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TrendsMar 20, 2018
Alison Nagasue’s Garden of Earthly Delights
Longtime jewelry designer Alison Nagasue’s new namesake line is an ode to nature.
Alison Nagasue Ginkgo Spiral ring in 18-karat green gold with diamonds ($3,580)
New York--Alison Nagasue has spent decades in design, but the launch of her eponymous fine jewelry brand marks her most personal effort to date.
The New York-based designer has worked as both a fine jewelry and product developer, consulting with jewelry companies and retailers, and appearing on QVC, HSN and Shop Channel Tokyo with her own creations.
She is currently an adjunct professor of jewelry design at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology.
Last year, she debuted pieces from her namesake brand at the Centurion trade show in Scottsdale, Arizona, and on her website.
Her signature is her ginkgo biloba motif, executed in an 18-karat green gold alloy with a mix of matte and polished finishing that lends extra dimension to the “plant’s” texture.
The ginkgo biloba collection encompasses earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings, but Nagasue’s fascination with natural forms doesn’t stop there.
Pansies, lily of the valley, sunflowers, bees, dragonflies and butterflies form a veritable garden, accented sparingly with diamonds and pops of colors courtesy of gemstones like sapphire, peridot and pink tourmaline.
Over the year-plus she’s had her line on the market, Nagasue has worked on introducing 14-karat gold and sterling silver pieces, bringing her starting retail price point down to less than $200 for a simple silver ring.
Her 18-karat gold pieces most typically fall in the $1,000 to $5,000 range.
Nagasue is also interested in exploring ideas outside of her bejeweled garden; she told National Jeweler that her latest concept is one she started in her graduate school days—chic and comfortable chainmail-esque designs.
Flower Bottle pendant in 18-karat green gold ($2,400)
Mismatched pansy earrings in 18-karat green gold with diamond and emerald ($1,350)
Here is Nagasue’s latest effort—chainmail-inspired design. It’s made in 18-karat green and yellow gold with diamonds ($5,080).
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