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Semi-Mounts & Tiaras: Wendy Brandes’ Bridal Collection
The jewelry designer, a recent WJA Awards for Excellence winner, has gone on all in on wedding jewelry.
This one-of-a-kind tiara was the debut piece of Wendy Brandes’ bridal collection. It features a South Sea pearl, 76 diamonds weighing a total of 0.5 carats, four rubies totaling 0.09 carats, 18-karat rose gold wire and 18-karat yellow gold.
New York--Jewelry designer Wendy Brandes is going all in on bridal, officially launching a collection of one-of-a-kind, bespoke and limited-edition semi-mount wedding jewelry.
Though Brandes always has worked closely with clients to create custom wedding pieces, the brand now will have several one-of-a-kind pieces in stock, rather than doing them all on a made-to-order basis.
Wendy Brandes Wedding is priced at $10,000 and up at retail.
It’s offered in three tiers, all of which are available to retailers:
1. One hundred percent custom;
2. One-of-a-kind pieces that are in stock; and
3. Limited-edition semi-mount options, for which production will never exceed more than five of each design created.
Brandes is known for paying as much attention to function as she does to form, considering details from all sides, and the aesthetic very much carries over to her new bridal collection, which officially debuted in July with a one-of-a kind snake tiara.
The Victorian-inspired piece features two twisting snakes that meet in the center to create a heart shape, in which is nestled a baroque South Sea pearl.
The snakes’ eyes are rubies, a nod to the fact that the bride who wore it on loan from the brand got married in July, along with 76 diamonds totaling 0.5 carats to complement the satin-polished and blackened gold.
This ballerina-style ring is available as a limited-edition semi-mount. The ring is made in platinum and also features 18-karat rose gold or 18-karat yellow gold hidden text, 199 round diamonds and diamond baguettes on side. The ring pictured here has a diamond center stone, though that can be selected according to the bride ($18,500, without center stone).
The limited-edition heart-shaped “Gravity” ring is customizable. Though seen here in platinum, it can be made in the customer’s choice of 18-karat rose, yellow or white gold.
This ring is available as a limited-edition semi-mount and can be stacked with others. It’s made in 18-karat gold, though also available in 18-karat rose and white gold or platinum, and features diamonds and rubies, with the choice of alternate stones.
This one-of-a-kind ring from Brandes has already sold, but is used to show retailers and customers her aesthetic. It features a 2.5-carat heirloom diamond in 18-karat rose gold.
Wendy Brandes Wedding is for “sophisticated, unconventional brides and grooms who want exquisitely made, wearable jewelry that reflects their unique personalities,” the brand said about the new collection.
“A lot of customers who find me by referral tell me they never planned to wear an engagement ring or wedding band--until they found out that practically anything is possible,” she said. “I’ve made a 2.5-carat antique diamond look low-key; I’ve made a 64-point diamond look like 3.5 carats. That said, the beauty and value of my work is not only about the size of the center stone. My customers care about design and differentiation, which is something that happens in the metalwork.”
In addition to bridal jewelry for women, Brandes also creates wedding designs for men, including engagement rings, wedding bands, cufflinks and shirt studs, and unisex jewelry to be worn by anyone.
Brandes has received a number of awards for her work, most recently receiving Award for Excellence in Design from the Women’s Jewelry Association in New York.
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