We’ve recently seen how feasible (not only feasible but ideal, really) butterfly jewelry is for the fall, so why not usher in a whole range of insects for the season?
And I’m not talking creepy crawlies like spiders and centipedes (though both make for fabulous jewels and are especially Halloween appropriate) or the beloved bumblebee. The Microcosmos collection from German artisan Atelier Zobel gives us other winged things: dragonfly, moth, beetle, grasshopper—and okay, yeah, a butterfly, too.
Peter Schmid, the designer behind Atelier Zobel, is a magician creator, working with a combination of remarkable gemstones and mixed metals, honing a signature style that becomes instantly recognizable to those who have seen (and admired) his work. Appearing able to paint with precious metals, the line—comprising pieces in combinations of sterling silver and gold in 18k, 22k, and 24k—showcases goldsmithing at its best, fusing a mix of materials together in true art form.
Which makes the jewels from the Microcosmos collection special enough. But wouldn’t you know it—there’s more.
Movement is a notable element in a number of the one-of-a-kind pieces pictured here. The wings of a showstopping lapis lazuli moth open and close. An otherworldly dragonfly is able to move its opal- and paraiba-dotted tail. Even those pieces that remain static appear to move, with their luminescent gemstones and fluid metalwork.
Many of these pieces made their appearance at the 2019 Couture show in Las Vegas, but if you missed them, they’re JCK-bound for February 2020’s Tucson show. Right on the cusp of spring, it’ll be the perfect time to welcome these fluttering friends into your stores (though, really, who could wait that long?).
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