Elite Traveler May-June 2016

INFLUENCE JEWELRY COLUMN

elite traveler MAY/JUNE 2016 61

Nature-inspired jewelry has come a long way since the seashells, tusks and bones that adorned prehistoricman. Today’s artisans are continuing the love affair, but the pieces are anything but aged, says Roberta Naas Roberta Naas on animal jewelry

Cartier, but also engages the passions of animal lovers around the world. However, Cartier is not the only brand that does an amazing job of reinterpreting nature’s finest animals in the gem-encrusted metals. In fact, several key brands offer animal-inspired jewelry that portrays a variety of aspects of life, legend and lore. Jacob & Co. works wonders with wildlife, showing designs ranging from flowers and birds to the much-loved horse. In a magnificent rendition of reality, Jacob & Co. has interpreted the stallion in all its majesty on a cuff bracelet (top left) where the free-flowing sculpted mane wraps itself around the wrist in seductive elegance and power. Roberto Coin, also a master at creative garden-inspired designs and both tame and wild beasts, works a different kind of magic, utilizing gold, large stones and his signature coil bracelets to show off everything from lion heads to mythical dragons and horses. He also works wonders with the beasts of the zodiac, which he has transformed into rings “Animal jewelry created in gold and lavishly decorated in gems to emulate a particular animal is easily one of the most breathtaking pieces of jewelry” (left) crafted in gold and spectacularly set with diamonds and gemstones for a bejeweled eye-catching piece. Jewelry is a personal preference, and the love of certain animals is also deeply individual in nature, but when it comes to animal jewelry, no one can deny the sleek elegance, the raw beauty and the sophisticated power of nature’s life artistically crafted as wearable art. Roberta Naas is an American journalist who has covered timepieces for more than 30 years. She is the founder of ATimelyPerspective.com, author of six books on the subject and contributing writer for many publications

This Jacob & Co. cuff bracelet is crafted in 18K white gold and is set with 10.63 carats of white diamonds and 4.27 carats of black diamonds $158,900

I was recently walking along New York’s Fifth Avenue doing something I love to do in fine cities around the world: a little window shopping. I find myself gazing (lustfully) at some incredible piece of jewelry or a fine timepiece. Such was the case as I strolled past the house of Cartier. I was immediately stopped – well, mesmerized – by the incredible panther motif jewelry staring back at me. What particularly stirred my emotions was the blend of raw animal beauty and stunning craftsmanship – the trademarks of magnificent still life masterpieces. The concept of animal- and nature-inspired jewelry dates back to the dawn of man. In prehistoric ages, people decorated their bodies with seashells, animal tusks, antlers and bones. With time, they found ways to improve these amulets and, by the Bronze Age, had developed full bracelets, necklaces and other jewels in the likeness of leaves, flowers and animals. While the concept of interpreting nature for adornment is old, today’s creations are anything but aged. Thanks to a host of gem setting and metal

molding techniques, today’s artisans can offer likenesses of animals that are uncannily realistic. Animal jewelry created in gold and lavishly decorated in gems to emulate a particular animal is easily one of the most breathtaking pieces of jewelry in the market. Top luxury jewelry brands interpret animals in a variety of ways, sometimes by sculpting gold or other precious metals into highly stylized creatures for the neck, wrist or fingers, and other times by meticulous gem setting and enameling a piece to resemble reality with ultimate shimmer. Inspirations run the gamut from myths, such as the phoenix or the dragon, to beloved domesticated animals and wild beasts of the savannas and jungles. This may well be why Cartier has been able to translate the panther into beautiful jewelry for more than a century (right middle). The brand’s interpretation of the elegant feline languishing, prowling or pouncing has been a symbol of sublime power, mystery and graceful independence. This emblematic beast not only embodies the design and craftsmanship of the fine house of

From the Etourdissant Collection, this Cartier bracelet is crafted in 18K white gold with obsidians, onyx, emeralds, enamel and diamonds $1m

Roberto Coin interprets the fierce ram into a sophisticated 18K blackened white gold ring, adorned with white and cognac diamonds, black and orange sapphires and accented with rubies $35,500