Last night, for the first time in a long time, I didn’t see many emeralds on the 2021 Golden Globes red carpet (or whatever that was—but I’ll take it, obviously). So if you missed them, as I did, this little missive on Net-a-Porter and emerging jewelry designer Jameel Mohammed of Khiry Fine will provide the shot of green you were missing (minus the emerald green splendor of The Queen’s Gambit actress Anya Taylor-Joy’s slinky Dior Haute Couture creation, and actress-singer Cynthia Erivo’s fantastic lime green Valentino, that is!).
It’s a small collection—just a handful of pieces—but each stars a Muzo emerald (the mine has become rather deft at facilitating designer collaborations). With these jewels, Khiry is the latest brand to join The Vanguard, Net-a-Porter’s mentorship program for emerging talent. Mohammed’s mentor will be designer Matthew Harris of Mateo, who was the one who suggested he be brought in for this initiative.
After interning for fashion designers Nicole Miller and Narciso Rodriguez while still in high school, Mohammed attended the University of Pennsylvania to pursue a bachelor’s degree in political science. When a necklace he designed caught the eye of the chief operating officer and fashion director of Barneys New York in 2014, he decided to shift to jewelry design, and accepted an internship focused on merchandising and retail buying at the company.
The Net-a-Porter capsule marks the designer’s first foray into the fine jewelry space since founding Khiry in 2016. Inspired by the designer’s pan-African diasporic vision of Black culture and his personal evolution as a Black artist and creator, the pieces center the Muzo emeralds in silhouettes made with 18k gold from a single mine origin source via the Betts Group and accented with Hearts On Fire diamonds.
The necklace and bracelet below incorporate the Eye of Horus, an Egyptian symbol believed to be a protective amulet.
“Doing this project is indicative that the industry and the world is changing,” Mohammed said in a statement. “The other cause for hope is not merely in the reception we receive as designers but the strength we build together. Mateo has helped to move my business forward by years. This is a moment of empowerment, it’s a collaboration of Black and non-Black creators, that can and will be the site of change. This is where it starts. ”
Emeralds or no emeralds, I surely like the sound of that.
Top: Sorry to report that this stunning Muzo emerald ring from the Khiry Fine capsule with Net-a-Porter, perhaps not surprisingly, has already sold. Set with a stone of 8 cts., it can be remade by special order. (Photo courtesy of Net-a-Porter)
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