Ah, birds. Most of our experience with birds stretches as far as flicking a free newspaper at that sad pigeon hopelessly pecking around the bus stop... or screaming as one flaps up in your face as you're about to cross the road. Eugh.
But then we also know birds are beautiful; they can fly, for starters, and their feathers are wonderfully soft and appear in a myriad of colours. Take a closer look at that pigeon next time - it's neck is superbly iridescent; I think it was Flaubert who described the colour 'gorge-du-pigeon', a reflection of that shimmering greeny-purple!
Like the beady-eyed, sparkle loving magpie I have gone in search of the yummiest bits of bird jewellery, from a stunning ring by Gurhan, to ethical jewellery by Oria. Go ahead, feast your eyes!
Arena Copenhagen are a group of young Danish designers who create chic collections under the Arena name. Their designs vary but each piece has a gorgeous silk-matt finish to it, adding to their contemporary style. Arena's Hope Bird necklace - shown here in silver - bears resemblance to Picasso's Dove of Peace, and is depicted in a playful stencil design.
Keeping with the Danish theme are Clevin Jensen, a pair of twin sisters who studied at Central St. Martins and now work together creating witty, colourful jewellery. Using a closely guarded 'secret process', they transfer images onto silver, making necklaces and bracelets that are sure to draw attention. Past collections have included fruit, butterflies and flowers. This swan necklace stood out from their current collection (check them out at Fashion Week stand A22, if you have the chance!)
Alex Monroe has had a fabulous year, reflected in how often one hears his name these days! After winning Designer of the Year at last year's UK Jewellery Awards, Monroe shot onto the pages of Elle and Vogue. Where I work, he's one of our best sellers; most women are surprised to learn that Alex is a 'he', because his jewellery harbours such femininity. He knows how to get our hearts in a flutter, that's for sure - take his Bird Loop necklace as just one of many yummy examples!
Ethical jewellery is an ever-growing part of the industry and those conscious about working conditions and the environment will no doubt appreciate
Oria. Using ethically-mined silver and gold in their jewellery, the London-based duo behind Oria address the environmental effects of gold and silver mining, donating 10% from every sale of their
silver collection to
WWF. Below are their sweet Bird and Blossom earrings from the collection.
Finally, I have to end on a high note (or, I should say, high-end note) because whilst browsing American designer Gurhan Orhan I stumbled across this 24k gold mosaic ring. Gurhan hand makes all of his pieces, and there's an evident homage to ancient times through his hammered finishes, the use of such rich gold and bright gemstones. Featuring a restored Roman mosaic, Gurhan's bird ring is one-of-a-kind... and retailing at £4290 means I'd better carry on dreaming!
