Angely Martinez:

Designer Angely Martinez weaves fantasy, nature, poetry and a touch of romanticism into her bold, organic designs. Obsessed with these themes since childhood, Angely is a frequent visitor to museums and galleries. In fact, it was on a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where Angely first discovered JAR’s work and was inspired to cement jewelry making as her life’s work. “At the time, I was experimenting with wire and other materials and creating really big pieces while working other jobs,” she explains. “When I saw his work I said, ‘I can do this for a living?!’ At that moment, I knew I was destined for this business.”

Her most recent collection is an introspective journey into her life and was inspired while meandering through the American Museum of Natural History’s Hall of Biodiversity in New York City. Utilizing the earthworm as a metaphor of physical inspiration, Fertile Ascension represents the cycle of life, from birth into adulthood. A poem Angely wrote to accompany the collection reads: I clean Mother Earth/ I fertilize her Eggs/ I ascend when it rains/ I descend when it Ends

Ashley Thorne (A.M. Thorne):

Artist Ashley Thorne has long tapped into her spirituality in the development of jewelry for her brand, A.M. Thorne. For Ashley, who is based in Washington, D.C. and has been designing jewelry for almost 10 years, jewelry is all about expressing the natural beauty of the materials with which she works. With a mission to empower the wearer through her work, she is also committed to lifting up those who unearth those materials, and she only works with materials that provide harmony and responsible practices towards people and the environment.

Ashley’s most recent collection is entitled Flow and is an elegant and playful approach to reconnect the wandering mind. Inspired by designer and sculpture Maya Lin, and more specifically the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Lin designed in Washington, D.C., Ashley began the creative process with clay, forming curves that began to dictate the concepts of her designs. This exploration of being in flow, in a wave of continuous movement, results in a sense of freedom and surrender in her work.

Jules Kim (Bijules):

Developing, building and strengthening community are guiding principles for Bijules designer, Jules Kim. Designing under her semi-eponymous moniker since the brand’s 2002 launch in the city streets and night clubs of New York City, Jules has blazed a trail in reimagining jewelry as adornment. With trademarked and often mimicked designs such as the Nail Ring she created for Beyonce in 2008 (a play on her childhood penchant for Lee Press Ons!), the Golden Cache Tetons worn by Cardi B or her Earpod Earrings, a playfulness and willingness to take risks coupled with a well-earned sense of confidents permeates her body of work.

Jules’ background in music—both as a classical flutist, DJ and nightlife promoter—is evident throughout her avant-garde interpretations of traditional forms and silhouettes. Her latest capsule collection is entitled Compassion and relies on twenty years of design development and an overt message of empathy and impact as a virtue of a complicated time. The jewelry is infused with emotion, intention and a fierce commitment to creating equity and transparency among the all-female team of artisans with whom she worked on the collection. She explains, “Their expertise as artisans, providers and creators is a universal subject of interest to me and my community, who expect equity and transparency across the board.”

Kassandra Gordon (KLG Jewellery):

The designer behind KLG Jewellery, Kassandra Gordon, is drawn to the intimacy of jewelry. Worn next to one’s skin, its ability to transcend time and convey emotions was first made clear to her with the gift of a gold locket from her mom when she was 9 years old. “It’s the only art form you wear on your skin; it’s so personal and intimate,” she says. “Jewelry is given as a gift to showcase your emotions, or to commemorate milestones like moving from childhood into womanhood, so I’ve always associated jewelry with love.”

For Kassandra, who is interested in exploring the intersectionality of her cultural heritage and her contemporary surroundings, jewelry takes on the metaphorical power of encapsulating both her past and present. Her most recent collection is a reflection of heritage, legacy and relationships and is a statement on how we persevere and create future cultures. Contrasting textured elements with geometric shapes, the capsule is infused with storytelling and includes rings, earrings, a lip ring and of course, a gold locket.

Khadijah Fulton (White/Space):

Minimalism and an art-driven inspiration underpin the work of White/Space designer, Khadijah Fulton. Tracing a thread that comes from ancient goldsmithing and tribal art, she follows that commonality through multiple art mediums to the distillation of basic forms, resulting in a versatility and timelessness in her work. Originally a fashion designer, Khadijah was drawn to the longevity of fine jewelry and inspired by the emotions and sentiments that get wrapped in these small adornments, “Because jewelry is small, we can really stack it on and it holds so much special meaning; you can really walk around wearing your history at all times,” she says. “I love the privilege and honor in having the opportunity to provide that for people.”

Her most recent collection is called Touch and is a continuation of her ongoing exploration of line, form and the power of simplicity. A group of rings crafted with sensuous, curving forms that draw inspiration from 1970’s streamlined glamour, sculptural forms of Modigliani and Brancusi, as well as forms found in Senegalese architecture and ancient African goldsmithing, they are the artist’s first comprehensive foray into the category of ring design.

Lola Oladunjoye (Lola Fenhirst):

Designer Lola Oladunjoye pays homage to her West African Yoruba heritage throughout each of the designs in her Lola Fenirst collection. Combining ancient goldsmithing techniques with state-of-the-art technology, Lola strikes a graceful balance between European tradition and a distinctly, African aesthetic. Jewelry design is a second career for Lola, who spent 18 yers as a technology transactions attorney in California’s Silicon Valley. Realizing that she needed to express her creative side, she explored a variety of mediums including textile design and photography before eventually discovering metalsmithing. Immediately enamored, she continues to be mesmerized by the ability to create lasting beauty out of raw materials, and is drawn to gold in its rawest form, explaining, “Gold holds a connection to the energy of the earth.”

Her work is an ongoing exploration of contradictions and contrasts, and her ability to create statement jewelry that can be worn effortlessly has roots in her royal lineage, which dictates that girls of the youngest age wear rings on every finger and start collecting their trousseaus from birth. Her capsule is an extension of her Beaded collection and is inspired by African Modernism and traditional West African cultural motifs. Since diamonds were not traditionally used in West African jewelry, the collection is a reimagining of sorts. “Infusing West African adornment with diamonds allows me to merge the European and African aspects of my identity,” she says.

Lorraine West:

Relationships are always at the forefront of designer Lorraine West’s mind while conceiving and fabricating her designs. She thinks of her relationships to the materials with which she works, the ways in which her jewelry will ultimately be worn and how her pieces can help convey the sentiments and emotions of its wearer. A self-taught craftswoman, Lorraine first discovered jewelry design when walking past a jewelry supply store and being drawn to explore the beautiful beads, supplies and tools contained inside. She describes the moment as “serendipitous” and hasn’t looked back, taking a leap of faith without asking permission.  Lorraine’s work pays homage to her Caribbean roots and is a mix of bold and minimalist design sensibilities, and her symbolic and geometric designs have been seen on stars from Zendaya to Beyoncé, along with countless collectors who appreciate the excellence of her craft.

Her most recent collection is inspired by Josephine Baker and is an embrace of that muse’s sensual fluidity and bold, courageous spirit. Her “Stack your Carats” concept is conveyed in three rings of rose and yellow gold and platinum, and are created on the principle that you can buy one for an engagement ring, a second for an anniversary and a third for a “push” present. Carefully constructed to nestle together seamlessly, the rings look stunning on their own or worn across multiple fingers. “We want our clients to get used to wearing diamonds every day, like it’s no big deal,” she explains.

Maggi Simpkins:

Designer Maggi Simpkins believes that the stories contained in a piece of fine jewelry add to its inherent value and has long put an emphasis on storytelling in the creation of her narrative-driven engagement rings and future family heirlooms. An intuitive designer, Maggi has no traditional training in fine art or jewelry, yet growing up in an artistic home where she was encouraged to explore her creativity gave her the confidence to begin designing professionally when the opportunity arose when she was 20.

Maggi’s most recent collection encapsulates her affinity for history and vintage aesthetics. The five rings in her capsule collection are a play on feminine and masculine, and have a “bowered from my boyfriend or my grandfather” aesthetic. In addition to creating a centerstage for diamonds with De Beers’s Code of Origin, these bubble rings play with color with halo-esque inlays of malachite, opal, pink opal, lapis lazuli and turquoise.

Melanie Eddy:

Designer Melanie Eddy takes a comprehensive approach to her creative process. From bespoke jewelry to wax carving to hand-finishing to exhibition curation and writing, her experience and expertise allow her to effectively explore the relationship of form to body. Her bold, sculptural designs are informed by the human relationship to architecture, both how we inhabit is and how it transforms our surroundings, “For me jewelry is an intimate architecture–the design of structures for the body,” she stated in a recent article. “In a way, I am feeling more and more like a sculpture but designing sculpture for the body.”

In her most recent collection, Melanie plays on her penchant for one-of-a-kind work with pieces that can be tailor-made to express the style sensibilities of the wearer. After over a decade of creating bespoke pieces, Melanie was intent on staying true to her brand DNA while also allowing collectors to more easily access what they like about her work. “I have designed this collection thinking about how I can collaborate with retailers and make it viable for them to have pieces of mine that they can offer to their customers,” she explains.

Olivia Shih: 

The grace and fluidity in the work of designer Olivia Shih belies the physical prowess and dexterity inherent in its fabrication. A self-proclaimed introvert, Olivia was raised in both Taiwan and the United States and attributes her attunement to small moments to her need to navigate paradoxical cultures; her introversion, multicultural background and observation skills all feed into her jewelry practice. “I make jewelry specifically for other introverts,” Olivia explains. “I think we’re easily overlooked or underestimated in a society that values extroversion, but we deserve to be seen and to have jewelry that truly represents who we are inside.”

Her latest collection is called Lucid and encapsulates the bursts of lucidity that occur in life that give absolute clarity to one’s next step. Her use of custom-faceted quartz with gold shot through is an extension of her art school days, when she worked with the acrylic cast-off scraps left over from her classmates’ projects. The aptitude she developed working with acrylic allows her to adeptly apply her lapidary skills to strategically create both matte and clear textures in  the quartz, offering a juxtaposition to the very refined diamonds with De Beers’ Code of Origin featured in her capsule.

Sara Bautista (Common Rite Supply):

The artistic expression of Common Rite Supply designer, Sara Bautista, is rooted in academia and is informed by her fascination with and study of stories of humanity. The tension in her work between analytical and playful stems from Sara’s exploration of duality and multiplicity, as well as the dichotomy of being raised in a very progressive city while also being indoctrinated in the traditionalism of the Catholic church.

Her most recent collection focuses on the human predisposition to bring something from the immaterial mind into physical reality. Her choice of utilizing both yellow and white gold underscores the hybridity she continually employs in her creative process, and the motif of hands is representative of Sara’s recognition that storytelling in jewelry is in actuality the re-telling of history. “The inspiration behind my work almost always feels like it comes from the tension between being very critical, analytical and also being a total fool,” she says. “I have ‘everything is everything’ tattooed across my stomach and I feel like that kinda says it all.”

Viviana Langhoff:

After attending the Art Institute of Chicago, Viviana Langhoff explored multiple design mediums before she found her true calling with metalsmithing. She found the meticulousness and need for patience in the craft satisfying, and she was drawn to the art form’s ability to beautifully convey history, family and storytelling. Her work is centered around the concept of heirloom, and she continually explores ways to elegantly push design forward while paying homage to our past.

Her latest collection is inspired by the four elements—fire, earth, air and water—with shapes and forms representing those unique symbols woven throughout her intricate designs. Crafted in 18k white gold, the capsule evokes a vintage aesthetic consistent with the artist’s approach to the creative process and her body of work as a whole. Fueled by her faith, she believes we are all “cultural architects,” explaining, “We are all contributors and culture makers. We build the future we want to see or we succumb to the apathy and destruction of it.”

Zulaikha Aziz (Mazahri): 

Mazahri designer, Zulaikha Aziz, has had a lifelong love of jewelry and gemstones. After fleeing Afghanistan with her family as a child, her only tangible connection to her native country was the ancestral jewelry her grandmother, Mazari Majid, was able to rescue. Zulaikha went on to become a Human Rights Attorney with a specific focus on Afghanistan, and when stationed there for a year, she began exploring the diverse gemstones of the country, as well as the traditional designs, symbols and motifs used in textiles, jewelry, architecture and other mediums. She launched her brand, which is named after her grandmother, in 2020 as a celebration of the beauty and joy of her culture and heritage.

Her newest collection explores the connection between materials and designs and the impact they have on both the individual and the collective. “The central themes I kept coming back to were ‘Origins-Connection-Impact.’ I really wanted to highlight both the origin of Mazahri, along with the origins of the materials and ultimately the impact of the pieces,” she explains. “For me it started with the materials–Fairmined gold, Code of Origin diamonds, and lapis responsibly sourced from artisanal miners, mostly old stock from Afghanistan.”