Discovering a new jewelry collection on Instagram is fun, but nothing beats the thrill of stumbling upon a new line in the real world. At long last, jewelers around the country will have that opportunity next month, when JCK Las Vegas opens on Aug. 27, after a pandemic-induced 27-month hiatus. Below are five new collections making their debut at the show. Miss them at your own risk!
Liven Co.
One-of-a-kind tourmalines in a beguiling array of ombré hues are at the heart of Liven Co.’s new Peace and Serenity tourmaline collection, making its debut at the JCK Design Collective (#13030). The grouping of mostly rings—which includes gems in shades that evoke “a warm desert sunset, rain on woodland leaves, reflections of light on ocean spray, and pale shoots of new plant growth”—is meant to represent “a resounding love for nature’s beauty, peace, and serenity,” according to the brand, which is known for its clean, contemporary designs and timeless staples with a trendy twist.
Picchiotti
The storied Italian jeweler Picchiotti is bringing a touch of Valenza to Vegas when it showcases its range of 18k gold, diamond, and colored stone jewels at JCK for the first time in seven years. (Find them in the Italian Pavilion, #18027.) Building on its signature Xpandable collection, the brand is introducing X2, a patent-pending capsule collection of rings and bracelets focused on comfort and wearability. The rings and bracelets feature a new sliding mechanism that allows them to expand and contract, eschewing the need for clasps or ring sizing. Sounds just right for these work-from-home times!
Royal Chain
Specialists in gold and silver basics as well as fun, trendy seasonal styles, Royal Chain (Currents, #14115) is bringing a range of fashion jewels to JCK that are perfectly priced for self-purchasing or gifting. The selection includes fashion necklaces, including 14k gold styles combined with freshwater pearls; colorful enamel and 14k gold initial pendants (in all 26 letters); a new series of silver and 18k gold paper-clip link bracelets and chains; hardware-inspired bangles; and more.
Tariq Riaz
A 2021 Rising Star, Tariq Riaz will make his industry debut at JCK, in the Design Collective (#13046). Riaz, who divides his time between Austin, Texas, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, founded his business seven years ago, but has until now worked as a word-of-mouth private jeweler, making intricate pieces that celebrate the history, architecture, and iconography of the Middle East (like the Qasr Al Hosn bracelet below, a tribute to one of Abu Dhabi’s most important monuments).
“This year I wanted to bring to Las Vegas a taste of Abu Dhabi, where we are celebrating the country’s 50th anniversary,” says Riaz. “Throughout the collection you’ll see elements inspired by the nature, culture, and people of the Emirates. I started with some showstopper rings, experiments designed to play and to test the limits of what we could do in the workshop.”
Riaz is also promoting his abrazo philosophy, which maintains that it’s not enough for jewelry to be beautiful, it also needs to be comfortable, wearable, and to feel good. “Thinking hard about this aspect really changed the way I design my work,” he says. “I’m looking forward to presenting some innovative mechanisms that are going to make a real difference to both customers and retailers: Jewelry that is expandable, adjustable, stable, and comfortable, no matter who is wearing it.”
Uni Creation’s Girl Up Collection
Inspired by Girl Up, a leadership development initiative created by the United Nations Foundation that works to advance gender equality worldwide, the new Girl Up Collection from Plumb Club exhibitor Uni Creation (PC 525) is coming to Las Vegas with a bevy of easy-to-layer contemporary styles designed specifically for self-purchasing Gen Z and millennial shoppers.
Priced from $35 to $900, the designs are made of either silver or yellow and rose gold (in 10k and 14k) and feature pink and blue sapphires, diamonds, and hand-cut beads in ruby, sapphire, opal, labradorite, and moonstone. The line is rife with Girl Up’s iconic symbols, including the dove for peace, the laurel leaf representing both the foundation logo and Olympic champions, the globe for unity, and the “fearless girl” and the stars as a visual metaphor for ambition.
“What’s so exciting about the Girl Up Collection’s contemporary design is the way we’ve linked jewelry to advocacy, giving women and men the opportunity to wear their cause as they take action for global gender equity,” says artistic director Hal Rubenstein. Indeed, in addition to Uni Creation’s six-figure annual corporate contribution to Girl Up, the company is also that pledging 5% of all sales of the jewelry will support Girl Up’s programs to engage, train, and mobilize girls around the world to take action for global gender equality. Fabulous female empowerment jewelry for women of all ages!
Top: Girl Up necklace in 10k yellow gold with 0.24 ct. t.w. diamonds on 18-inch chain, $475; Girl Up Collection
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