{"id":346124,"date":"2020-09-10T13:18:35","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T17:18:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/?p=346124"},"modified":"2021-12-15T05:56:16","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T10:56:16","slug":"minimalist-jewelry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/minimalist-jewelry\/","title":{"rendered":"Designers Making a Major Impact with Minimalist Jewelry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"White\/Space<\/a>
\u201cThese pieces are meant to remind you of the positive power of elegance, simplicity and self-celebration every single day,\u201d says Khadijah Fulton, the designer behind WHITE\/SPACE<\/a>. Here, a model wears 14-karat yellow gold and pearl curved bar earrings<\/a> and a 14-karat yellow gold and pearl statement necklace<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Whether delicate and understated or bold and geometric, minimalist fine jewelry has never been more in tune with the times. Minimalism has come to be associated with ease and effortlessness, a more casual, clutter-free lifestyle, all aspired to in this pandemic era. Versatility is key, as is the notion that the jewelry we wear should be an extension of who we are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minimalism became popular after World War II, with the emergence of clean-lined modernist fashion, art, furniture and architecture. That’s not when it began, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNordic jewelers such as Vivianna Torun B\u00fclow-H\u00fcbe<\/a>, Georg Jensen<\/a> and Sigurd Persson<\/a> are particularly known for their great modernist designs and were making minimalist jewelry as early as the 1940s,\u201d says Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos<\/a>, of Mahnaz Collection<\/a>, whose New York\u2013based gallery specializes in modern art jewelry and design objects. \u201cLater on, in the 1960s and 1970s, designers Pierre Cardin<\/a> and Jean Dinh Van<\/a> also made names for themselves in the world of minimalism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Jean<\/a>
Minimalist jewels, like this <\/a>1960s Jean Dinh Van for Cartier wood and gold ring<\/a>, became popular in the postwar era.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hailing from different countries and eras, minimalist jewelry makers are united by an emphasis on restraint. \u201cWhat their designs share is moderation, balance and a reverence for form above all else,\u201d says Ispahani Bartos. \u201cMinimalism honors design over material value, allowing the shape and lines of a piece to come to the fore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like the originators of minimalist style, contemporary fine-jewelry designers are motivated by a desire for simplicity, for a quieter, less-is-more aesthetic in an increasingly complex (and often cacophonous) world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clean lines, a glint of shine, a shot of color \u2014 alone or in combination \u2014 can set your mood for the day, without distracting you from what that day requires. Here, five jewelry designers who get the look exactly right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WHITE\/SPACE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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WHITE\/SPACE’s minimalist diamond statement ring<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When Khadijah Fulton, the L.A.-based designer behind WHITE\/SPACE<\/a>, was working on her minimalist diamond statement ring<\/a>, she researched Italian modernist design, particularly Carlo Scarpa<\/a>\u2019s Brion Cemetery. \u201cI was very interested in exploring the timeless simplicity of a circle,\u201d she says. \u201cReducing the ring to a single circle that transforms to an oval on the finger \u2014 a single line for the band and a single center stone set in a bezel \u2014 keeps the piece super minimal and also makes it easy to wear and live in every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ability to convey ideas with the subtlest vocabulary and an affinity for baroque pearls have become Fulton’s signatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese pieces are meant to remind you of the positive power of elegance, simplicity and self-celebration every single day,\u201d she says. \u201cThe present moment is really everything we have \u2014 we\u2019ve got to make the most of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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M. Hisae<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"M.<\/a>
From top: M. Hisae’s open stacking ring<\/a>, white diamond Trinity engagement ring<\/a> and Trinity wedding band<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDesign doesn’t need to feel overt or full of motifs,\u201d says Michelle Hisae Meronek, who creates M. Hisae<\/a>‘s jewelry designs in her Litchfield County, Connecticut, studio. She cites her Ume collection \u2014 specifically the Kaori<\/a> and Koemi<\/a> rings \u2014 as the ultimate reflection of her style: a compelling combination of fluidity, softly gleaming surfaces and petite proportions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUme<\/em>, meaning \u2018plum\u2019 in Japanese, embodies sweet and sour in harmony,\u201d she says. \u201cI’m half Japanese, and it’s been a beautiful journey discovering which aspects of the culture I identify with.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meronek, who studies prominent artists like Ruth Asawa, Agnes Martin<\/a>, Georgia O’Keeffe<\/a> and Donald Judd<\/a> for inspiration, is influenced as well by the Bauhaus<\/a> school\u2019s form-follows-function philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI naturally gravitate toward clean design, but it can often feel cold,\u201d says the designer. \u201cI don’t relate to sleekness unless there’s a grounding or playful element. I want my jewelry to feel poetic, and to evoke feelings that you can’t put your finger on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CADAR<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Cadar<\/a>
CADAR Unity 1<\/a>8-karat yellow gold and white diamond<\/a> earrings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stripping down familiar motifs \u2014 stars, snakeskin, feathers and blossoms \u2014 to their essential elements is the foundation of CADAR<\/a>‘s design approach. The New York City\u2013based fine-jewelry brand’s pieces are minimalist in style, but have a strong presence on the ear, hand or neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur Unity earrings<\/a> are a perfect example of this,\u201d says designer Michal Kadar. \u201cThey feature the sun, moon and a star in their purest forms. These elements are connected to create a very minimalistic yet bold and luxurious look.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to nature, the graphic and architectural forms of Art Deco<\/a> are a prime source of inspiration. CADAR’s Duet earrings <\/a>and cocktail ring<\/a>, for instance, reimagine an undulating wave as a clean, elegant arc reminiscent of Ert\u00e9\u2019s<\/a> fan designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sculptural, with a sense of movement, they make a statement, but like all the brand’s pieces \u2014 including the popular hoop styles \u2014 they are \u201cmeant to be worn from day to evening, from casual to more formal affairs,\u201d Kadar says. \u201cThey are so versatile, and you can play with how you style them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Rock Hound<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The<\/a>
The Rock Hound’s HotRocks wand pendants, in orange<\/a> and red<\/a>, and HotRocks cluster ring<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One interpretation of minimalism hews to the rustic and organic, trading a meticulously chiseled and geometric look for one that is perfectly imperfect, almost raw. This is the approach taken by Susi Smither, founder of the U.K.-based firm The Rock Hound<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her love of ethically sourced colored gemstones, and even her all-metal pieces, reveal a reverence for unaltered nature. Her RockStars rings<\/a>, offered in three shades of fair-trade gold, marry a celebration of natural crystals with restraint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re paying homage to our favorite stone, the tourmaline,\u201d says Smither. \u201cEach piece is effortless to wear \u2014 my husband and I have slice rings as our wedding bands \u2014 and the light reflects off the natural form in such a way as to evoke casual luxury.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The HotRocks wand pendants<\/a> are made of silver sheathed in the Rock Hound\u2019s signature nano-ceramic coating in teal, hot pink and other vivid hues. In Smither\u2019s view, minimalism needn\u2019t be limited to somber neutrals, as long as the colors used are deeply saturated, monochromatic and applied with a light hand, for maximum less-is-more impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TATE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Tate<\/a>
TATE wide Fence band in 18-karat green gold <\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Like Susi Smither, New York\u2013based designer Steven Messler, of TATE<\/a>, is unafraid of bold hues, presenting stones like green tourmalines and mandarin garnets, plus sapphires and emeralds, in simple, modern settings of matte green gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I create a piece using a colored stone, I design for the color to be the star of that piece,\u201d he says. \u201cI believe that, with gemstones, the metal should be in the background, allowing the color to be the focal point.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messler possesses a unique talent for seeing the design potential of everyday objects. The Fence collection, a disquisition on parallel lines in space, was suggested by a trash receptacle he saw at his daughter\u2019s school. Barrels are a recurring motif, as are geometric shapes like pyramids, hexagons and octagons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dotted with diamonds, they testify to his minimalist vision, intentionally spare design vocabulary and impeccable craftsmanship. In his pieces, he says, the gold, whether on its own or paired with gems, \u201cacts as a subtle vessel to be worn all day, every day into evening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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