TrendsFeb 23, 2023
Amanda’s Style File: The 5 Colors Trending in Tucson CollectionsFeb 27, 2023
Leigh Maxwell Captures Camouflage in a Capsule
Designer Jennifer Maxwell spent a year developing a collection that uses a mix of diamonds and gemstones to elevate the pattern.
Jennifer Maxwell, the designer behind jewelry brand Leigh Maxwell, has designed a camouflage-inspired capsule collection that features her signature shapes, including her pavé heart and cross, both pictured here.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa—For some, camouflage calls to mind kids skipping school for the first day of hunting season, dusty pick-up trucks and deer stands—not exactly visions of luxury.
Having grown up in the Midwest, Jennifer Maxwell, the designer behind Leigh Maxwell, gets it. “That’s the Iowa perspective as well; I’m in the middle of deer-hunting country.”
But there are other perspectives too, one of camouflage-as-fashion—which Maxwell says she sees all over Los Angeles, where her jewelry is made—and of appealing to luxury consumers who’ve sought a different sort of life since the onset of the pandemic.
COVID-19, Maxwell noted, caused some people to relocate from crowded urban locations to wide open spaces like Big Sky, Montana, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, bringing more customers to luxury retailers like Belle Cose, which has stores in both places.
Leigh Maxwell does well in both those locations, with Maxwell creating a Teton charm exclusively for Belle Cose that sells “non-stop,” store owner Jane Carter-Getz told Couture.
Inspired by time spent in the national parks out West, Maxwell also has made a couple of hand-carved elk pendants that have sold at both stores.
“For me, [camo] just kind of seemed like a natural leap and I hadn’t seen it done in fine jewelry,” the designer said.
To start, Maxwell leaned into the greens of fall, sourcing gorgeous green sapphires and tourmalines, and then spent a year in a Goldilocks-esque phase of development. She had to try out numerous sizes and patterns for the collection, called simply “Camo,” to get it just right.
If the pattern was too small, it wouldn’t read like camouflage.
When the size was right, there was the matter of balancing texture and color so the pieces were recognizable as camouflage without being too literal.
Having grown up in the Midwest, Jennifer Maxwell, the designer behind Leigh Maxwell, gets it. “That’s the Iowa perspective as well; I’m in the middle of deer-hunting country.”
But there are other perspectives too, one of camouflage-as-fashion—which Maxwell says she sees all over Los Angeles, where her jewelry is made—and of appealing to luxury consumers who’ve sought a different sort of life since the onset of the pandemic.
COVID-19, Maxwell noted, caused some people to relocate from crowded urban locations to wide open spaces like Big Sky, Montana, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, bringing more customers to luxury retailers like Belle Cose, which has stores in both places.
Leigh Maxwell does well in both those locations, with Maxwell creating a Teton charm exclusively for Belle Cose that sells “non-stop,” store owner Jane Carter-Getz told Couture.
Inspired by time spent in the national parks out West, Maxwell also has made a couple of hand-carved elk pendants that have sold at both stores.
“For me, [camo] just kind of seemed like a natural leap and I hadn’t seen it done in fine jewelry,” the designer said.
To start, Maxwell leaned into the greens of fall, sourcing gorgeous green sapphires and tourmalines, and then spent a year in a Goldilocks-esque phase of development. She had to try out numerous sizes and patterns for the collection, called simply “Camo,” to get it just right.
If the pattern was too small, it wouldn’t read like camouflage.
When the size was right, there was the matter of balancing texture and color so the pieces were recognizable as camouflage without being too literal.
The “Camo” large heart pendant in 18-karat satin-finish gold with 1.37 carats of champagne-colored diamonds, 2 carats of gray diamonds, and 1.99 carats of tsavorites ($21,120). As with all Leigh Maxwell hearts, the word “love” is engraved in seven languages on the back.
The Camo cuff in 18-karat yellow gold with satin finish is set with champagne diamonds (0.28 carats), gray diamonds (0.28 carats), and tsavorites (0.53 carats). It retails for $24,440.
These slender 18-karat yellow gold Camo drop earrings are set with champagne-colored diamonds (0.88 carats), gray diamonds (1.1 carats), and 1.65 carats of tsavorites ($16,480).
The Camo collection’s “Amani” pavé ring in 18-karat satin-finished yellow gold features a 0.68-carat rose-cut green sapphire at center with gray diamonds (0.31 carats), champagne diamonds (0.27 carats), and tsavorites (0.29 carats) pavé.
One of the “supporting cast members” for the Camo collection are these one-of-a-kind pinecone earrings made of ebony with 1.21 carats of champagne-colored diamonds set in 18-karat yellow gold ($14,710).
“These pieces are really the perfect pieces to put on with a yummy cashmere sweater,” Jennifer Maxwell said.
“It had to feel right for her,” explained Beth Ann Bonanno of The Gems Project, the luxury brand development agency that represents Maxwell. “I could like it or [someone else] could like it but, as always, it had to connect to the designer.”
Maxwell agreed.
“Camo can be read a lot of different ways by a lot of different people. It had to be set right and the colors had to be right,” she said.
“It was very important to me that it did feel like luxury.”
Accompanying the main stars of the Camo collection—the elegant earrings, slim cuff, and the designer’s signature heart, which is a cornerstone of her brand—are what Maxwell refers to as the “supporting cast members,” the hand-carved acorn pendants and pinecone earrings.
There are also the pieces she created previously that can be interpreted as camo-adjacent, like the elk pendant.
The Leigh Maxwell camo capsule collection soft-launched this fall via a series of trunk shows, making stops in stores including Neiman Marcus, Elizabeth Anthony in Houston, Marissa Collections and GemBox in Boston.
This week, Maxwell and her team will head west from the brand’s headquarters (and her home) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Belle Cose in Big Sky and Jackson Hole to show the Camo collection there for the first time.
In Las Vegas at the Couture show this summer, retailers will have a chance to see, buy and order it for their stores.
More on Collections
The Latest
MajorsJul 26, 2024
Diamonds Direct Opens Store in AtlantaIt’s the Signet-owned banner’s first location in Georgia.
TrendsJul 26, 2024
Piece of the Week: Bea Bongiasca’s ‘Double Loop’ EarringsCommemorate “brat summer” with these green hoops.
EditorsJul 26, 2024
Out & About: A Dispatch from the Nation’s Smallest StateEditor-in-Chief Michelle Graff returns from Rhode Island with thoughts about in-store shopping and a trends report.
Brought to you by
The End of an Era? Lab-Grown Diamonds' Journey Towards Price StabilityAs the demand for lab-grown diamond jewelry may still be increasing, the most notable change we are likely to see is price stabilization.
Supplier BulletinJul 25, 2024
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionSponsored by Gemological Institute of America
Weekly QuizJul 25, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
TechnologyJul 25, 2024
Amazon, BBB Sue Website Allegedly Peddling Fake Reviews They claim ReviewServiceUSA.com was selling both positive and negative reviews of products and businesses.
SourcingJul 25, 2024
De Beers’ H1 Revenue Falls 21% in ‘Weak’ MarketLab-grown diamond sales in the United States and ongoing economic challenges in China are impacting natural diamond demand.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionGIA®’s most advanced microscope has new features to optimize greater precision and comfort.
IndependentsJul 25, 2024
Store Designer Ruth Mellergaard DiesA longtime member of IJO, she’s remembered for her passion for design, learning, and environmentalism.
FinancialsJul 25, 2024
Boucheron, Pomellato Post Double-Digit Growth in Q2 The gains come amid a tough time for parent company Kering, which saw sales slide 11 percent in the first half of the year.
MajorsJul 25, 2024
Shane Co. Partners With Kids In Need Foundation to Donate 7,200 BackpacksThe fine jewelry retailer filled backpacks with back-to-school essentials for students in 13 states.
FinancialsJul 24, 2024
LVMH’s First-Half Jewelry, Watch Sales Dip 5%Tiffany & Co. is focusing on its “iconic” collections while the company has made changes at the top at TAG Heuer and Hublot.
MajorsJul 24, 2024
See Chaumet’s Paris Olympic Medals Inspired by its High JewelryThe Parisian brand is the first jewelry company in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to design the medals.
MajorsJul 24, 2024
Jewelers Mutual Acquires Pawnbroker Insurance ProviderUnion Life & Casualty will join JM Insurance Agency Partners, expanding the provider’s pawnbroker coverage.
MajorsJul 24, 2024
Ben Bridge Announces 2024 Lonia Tate Scholarship WinnerLos Angeles-based Bradlei Smith was selected for this year’s award.
ColumnistsJul 23, 2024
Peter Smith: The Case for Optimism in Sales In his latest column, Smith shares multiple reasons why people who look at the glass as being hall full often make better salespeople.
SourcingJul 23, 2024
De Beers’ Production Drops 15% in Q2The company also reported the $150 million sale of an iron ore royalty right, part of its ongoing effort to divest “non-core” assets.
IndependentsJul 23, 2024
Long’s Jewelers Is Giving Away a Luxury Cape Cod VacationThe giveaway is part of the New England jeweler’s summer bridal event.
Policies & IssuesJul 23, 2024
Diamonds Do Good Announces Its 2024 Entrepreneurship Grant WinnersThe grant provided a total of $100,000 to support 13 entrepreneurs from diamond communities in Africa and India.
CrimeJul 22, 2024
Florida Jeweler Shot, Killed Following Argument With CustomerGhazi Michel Osta, or “Gus,” was killed Friday by an 83-year-old man said to be a frequent customer at his store, Volusia Gold & Diamond.
Policies & IssuesJul 22, 2024
JVC’s Elyssa Jenkins-Pérez Joins RJCThe organization also announced Effie Marinos as its new specialist advisor for technical standards, as well as four other appointments.
SourcingJul 22, 2024
AWDC Names Karen Rentmeesters as CEORentmeesters has served as interim CEO since April following former CEO Ari Epstein’s resignation.
IndependentsJul 19, 2024
Longtime D.C. Jeweler Brian Mann Dies at 70Mann, whose family’s jewelry store was located inside the Pentagon, is remembered for being a thoughtful champion of the industry.
IndependentsJul 19, 2024
The 1916 Company Opens New Tudor BoutiqueThe 500-square-foot boutique is located in Denver’s Cherry Creek Shopping Center.
WatchesJul 18, 2024
TAG Heuer, Hublot Will Have New CEOs Luxury giant LVMH is reshuffling the leadership in its watches division.
MajorsJul 18, 2024
New Etsy Campaign Prioritizes Creators Amid BacklashSellers and shoppers have spoken out against a rise in mass-produced merchandise on the platform meant to highlight handmade goods.
MajorsJul 18, 2024
Swarovski Names Ariana Grande as Its New Brand AmbassadorThe celebrity will star in Swarovski’s holiday campaign.
