5 Fresh Jewelry Brands on Our Radar
Photo credit: @nomis_jewelry
Emerging designers from COUTURE 2022
A recurring theme at COUTURE in Las Vegas this summer was jewelry with sentiment and versatility. Designers are passionate about creating modern heirlooms intended to be worn every day and lasting a lifetime. Longevity and storytelling are a priority, with a focus on exquisite craftsmanship, creating a vessel for emotional communication. We’ve rounded up five fresh brands that stand out for their innovative yet timeless designs. Keep your eyes peeled, you’ll be seeing more from these talents.
Marie Lichtenberg
Paris-based designer Marie Lichtenberg is a former fashion editor who’s quickly gained a cult following for her signature barrel-shaped love lockets. She won this year’s Best in Debuting at COUTURE’s Design Awards. Her pieces are uniquely intricate, featuring colorful enamel and playful inscriptions fabricated by some of the most talented jewelers in the world.
Marie found her passion in modern heirlooms, inspired by a necklace her mother gifted to her on her 14th birthday: a hollow gold chain with a locket clasp—a symbolic keepsake in Creole culture that is traditionally passed down from mother to daughter. Years later when she was considering what she would pass down to her own daughter, she designed her first locket, leading her to launch her eponymous brand.
NOMIS
A modern jewelry brand with no rules or limits, NOMIS creates multifunctional jewelry using 18k gold and lab-grown gemstones. Created by Alyona Kiperman in 2020 in Kiev, Ukraine, NOMIS aims to celebrate the freedom of adornment with gender-fluid designs that challenge how jewelry is traditionally worn. Almost every piece in their collection is convertible: rings can be turned into ear cuffs, earpins become pendants, and bracelets worn as chokers. NOMIS pieces have a futuristic feel with an avant-garde flair that is unexpectedly everyday wearable.
Uniform Object
As a product designer, David Farrugia has a lot of experience dreaming up ideas. It was during his first trip to COUTURE that he was introduced to the captivating world of fine jewelry, and it became clear to him that jewelry could be the ultimate form of product design. His brand, Uniform Object, is known for bold designs and mix-and-match diamond pieces handmade in New York. The style is modern and edgy, yet timeless and effortlessly cool.
Nadine Aysoy
Born into a family of diamantaires in Antwerp, Belgium, Nadine Aysoy grew up surrounded by all things sparkly. Throughout her career as an investment banker, she never lost the delight in giving new life to her own jewelry and reworking the designs of others. She returned to school for gemology and established her eponymous brand in 2017. Her pieces blend tradition with contemporary elegance, made with modern women in mind. The brand balances entry level with statement pieces, creating wearable jewelry that is luxurious as much as it is playful.
Gemella Jewels
Twin sisters Anna and Rachel Aschendof’s passion for jewelry runs three generations deep. Their grandparents were holocaust survivors who rebuilt their life while traveling across Europe working as a messenger for a gemstone dealer. They worked their way up to owning a jewelry business in New York City, which is still run by the sisters’ mom and aunt.
Following in their family’s footsteps, Anna and Rachel launched Gemella Jewels in 2020. Their collections have deep family roots: the “Sweetheart” necklaces feature a signature heart made up of two different gemstones, a symbol for twin sisters often labeled “same but different”(two stones united to create something new). Their newly launched high jewelry collection is named “Stella’s Vault,” paying homage to the rare pieces in their grandmother’s collection.
Editor: Samantha Durbin
Wordsmith: Sam Van deWalle
Every item featured is personally selected by our writers and editors (read: we're totally into it). Please know that when you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission (read: we get to keep doing what we love).
