Diamonds and other gemstones make for the most glorious of treasures, but jewelry can come from anything. Many cultures have known this for centuries.
Take a walk through any museum displaying artifacts of ancient Egypt, China, and beyond and you’ll find adornments made with gemstones but also things like colorful beads, bone—and wood.
Those materials still show up in jewelry, and wood especially has gotten popular, whether as an answer to consumer demand or due to a bump in the material’s availability. Designers are using variations from petrified wood to ebony, cocobolo, and walnut in artful and interesting ways that diverge—though not that far—from typical gemstone pieces.
Wood jewelry isn’t necessarily shaking up the industry, but it does represent a departure from what many consumers consider the norm, and shoppers are on the hunt for that. For eco-conscious shoppers, who look for pieces made with found materials, wood jewelry can satiate their desire for what is understood to be less impactful on the environment.
You’ll find no complaints here about the newest influx of jewels using wood. Superstitious as one might be, these wood designs are unknockable.
Top: Fringe necklace in platinum with repurposed ebony and diamonds, $89,700; Emily P. Wheeler
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine