While some jewelry designs illustrate the sights of the moon—some a single crescent or full moon, others, a sequence of its phases—Greek jeweler Christina Alexiou’s latest collection demonstrates the moon as not just a body in the sky, but also as a place.
Inspired by the Apollo 11 moon landing and cultural elements attributed to the time, Space Oddity gives an up close view of the surface of the moon, this one crafted in dreamy gold and gemstones such as pink and blue sapphires and diamonds.
You’ll find crescent shapes in the eponymous designer’s take on the moon too (as well as floating stars and planets), but overall, the collection feels much more a tribute to a feeling than a celestial body itself. There’s a little bit of rock and roll infused in its creation, and perhaps it’s all of the pop culture references, but there’s a bit of that lonely, dark-side-of-the-moon-type vibe too.
That could be attributed to the fact that Space Oddity was conceived during the pandemic—a time when lockdowns had people missing, and positively craving, human interaction. The pandemic was just as much a global experience as a view of the moon, and Alexiou looked to put that into jewels.
And that rock-and-roll vibe? Thank David Bowie.
“I’ve had a long-standing fascination with the cultural impact of mankind’s first trip to the moon,” said Alexiou in a statement about the collection. “David Bowie’s iconic album Space Oddity, released the day before the Apollo mission, has accompanied me in many different moments in my life; its sense of mystery and wonder deeply resonated with me as I was designing this collection. Listening to Bowie, I found myself reminiscing about the playfulness and glamour of the late ’70s and ’80s. The planets in this collection are my own rendition of disco balls, a symbol of optimism, beauty, and unity. I wanted to create jewelry that gave a feeling of hope, much like the moon landing did. The marvel of space is incredible, it’s something much greater than us, and that is a sentiment I really tried to focus on.”
Each piece was handcrafted in Athens using hand-carved wax molds, the lunar texture of which took the designer nearly six months to perfect. The gemstones that are set in reverse, culet-up style are said to evoke small explosions of energy flowing through craters.
The collection, which made its debut at the Couture show in Las Vegas in June, comprises earrings, rings, necklaces, and bracelets, ranging in price from $2,000 to $30,000.
Top: Necklace in 18k yellow gold with diamonds, price on request; Christina Alexiou
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