With coronavirus forcing us to lockdown and work from home, waist-up dressing has become the new norm. Whether it’s for the morning work briefing, or Saturday night Zoom drinks, jewelry is one of the only ways we can make a fashion statement right now. With that in mind we’ve curated a list of the 10 best jewelry brands to watch in 2020.

Claire Normand

Images Courtesy of Claire Normand

Named after its founder and maker, Claire Normand’s jewelry pieces are thought of as wearable sculptures featuring one of a kind stones. Hand-carved in Normand’s Parisian workshop, the collections feature a highlighted stone in a limited number of pieces, rejecting mass production with automatic renewal. Claire works in collaboration with marble industries to valorise the scraps of stones issued from their production, and her desire is to show the beauty of the stones by enhancing their unique patterns and flaws.

HELENA THULIN

Images Courtesy of HELENA THULIN

Created in 2018, H E L E N A T H U L I N aims to bring nobility back to the technique and craftsmanship of beadwork. H E L E N A T H U L I N has the ambition to explore a modern botanical study, through bold colours and creative styling. Flowers and their fragility inspire Helena to design simple and delicate jewelry, using luxury crystals and bead techniques.

PATTARAPHAN

Images Courtesy of PATTARAPHAN

In Thai, “Pattaraphan” means “beautiful skin.” Relying on intimate personal stories and a sharp sensitivity to materials and forms, PATTARAPHAN creates fine jewelry that feels good on your skin. PATTARAPHAN are committed to preserving Thai heritage and supporting slow fashion. The designs are produced in small quantities with locally sourced materials to ensure the highest quality, whilst avoiding waste. Every piece also directly supports Thai artisans as the brand’s current factories are all independent local businesses.

APHER®

Images Courtesy of APHER®

APHER® embraces peaceful elegance, playful and feminine chaos, and powerful roughness through its designs. Created by Angela Geisenhofer, all the pieces are handmade to the highest quality in Germany. Angela's roots are in fine art, providing the driving force behind the brand’s concepts, inspiration and aesthetics. APHER®’s pieces feature striking sterling designs for “those with thunder in their hearts and tempest in their souls”.

UNNON

Images @unnonstudio

Bold, industrial and dramatic, UNNON offers limited collections of hand made jewelry, which see opposing aesthetic tendencies blended together in harmony. The brand experiments with material combinations and forms, whilst incorporating a solid understanding of traditional craft to create strong statement pieces. Made primarily from sterling silver and yellow gold, the pieces are a mix of minimal lines and timeless motifs, infused with textures inspired by architecture, art, fashion and tattoo culture.

Hustad

Images Hustad SS20

Hustad creates contemporary unisex jewelry combining sophisticated, minimalist design with geometric shapes. Founded in 2017 by Minsun Kim, the brand reinterprets the human body, obscures form, and develops the ideas to realise them as jewelry. Based in Seoul, South Korea, Hustad’s designs are the perfect minimalist piece for everyday wear.

Khiry

Images Left @melodiemonrose, Right @khiryofficial

Afrofuturist brand Khiry is known for delicate earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets. Jameel Mohammed founded Khiry in 2016 to channel the beauty, art and heritage of African culture into modern, vermeil jewelry. Early on in his career, the designer was told by a retail CEO that “true luxury brands only come from Milan or Paris” fuelling his desire to prove him wrong and highlight the fact that they also come from the African diaspora.

Austin James Smith

Images Left @empty.pools, Right @austin.james.smith

Known for his high concept looks originally created for New York nightlife, Austin James Smith created his eponymous avant-garde jewelry brand as the budding companion. Using spiked metal and punk influences, Smith’s metal creations invite others into his fantastical world. If it’s an attention grabbing piece you’re searching for, look no further.

Lorette Colé Duprat

Images @lorette.coleduprat

Lorette Colé Duprat is pushing the boundaries of traditional jewelry. The Parisian based designer is fascinated by the connexions between hard and soft materials and her provocative designs have gained the attention of industry heavyweights. After meeting Mugler creative director Casey Cadwaller in 2019, Duprat was invited to collaborate with the brand, which has now turned into a symbiotic partnership.

SWEETLIMEJUICE

Images @sljlondon

SWEETLIMEJUICE produces gender-fluid, contemporary luxury jewelry. Since winning the Swarovski Innovator Competition in 2017, designer Simpson Ma has become known for his denim-wrapped stone setting technique. The stones are fused with frayed denim creating distinctive, timeless pendants, and making every piece unique.

Text: Sam Pennington