Talisman jewelry had arguably its hottest era in recent history during the pandemic, when people sought out items of comfort and protection during uncertain and unprecedented times.

It seems we’re back to coughing and sneezing in public, but the allure of the talisman remains strong. Couple that with consumers trying to be conscious about their spending, and retailers have all the more reason to stock jewelry with meaning.

There’s a ton of talismanic jewelry on the market—a lot of really good styles too, with varying points of view that make the pieces feel special, even unique. It can be hard to choose just one, or a few, even if you look at just a single brand, like Jade Trau.

Designer Trau’s new assortment of charms marks an evolution of those rich gold styles we know and love her for. She brings design elements from her signature Frankie silhouette—featuring brushed gold and knife-edge detail—to larger-scale charms in iconic shapes. Jewelry lovers, beware: You’re going to want to collect them all.

“All the charms have been incredibly well received, which has been really fun for me because it means I get to make more of them for future seasons,” Trau tells JCK. “I’d say the heart and the horseshoe have probably gotten the most love, though. They are so great for engraving, and both are such universal symbols.”

Of course, one can’t see that much gold without asking the question lingering on the mind of everyone in the industry—what impact is the price of gold having on her creations? “That’s a tough question to answer. I think my clients are certainly mindful of rising gold prices, but I’m not sure how much it’s affecting spending yet,” Trau says.

“I think the tariffs, which only hit me as far as my Italian chains go, feel like that extra burden that might start pushing people over the cliff. But since I haven’t changed my pricing yet, it’s definitely too soon to tell.

“Regarding my design, I made a decision to not think in terms of gold pricing and just continue to design the way I do. I make things I want to wear—pieces I love or pieces that I feel are missing from the collection. Before I go to sample production on them, I look at cost estimates. If I see value in it, I move forward with samples. I mean, you definitely hear an expletive or two when I hear what a design is going to cost to make these days, but I also am launching at least six new chains at Couture this year, so I guess it’s not stopping me from designing.”

Speaking of Couture, the brand is a must-visit during the show, though I always come away feeling a bit regretful about the items sorely missing from my own personal collection (retailers, take note—these Jade Trau charms are the treat-yourself modern classics your customers need!).

“My wholesale director, Gabriella De Vivo, completely lost her voice [at Couture] last year— as in, zero sound came out when she tried to speak. So, most importantly, we’re going to have Gab’s full vibrato this year,” Trau says. “From a jewelry point of view, we have those amazing new chains, a few limited-edition pieces with all our Alchemy shapes mixed together, and, as always, some new riffs on JT classics.”

Top: Horseshoe charm in 18k yellow gold with 0.67 ct. t.w. diamonds, $7,000; Jade Trau

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