A New Approach
Upon finding out that Mikimoto was gracing our cover once again, I had to quickly think of a new angle for this issue. We’ve already set particular themes for each edition as early as end-2019, but there was this urge that compelled me to approach it differently. Hence, this issue celebrates jewellery through a “modern classics” lens, because there is nothing as classic as pearls, and no one has modernised it quite like Mikimoto (p.26).
With the new theme set, everything perfectly fell into place. We have British gemologist Isabella Yan’s story on Ancient Technique Revival (p.42), where she highlights ancient techniques popularised by Italian jewellers and how contemporary brands are revisiting and adapting them. Following this is Preeta Agarwal’s feature on jewellers known for moveable jewellery creations (p.32), which are, in essence, impressive feats of miniature engineering. With these pieces, the idea of what jewellery is supposed to be is literally turned (twisted and spun) on its head.
In Jennifer Henricus’ earrings trend story (p.52), she highlights the most beautiful statement pieces from a cornucopia of designers. Earrings in various styles – ranging from hoops to shoulder dusters – come tumbling forth, featuring different shapes, colours, and materials. And then we have Jaegerlecoultre’s new range of jewellery watches that features the iconic Calibre 101 within, which was first introduced in 1929. What results are timepieces that focus on new expressions of femininity juxtaposed with technology that’s been around for almost a century.
In addition to these stories, Solitaire is going through a revamp of its own. If there’s anything that 2020 taught us, it’s that the digital space and all its advantages must be embraced. Therefore, the magazine will become a quarterly title in 2021, with the first issue coming out in February, allowing us to focus more on solitairemagazine.com where we aim to delivery more timely stories. We also have an e-commerce platform in the works where we’ll be able to highlight the creations of our jewellery partners and other up-and-coming jewellery brands. Keep an eye out for all these – it will be an exciting year ahead.