A new jewelry book coming out this month from Rizzoli New York manages to draw attention to an important issue in our industry while captivating the senses with pages upon pages of gorgeous jewelry photography. Bejeweled: The World of Ethical Jewelry profiles 15 designers who are exemplars of sustainable, socially responsible, and philanthropic craftsmanship and production processes.
The featured designers are by no means a comprehensive list, but author Kyle Roderick, founder and editor-in-chief of Bijouxeview.com, has done a great job narrowing her discussion to a gathering of diverse aesthetics and backgrounds. Most are JCK editor favorites, including veteran talent such as Coomi and K. Brunini, alongside newer but familiar faces such as Pippa Small, Ana Katerina, and Samira 13.
Loren Nicole, who was recently picked up by Moda Operandi, and Alice Cicolini, who designed the two rings pictured below, in collaboration with Afghan calligrapher and miniaturist Sughra Hussainy, also join Roderick’s informative discussion of how international designers, artisanal miners, nonprofit organizations, and some corporate mining companies are powering the 21st century ethical revolution in the business of adornment.
Bejeweled also defines important design trends and upmarket consumer preferences, making it a book as insightful as it is beautiful. As designer Hutton Wilkinson of Tony Duquette states in the book’s foreword: “…people who are driving the growth in ethically-sourced jewelry are environmentally and socially conscious Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials. Many of today’s jewelry lovers want to know the origin stories behind their jewelry. Bejeweled…documents the how and why behind the many positive and sustainable changes that are reducing the environmental footprints of the jewelry and mining industries.”
Culturally important, visually compelling—here’s a peek at some of the design-driven, ethically sourced jewels that appear in the book.
Top: The cover image for Rizzoli’s newest jewelry book shows an artful neck mess of pieces by designer Pippa Small that incorporate ammolite, ammonite, and other gemstones. All photos © Bejeweled: The World of Ethical Jewelry by Kyle Roderick, Rizzoli New York, 2019.
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