Viral Sensations

During the JCK and Couture shows in Las Vegas , jewelers showcased the styles and collections the pandemic has inspired.

The longer the pandemic lingers, the more we can reflect on the impact of the coronavirus on our lives. Jewelry designers are showing that sentiment in their collections, building into their storytelling the experiences of being in lockdown and distancing from loved ones.

“There are certain sentiments that are going to drive jewelry trends,” noted Eddie LeVian, CEO of jewelry brand Le Vian, at the company’s annual Red Carpet Revue at the JCK Las Vegas show, where it presented its trend forecast for the coming year. The event’s bright yellow décor set the scene for Le Vian’s push toward positivity and optimism, which “we yearn for after more than a year away from loved ones,” he added.

Expanding on the positivity theme, the brand unveiled its Sunny Yellow Diamonds line featuring fancy-yellow cushion cuts. It also identified its branded Honey gold — which draws from the precious metal’s natural tones of positivity — as its “flavor of the year.”

Strong sentiments
Le Vian highlighted another six Covid-19-inspired sentiments that have shaped its 2022 collections. In addition to positivity, the emotions the brand tapped into include:

• Love
Hearts being the shape of the year, running through its Love Sonnets collection.

• Resilience
Expressed through platinum, a precious metal that “becomes strong and brighter with every wear,” the jeweler said.

• Authenticity
The company revealed jewelry featuring the Peacock Aquaprase, a stone it claims to be world’s newest gem, as an expression of uniqueness and being genuine.

• Wisdom
Pearls are a symbol of the wisdom that we have collected during our recent experiences during Covid-19.

• Obsession/passion
Le Vian celebrated the 20th anniversary of its flagship Chocolate diamonds last year, coinciding with the closure of the Argyle mine, the Australian operation responsible for the large supply of these colored stones.

• Make a statement
The company expects stacking and layering to continue as a strong trend as people will want to make a bold statement as they go out and about again.

Creating connections
Meanwhile at the Couture show, Italian brand Gismondi drew inspiration from the paper clip to symbolize society coming together again. That essential office tool that provided the stimulus for the Clip collection is a simple yet symbolic way to create a bond — something people were “desperately missing while separated during Covid-19,” the company acknowledged.

“This collection of jewels symbolizes our need for meaningful connections and unions,” noted CEO and creative director Massimo Gismondi.

It was not only interpersonal connections that were lacking during the pandemic; with travel shut down for long periods, people were also missing the globe’s great cities. Via the Chain City collection, designer Lepa Galeb-Roskopp, founder of Misahara, sought to relive her beloved travel experiences and reconnect her clients with their sense of adventure.

“Traveling has become nothing but a faded memory, thanks to our nemesis — Covid-19,” she said. “We are trying to rekindle those memories by creating pieces that will remind you of the timeless allure of world-class destinations.”

The collection’s style options are a nod to four iconic cities: New York, whose sparkling lights are featured in the diamond embellishments; San Francisco, with the line’s crisp blue enamel referencing the “city by the bay”; Rome inspired the gold and sandblasted texture used in the collection, considering the historical buildings that line the city; and Paris is depicted through all the elements combined.

Main image: Sunny Yellow Diamonds line from Le Vian. Photo: Le Vian.