From the archives: Garrard jewellery illustrations

Once upon a time, jewellery designers all over the world were trained in the art of gouache painting and illustrating. Rather than the snazzy 3D design programs available now, jewellers for fine jewellery houses such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier and Garrard had to work up their designs meticulously by hand, firstly in pencil, then carefully layered paint. It's very difficult, very detailed and very small-scale work.

Sapphire and diamond ring by Garrard

This week we'll be posting some of our favourite jewellery designs - the illustrations are pieces of art in themselves.

Emerald and diamond earrings by Garrard

All images are copyright of Garrard, 2012

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Antique engagement rings: look no further than this.

Whilst researching for the launch of our new site sotto voce, we found this beautiful selection of antique diamond engagement rings from London antique dealer John Joseph...swoon...

 1920s baguette cut diamond engagement ring

John Joseph is one of the jewellery dealers selling at the incredible Gray's Antiques Market in London. With over 200 dealers and thousands of vintage rings to choose from, this is seriously the first place you should visit to start your ring research (if you're in the market for an antique ring, that is).

Our absolute favourite though was from antique jeweller dealer Donald & Kyle - a huge 1.13ct flawless (yes, flawless) Royal Asscher cut Art Deco style beauty...sigh...

Our favourite diamond cut, the Asscher cut, is set in double prongs surrounded by princess cut shoulders, and then round bands of studded diamonds further down the shanks. Not too massive, this ring would floor most jewellery loving ladies. Including me.

Gray's Antiques Market:

Grays
58 Davies Street 
& 1-7 Davies Mews
London, W1K 5AB


Opening Hours:


Mon-Fri 10am-6pm
Many dealers open Saturday 11am-5pm
Sunday Closed


It's all under shelter as well, so it beats pavement pounding around Hatton Garden during the miserable winter months...go go go.

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The Cut is expanding! Coming soon: sotto voce..

We're very excited and proud to announce a new venture from the team at The Cut...next week sees the launch of our fine jewellery agency sotto voce!

Grown from the little box in the right-hand side corner of this very blog, sotto voce - meaning 'spoken in soft tones', or 'hush hush' in Italian - was created to discreetly answer the questions of all the people who email us asking for help looking for an independent jewellery designer.

With most of our readers enquiring about bespoke or unusual engagement rings, we have teamed up with the cream of London's jewellery designers to provide a service that helps you to find your perfect ring.

A discreet, exclusive service provides a free-of-charge consultation helping to discover what exactly will make your lady leap with joy (rather than leap off the nearest bridge) at the sight of her new ring - and who the best person to make it is.

Impeccable taste, an enviable contacts list and an insider's access will enable us to guide you through the world of bespoke or limited edition jewellery, allowing you to make the most of your budget and get a beautiful, handcrafted, unique piece as a result.

Stay tuned for more news of the launch! Or if you just can't wait, email us at info@sottovocelondon.com and we can get started in helping you to pop the question.

And don't be shy girls...it's a Leap Year.

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Bright, sunshiny Day: London Jeweller Ben Day brightens up our gloomy January...

This year is all about colour.

We're happy to leave behind the gothic blacks and greys of 2011, and embrace the bright and beautiful world of coloured gemstones for 2012.

Following on from our last post celebrating the choice of colour for engagement rings, we thought London jewellery designer Ben Day deserved his own post.

One of the UK's best ambassadors of coloured precious and semi-precious gemstones, Ben Day is a London based jewellery designer at the top of his game.

We can't get enough of the rich sapphires, rubies, emeralds and opals (our current favourite gemstone) and have been devouring his collections online to try and inject a little colour into these dark days of winter.

Exquisite craftsmanship and a beautiful collection of stones, Ben Day is a fine jeweller who is really celebrating the beauty of the coloured gemstone.

The go-to man for an alternative engagement ring choice, we think.

Have a look at much, much more at www.benday.co.uk.

All images copyright Ben Day 2012

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Engagement Ring Inspiration...coloured gemstones.

Ben Day - Selection

Be bold. A move away from standard Tiffany fare could result in serious brownie points - and fashion points (worth more than Brownie points, apparently). 

From sugar-sweet gumdrop hues from London jeweller Ben Day (above) to a more toned down but nonetheless gobsmacking champagne diamond from Arabel Lebrusan, there are so many more options other than a princess cut white diamond...zzz....

Arabel Lebrusan - Champagne Diamond and Rose Gold Ring

If you're feeling really ballsy, you could go totally off-centre and opt for this stunning ruby studded (set upside down) gold band...

Hannah Martin - It's Only Rock'n'Roll Studded Ring (Ruby)

I know which one I'd say yes to.


Images copyright Hannah Martin 2011, Ben Day 2011, Arabel Lebrusan 2011

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Valentine's Day proposal? Here's some engagement ring inspiration.

This week: Vintage.

Not only do you find beautifully cut stones in old styles like rose cut, or mine cut, but it's also a very ethical choice. Not bringing any new diamonds into the world is kind of like the jewellery equivalent of adoption. Worthy.

Here are some of our favourite vintage and antique diamond engagement rings for some Tuesday afternoon inspiration...

If you're not 100% confident with buying a vintage ring, and you'd rather a new design, it's very easy to take some images of rings you like to a bespoke jeweller, who can then use their finely-honed skills to hand-make you your perfect ring. Email us for advice.

Next up - alternatives to diamonds - coloured gemstones!

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EC One - Winners!

The ECOne Boutique in London's Exmouth Market

A little congratulations to one of our favourite independent jewellery boutiques in London: EC One in Exmouth Market, EC1. They won the Best Women's Boutique at the London Magazine Awards last night, up against big hitter Dover St Market - this is a great victory!

Engagement and wedding rings designed in-house by designer Jos Skeates

EC One embodies the vision we had when setting up this blog - our cities are becoming more and more homogenised, with high street chains and big brands dominating the streets and hence influencing our shopping habits - we need to encourage, support and celebrate the brave, bold and independent stores and designers out there!

Shop local, people, shop independent, and shop quality. Support the smaller business in these tough financial times, and get beautiful craftsmanship, impeccable service and a more unique purchase as a result.

Visit EC One in all its independent glory at either the Exmouth Market boutique, or the Notting Hill boutique.

All images copyright ECOne 2011

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Pop the question: but get a good ring first.

BOYS: if you're thinking of popping the big question this Christmas...or New Year (I'd go with New Year's Eve, or New Year's Day, the more romance the better)...then finding a ring is probably harder than asking the actual question.

But fear not, scardey-cats. We can help you. We can recommend a selection of independent boutiques and jewellers who stock beautiful, handmade engagement rings with the best quality diamonds and precious stones.

Or, for the seriously brave, they could even make you a bespoke design (serious brownie points).

Either way, we're here to help. At no cost. Email us for more information...and well done for getting this far. Very brave indeed.

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More Fernando...

A few behind the scenes photos from London based Brasilian jewellery designer Fernando Jorge's recent show in the vaults at Somerset House. Definitely flavour of the month over here.

Available to buy at www.couturelab.com

All images copyright Fernando Jorge 2011.

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Tomasz Donocik's Garden of Good & Evil...

The swoonsome Tomasz Donicik has done it again. Easily the best on show at this year's Treasure exhibition as part of London Jewellery Week, we saw his new collection 'Garden of Good & Evil' again at IJL.

In terms of elegant yet slightly dark, esoteric, engaging fine jewellery design, Tomasz is one of the best young jewellery designers London has to offer. Perfect if you're feeling a little bit gothic, but in a
high-end kind of way...

Using 18k rose gold, black rhodium gold and white gold, he adds diamond, rubies and tsavorites to illustrate the paradox of nature - deathly Venus Fly Traps vs innocent Lily Pads. The stone choices add a sinister touch with their dramatic deep hues, but this is softly offset through the organic, fluid shapes of the gold.

Tiny details such as black rhodium plated settings for the stones, hidden cage-like structures revealing bursts of colour and the use of pavé not visible from certain angles elevate these pieces to an almost 'haute joaillerie' status.

Unusual choices like pull-through earrings (below) add a contemporary twist, but Tomasz maintains the femininity and wearability throughout the whole 31-piece collection.

Knife-edges and a sculptural feel - as shown in the Venus Fly Trap ring below - is fast becoming his trademark, adding a gothic touch and a hard edge (literally) to fine jewellery design for women, but not losing any of the sensuality you want from wearing precious gemstones like rubies and diamonds.

This debut collection of women's fine jewellery is highly covetable, both for the intricate design and detail as much as for the beautiful display of stones and precious metal choices. Rose gold is a firm favourite for us, and the details such as tapered chains show a finely tuned instinct for feminine style and aesthetic...which is not bad for a man. Tomasz we salute you. Now go make me a pair of the rose gold pull-through earrings...

Selected pieces, including his menswear jewellery designs, are available through Elizabeth Galton's new venture, www.elizabethgaltonstudio.com.

All images copyright Tomasz Donocik. 

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Sex & stones...Brazilian jewellery design at London Fashion Week

We are so tired. Not content with 3 days at International Jewellery London, the London Design Festival, 100% Design at Earls Court and London Fashion Week, we've also been scoping out offshoot projects by one of our favourite designers, the gorgeously talented Fernando Jorge. Sigh.

We love Fernando. His beautifully sexy designs not only drip and drape themselves around our necks and fingers, but he also makes us feel all warm inside when we hear about the ethical practices behind his business.

Nurturing the best of his homeland's talent, Fernando Jorge uses local manufacturers in Brazil and encourages them to develop their skills as makers beyond any level they may have had to previously. By pushing the boundaries in design; he is in turn pushing their own practice.

The smooth, organic, fluid-like shapes of the stones are stunning up close. At this year's London Fashion Week he created an exclusive viewing space in the 18th Century vaults of Somerset House to display the latest diamond studded additions to his Fluid Collection.

Using gold snake wire as an unusual and unlikely encasement for diamonds - snake chain is not used often in fine jewellery - Fernando Jorge expertly manipulates the chain to wrap around hand cut stones such as Chrysoprase and milky Aquamarines, surrounded by diamonds.

The pieces are incredibly comfortable and easy to wear; soft rounded rings and sexy slinky necklaces...it makes us hot under the collar just thinking about them.

Stocked exclusively in the UK at online boutique Couturelab, Fernando is quite clearly a shooting star in the jewellery world. Catch more of him here very soon.

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NEW LONDON JEWELLERY DESIGNERS!

From the Promise Collection by Laura Gravestock

Mmmm, new London jewellery designers, it feels like a lifetime since London Jewellery Week, where have they been hiding? Oh here they are.

Selection of rings, earrings and cufflinks by Amanda Li Hope

Jewellery Connections @ Platform (a supercool Clerkenwell-based gallery that supports unique and independent talent - we love them) from the 17th August until the 19th August, they will be showcasing - and selling - their work produced in collaboration with local manufacturers.

Being a huge supporter of using local resources; resisting the urge to look to the Far East for manufacturing is highly commendable in our book. Jewellery Connections was set up to do just this, and the results of the participating UK jewellers using UK manufacturers speak for themselves.

Head down to the Platform Gallery in East London (nearest tube Farringdon) to see the latest from The Cut favourites Laura Gravestock and Gina Melosi, Claire English and Jessica de Lotz, as well as fashionista's favourite Fanni Schiavoni. We can't wait. But we have to, at least until the 17th of August.

Free entry and a chance to pick up the latest up and coming new jewellery design talent...we're so there.

17th to 19th August
Platform Gallery
31 Greville St,
Hatton Garden
EC1 8AF

Nearest tube Farringdon (Circle, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City lines) or Chancery Lane (Central line)

Opening times 12-6, with late night shopping till 8pm on Friday 19th August. Go go go...

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