Elite Traveler Summer 2021

INSPIRE 20TH ANNIVERSARY GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE LUXURY

EVERYDAY FINE JEWELRY Gone are the days when fine jewelry was saved for a special occasion. A year where special occasions and celebratory events have been few and far between has ushered in a new norm: wearing fine jewelry as everyday jewelry. Granted, it’s not just a year of lockdowns, quarantines and restrictions that has led to an upward curve in the trend — some brands have been marketing themselves as such for years. Alighieri, Sophie Bille Brahe and Anissa Kermiche have all bridged the fine jewelry gap, creating artisanally crafted pieces designed to peek out from under shirts in the boardroom and slip over sweaters on the school run. “I want to offer my clients diamonds for their everyday, whether that’s pieces to wear out to lunch, dancing on tables or working from home,” says designer Jessica McCormack. “We don’t want the jewelry we create to be tucked away, waiting for the perfect event. It’s jewelry to be worn and loved.”

Jessica McCormack Gem Clip Diamond Necklace in blackened 18K white gold and 18K rose gold, with a 0.30 carat diamond pavé-set rondelle of blackened white gold, $20,050, jessicamccormack.com

Jessica McCormack Signature 0.70 carat Diamond Gypset Hoop Earrings in 18K blackened white gold and 18K yellow gold set with two 0.70 carat brilliant-cut diamonds with Georgian cut-down setting and signature Button Back, $19,050, jessicamccormack.com

Anissa Kermiche 14K yellow gold and 0.10 carat diamond Douce cavalcade noir ring, $1,937, finematter.com

Marlene Juhl Jørgensen 18K yellow gold and 0.12 carat diamond hoop earrings, $1,242, finematter.com

SUSTAINABILITY If you follow the jewelry industry, you’ll know that a magnifying glass has been focused on the ethical and sustainable practices of big brands for quite some time. Initiatives like Fairtrade and Fairmined gold as well as AGEC Africa have helped to realize the enormous scope for positive change in the precious metal and gemstone industries. Pandora has pledged to convert to using only recycled gold and silver by 2025, and Tiffany & Co extended the parameters of its diamond provenance initiative, and there are plenty of other initiatives in place across the industry. Ana Khouri and Pippa Small have been using artisanally mined gold and ethically sourced stones for decades, and Chopard has committed to using 100% ethically sourced gold in its workshops. And then there’s the topic of lab-grown diamonds. Created by subjecting ‘seeds’ to intense pressure and heat, lab-made diamonds are chemically identical to mined diamonds but around 30% the price of a ‘real’ mined diamond. While not marketed as a more eco-friendly option due to the significant amount of power needed to produce the lab-made diamonds, the practice certainly eliminates any doubt over ethical mining practices. In May 2018, De Beers, the world’s largest diamond producer, announced its own lab-grown jewelry brand, Lightbox, marking one of the largest investments in the technology seen so far.

Chopard Ethically mined 18K rose gold and 1.63 carat diamond Precious Lace Frou-Frou earrings, $16,900, chopard.com

Lightbox 1 carat diamond and 10K gold Open Work Ring, $1,550, lightboxjewelry.com