Dalia Oberlander, listed as one of the Observer's Top 20 New York Socialites To Know This Year, started her company, Latest Revival, to appeal to discerning fans of unique jewelry. Seven one-of-a-kind pieces from labels such as Complete Works, Maiyet, Monique Péan, and more, push the boundaries of classical design, and are now available on www.Christies.com/OnlineOnly, via a partnership with Latest Revival. Below, Olivia Fleming catches up with the designers regarding their creations.
Maiyet Fine Jewelry:
Maiyet Fine Jewelry is known for celebrating rare artisanal skills from unexpected places, seeking to elevate the next generation of master craftsmen from places such as Colombia, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Mongolia, and Peru. In addition to sourcing from these global artisans, Maiyet deploys customized training programs that allow its partners to create higher quality, exceptional products and promote stability and prosperity in their communities. Founded by Paul Van Zyl, Kristy Caylor, and Daniel Lubetzky, Maiyet designs pieces for those who recognize quality and seek something special and rare; someone who is captivated by the caliber of design and inspired by the soul behind the trio's work.
18k Gold Starburst Ring with Opal and Diamonds
Latest Revival: Where did the idea for the constellation ring come from?
Maiyet: 'I have been exploring and reading about the nature of the universe and how it is continually expanding and the abundance it offers for all, if we seek it. And how we too, as humans, have the capacity to expand in many ways - in knowledge, experience, understanding, and appreciation.'
What is the allure of opals?
'I gravitate toward opals largely from an aesthetic point of view. Their milkiness and iridescence, mixed with flecks of pearlescent blues and greens and reds, remind me of the nuanced colors of the universe and of what a "starburst" could look like.
I also like the varying levels of opacities, ranging from a strong, milky opaque to a fluid, more iridescent transparency. I chose to mix the opals with subtle rose cut diamonds so that a nice mix of subtle midtones and fire would marry for a powerful effect.I have heard that some ancients believed opals were symbols of fidelity and assurance, which is nice symbol to keep close to you.'
Maiyet is well known for celebrating rare artisanal skills from unexpected places. Can you tell us the story behind how this ring was made?
'The ring is made by a small, family-run jewelry studio. The wires are all hand-pulled and cut; and the diamonds are rose cut — chosen for their unique facets. The opal is cut with precision using unique traditional techniques and tools, so all the work is handmade.'
Monique Péan:
Known for her avant-garde style and use of unusual materials, such as fossilized bone, Monique Péan places great importance on partnering with artisans around the world to support craftsmanship and cultural heritage. With each collection, Péan also addresses global environmental issues through design, with proceeds from her jewelry sales going towards global philanthropic organizations, such as charity:water, and others.
In 2006, Péan launched her eponymous fine jewelry line. Three years later, she was one of the recipients of the prestigious CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award, and, that same year, won the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award for accessories.
Latest Revival: You are known for employing uncommon materials in your designs, such as dinosaur fossils. What draws you to these materials?
Monique Péan: 'I am fascinated with time and objects that were created by nature thousands or millions of years ago. This fascination leads me to explore forgotten materials as well as the juxtaposition between ancient and modern civilizations within a specific geography each year, which is the primary inspiration behind each of my collections. I am always intrigued by the challenge to translate my travels into my designs.'
Can you tell us a bit about the designs you created for the auction? Combining diamonds with a dinosaur fossil is an especially unique pairing.
'The shape of the flawless black fossilized dinosaur bone ring with white diamond pavé set in 18-carat recycled white gold is inspired by one of the first pieces of fossilized dinosaur bone that I found in the Colorado Plateau. I am inspired by geometry within nature and decided to create this ring to mirror the natural shape that I found. The fossilized dinosaur bone that I incorporate into my pieces ranges from 146 to 156 million years old, correlating with the Late Jurassic Age, and is from the Colorado Plateau, the only source of agatized fossilized dinosaur bone in the world. This material is extremely rare as it has been petrified during the fossilization process. This process preserved the original cell structure of the dinosaur in the fossil, which can sometimes be found in its original bone shape. Due to impurities that were in the surrounding sediment, the fossils range in color from lavender to black with red, yellow, brown and blue. The intricate patterns in the fossilized dinosaur bone remind me of abstract art.'
You are committed to promoting environmental and social responsibility. Why is this so important in the jewelry industry today?
'In an effort to limit the significant ecological damage and human toll and reduce the demand for the mining process, I exclusively use 18-carat recycled gold and recycled platinum in my pieces. The recycled gold and platinum comes from a number of different sources, including existing jewelry. Fair trade stones are closely tracked from the source to the market to ensure that every stone has been handled according to strict protocols. These protocols include environmental protection of the mining sites, fair labor practices at the stone cutting factories, and protection of the surrounding area where the stones are mined to reduce the impact on wildlife, streams, watersheds and groundwater.'
Completed Works:
Founded by siblings Mark Jewsbury and Anna Jewsbury in 2013, Completed Works fuses art with concepts and ideas from our ever-shifting world and comlex imaginations. Inspired by ruined architectures, the brother-sister duo explore how differing motifs and distortions can be used to represent the shaping power of history, when set against the rise and fall of civilizations.
As Artistic Director, Anna draws on her Mathematics and Philosophy degree to create jewelry that is heavily influenced by reductionism, concentrating on shifts in form, pattern and texture, making use of specially selected and unusual materials such as marble and jadeite.
18k Gold Ring With Breccia di Massa Marble and Diamonds
Latest Revival: The ring you designed was initially inspired by a financial event, wasn't it?
Completed Works: 'The inspiration began as a series of questions that we initially developed against the backdrop of the Euro crisis. We were interested in exploring the way successful civilizations decline and decay, and then after a trip to an ancient Roman temple in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley we became inspired by ruined architectures.
We really wanted to find a way to represent in one piece both the stages of decay as a society degenerates from within – creating this powerful sense of the passing of time – but also, on the other hand, the phenomenon within nature that seeks to destroy, envelop and eventually erase a former civilization’s architecture and monuments. So to convey all of this we envisaged a pillar in ruins, slowly being overwhelmed by twisted and tangled thicket.'
You also worked with Breccia di Massa marble in your Pillar collection. What is the appeal of this unique material for jewelry?
'We have always gravitated towards materials that can communicate ideas simply, so what is so appealing about marble is the way it can be carved to achieve a narrative — the way it can be fluted and distorted to tell the story of the broken columns. But I also think marble reminds us of evocative themes, and it’s interesting to see how certain marbles are used in architecture or sculpture to make grand public statements or else reflect certain political or cultural shifts.'
How did Anna’s study of Mathematics and Philosophy, and her interest in the contrasts between high quality materials and purist elements, play into the finished design?
'What interests us about contrasts, that is, in working between two or three ideas or disciplines, is the way they distort your processes and impulses. I think it is because we have this approach that we are so interested in blurring the rules of fine jewellery, of upsetting and loosening the history, for instance, by contorting the exactitude of believing that a stone must be set in a certain way or always working within the parameters of common motifs such as snakes or skulls.
The contrast between high quality materials and purism is interesting because I think that high quality materials can sometimes lead to overly decorative or exuberant pieces. Whereas purism pulls in the other direction exercising restraint and celebrating basic forms.'
Pamela Love:
Pamela Love, a three-time CFDA nominee and Ecco Domani Fashion Fund award winner, is constantly blurring the lines between costume and fine jewelry, drawing on inspirations that range from astrology to rock music and the landscape of the Southwest. Since its humble beginnings out of her Brooklyn loft in 2006, Love’s namesake line has expanded to a full production facility and design studio in Manhattan’s Garment District, where she has collaborated on projects with Monique Lhuillier, Zadig & Voltaire, SUNO, JCrew, Topshop, Rogan, and even Spike Jonze, with whom she designed a line inspired by his film, Where the Wild Things Are, exclusively for Opening Ceremony.
10k Gold Frida Two Part Feather Earrings with Opals and Diamonds
Latest Revival: What is the allure of opal?
Pamela Love: 'Opals are my favorite stone; they are magical... I can’t stop looking at them.'
Your earrings are unique in combining a stud with a drop design. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind it?
'I absolutely love ear jackets. We have been making different versions of this idea since 2007 and I never get tired of them!'
The feather motif is something you have used in designs previously. What is it you like about them?
'Feathers are so delicate and feminine, yet signify strength and independence.'
Deborah Pagani:
In her sophisticated and sleek jewelry, Deborah Pagani fuses a romance of the past with modern whimsy, to fantastic effect. Pagani, who first launched her Deco-rock jewelry collection in Paris in 2007, is known for creating standalone pieces that are as elegant and modern as they are delicate and dramatic.
Since winning the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award last year, which enabled her to show during New York Fashion Week, Pagani has become a hit with buyers, editors, and clients alike. She attributes her design aesthetic to that of her personal icons — Anna May Wong, Tina Chow, and Greta Garbo among them — and has taken to naming her pieces after the women who inspired them.
18k Gold Deca Chandelier Earrings with Diamonds
Latest Revival: How did you interpret your love of decedent design for the earrings you designed for the auction?
Deborah Pagani: 'The earrings are one of a kind, however they are a natural extension of my current design inspiration, which is the blend of art nouveau with art deco. The sharpness of the baguettes was what drew me to using the curvature of the tiers, while I wanted to still give them a bit of unexpected edge.'
You often use a lot of color in your pieces — especially in the Geisha collection. Why did you decide to use a paired back palette of white, grey and black diamonds for these earrings?
'I wanted the two design aesthetics to be clearly defined within the piece. The white baguettes showcase the classic design elements, which is offset by the black and grey, bringing in a bit more of a darker elegance to the mix.'
We imagine the woman who wears these earrings to be utterly and effortlessly chic — something Holly Golightly might have worn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. What kind of woman are they designed for?
'Quite simply, and in the same vein of a Holly Golightly character, the earrings are designed for the woman who finds both simple and extravagant to be equally pleasing. The mix of design and color alone indicates that they belong to the woman who lives her own life between the classic and unexpected.'
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