When Jewelry Means Family
Diamonds are the carbon-hard ties that bind. Our jewelry often tells the story of our family, whether you've got serious heirlooms or simpler pieces. Or, you might be the generation making the initial purchase, celebrating a personal moment with a piece that is destined to inspire the future generations that wear it.
Jewelry designer Jade Trau has considered all elements of heirloom jewelry for, well, forever, a consideration that can be seen in her collection with Forevermark (the result of a five-year partnership that's married Forevermark diamonds with her craftsmanship). Trau's grandfather was in the diamond business and she grew up hanging around his office in the midtown mecca of Manhattan.
"Whenever I would go to his office, he would set me up in a chair next to him with a bunch of small fancy shaped diamonds, and I would spend ages just sorting through them. I remember getting completely lost in it every time, spending ages trying to decide if I wanted a pear shape, a heart shape or a marquise," Trau said. It was an early lesson in how every diamond is unique, and a bug that would manifest in her future work as a designer.
The new Alchemy collection focuses on four cuts-round, emerald, pear, and marquise-and the pieces employ shapes that touch on heraldic devices like shields and crests.
"Those coats of arms inspired me aesthetically and sentimentally. I love the silhouettes of signets and medallions and their heft [when done] in gold. On a sentimental level I also connect to the idea that the piece of jewelry you are wearing has so much meaning and personal connection," she said. "A blazon represented so much of who you were: your military ranking and your family legacy. Wearing something that is steeped in personal meaning is the profound divide between fine jewelry and everything else."
See some of our favorite styles below.
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