Jewellery
Let's play
There's an air of fun in the world of fine jewellery this year, and why not?
1. Bulgari
Can the Serpenti get any better? The evolution of Bulgari’s iconic snake watch has been a delight to behold, ever since Elizabeth Taylor wore one on-screen in the 1960s. This year’s launch is in another league altogether, with Bulgari revealing four new Serpenti “secret” watches — the Serpenti Misteriosi. Not only do these treasures set a new benchmark in terms of luxurious high-jewellery watches but they also hide, inside the serpent’s mouth, one of the smallest movements in mechanical watch-making history. It measures just 12.3mm x 2.5mm and is revealed by pushing down the snake’s forked tongue.
Diamond Walk, Sandton City Shopping Mall, Joburg
2. Louis Vuitton
Every top jewellery brand boasts a fashion jewellery range these days. The LV Volt Upside Down Play collection has taken those iconic initials and reinvented them yet again, with a striking clasp on a bracelet that gives a contemporary take on the luxury logo.
Sandton City Shopping Centre, Joburg, and Victoria Wharf, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
3. Statement style
The working studio of owners Geraldine Fenn and Eric Loubser, Tinsel is also a platform for original handmade jewellery by local designers. “In a world overflowing with mass-produced sameness, we like to make jewellery for the unique individual,” says Fenn. Expect pieces that not only exemplify technical skill but also have personality and make a style statement.
Solid 9kt yellow-gold ring with a round brilliant-cut chrome tourmaline, R28 500, Geraldine Fenn at Tinsel Gallery, tinselgallery.com
Image: Supplied
4. Messika
We’ve been huge fans of Messika ever since the inspiring talent that is Valérie Messika launched her new luxury jewellery brand in 2005. Her female-driven company has always created easy-to-wear luxury jewellery with enough rock-chick chic to make it a favourite with some of the coolest women in the world. The Lucky Move collection is a riot of cocktail rings, bracelets, and necklaces, fitted with 11 different coloured faces and — always — dancing diamonds.
Victoria Wharf, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, and Hyde Park Corner, Joburg