In Baselworld this year, the Carrera y Carrera team mentioned a possible summer trip to their headquarters in Spain to help spread the story of their heritage. This Sunday night, I embark on that journey and am excited see firsthand the inspiration for their jewelry, as well as meet their management team and the bench jewelers who turn sketches into jewels.

This trip is timely in many ways. First of all, yellow gold is enjoying a resurgence in the market thanks to fashion trends, marketing efforts from the World Gold Council’s LoveGold initiative, and a drop in the metal’s price from all-time highs. Plus, consumers with discretionary income are looking for unique pieces with a story to tell, an ideal scenario for Carrera’s offerings. Among them: the brand’s new Seda Imperial collection. The collection serves as an homage to a centuries-old legend about an embroidered silk shawl dubbed the Manila shawl—and the secrets of Imperial silk embroidery itself—in the hands of a young Chinese princess named Liu-Tsu, who is forced to marry against her will. The story plays out in gem-set flowers, fringe, yellow gold, and colors that aim to mimic the vibrant hues of traditional silk embroidery.

For snaps and other highlights from my trip, follow me on Instagram @jenniferheebner and Twitter @jenniferheebner, and be sure to stop back to this blog for Live From Madrid daily posts. See you from Spain!

Close-up of an embroidered shawl with Asian motifs and herons, which are called garzas in Spanish

Garzas medium pendant necklace in 18k gold with 0.73 ct. t.w. diamonds, $9,600

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JCK