Lingerie and jewellery
Go old-school with your gifting
Jewellery designers are a particular breed, especially those who work with fine and semi-precious jewels. Once, I might have applied the term ‘boffins’ to them, but that could be too risque in our sensitive times. But jewellery designers do spend an inordinate amount of time contemplating the colour, light, and depth of a stone; dreaming, dreaming, how best to bring out the beauty within.
It seems like a very nice existence to me. Especially when it comes to contemplating light-filled diamonds. Which is exactly what Irish jewellery-designing husband-and-wife team, Julie Danz and Vincent Tynan of Juvi Designs, have spent the last six months doing.
Juvi Designs is a contemporary jewellery brand that specialises in semi-precious stones. This month sees them launching their first ever fine-diamond range — inspired, rather romantically, by the night skies of Co Kerry; Ballinskelligs, in particular.
Called The Shooting Star Fine Collection with Diamonds, it is a subtle, gently glamorous capsule collection of delicate diamonds, set in nine-carat gold stars.
“We have the four cs; the cut is round and brilliant; the colour is G; the clarity is VVS1; and the carat is .06 carats. They are then set in nine-carat-gold star shapes in a necklace, bracelet and ring,” explains Vincent. “When you are dealing with gold and diamonds, you have to be very, very sure of your size and shape and set. We have gone to all the lengths we can to assure people that they are ethically sourced and from a good supplier.”
Up to now, Juvi Designs’ signature look has been dramatically colourful, semi-precious stones, set in unusual shapes. As Julie is the one on the team who picks the stones, I have always wondered where she got her bold flair for how she uses colour in the jewellery she designs. It’s not a typically Irish characteristic.
“I have always been creative and arty. I have always had a love for colour. It’s why I have loved working with gemstones. I worked in New York, too, for several years, in interior design. That might be why,” Julie explains. “In fact, my old boss just called me to commission me to do a ring for him.” It turns out that Julie’s ‘old boss’ in New York is only the incredible Carleton Varney, America’s most celebrated interior designer, famous for his application of colour, and author of several books on the subject.
Now I get Juvi Designs. They’re pure colour pedigree, part of a lineage, and there is nothing more beloved in fashion. Except, perhaps, diamonds. Happily, Juvi Designs do both.