Meaningful Looks - Jewelry Connoisseur

The charms and studs in jeweler Jade Trau’s new Victoria line are perfect for personalizing — and for the mood of 2020.

For Jade Lustig, diamonds are always the focal point of her creations, not an afterthought. The founder of jewelry brand Jade Trau started sketching her new Victoria collection on a long-haul flight to Botswana, where she had been invited to visit De Beers’ operations as part of a small group of designers in November 2019. Named after the British queen who made sentimental jewelry popular, the range captures consumers’ current luxury aspirations: Meaningful, designed to be personalized and layered, and serving as a vehicle for the wearer’s story.

What Lustig could not have anticipated was that her decision to create these charms and mini-studs at a lower price than her previous collections would make them ideal in the financially challenging Covid-19 era. “What I’m launching is a smaller price point or something that you can add on. It is quite fortuitous timing,” says the New York-based designer during a Zoom presentation of her new line.

A dynamic, driven jeweler who didn’t let the lockdown stop her production — she even enrolled her 12-year-old twin sons to help with FedEx parcels — Lustig highlights how important her relationship with retailers is. In fact, she has given them the first pick of the Victoria line.
“I am so grateful for all my retail partners,” she says. “They all invest in my collection, and they work so hard to not just promote their own brand. I wanted to give them a chance. So I’m waiting [before I] launch direct to the consumers.”

ZODIAC
“I love the zodiac [signs], and I feel very connected to them. And I wanted it to feel like my storytelling was authentic to what’s real for me,” Lustig says.

Jade Trau Libra pendant in 18-karat yellow gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection. — Libra pendant in 18-karat yellow gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection.

Jade Trau Cancer pendant in 18-karat white gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection. — Cancer pendant in 18-karat white gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection.

Jade Trau Gemini studs in 18-karat rose gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection. — Gemini studs in 18-karat rose gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection.

Jade Trau Sagittarius studs in 18-karat yellow gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection. — Sagittarius studs in 18-karat yellow gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection.

LETTERS
“Everybody loves an initial. I designed all these letters in quarantine, and I really wanted to make sure that each one was different and had a unique point of view,” explains Lustig.

Jade Trau J pendant in 18-karat rose gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection. — J pendant in 18-karat rose gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection.

Jade Trau T pendant in 18-karat white gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection. — T pendant in 18-karat white gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection.

SPIRITUAL
These charms include patented Buddha-cut diamonds from a De Beers sightholder, as well as an evil eye and a cross that are both articulated to create a kinetic effect.

Jade Trau Buddha pendant in 18-karat rose gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection. — Buddha pendant in 18-karat rose gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection.

Jade Trau Evil Eye pendant in 18-karat yellow gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection. — Evil Eye pendant in 18-karat yellow gold with diamonds, from the Victoria collection.

COLORED DIAMONDS
In this limited edition, Lustig revisits her Jade Trau classics with the addition of fancy-colored diamonds, a first for the designer.