A couple decades ago, Sarah Graham of Sarah Graham Metalsmithing and her husband went backpacking along Italy’s Mediterranean coast, bringing home great memories and inspiration for future designs. So looking ahead to the 20th anniversary of the trip, Graham decided it was time to revisit it—literally. So in anticipation of another long visit to Italy (this summer!), the designer is unveiling the Sea Urchin collection of 18k gold and oxidized cobalt chrome with diamond accents.

“We will show approximately 15 pieces at the Couture Show,” says the designer.

But this collection is just a teaser of what’s to come after she returns home—fully rested, recharged, and newly inspired—from her summer abroad. She’ll leave for Italy as soon as the show ends, and fans will be able to track her journey via her website’s blog and Facebook posts (which she hopes her retailers will share with customers).

“The plan is to start in the South and work our way North to escape the heat and the tourists,” she says. “We plan on spending a good amount of time on Sardinia and in the Lombardy region, but we are going without reservations.… We may even rent an RV and tour around. We’ll stop when we find something interesting, and move on when we are ready to discover something else!”

Sea Urchin pendant necklace in 18k gold and oxidized cobalt chrome with 0.15 ct. t.w. diamonds; $3,065

JCK