With her latest collection, London-based jewelry designer Jessica McCormack took some time away from her diamond-centric work to immerse herself in a creative journey that landed her somewhere in the English countryside. In her mind’s eye, she rambled through orchards bearing luscious peaches, pears, apples, and cherries until she hit on a theme for her next batch of jewels: fresh, figural fruit motifs that capture the essence of summer—smocked floral sundresses, picnics spread out on checkered cloths, and the pleasures that come with devouring a perfectly ripened peach in August.
Given McCormack’s previous career as a jewelry specialist at Sotheby’s, the title of her collection—Fruit Salad—is no accident. On some level it is an homage to “fruit salad” jewelry—basically, a pastiche of brightly colored gemstones. By its more common name, tutti frutti, this style of jewelry is made specifically with rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, grouped together in decadent riots of juicy colors and luminous surfaces.
Cartier popularized tutti frutti in the 1920s and 1930s after Jacques Cartier’s pivotal trip to India on a gem-sourcing expedition. Featuring carved stones and cabochons, Cartier’s “fruit salads” were more abstract—almost none incorporated the likenesses of actual fruit.
Like artists who center chiaroscuro apples and pears in their still-life oil paintings, quite a few jewelry designers have embraced the voluptuous shapes and vibrant hues of fruit in their creations. Think of Verdura’s iconic Pomegranate brooch from 1943 or JAR’s raspberry brooch from 2011. Cathy Waterman has invited collectors to taste carved coral strawberries and peridot apples while designers like Sydney Evan and Alison Lou have punched up ear stacks with stemmed ruby cherries and enamel watermelon wedges. A recent high jewelry take is the Fruit du Desir series by Hong Kong-based designer Austy Lee, who delivers realistic and stylized concepts of berries, grapes, and orange segments with a sculptural feel.
In McCormack’s collection—all pieces are 18k gold—sapphire, ruby and emerald pavé stones are meticulously arranged to capture the natural shading and tonal gradients of the fruits they adorn. And just as 1950s home chefs would spike their fruit salads with aromatic bitters to add a bit of nuance and complexity to the flavors of the dessert, the designer has set these gems in her signature blackened gold for a bit of contrast—a little sully with your sweet.
One piece stands out: a one-of-a-kind polished pendant showcasing a polished 20.25 ct. emerald carved into the shape of a pear.
There are also reimaginings of McCormack’s coveted diamond rivière necklaces, available for the first time in sapphires, ruby, and emeralds, all ideal for platforming any of the Fruit Salad pendants. Which are far from dainty: The apple and peach are the size of a real strawberry.
McCormack’s Fruit Salad is neither cutesy nor avant-garde nor “madame” in feel. Rather, it blends a kind of Fragonard-esque frivolity with a sophisticated vision of modern, wearable luxury.
And whether you respond to the whimsy or the cool factor, this jewelry is a recipe for chic.
Top: Assorted Fruit Salad jewels, all in 18k gold, including (top left) Peachy sapphire pendant, $9,750; (bottom left) drop earrings with yellow sapphires, blue sapphires, rubies, and emeralds, $28,000; and (bottom right) emerald prickly pear earrings with diamonds, $11,150
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