If you’ve never seen the Broadway production of Wicked—or even if you have—you’re probably eagerly anticipating the Nov. 22 release of the film version starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.
As you may know, Wicked imagines that The Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West (Elphaba) and Good Witch of the North (Glinda) were friends with complicated lives and yearnings. Its plotline essentially covers everything that happened before Dorothy landed in Oz—set to music, including quite a few spectacularly belted duets.
I mean, what a premise! (Hat tip to the 1995 novel penned by Gregory Maguire that set this theatrical achievement in motion.) And what wonderful themes, characters, and imagery to dig into if you’re a jewelry designer.
And that’s where Roseanne Karmes, founder and designer of the Los Angeles–based jewelry line Sydney Evan, comes in—but not via broomstick or floating bubble. Rather, she’s got a magical steamer trunk full of nearly 100 bewitching baubles made in 14k gold with Glinda-pink sapphires and Elphaba-green emeralds.
“It was a complete joy creating this collection and immersing myself into the wonderful world of Wicked,” says Karmes.
She tells JCK that she took her daughter, Sydney, to see Wicked on Broadway around 2003, when it first opened. Karmes loved it so much, she returned a month later to see it again with her son, Evan.
Though Universal Pictures initially approached Sydney Evan about a different project, once the two companies began talking, Universal proposed a Wicked collaboration. Karmes and her team then watched the upcoming film’s sizzle reel and instantly recognized its power.
“My vision when designing was to seamlessly incorporate the DNA of Sydney Evan and Wicked into every piece, merging both universes,” Karmes says.
Glinda-themed pieces in the Sydney Evan collection include a sparkling array of butterfly motifs, perfume bottle stud earrings, and the Good Witch’s wand transformed into a 14k gold, diamond, and pink sapphire pendant. The Elphaba-related assortment includes witch hats and boots accented with a single emerald, offered as a necklace, bracelet, and earrings.
The partnership will continue in late 2025 when Sydney Evan rolls out a brand-new Wicked collection to coincide with the release of Part 2 of the movie.
And not to put too fine a point—or witch’s hat tip—on all of this, but here’s the thing: We can’t defy gravity like Elphaba, but we can close our eyes and leap.
Will we be happy in the end? Who can say? But there are castles in the clouds. And a cauldron of magical, delightfully wicked jewelry to help bubble us up to them. You could be a good witch, a bad witch, or even an “independent” witch—we should all have the freedom to fly as high as we can.
Top: Assorted gemstone bead and charm bracelets from the Sydney Evan x Wicked collection, $430 to $1,500 each
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