A compass is defined as an instrument that gives you direction and helps you get your bearings. It is an object of utility. That is, until a designer or jeweler gets their hands on it.
Then, the compass becomes a sign of optimism, a way to navigate daily life, and a symbol of the wild, carefree travel we collectively want right now. That may be why a compass feels like something entirely fresh and something every jewelry collection may want to include this year and beyond.
Recently, Vrai introduced its Intentions medallion (shown at top), a modern interpretation of a classic compass design. The medallion features cardinal points and a Vrai-created marquise diamond at its center, serving as a guide for daily goals and intentions.
Vrai CEO Mona Akhavi says part of her company’s mission is to make jewelry that inspires optimism, beauty, and the power of moving forward. The other medallions in this collection include the North Star, Inner Spirit, and Inner Fire. The Intentions medallion features rays that “illuminate and guide your journey,” she says.
“Vrai creates jewelry that has meaning and significance to the wearer,” Akhavi says. “Our medallions are a beacon to guide the path you most relate to or a reminder of your courage, power, or passion.”
This piece inspired a full search for how the compass showed up in other ways throughout the jewelry world. It’s clear that the compass is a classic, given the array of ways that it is used by some of the best-known names in the industry.
When asked, a selection of designers and jewelers say they also feel drawn to the compass, in part, because it highlights a way forward, something that everyone may feel in this moment of ups, downs, and, in the case of the pandemic, sideways moves that have become part of regular life.
For Samantha Jackson, having a compass symbol in her Heavenly Vices Fine Jewelry line was a way to add another layer of meaning to her work. Her latest collection, Lock Stories, features a compass symbol on its Mama lock.
“Much like our mamas, compasses can always be relied on to help us navigate our way when we are lost, no matter where we are,” Jackson says.
Stevie Holmes of Off the Map Jewellery says her compass necklaces serve at this moment as a talisman for the post-pandemic world of travel.
“We all have an urge to travel, the need to find our own direction out of the stress and frustration of the past two years, and to make new memories outside our own small worlds,” Holmes says.
Monica Rich Kosann also carries multiple versions of a compass medallion in her work. These compasses are big, bold designs in lockets and charms, each one encouraging the wearer to think of adventure and curiosity in their daily comings and goings.
“I always say it’s not just the destination that counts, but our journey, our attitude, and the paths we choose to get there,” Rich Kosann says. “Compasses to me are reminders of this and encourage us to have new adventures.”
The compass also inspires Gorjana Reidel, cofounder and chief creative officer for her brand, Gorjana. This compass coin necklace is one that she says she and her clients love to layer, as it can go with anything and everything.
“Now more than ever, I think everyone is looking forward to a new year and new adventures,” Reidel says. “I love the compass coin necklace for what it symbolizes, sort of like a guide for your year ahead.”
Top: Vrai‘s new Intentions medallion has a compass design that helps the wearer find daily direction and set intentions, $450 (photo courtesy of Vrai).
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