New year, new you? It might only take the right piece of jewelry to have a person feeling brand-new.
Often that would be a piece out of the wearer’s comfort zone, a style they didn’t already have in their collection—something that feels a bit daring, a statement but one that can be worn on the daily.
I found mine in the Celeste necklace from Brooklyn-based brand Julietta. With a tubogas design and large multicolored opaque gemstones, it reads like a killer vintage find that would elevate a white T-shirt just as much as it could add flair to a business suit. A collar length keeps it front and center, but versatile for all seasons (the brand’s website displays it with a sleek cami, a bandeau, or a T-shirt, though I can’t help but picture it blinging out a turtleneck).
Julietta founder and creative director Juliana Linden says the Celeste is a new take on her brand’s popular Opyum necklace. And if you’re picking up on an ’80s vibe, you nailed it.
“I wanted to explore a new variation that felt just as sculptural but with a sleeker, more refined silhouette,” says Linden. “The inspiration came from vintage Bulgari pieces from the 1980s, a period I often return to for its bold geometry and timeless elegance.”
The necklace comes in several versions, and I’m personally torn between two: rhodium-plated with a multicolor arrangement of lapis lazuli, tiger’s eye, moonstone, agate, and onyx cabochons, and gold-plated featuring all black onyx—a sleek style that looks rich, sexy, and irresistible. (Okay, I guess I gotta have the onyx one.) All the Celeste necklaces have a base metal of brass.
“The gold Celeste with black onyx is our best selling version,” Linden says. “We have restocked it multiple times, and it continues to sell out because customers keep coming back for it.” A sense of urgency builds!
Linden also tells JCK the necklace is made using a “meticulous coiling technique that gives it its smooth, flexible structure. Each onyx element is individually cut and polished, then set within custom metal frames that are hand-assembled into the chain. The clasp is also custom-designed to blend seamlessly into the silhouette.”
Top: Celeste necklace in 24k gold–plated brass with onyx cabochons, $295; Julietta
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