Editors

Briony Raymond’s Zodiacs Are the Most Magical of the Year

EditorsDec 15, 2021

Briony Raymond’s Zodiacs Are the Most Magical of the Year

The new “Memoir Lockets” differentiate themselves from other astrological jewels.

20211215_BrionyRaymond-header.jpg
A selection of Briony Raymond “Zodiac Memoir Lockets,” crafted in 18-karat gold and accented with diamonds and colored gemstones, in a campaign lensed by Jeffrey Westbrook and styled by Will Kahn
In current times one could argue that, in addition to death and taxes, if there’s anything certain in life, it’s uncertainty. 
 
With few things set in stone in the pandemic era, astrology seems as good an oracle as any to make sense of the present and ascertain guidance for the future. 
 
For New York City-based jewelry designer Briony Raymond, astrology holds a persisting appeal that serves as muse for some of her eponymous collection. 
 
“I studied art history at university and have always been fascinated by people and ideology—both real and mythical—that have endured the ages and maintained relevance in art and culture,” Raymond explained over email. 
 
“Though some iterations of ancient mythology do not feel applicable to modern times, astrology has truly stood the test of time. Over 2,000 years since its inception, we continue to be fascinated by our zodiac signs, often looking to them as a means to understand ourselves and our destiny.”

20211215_BrionyRaymond-2.jpg
Pictured from left to right are Briony Raymond lockets representing Cancer, Aries, and Pisces.
 
While zodiac signs are a stalwart of jewelry symbols in the vein of initials or birthstones, contemporary jewelry designers have embraced astrology with vigor in the past couple of years.
 
Raymond, who earned her jewelry pedigree at Van Cleef & Arpels selling to VIP clients for 10 years before launching her own brand, began designing zodiac-inspired jewels in earnest about four years ago, debuting them in 2019. 
 
Pieces like a medallion customized to a person’s exact birth chart were an easy fit for her bustling bespoke business.

She created an entire collection of medallions with finely wrought astrological figures depicted in low-relief representing each sign in the zodiac—a centaur for Sagittarius, crab for Cancer, and so on.

20211215_BrionyRaymond-4.jpg
The “Memoir Locket” collection offers double the personalization, with customers choosing meaningful zodiac signs for themselves or a loved one and stowing personal photographs inside.
 
Now, Raymond has, in this editor’s opinion, perfected her zodiac fascination with the enchanting new “Memoir Lockets.” 
 
The lockets are an evolution of the medallions. While the latter are visually rooted in their associated mythological figures that are universal cultural touchstones, the new lockets feel mined from Raymond’s personal aesthetic. They are whimsical, romantic, and unique from any zodiac interpretation I’ve seen.   
 
Each features a zodiac sign’s basic astrological glyph amid a sculptural garden of plants and flowers. Lockets are oval- or heart-shaped—my personal favorite—and crafted in two different sizes.
 
They come in a pearl halo, diamond halo, and diamond and colored gemstone halo editions, allowing for the personalization to which Raymond so expertly caters.   

20211215_BrionyRaymond-3.jpg
An Aries Memoir Locket is featured alongside other jewels from the Briony Raymond collection, including a medallion from the brand’s earlier Zodiac collection, launched in 2019.
 
With such exquisite detailing, one can only imagine how painstaking the process is to bring these to retail, which Raymond did just in time for the 2021 holiday season, launching them the week of Thanksgiving. 
 
Raymond said her design process entails “a mixture of sketches, renderings, wax prototypes and initial castings” in the journey to the final collection. 
 
“It is a collaborative effort with my wonderful design team and incomparably talented jewelers! I am so thankful for the extraordinary team we have built and find their ability to translate my vision—sometimes more challenging to decipher than others I am sure—into beautiful handmade treasures.”
 
It’s a collaboration that requires close contact between Raymond and her team of master jewelers, making local New York City production a necessity.

20211215_BrionyRaymond-5.jpg
A close-up of a Pisces locket with a diamond and colored gemstone halo
 
“Supporting the New York jewelry industry is incredibly important to me as is being able to oversee every step of the production process from beginning to end,” she remarked. “I appreciate my wonderful jewelers more than I could ever say!”
 
The Memoir Locket collection boasts a sumptuous campaign befitting such an exciting new design venture. 
 
It features the lockets in various vitrines throughout the designer’s studio, the richness of brocade fabrics and decadent chocolates aligning with Raymond’s particular brand of heirloom-worthy luxury. 

20211215_BrionyRaymond-chocolate.jpg
Sweet tooths, be warned. Will Kahn styled the Memoir Lockets campaign, incorporating chocolates and even New York’s signature black-and-white cookies.
 
Will Kahn, the Town & Country and Moda Operandi alum of Will’s Notebook Instagram fame, styled the campaign, which Jeffrey Westbrook photographed.
 
“We gravitated toward a concept of the lockets functioning as sculptural talismans, each completely unique to its owner,” Raymond said.
 
Raymond, a Gemini, gravitates toward wearing her loved ones’ star signs, personally. She favors a “Zodiac Generations Necklace” with medallions in honor of family members, their zodiac on the front and names and birthdates engraved on the back. 
 
“Jewelry is innately very personal,” Raymond said, “it literally lies on our skin, adorns our body. I feel happy and comforted wearing symbols of my nearest and dearest close to my heart.”
 
Memoir Lockets begin at $8,000 and are available on the Briony Raymond website.

 Related stories will be right here … 

The Latest

Movado Connect 2.0 watches
FinancialsMay 30, 2025
Movado’s Q1 Sales Slip Amid ‘Challenging’ Retail Environment

The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.

Zoë Chicco Bracelets
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Tariffs & Designers: Navigating Pricing in an Unstable Environment

Between tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.

Renato Cipullo Hematite Blaze Necklace
CollectionsMay 30, 2025
Piece of the Week: Renato Cipullo’s ‘Hematite Blaze’ Necklace

Designed by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.

Article Image 1.png
Brought to you by
Clienteling Isn’t a Buzzword. It’s an Essential Business Model.

More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.

Stock image of shipping containers
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Trade Court Declares Trump’s Tariffs Invalid

However, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.

Weekly QuizMay 30, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Britney Spears
CollectionsMay 29, 2025
Britney Spears Files Trademark for New Jewelry Line

The pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.

Inoveo Platinum Grain image.jpg
Supplier BulletinMay 29, 2025
Inoveo Platinum Grain, Exclusively Distributed by Stuller

Sponsored by Stuller

antique_Vegas_2024_by_headshot_stories_9454.jpg
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the Globe

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

Grizzly Mining Pilala emerald
SourcingMay 29, 2025
Grizzly Auctions 6,620-Carat Emerald

It was featured in the miner’s latest sale, which brought in $24.8 million.

GemFind Logo
TechnologyMay 29, 2025
GemFind Launches AI Product Description Software

GemText AI uses artificial intelligence to generate tailored product titles, descriptions, and tags with jewelry-specific language.

Graff Fontainebleau Las Vegas
MajorsMay 28, 2025
Graff Unveils New Las Vegas Flagship

The 3,300-square foot location is the jeweler's largest store in North America.

Kim Kardashian
CrimeMay 28, 2025
8 Convicted in Kim Kardashian Jewelry Heist Trial

Aging and with myriad health issues, none will serve time for their roles in robbing the billionaire celebrity at gunpoint in 2016.

New York Liberty 2024 WNBA Championship Ring
CollectionsMay 28, 2025
NY Liberty’s 2024 Championship Rings Honor Historic Win

The WNBA team received rings imbued with meaning, from leaf motifs and its Liberty torch to the number of diamonds used.

Jewelers Board of Trade logo
MajorsMay 28, 2025
Andrew Rickard Named JBT President

A longtime executive at RDI Diamonds, Rickard has served on the JBT board for the past five years.

Logos for Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America and Jewelers of America
MajorsMay 27, 2025
MJSA to Become Part of Jewelers of America

The two organizations have signed an affiliation agreement that’s expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

Al Capone Pocket Watch
AuctionsMay 27, 2025
Al Capone’s Patek Philippe Pocket Watch Back Up for Auction

The platinum and diamond watch is part of Sotheby’s upcoming Important Watches sale.

Kat Florence Lumina
AuctionsMay 27, 2025
182-Carat Paraíba-Type Tourmaline Sells for $487K

Recovered in Mozambique, “The Kat Florence Lumina” was part of Bonhams’ Hong Kong jewelry auction held last week.

Mark Henry Gumdrop Bypass Ring
TrendsMay 27, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Candy-Colored Gemstones

Get a taste of the delicious candy-like gemstones in this Amanda’s Style File.

Stock image of police cars with their lights on
CrimeMay 23, 2025
JSA Shares Holiday Weekend Security Tips Amid Spike in Burglaries

JSA’s Scott Guginsky provided a list of nine security measures jewelers should observe while locking up for the long weekend.

Bliss Lau Bright Ring
CollectionsMay 23, 2025
Piece of the Week: Bliss Lau’s ‘Bright’ Ring

From Lau’s “Love of a Kind” series, the engagement ring was inspired by the moon and holds a different meaning depending on how it is worn.

GIA pearl report
GradingMay 23, 2025
GIA Updates Pearl Classification System

The lab has adjusted the scale it uses for nacre grading.

GCALbySarine Diamond Journey Certificate_1872x1052.jpg
Supplier BulletinMay 22, 2025
How to Put Natural Diamonds Back in the Spotlight

Sponsored by GCAL by Sarine

The late West Virginia jeweler David Ettinger
CrimeMay 22, 2025
NY Jeweler Sentenced in Shoving Death of Colleague at IJO Show

David Walton will serve three years’ probation after an incident in a hotel bar led to the death of West Virginia jeweler David Ettinger.

Watches of Switzerland store in Mall of America
FinancialsMay 22, 2025
Watches of Switzerland’s Full-Year U.S. Sales Climb 14%

The retailer also provided an update on how the tariffs situation in the U.S. is affecting its business.

Jorge Adeler, Wendy Adeler, Valentina Adeler
IndependentsMay 22, 2025
Adeler Jewelers Celebrates 50 Years

The family-owned jeweler in Great Falls, Virginia, will be celebrating its golden jubilee with a year’s worth of events.

Jose Hess Design Awards 2025 Trophy
Events & AwardsMay 22, 2025
Jose Hess Design Awards Announce Judges

The nonprofit elected five judges who will decide the winners of its design competition.

MJSA 2025-2026 Buyer’s Guide
MajorsMay 22, 2025
MJSA Releases 2025-2026 Buyer’s Guide

This year’s edition includes articles on the favorite tools of notable designers, evaluating when to outsource production, and more.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy