It’s the first Britt’s Pick of the new year. What does 2020 have in store for us? If the featured creation pictured above is any indication, plenty of the good stuff.

January is not typically an easy month. We’re coming down from the holiday high, getting back to work, trying to keep up with our resolutions (or not), and just generally trying to deal with the ups and downs of winter weather. By mid-month, we’ll either need a vacation or, at the very least, something bright and sparkly to give us a much-needed mental lift.

These earrings from Alexis Barbeau can’t promise to put you on a plane, but they can transport you mentally, and you may find them to be soothing and certainly easy on the eyes.

A mix of blue tones is a calming sight, this one courtesy of aquamarine cabochons, blue-green tourmaline baguettes, and paraiba tourmaline, also in cabochon form. Tsavorite garnets provide the only pop of bright green, a welcome addition that seems to both complement and contrast.

We’ve already seen evidence to suggest that blue cabochon jewelry is having its moment this year—more than one notable jewelry look from the 2020 Golden Globes featured them—and with Classic Blue being the Pantone Color of the Year, we can surely expect more of this goodness on the way.

These earrings would have been welcome on the red carpet, exhibiting that swingy stiletto form, punctuated with the round gemstone drops. They’re an elegant rendition of Barbeau’s work while staying true to the designer’s traditional oceanic-inspired aesthetic.

Speaking of which, Alexis Barbeau will showcase more works at the upcoming JCK Tucson show in early February (you can learn more about that here).

Top: Ocean Blue earrings in 14k gold with 23.5 cts. t.w. aquamarine cabochons, 5 cts. t.w. blue-green tourmaline baguettes, 3 cts. t.w. cuprian paraiba tourmaline cabochons, and 0.65 ct. t.w. tsavorite garnets, $7,000; Alexis Barbeau

Brittany Siminitz

JCK Contributing Editor