, studied science and language at university in London, where the designer remains today. It’s a love for language that has had an influence on Aurelia & Pierre’s design—even the brand’s name itself: Aurelia, from the Latin meaning golden; Pierre, from the French meaning rock or stone.
With one-of-a-kind colored gemstone creations detailed in diamonds, Colour and Brilliance marks the brand’s first foray into high jewelry, offering three pieces all named in French—another nod to the designer’s love for language and also a favorite locale.
“My favorite piece from the collection is the fluorite and diamond cuff bracelet Le Coeur & L’ Âme, which translates to heart and soul,” says Adede. (The cuff is pictured above and at top.) “Out of the three pieces, I have the strongest personal connection to it. The fluorite is the ‘heart’ of the piece, and that represents my hometown of Lagos. Not only does the hand-carved fluorite remind me of palm fronds on Lagos beaches, but, incidentally, the color green is also associated with Nigeria. The structural design is the ‘soul’ of the piece and is inspired by the Eiffel Tower, an iconic landmark in my favorite city, Paris.”
While the collection is limited to three one-of-a-kind pieces, Aurelia & Pierre offers a variety of other options ranging from classic diamond tennis bracelets and necklaces to initial pendants and gemstone cocktail rings.
“Personalized jewelry pieces are very meaningful and special and are a fantastic gift idea,” says the designer regarding the upcoming shopping season. “I think initial and letter jewelry pieces in particular will be popular for holiday gifting.”
Top: Le Coeur & L’Âme cuff bracelet in 18k yellow gold with 86.7 ct. custom-cut fluorite and 1 ct. t.w. diamonds, £28,000 ($37,940); Aurelia & Pierre
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