So much jewelry is beautiful, but there is another quality that truly determines if a piece is worth owning: wearability. Because let’s be real, how many times are you going to wear a necklace that refuses to lay correctly, or a bracelet that isn’t comfortable, no matter how pretty it may be?
The answer is GiGi Ferranti jewelry.
GiGi Ferranti’s designer, Gina, spent years in the fashion industry before launching her jewelry line. She even used to own her own boutique.
During the afternoon I spent with her in her showroom, nibbling on Italian cookies and trying on absolutely everything, Gina referred over and over again to the how of women could wear her pieces: the comfort, the functionality, the hundred different situations she’d considered and accounted for.
Her line’s sweet but sophisticated visual appeal is obvious, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg.
All GiGi Ferranti pieces are made right in New York City, which lets Gina be extremely hands-on in the manufacturing process. When I left her studio, she was about to head to the Diamond District to make some tiny tweaks to a pair of earrings under development: tweaking the proportions slightly so that they would work on women with both longer and shorter earlobes.
The level of thought behind each tiny design detail is staggering. This truly is jewelry that’s meant to go with you though your life, not just sit in your jewelry box.
I rarely wear bracelets myself, but I left the GiGi Ferranti studio thinking about these cuffs.
They’re chic, fun, interesting enough to want while still being simple enough to go with everything. And, of course, solid gold with diamonds. So luxurious!
And look!! They’re even beautiful on the inside.
Like me, Gina of GiGi Ferranti has a love of antique jewelry – she even used to work in an antique jewelry store. We’re both firmly on team “to tell if a piece of jewelry is well made, look at the back” and her jewelry shows that.
Everyone loves a statement piece – and GiGi Ferranti makes some killer ones (just wait!) but it’s an undeniable fact that those pieces just don’t get as much mileage as the everyday favorites, the pieces that you can throw on without a thought and feel good about all day long. In our vast world where so much is mass produced and you can order anything from anyone with a click of a button, finding a brand who blends beauty and wearability without compromising quality or style is rare. And it’s exactly where GiGi Ferranti excels.
This pair of hoops come from GiGi Ferranti’s latest collection, the Regalo collection.
That’s a lot of look, for a relatively light pair of earrings. I loved the color contrast created by my dark hair showing through the negative space in the earring.
In addition to her experience in fashion, Gina of GiGi Ferranti is a gemstone lover and accredited Graduate Gemologist. She finds particular delight in being able to use exactly the right stones in exactly the right piece: and it’s her one of a kind statement stunners that really let Gina’s sense for gemstones shine.
The crazy beautiful indicolite tourmaline in this brand new piece is the perfect example. The stone’s dreamy hue made Gina think of mermaids – and the rest of the piece grew from that idea. I’m obsessed with this color combination in general and this ring specifically. I promise to Instagram a video of this for you later.
These great bracelets are both from the Regalo collection as well.
If you read my coverage of the last Metal and Smith show, you’ll recognizance one of them. I love how they stack together, creating new shapes in between themselves.
How great are these opal necklaces?
They’re each one of a kind, with each accent stone chosen specifically to accentuate the opal it’s set with. The shape of the dangle below each opal – a kind of diamond with concave sides – is a signature GiGi Ferranti design element. I love the contrast of the sharp edged dangles and the curvy, gold-set opals.
Even better: the beautiful back of the piece. I flipped over the middle one to give you a look.
Another killer statement piece! Holy moly.
This is GiGi Ferranti’s award winning Shangri-La ring, and that’s a 15.38 ct peachy-pink morganite center stone. I’ve met this piece three times, and finally managed to take a decent photo of it!
I’m a little obsessed with these rings. They’re simple and easy to wear, but there’s so much thought behind them.
They’re designed to stack perfectly together in any number, and can be worn facing any way, depending on how many diamonds you’d like to show. The diamonds themselves mean there’s a range of prices to choose from, and they’re all solid gold – and fairly substantial, too. You’ll know you have a well-made piece of jewelry on your finger.
It’s also worth mentioning that Gina of GiGi Ferranti is totally fabulous.
I could not have had more fun with her during the afternoon we shared in her Brooklyn studio. Did I mention she greeted me with a huge plate of cookies? Also: she has a secret past as a champion roller skater. Definitely ask her about it if you get the chance, it’s an incredible story.
There’s much more to love on the GiGi Ferranti website, including the brand’s exclusive “stay in the loupe” 10% discount for email subscribers, so be sure to go check it out!
This sponsored post is brought to you by GiGi Ferranti.
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So pretty xo
SO pretty!! Glad you love it too.
those opal necklaces slay me. looks like a fantastic line altogether!
Agreed!! I love those.
I found a wonderful artist at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Art Council show last year. Her name is Cornelia Goldsmith (yes, that is her actual name). She is from San Francisco and make beautiful jewelry. I own a pendant of hers with granulated gold and diamond center but she also has this awesome necklace and bracelets that have little diamonds on both sides so when you move, you always sparkle. I don’t know how your business actually works whether everything is sponsored or not but she is a cool artist and takes kind of a spiritual approach to her jewelry. She has made some jewelry from her dreams which I thought was kind of cool. It is just an idea. Keep blogging because I look forward to your stuff!! Thanks, Lynn Rudick
The first thought that sprung to mind was, “Okay, I’d wear a lot of this.” The second: “Ooh, shiny!” The third thought, coming in as I type: “This looks like the love child of Tamara de Lempicka, Cartier in its Art Deco glory, some older influences, and Tilda Swinton.” I know not how or why, but I can imagine Swinton wearing a lot of this (not all at the same time!). I blame the otherworldly geometry for this one.
Ooooh, I love that take on it! And also the phrase “otherworldly geometry.” An apt and eloquent description.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting, Jaenice!
xoxo,
Becky
And that was my initial take–looking at it again, I can see echoes of Erte, Belperron, and Paul Flato in addition to my earlier description. My favorite so far has to be the Regalo collection. The combination of pink tourmaline and pink sapphire–unexpected, but brilliant. And when it’s combined with rose gold, you do think to yourself of a sudden, “Why not?” It doesn’t read as girlish or twee, but rather as powerful and regal, which isn’t something you associate that often with pink nowadays.
Re the “otherworldly geometry”: I will sometimes stumble over a neat turn of phrase while improvising. This was one of those times. I’m glad you liked it.
A pleasure, as ever, and this was a terrific post!