A little something: Celestial rings by Andrew Geoghegan

I'll admit, I'm a sucker for colour at the moment (well, pretty much all the time)... And with blossom on the trees, crocuses in punchy purples and oranges popping up and the birds already singing bright and early, the need to throw on some colour each morning is filtering its way into the jewels I'm wearing. Other than my beloved Alexis Bittar bangles, most of my jewellery is simply silver or gold, but these striking gemstone cocktail rings by Andrew Geoghegan are a fun way to add a splash of bright colour.

Andrew kindly loaned me some of his jewels last year, to wear during Professional Jeweller's Hot 100 party. Needless to say I've kept an eye on his creations ever since. These space-inspired Celestial rings are made with loving attention to detail and often have a contrast between the stone and metal colour, while a halo of diamonds orbits the stone. Andrew's also a big fan of rose gold and pink stones which suits me just fine (though I do love the aquamarine Celestial ring, and wait with baited to breath to see if a sapphire version ever appears...)

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18ct yellow gold Celestial ring set with rose quartz
18ct rose gold Celestial ring set with sunstone
Top view of 18ct yellow gold Celestial ring set with golden rutilated quartz
18ct white gold Celestial ring set with aquamarine 

Designer: Sophie Bille Brahe

I have to thank a friend of mine (she knows who she is!) for introducing me to Sophie Bille Brahe's work, and getting me down to London Fashion Week - more of that to follow - in time to get around the Exhibition and the British Fashion Council's Rock Vault space earlier this week. It was there that I managed to catch a glimpse of Sophie's work before the doors closed at 7pm and I wasn't disappointed, not even with just a momentary chance to view her work.

It's designers like Sophie, a graduate of London’s Royal College of Art, that bridge the gap between fine jewellery and avant-garde design. She's one of a handful of talents pushing their way into the UK jewellery scene and someone I'll be keeping an eye on this year. 

Her designs have won her accolades from fashion magazines worldwide and, in her own words, adorn inspiring women. It is her Scandinavian background that also paves the way for her sharp design set - a cross-over of clean lines and architectural shapes with more natural forms such as birds or those with celestial connotations. Beautiful. 

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Palais des Escaliers ring in 18ct gold with diamonds

Palais d’Émeraude ring in 18ct gold with emerald and diamonds

Pavillon Fenetres ring in silver with a single diamond

Lyra ring in 18ct gold with diamonds

Petit Hibou and Petit Hibou Pirate necklaces (cute!) in 18ct gold with a diamond

Rideaux Simples and Rideaux Louise ear cuffs in 18ct gold and diamonds

A little something: Van Cleef's Oiseaux Amoreaux

Last week, with things looking a bit overcast ahead of this chilly snap that we're now experiencing (blimey, have you been outside today? Sheesh...) these courting love birds arrived in my inbox. Normally I don't sway too much towards things sent to me by PRs, unless it's for work of course, but this new collection from Van Cleef  & Arpels brightened up my day so much that I couldn't resist writing about them. 

Crafted with turquoise beads, multi-coloured sapphires (always a favourite of mine), emeralds, tsavorite garnets and set in white and rose gold and studded with round, pear-shaped and baguette-cut diamonds, the Couleurs de Paradis high jewellery collection really is a sight to behold. Tweet tweet my lovelies.