It could be argued that the true wizardry of high jewelry lies not only in extraordinary craftsmanship, but in its rare ability to distill vast ideas into exquisite miniature works of art. Within the confines of a jewel, entire worlds can be summoned. The following collections do precisely that, capturing our enduring fascination with the celestial realm above and the mysterious waters below, translating sky and sea into poetic jewels that reinterpret familiar forms with imaginative vision.
For her debut high-jewelry collection, Tangerine Sky, Sophie Bille Brahe found inspiration in the playful unpredictability and ethereal beauty of clouds, albeit indirectly. Drawn to the abstract paintings of Cy Twombly, Brahe was captivated by the way delicate brushstrokes and patches of color seemed to hover above one another, creating a soft, almost three-dimensional sense of depth.
The eight-piece collection, comprising rings, earrings, and necklaces, features heart-shaped stones alongside classic-cut diamonds in varying sizes. Playing with asymmetry, the pieces evoke spontaneity while maintaining a quiet sense of balance. Although fashioned from colorless diamonds, Tangerine Sky takes its name from the vibrancy of Twombly’s paintings, where color appears to pulsate with an almost weightless energy.
The pieces evoke spontaneity while maintaining a quiet sense of balance
“The first thing I sought to establish was a feeling of suspension, making diamonds and gold appear fluid, light, and almost immaterial,” explains Brahe. “Through asymmetry, softness of line, and graduated compositions, I created silhouettes that balance volume with lightness, so the pieces feel sculptural yet effortless.”
Elsewhere, turning her attention to the powerful curl of a breaking wave, London-based jeweler Lily Gabriella has created the Swirl earrings, whose elliptical form follows the natural curve of the ear. Crafted in blue titanium and set with a gradient of blue sapphires, the earrings create a fluid, circular play of light that enhances the illusion of continuous movement.
“One of my earliest memories is watching the waves on the beaches of Rio curl into beautiful spirals,” says the designer. “Later, growing up in Monaco, the Mediterranean reinforced that same sense of fluidity and calm. The Swirl is my interpretation of those memories – a sculptural form that captures the movement, light, and changing blues of the sea.”
Brazilian jeweler Fernando Jorge, meanwhile, explores water in all its paradoxes with his Fluid high-jewelry collection, translating its ever-changing qualities into gold. Through a nuanced interplay of tactile finishes, rope-like twists, undulating surfaces, and pronounced ridges, Jorge creates forms that evoke the gentle flow of water, whirlpools, and waterfalls.
Crafted in 18-karat gold, the collection ranges from organic gold-only creations to jewels set with diamonds, vivid green tourmalines, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl, and aquamarine. Curling, sweeping, and cascading with effortless movement, the pieces recall the quiet wonders of a flowing river: flashes of color, rippling currents, and the delicate tremor of falling rain.
Back on shore, Piaget’s Swinging Pebble timepieces elevates the art of beachcombing while drawing inspiration from the Maison’s glamorous sautoirs of the 1970s. Carved from tiger’s eye, verdite, and pietersite, the irresistibly smooth “pebbles” are suspended from long, twisted gold chains. Each stone is sculpted into a watch case, concealing an in-house movement and revealing a beautifully finished bezel on the front.
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