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Marco Bicego Embraces Rough Diamonds, Turquoise
The Italian brand has launched extensions to its “Africa” collection for 2018.
Additions this year to Marco Bicego’s “Africa” collection include a range of turquoise pieces.
New York--Marco Bicego’s newest additions to its 2018 collections are extensions to its pre-existing “Africa” collection.
A common geographical point of inspiration for the Italian jewelry brand, the Africa collection is comprised of gold spheres engraved by hand with the Florentine bulino technique, resulting in textural beads that the brand calls “perfectly imperfect.”
The newest Africa iterations feature a few changes.
“Africa Turquoise” mixes turquoise balls with the traditional 18-karat yellow gold variety, marking the collection’s first use of a colored gemstone.
Prices start at $1,200 for simpler styles like a pair of drop earrings, and top off at $12,220 for more elaborate, multi-strand necklaces.
“Africa Turquoise” mixes bold color into the Africa range.
A simple pair of drop earrings get the Africa treatment with 18-karat yellow gold hand-engraved balls atop turquoise spheres.
While diamonds have figured into the Africa collection previously as minimal decoration, Marco Bicego incorporated the stone into the range in earnest this year.
Retailing between $2,380 and $48,180, “Africa Constellation” featured white round brilliants of varying sizes set into golden beads in wavy patterns, further emphasizing the collection’s organic feel.
Accents of white, round brilliant diamonds set in patterns like constellations in the night sky comprise the “Africa Constellation” pieces.
Prices start at $2,380.
“Africa Stellar,” meanwhile, was the most exciting addition to the range yet, featuring “raw,” or rough, diamonds, which took a more prominent role in the overall designs.
A pair of drop earrings, for example, feature various colors of gray and brown diamond beads with a single 18-karat yellow gold bead at the earring’s top and bottom, and station necklaces use a mix of both gold and diamonds, resulting in a modern take on a classic piece.
Drop earrings featuring rough diamonds from the “Africa Stellar” collection
Here, rough diamonds are mixed with 18-karat yellow gold beads.
Marco Bicego said the new Africa pieces are meant to hit stores throughout 2018, not just for fall.
The brand chose not to exhibit at Baselworld this year—the show’s exhibitor count shrunk by about half —instead showing the collection to buyers and press in New York City by private appointment.
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