Whether you visited Las Vegas for jewelry week or simply experienced it on your Instagram feed, you may have noticed a bejeweled menagerie on your screen. As demand for jewelry that makes us feel good to wear and see (the so-called dopamine dressing) increases, jewelers are using their design talents to create pieces that are fun with a capital “F.”
“We’re creating what we like,” Brecken Farnsworth, co-owner of Parlé Gems, told me while I was visiting with her at the show. Farnsworth talked about a number of designs she recently created—including a winged tooth fairy pendant—marking a whimsical departure from the brand’s typical designs. “They thought I was nuts,” she says. “The piece sold.” Others like it sold, too, proof of the demand for feel-good pieces as we dress to maximize happiness.
Many other brands echoed this sentiment, providing whimsy and lighthearted styles among their showcased collections. One such designer was Dallas Prince, who, with more than 20 years in the industry, has quite the list of achievements under her name. If you’ve ever watched a jewelry segment on Shop HQ (formerly Shop NBC), you might recognize Prince’s face—the brand also appears on Australia and New Zealand’s TVSN, as well as Berlin’s Juwelo.
For the first time at a trade show, Prince showcased her “as seen on TV” creations, giving attendees even more styles to peruse and adore. Critter Couture, a line made in sterling silver with colorful gemstones and bright enamel, was among them.
If these styles don’t make you smile, nothing will! Colorful hummingbirds, beautiful butterflies, frogs, lovebirds—even a goldfish—they’re all there, delightfully decadent-looking with opals and black diamonds, turquoise and enamel. Some of the pieces are even made to move, like the fluttering butterfly ring that would surely keep its wearer from getting anything productive done while donning it.
You can see more of the pieces at Dallas Prince’s website.
Top: Hummingbird pendant in sterling silver and enamel by Dallas Prince
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