ADD SOME SPARKLE The latest

Glitters

that All Glitters

As we enter the season of gifting, we discover the key jewellery trends and sparkling new collections

FESTIVE GIFTING

Overleaf: Snowfl ake pendant set with pink and blue diamonds, POA, hirshlondon.com

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from above: A gold locket pendant to be fi lled with personalised charms, £390, loquetlondon.com; Trio cushion cut diamond ring, Solitaire oval diamond ring, Grand Slam oval diamond bracelet all from Hirsh, POA; 14ct gold icon diamond locket necklace from Astley Clarke; £2,950, astleyclarke.com; the David Morris Asiyah collecti on rings, £13,000, davidmorris. com; Mercy ring from Georg Jensen; £2,475, georgjensen.com Christmas 2021 certainly has some making up to do after last year’s lacklustre celebrations. When it comes to gifting, we’re looking to give our loved ones something extra special – pieces that are personal, stand the test of time, express individuality, and can be worn out on the town.

Katie Rowland, head of creative at Astley Clarke, notices that as winter approaches, personalisation is big news, with keepsake-style lockets making beautiful gifts to be worn as treasured heirlooms. “Christmas is our busiest time of the year and our signature lockets are hugely popular,” she says. We recently launched our first flagship store in London’s Seven Dials, which features a personalisation desk, enabling customers to engrave their lockets and customise with a photo of their choice inside – always keeping their loved ones close. The Astley Clarke Icon locket in diamonds and 14k gold brings all the shimmer and shine this festive period.”

The London-based brand Carrie Elizabeth has also noticed personalisation on the rise. “One of my favourite aspects of jewellery is how it can be bought to mark a special occasion and is often gifted as a token of love or friendship. There is a real trend right now for personalisation and being able to gift a loved one something sentimental that will last a lifetime is an absolute pleasure,” says founder and CEO Carrie Dennahy. “Our 9k solid gold Custom Initial Necklace has been such a popular piece for us this last year – I think it just ticks all the boxes – personal, sentimental and because it’s solid gold it never needs to be taken off.

It is the perfect Christmas present.”

In terms of brands, Hollie Harding, buying manager for non-apparel at luxury fashion department store Browns, has noticed Foundrae’s symbol charms, Mateo’s initial necklaces, Jia Jia’s natural crystal pieces and O Thongthai’s diamond horoscope charms gaining popularity. “We’re seeing customers attracted to jewellery styles that bring an emotive element, and that personal touch to a jewellery collection.”

This year, people are looking to express their personal style, individuality and identity. “The three-piece Fusion ring allows the wearer the possibility

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from right: Snowfl ake pendant with rubies and diamonds, POA, hirshlondon.com; Bijou jewellery box, £295, aspinalofl ondon.com; Astley Clarke on Monmouth Street of creating their own narrative. It is an organically shaped 18-karat white gold ring, pavé-set with brilliant cut diamonds, held between two others, one in yellow, one in rose gold,” says Ragnar Hjartarson, creative director at Georg Jensen.

“People want something unique, handmade and lasting,” agrees Sophia Hirsh of Hirsh. “We spend so much time on each and every piece we make, from sketches to creation in our atelier. Our ethos is that every piece we create is a work or art.” An example is Hirsh’s winter special – a unique snowflake pendant that has been made annually for 16 years. “We always look forward to designing the new one, using different gems and creating something one-of-kind, just as snowflakes are in nature.”

Colours this year are also set to go bold. “As the festive season approaches and the storm of Covid has finally started to die down, we are seeing jewellery trends shift towards bright colours, as consumers are being more bold and playful in their jewellery selection,” says Sheherazade Goldsmith of Loquet London. “This is mirrored in the selection of colourful, feminine locket rings and our Talisman Sapphire and Emerald hoops by Loquet London which are providing to be our bestsellers right now.” Carrie Dennahy also advises going for bold, statement pieces. The Carrie Elizabeth Venus Collection offers deco vintage lush and launches in November. “It includes a super glamorous necklace and a few equally showstopping earring options.”

At David Morris, the family jewellers have just launched a new collection entitled Asiyah, which Phoebe Morris is hoping will be a big hit this season. “The collection features rings, earrings, bangles and necklace all with coloured ceramic rondels and diamond set rondels in a huge array of colour. We feel that after last Christmas people are looking for bright coloured jewellery to brighten up these darker winter days, and the Asiyah collection inspired by the jewellery and art of ancient Egypt offer that in abundance,” she says.

“We anticipate that coming out of the past 18 months, customers will be feeling more expressive and the holiday season will be a chance for them to experiment with more unique stones such as pink sapphires and yellow diamonds, or even neon brights from the likes of EÉRA and Gigi Clozeau.” L

CreedGive the gift of

A luxury perfume house dedicated to the creation of original, artisan fragrances for him and for her

THE CREED STORY

The House of Creed began its journey in 1760 when a pair of scented leather gloves were delivered to King George III by a new London tailoring company. Since then, The House of Creed has gone on to create some of the finest fragrances for over 260 years, shifting from its tailoring heritage into one of the world’s leading perfume houses. Over the centuries, The House of Creed family has produced over 200 perfumes, all testifying to a creative spirit that has been passed down, with a keen inherited nose, from father to son through seven generations.

Rich & fruity

This Christmas, treat a loved one to Aventus – a fragrance for him. Sensual, audacious and contemporary, this rich and iconic Eau de Parfum combines tantalising head notes of lemon, pink pepper and Italian bergamot with a complementary fresh and floral heart of juicy pineapple, sweet jasmine and Indonesian patchouli, and is a popular choice for a gift. Rounding off this elegant fragrance are the woody base notes of oakmoss, cedarwood and Creed’s signature ingredient, ambergris, for the ultimate olfactive experience.

Fruity & fl oral

Aventus for Her is the feminine counterpart to the men’s Aventus fragrance and is a floral and fruity Eau de Parfum that is perfect for a Christmas gift. Opening with head notes of crisp green apple, fragrant pink pepper and zesty bergamot, the citrus and fruity character of this fragrance blossoms into a floral heart of rose, lilac and ylang-ylang. This opulent and sensual perfume dries down to a base of sandalwood, patchouli, musk and ambergris, which amplifies the rich charm of this decadent blend. Created in 2016, Aventus for Her is inspired by the female clientele and strong personalities that The House of Creed has seen through a 250-year patronage. It was the influential patrons of Paris who asked The House of Creed to frequent between London and Paris to dress the royals of Europe. An empowering citrus fragrance created for the pioneering women of the modern world.

Fresh & marine

Alternatively, both stylish and elegant, Millésime Impérial is an alluring fragrance for both men and women. With opening notes of bergamot and blackcurrant, the juicy fruits are delicately blended around the salty tones found in the heart, while the warmth and dryness of sandalwood captures the luxurious base notes of this scent. Wear after dark and let the opulence of this fragrance flourish. Warm and romantic with crisp citrus and soft flowers wafting on a sweet, salt air, Millésime Impérial transports you to another world of opulence and luxury.

THE BOUTIQUE EXPERIENCE

For the ultimate gift inspiration, book a bespoke fragrance consultation at the Creed Boutique, and discover the vast range of scents to gift a loved one this Christmas time. The lower ground floor offers a private environment where guests can speak to the boutique’s team of highly trained experts, who will guide you through an impressive journey of scent discovery. Create a gift for a loved one with Creed’s bespoke monogramming service, exclusively available in the Mayfair boutique. This allows for you to personalise a chosen fragrance by having a message, date or initials engraved on the bottle for a gift that is extra special. The boutique’s gift-wrapping service is also on hand to offer an elegant touch to the art of present giving. Visit the boutique this year to discover the brand new Leather Explorer collection – a first for The House of Creed and developed in collaboration with Olivier Creed. 99 Mount Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 2TF. For bespoke consultations, call 020 7495 1795 or email enquiries@creedboutiquemayfair.com

VISIT CREEDFRAGRANCES.CO.UK