As a writer, I pay attention to the words I find myself using to describe the jewelry I see. Many pieces are pretty, glamorous, interesting, or unique – but not that many are just utterly cool. These new Dana Bronfman earrings, however, are a spectacular example of total coolness.
What makes something cool? They’re interesting, unusual, fresh – they surprise and delight the eye in a way that’s not precisely “pretty,” but still pleasing to behold. They’re full of yes.
I often feel this way about Dana Bronfman’s work, but the earrings from her latest collection really go above and beyond in pure awesomeness. These pieces take the designer’s signature design moves and multiply them against each other to create something bold and utterly irresistible.
Let’s start by taking a look at the first pair that caught my eye. There’s a lot going on here, so we’ll take it one step at a time.
The surmounts – aka the top of the earrings – are two gold circles pierced with round holes, echoing the design of much of Dana’s Occulus collection. These lead to strings of connected white and yellow diamonds in yellow gold, which lead to two pieces of rutilated quartz.
And speaking of that rutilated quartz…doesn’t it look particularly interesting? Is there something special going on?
Because Dana Bronfman is a genius, she’s set these pear-shaped black rutilated quartz drops in way that makes the light shining through the quartz slices echo the Occulus design in the earrings’ surmounts.
It’s an brilliant idea, totally unique, and adds the coolest element of shadow play to these beauties. Using rutilated quartz = cool, giving rutilated quartz polka dots = SUPER cool.
The first Lueur jewelry show.
Ring roundup: Art Deco engagement rings.
Lookalikes: Scarlett Johnansson’s engagement ring
More lovely antique rings from Erstwhile Jewelry Co.
Ring roundup: gold filigree engagement rings.
Two exceptional 1920s engagement rings
Amazing emerald, onyx, and diamond Art Deco fan ring.
Let’s look at antique engagement rings!
10 reasons to choose an antique engagement ring.
Ode to a moval: Lang Antiques’ 9.55 carat beauty.
The Las Vegas Antique Jewelry and Watch Show.
Ring roundup: more Art Deco engagement rings.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ jewelry specialist, Alex Eblen, was kind enough to chat with me about the April jewelry auction. Alex is a delight and I couldn’t resist sharing a few snippets of our conversation directly.
Lot 27: A Platinum Topped, Yellow Gold, Peridot and Diamond Demi Parure.
Lot 29: A Yellow Gold, Polychrome Enamel and Multigem Butterfly Motif Pietra Dura Swag Necklace.
Lot 69: A Fine Platinum, Burmese Sapphire and Diamond Ring.