Fine Jewelry With Sharp Edges

While some fine jewelry designers are into beauty in the traditional sense—floral designs, rounded edges, and organic shapes—others are increasingly into sharp edges. Previewing the fall 2018 collections recently, we saw a rash of arrows, nails, icicles, prongs, razor blades, and tacks—items that look like they could cut or maim. And retailers and customers are eating it up.

Established, a fine jewelry line in Los Angeles, is among those brands pushing the envelope. Designed by Nikki Erwin, Established features nail earrings, thumb tack stud earrings, and a razor blade necklace all made out of 14k and 18k white, yellow, and rose gold with some adorned by pavé diamonds. “I pride myself on taking risks, speaking my mind, and establishing my voice,” said Erwin. The line already has a strong celebrity following: Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Lawrence, and Kate Upton are just a few of Established’s clients.

Other designers are following suit, too. Mindi Mond, a line based in New York that specializes in Art Deco–inspired pieces, has introduced two icicle-shape earrings, one encrusted in diamonds set in white 18k gold, while the other features diamonds set in yellow 18k gold. Madonna, Cardi B, and Priyanka Chopra are all fans of the line.

Finally, Sorellina, the line created in New York by sisters Nicole and Kim Carosella (sorellina means “little sister” in Italian), has introduced a collection of individual earrings that customers can mix and match. Made from 18k gold, silver, and semiprecious stones, the single Pietra stud earrings have a strong, sharp, geometric shape. Don’t look for subtlety here. The Carosellas pride themselves on producing bold pieces made for the urban, modern-day woman. The brand also blends masculine with feminine styles and vintage with contemporary. The line is carried at Bergdorf Goodman, Broken English, and Fivestory.

It seems edgy, tough-girl jewelry is on the rise.