Mad Inspirations
New York City–based MadStone launched this year with several fine jewelry collections new for Spring 2011. All are inspired by “the netherworld,” according to designer and former fashion publicist Kerri Halpern. One look at three of her current lines—MadSkulls, MadAnimals, and Random—makes clear that Halpern favors a dark aesthetic. For buyers seeking something lighter than the black diamond–encrusted skulls and jeweled spiders in Halpern’s ouevre, there’s always the champagne-inspired Bubble Collection. In silver, suggested retail prices start at $500.
American Estate Sale
Artist Michael Galmer once contributed silver tabletop designs to Tiffany & Co., and crafted his own pieces at Galmer Silversmiths, his Long Island City, N.Y., studio. Soon, however, Galmer’s silver repoussé jewelry promises to take center stage, thanks to its modern-day spin on an old metalsmithing technique (repoussé is the art of shaping a malleable metal, such as silver, by hammering from the reverse side to create a textured relief design).
Chrysanthemum slim cuff with three sapphires and 24k gold lining; $575; American Estate Jewelry, Baltimore; 410-218-9500; americanestatejewelry.com
Galmer has partnered with Carolyn O’Keefe, founder of Baltimore’s American Estate Jewelry, to create a collection of weighty silver cuffs inspired by an O’Keefe family heirloom. They’ve recently expanded the line to 40 pieces, including rings, with retail prices that start at $300. Besides the distinctive styling, much of which celebrates classic American flowers, a signature touch is the 24k gold lining on the jewelry.
Washington, D.C.’s Tiny Jewel Box carries the cuffs, and New York City’s Works Gallery has signed on to carry the jewelry in Fall 2011.