Collar necklaces have been experiencing a bit of a renaissance as of late, and I find myself intrigued with the designs that manage to take the typically statement silhouette and make it a wearable, everyday piece that looks good with everything.

The Alana necklace from German jeweler Bernd Wolf is that and more. It’s got everything that would generally describe something as statement-making—five rows of beads; rich, saturated color; sparkling detail—but is condensed in a way that makes it just as natural-looking with a white oxford blouse and jeans as it would with a little black dress.

Those five rows of beads are composed of lapis lazuli, faceted to catch the light in an electric, glittering shade of blue. Is it possible to not just fall head over heels for a color like this? I think not—it’s a quenching, spectacular hue.

Those beads are set along slender, wiry lines of gold-plated sterling silver, another attribute that lends this piece a casual vibe despite its “statement-ness.” An elongated rectangular outline of cubic zirconia sits front and center, aligned with five of the lapis beads in its frame. That soothing pattern of the beads you see pictured won’t change with movement, as they’re locked into place by tiny gold-plated detailing (if I hadn’t known better, I would have thought they moved along the wires).

The piece is also available in a freshwater pearl version, which takes on an entirely different aura despite the same bone structure. It’s really very dreamy—and timely given the recent demand for all things tiny pearls.

Bernd Wolf founded his namesake brand in 1985 in Karlsruhe, a city in southwestern Germany. Working with his wife, Yvonne Wolf, a jewelry designer, the company relocated to Freiburg in 1989, and it remains there today. The couple’s three children have since joined the company, taking charge of its distribution, online business, retailer training, marketing and PR, and product design.

You can visit Bernd Wolf in the Design Center at JCK Las Vegas, which runs May 31–June 3. For more information, visit berndwolf.com and lasvegas.jckonline.com.

Top: Alana collar necklace in 24k gold–plated sterling silver with lapis lazuli, price on request

Brittany Siminitz

JCK Contributing Editor