Rounding out the week with content inspired by my visit to Finery Row in Washington, D.C., this past weekend is a killer collection from designer Amy Glaswand.
I met Amy a few years ago and was immediately drawn to her Art Deco–esque designs that made wonderfully modern use of pearls. Looking back at JCKonline, it’s been more than three years since I started writing about those pieces—it feels like much less time than that.
So, I was clearly overdue for something new to admire by Glaswand—and I got it, in the form of this excellent enamel collection.
The collection crafted with enamel boasts a range of different styles, from chain necklaces spaced with enamel baguette stations, hexagonal gemstone earrings framed in enamel borders, to—my personal favorite, and one that is headlining my holiday wishlist at the moment—a selection of shield pendants with enamel, colored gemstones, and diamonds.
When I first saw the shield pendants (collectively named Shield), they were grouped in a charm-like arrangement on a cool link chain. The designer wasn’t totally pleased by the way they clustered together (one would ultimately end up covering the other), but that’s almost what I liked about it most. It had the appearance of a collection of favorite pieces—talismans from eras past—worn together not because it looked perfect, but because it meant something special to do so (though for the record, to me, the look was perfect).
They’re represented well because that vintage talisman vibe is exactly what the designer was going for. “I have been collecting antique Victorian watch chains and fobs for years,” says Glaswand. “Thinking about how I could translate from them into a more modern group, my Shield collection was born. My variation on the shield shape is meant to be worn alone, or layered as a modern fob, with each telling its own story. I started them in diamonds and gold, but added enamel as I had started working with it. They are modern jewels, but harken back to older shapes and talismans. I plan on continuing to add to the group.”
As for the other enamel pieces now offered by Glaswand—chains and earrings from her Loops and Pop collections, respectively—they were a natural evolution from the shields. “In my working with enamel, I found it to be a modern way to add color and reduce the feel of so much metal in a piece. The results for me are fresh and newer, and I try to keep the enamel as an accent to the stones—not the primary focus.”
For more, visit amyglaswand.com.
Top: Royal Shield pendant in 14k yellow gold with sapphire and enamel, $1,395
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