Metal & Smith wrapped up its latest show in New York City on Monday, and, as usual, there were plenty of new lines to see. (See JCK’s coverage of the August jewelry shows here.)

One of the loveliest lines hailed from Australia—Melbourne, to be exact. Designer Faith Hilda Quek (see her ring, pictured above) delivered a gorgeous collection of sleek rings, earrings, and necklaces. She relayed that she finds her inspiration from the cosmos. “After finding our freedom, the next natural progression is to find purpose,” she said. “Thus, Cosmos collection is inspired by the voyage of the planets through the universe as mirrored by our own human journey. We should never apologize for burning too brightly or collapsing into ourselves every night. That is how galaxies are made.”

Burcak Tolan, who was born in Istanbul, blends ancient designs with contemporary. Her amulet collection, at once traditional and edgy, is stunning. “I am  influenced greatly by consciousness, nature, healing, and uplifting others,” she said. “My creativity process is connected to my heart, designing and knotting each precious stone and infusing them with positive intention and renewal.”

Castlecliff is actually a costume jeweler, first established in 1918. Taken over by Stephanie Schwallie, the line comprises reclaimed vintage pieces often rescued from warehouses after decades of neglect. “Much like Castlecliff’s last collection of the 1970s, I’m constantly inspired by the halls of the natural history museum: from ancient pre-Colombian jewelry and artifacts of the Pacific Northwest to botanicals of the Sonoran desert reimagined into 1970s-inspired silhouettes,” she said. “Sustainability is also a key design element for me, as our archives of colorful vintage glass stones, quirky upcycled components, and vintage chains are the starting point and building blocks for each of our designs.”

Finally, one of the more unusual lines also uses waste and makes it beautiful. Chrissy Liu wondered what it would be like to cut and polish dried paint scraped from the floor of Ford car factories. She calls the unusual material “Fordite” as an ode to the famous American cars. “No two pieces are alike,” she said. “The stones I currently use are from Corvette factories. I am originally from Pittsburgh, so working with a material that represents the manufacturing roots of an industry really struck a cord with me. Owning a piece of Fordite jewelry means owning a piece of American history. ”

Top: Cosmos statement ring in white gold with 1.3 ct. black diamond and 2 cts. t.w. white diamonds, $10,000; Faith Jewels

Kristin Young

JCK Magazine Contributor