Three designers you need to know
Three visions, three temperaments, three styles. Each of these contemporary jewelry designers has made her mark with a distinctive aesthetic. By Marine Ulrich & Marie de Pimodan
/public-objects/08bb4d66-cd4d-4cf8-a25b-3edf515a3d1e-85bd7be7-d606-47ed-b773-b111781fa79f-611%20Valence%20plus%20cuff%20and%20110%20Cobweb%20ring.webp Image sélectionnée CORA SHEIBANI FREE SPIRIT Zurich-born but London-based, Cora Sheibani executes her singular vision outside the classical jewelry canons, combining colors and sculpting materials into organic, architectural or playful forms. Nothing, it seems, can get in the way of a creativity that has been bubbling over for more than two decades. Not the concepts that traverse her particularly active imagination nor the stones she chooses to bring her ideas to life. Chrysoprase, opal, nephrite, lapis lazuli, ruby, spinel, tourmaline, yellow beryl or malachite, faceted or cabochons, nothing is off-limits for Sheibani, who assembles and juxtaposes gems with a painterly approach. Her designs, which include ice-cream cones, cake molds, clouds and pills, reflect this atypical creator’s interest in art, architecture and science. One particularly striking collection finds inspiration in diagrams of atomic structures. This freedom of invention is no doubt what gives such immense character to Cora Sheibani’s jewelry, which she shows privately, by appointment, or at trunk shows. After Christie’s Paris in early July, in November she will be at Salon Art + Design in New York. (MdP) /public-objects/9568d4ca-5216-45ad-9b3a-eda91e2e217b-92bd50cf-1d02-4f5b-80f6-94702c51fa88-LITO%20-%20Close%20Up.webp Image sélectionnée LITO KARAKOSTANOGLOU LITO FINE JEWELRY CABINET OF CURIOSITIES Founded in Athens in 1999 by Lito Karakostanoglou, Lito Fine Jewelry is best-known for its eye motifs. Having studied sculpture and drawing in Paris (at École des Beaux-Arts and Haute École de Joaillerie respectively), this self-taught jeweler takes inspiration from modernism, mysticism and ancient cultures for evocative pieces that are handcrafted by her atelier in Athens. Her enamel evil eye designs are set in 18k gold and surrounded by stones she brings back from her travels. This inveterate collector reworks antique treasures uncovered at the four corners of the globe, preferring the “impeccable imperfection” that favors character over uniformity. From the emblematic Tu Es Partout, an exploration of the talismanic eye motif, to the beetles in the Cosmic Guardians collection, unveiled for the brand’s twenty-fifth anniversary, Lito Karakostanoglou imagines each piece as an amulet and a powerful symbol. (MU) /public-objects/6ea8ee9a-12ae-41e4-8771-4b47ebf5539d-dae36ea8-a483-48cb-8e9e-d1fde3af479e-Cosmic%20Guardians%20and%20Habitats%20(4).webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/c713fb48-8ddd-4c65-a1bb-cb87f88901c8-0a24b29d-1c9b-4e21-ade4-051efea365a2-Cosmic%20Guardians%20Campaign%20(2).webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/35a3c147-af50-48b7-aac2-9d63ef2f4659-731ca1c9-bf24-4988-8ace-6315333b3ca3-alicefournierjoaillerie-portrait.webp Image sélectionnée ALICE FOURNIER ALICE FOURNIER JOAILLERIE HEART OF STONE Gemstones are the starting point for every one of French Swiss jeweler Alice Fournier’s designs. Building on experience gleaned at Chopard, trained in gemology at the GIA in New York, Fournier moved into gemstone trading before rounding out her jewelry-making skills in Paris. In September 2018 she launched her namesake brand. Pieces informed by architecture and nature take shape around Burmese spinels, Paraíba tourmalines, tsavorites or garnets, which Fournier personally sources. Each piece is crafted in France, in Paris, by workshops that also supply some of the jewelry houses of Place Vendôme. This expertise converges in collections such as Alba, Fidji and Yukon, in personalized adaptations of an existing design, as well as in bespoke pieces, where exceptional gems become a blank canvas for a unique creation. (MU)