Jewelry

PAD Paris: Five Jewelry Designers To Watch - Forbes

The PAD Paris art and design fair took over the city’s Tuileries gardens April 3-7, showcasing the best in antique, and 20^th and 21st-century design to a knowledgeable crowd of collectors. The treasures on show from international gallerists ranged from antique furniture to modern art via design-led jewelry, providing a unique perspective on lifestyle and collector design.

“We love coming to PAD, it attracts a crowd that is less fashion-driven. We’ve had some really interesting questions about design, the provenance of the materials and the artisans involved,” says jewelry consultant Valery Demure of Objet d’Emotion fine jewelry, representing contemporary designers including Melanie Georgacopoulos, Francesca Villa and Jacqueline Rabun. For newcomer 5 Octobre, it’s a chance to showcase designer Sophie Pfeffer’s first collection of limited edition fine jewelry pieces to an informed clientele, as the brand builds on a solid position in the Parisian demi-fine market to move up the luxury ladder.

With the fair moving on to Monaco later this month and London in the Fall, take a closer look at eye-catching pieces from five stand-out designers.

Sensuous curves by Walid Akkad

Franco-Lebanese designer Walid Akkad worked for Place Vendôme jewelers for several years, before starting his own Paris-based label. The clean lines of his finely hand-crafted jewelry are the product of a vision of luxury rooted in simplicity, produced as one-off pieces or numbered limited editions of eight.

Akkad’s signature Spire link mirrors the curves of the body in the gentle undulations of a surprisingly light white gold sautoir necklace, accented with delicate white diamond pave. Elsewhere, the link is reinterpreted as a ring that seems to roll around the finger, made vibrant with graduated colored diamonds or sapphires.

Hand-enameling by Alice Cicolini

Available via Objet d’Emotion

As a former curator with wide-ranging cultural influences and a passion for India, Alice Cicolini reinterprets the art of the Silk Route in unique pieces using traditional Asian artisan crafts. Meenakari enameling is a favorite technique, for which she works with one of the few remaining craftsmen trained in the Persian form of the art, often applied to the reverse of stones and settings to make them even more personal to the wearer.

Set with a central aquamarine, her rings are crafted from 22ct yellow gold and hand-enameled in Jaipur in patterns inspired by Indian miniature art. The same technique is also applied to the hand-carved ebony pendant of a gemstone necklace, featuring purple ruby beads, freshwater pearls and yellow sapphires on fine silk thread.

Sculptural rings by Philippe Guilhem

Available via Objet d’Emotion

A member of the fifth generation of a family of jewelers, Philippe Guilhem’s sculptural rings marry the warmth of bronze – the first alloy ever used – with the sharp sparkle of gemstones that he buys directly from the ground. “I love the contrast of the solid, heavy bronze and the smooth, shiny stones,” he says, “with wear, the owner will create their own unique patina on the bronze, so it’s a piece that evolves over time.”

Inspired by architecture and art, his rings are made to measure or in very limited editions and feel surprisingly comfortable on the finger thanks to a layer of polished gold inside the band. A striking blend of modernity and ancient materials.

Fresh spring earrings by 5 Octobre

With an already solid demi-fine clientele, Paris label 5 Octobre is known for dainty gemstone and vermeil jewelry designed by Sophie Pfeffer and made in her Paris atelier. Drawing inspiration from travel, art and nature, subtle details and a soft play on color come together in wearable pieces that tap into Paris-girl style.

Building on this strong foundation, the label is now making a move into the fine jewelry space, with a collection of gold and semi-precious stone limited editions available from a new gallery on the Left Bank. Sapphires, topazes, and spinels in delicate watercolor shades are pierced and threaded together to create drop earrings that feel remarkably light and fresh.

Bold materials by Frédérique Mattei

Designer Frédérique Mattei sources materials from around the world, to create impactful statement necklaces using anything from hippopotamus bone and painted petrified wood, to Afghan lapis lazuli and antique Indian animal charms. “I like to combine elements from different countries and civilizations,” she told me, “I will use anything that can be pierced, threaded and made into a bead.”

Bactrian rock crystal is a signature, often set off against antique gold beads, or combined with heavier materials to create a pause in a sequence. Her bold, 1970s-influenced pieces with a hint of Yves Saint Laurent or Talitha Getty, blend influences from various cultures.

PAD will be in Monaco April 26-27 and London September 30 – October 6.