While we all leverage the artform to say something about us, we were curious about what the jewelry we admire, covet and dream about says about the designers who create it, so we posed the question to them directly—what does your jewelry say about you? We wanted to know what the narratives our designers and brands spin through the use of precious metals and gemstones say about their backgrounds, their approach to the artform or their most frequently conjured muses.

From a company like Omi Privé, who views itself as a steward of the precious gemstones with which they work to AG Mehta, who allows gemstones to drive to direction of their designs, gemstones themselves speak volumes. These voices are often indelibly tied to one’s cultural identity, like Austy Lee, who takes inspiration from jade’s esteemed place in Asian culture and creates contemporary designs that serve to broaden its appeal to a wider audience, or VAN, whose founder was inspired by her Australian upbringing to include Australian opals in her most recent designs, or Spectrum Jewels, who pays homage to the “Pink City” of Jaipur as a global destination for stone sourcing and cutting.

Emeralds sourced from the Belmont mine, in Itabira in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, unifies Brazilian designers from the JULLS collective of designers, as well as Moritz Glik, a native of Brazil, to send a symbolic message of that country’s rich bounty of gemstones through their joint project, UNFILTERED. With each brand maintaining their signature aesthetics, the project showcases the diversity inherent in working with these exceptional stones.

Type jewelry’s designer, Sara Bassan, credits her Panamanian upbringing with creating work that celebrates diversity, saying of her rainbow colored bracelet, “For centuries, Panama has been a point of connection, bringing together influences from every corner of the globe. The design celebrates that spirit of diversity and unity, with each element representing a different voice, all connected to create something stronger and more beautiful as a whole.”

Design elements are also key indicators of our designers’ worldviews. The founders of īTÄ lean on their heritage in the development of all of their work, telling us their already iconic Yari Whirl rings are, “our tribute to the rich visual language of İznik tiles, one of the most recognizable symbols of Turkish artistic heritage.”

Jules Kim of Bijules credits her background as a competitive athlete with teaching her discipline, teamwork and belonging, and her most current collection is in keeping with her lifelong passion for unifying those around her through resonate designs. “My new Shoot it Hot Sport Pearl collection transforms the visual language of sport into fine jewelry through hand-carved pearls inspired by basketballs, volleyballs, tennis balls, soccer balls and golf balls,” she explains. “Each piece celebrates the forms and symbols recognized by millions of people around the world.”

Describing his opulent dragon brooch in detail, designer Daniel Yu says, “Where I’m from, the dragon isn’t the thing you conquer. It’s the thing that protects you. Water, weather, the powers you can’t see but live under — the dragon is how my culture gave those forces a body. A guardian, not a monster.”

The scenes and structures that surround our designers are often their biggest sources of inspiration. FerriFirenze looks at all of its work as a “love letter from Florence,” and notes that their designs “reflect the architecture of rising cities and the wonders of nature.”

Hiba Husayni from ZAHN-Z, is continually captivated by an architectural structure in her mind’s eye that informs the direction of her collection, her grandfather’s house. “Like many traditional Syrian homes, its exterior was quiet and unassuming, revealing little of the beauty within,” she explains. “Guests would pass through a narrow, dimly lit hallway before emerging into a breathtaking courtyard at the heart of the home—a sanctuary centered around a fountain, surrounded by jasmine, lemon trees, and lush gardens. Intricate woodwork, mother-of-pearl (sadaf) inlay, and vibrant mosaics adorned every corner, creating a world of wonder hidden behind modest walls.”

For years, the mother/daughter duo behind Miami-based brand Buddha Mama has called Aspen a second home. Their newest collection, which can be found at their downtown Aspen residency this summer, juxtaposes mountain culture and Miami’s white sand beaches, with cowboy themed motifs rendered in colors reminiscent of their signature “Miami Swirl” palette.

For his most recent collection, Seaside, designer John Apel drew on some of his fondest memories shared with his wife in their home on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, “Some of my favorite memories are long evenings at the restaurants along the Bosphorus, watching the light move across the water as ferries drift between two continents. That blue, somewhere between sea and sky, became the heartbeat of the collection.”

Occasionally, our designer’s creativity extends beyond their work with jewelry, as in the case of the mastermind behind Cultus Artem, Holly Tupper. The brand encompasses fine jewelry, luxury fragrance, skincare and a recently launched home collection, which Holly contends are all different expressions of the same creative language. In the case of her Memento Amore Perfume Locket, those expressions live in harmony. Housed inside this 18k gold locket adorned with spinels is a porcelain disc scented with one of the brand’s signature fragrances, which, according to Holly, serves as “a constant companion and reminder of love.” 

Of course, one’s spiritual and/or religious alignment is often where designers and brands turn to showcase their deepest affinities, with many brand’s sharing that their clients don’t need to hold their same beliefs to receive comfort from religious icons. Lionheart, as an example, shared that the brand’s newest Sacred Heart collection was born of demand, “Customers kept asking Joy for spiritual symbols to hold next to their heart in these troubling times. Even non Catholics tell Joy that they love the idea of the Sacred Heart as it features a female’s spiritual presence and with all the war in the world, we need more feminine energy.”