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What I’d Like to Find Underneath My Christmas Tree
In a nod to a top trend in 2020 and to end the year on a happy note, Senior Editor, Gemstones Brecken Branstrator fills up her wish list with rainbow jewels.
At the top of Senior Editor, Gemstones Brecken Branstrator’s jewelry wish list for the holidays is this cabochon gemstone bracelet from Harwell Godfrey.
The idea of creating a “jewelry wish list” story is one that fills me with both glee and dread, but the latter only because my initial thought is, how will I ever narrow it down?
This year also presented an interesting obstacle in that, after Tucson, I didn’t see any jewelry in person due to COVID-19. That meant trying to remember the favorites of what I had been emailed or seen scrolling through Instagram.
And then I realized I had likely already created my wish list through that little thing called the screenshot.
Sure enough, after going in to my phone’s camera roll, where there was usually photo after photo of jewelry taken during work travel or events, there were many screenshots, presenting me with what I saw as a curated selection of what I liked enough as I was scrolling social media to push those little buttons and save forever.
As I was looking through them, a trend quickly popped up in my selections, one that has also run through jewelry overall of late: rainbow gemstones.
As a person who struggles with picking one colored stone over another, it makes a lot of sense I’d be into the pieces that allow me to have all of them. Plus, it’s 2020 after all, and that requires some wearable happiness.
So, in the spirit of spreading that joy through this blog, here is my (non-exhaustive, of course) wish list in the form of my favorite rainbow jewels from 2020.
Allow me to start with the piece I think I am currently lusting for most.
This year also presented an interesting obstacle in that, after Tucson, I didn’t see any jewelry in person due to COVID-19. That meant trying to remember the favorites of what I had been emailed or seen scrolling through Instagram.
And then I realized I had likely already created my wish list through that little thing called the screenshot.
Sure enough, after going in to my phone’s camera roll, where there was usually photo after photo of jewelry taken during work travel or events, there were many screenshots, presenting me with what I saw as a curated selection of what I liked enough as I was scrolling social media to push those little buttons and save forever.
As I was looking through them, a trend quickly popped up in my selections, one that has also run through jewelry overall of late: rainbow gemstones.
As a person who struggles with picking one colored stone over another, it makes a lot of sense I’d be into the pieces that allow me to have all of them. Plus, it’s 2020 after all, and that requires some wearable happiness.
So, in the spirit of spreading that joy through this blog, here is my (non-exhaustive, of course) wish list in the form of my favorite rainbow jewels from 2020.
Allow me to start with the piece I think I am currently lusting for most.
To be fair, I am in love with practically every piece Lauren Harwell Godfrey makes for her eponymous brand. I wore a few jewels to Gem Awards this year, and don’t tell Lauren, but I came pretty close to just running away with everything I borrowed and never coming back.
But the Harwell Godfrey cabochon bracelet in the post above is beyond everything else for me. It’s so gemmy, my heart can’t take it. It’s big, the colors are beautiful, and it makes me so happy.
The piece features aquamarine, tanzanite, amethyst, pink tourmaline, mandarin garnet and yellow beryl as well as diamond accents in 18-karat yellow gold; it retails for $25,000 at Twist.
But the Harwell Godfrey cabochon bracelet in the post above is beyond everything else for me. It’s so gemmy, my heart can’t take it. It’s big, the colors are beautiful, and it makes me so happy.
The piece features aquamarine, tanzanite, amethyst, pink tourmaline, mandarin garnet and yellow beryl as well as diamond accents in 18-karat yellow gold; it retails for $25,000 at Twist.
The next two choices probably aren’t that surprising since both brands’ ethos are wrapped in color.
Rainbow jewelry is a signature for Robinson Pelham, and I am over the moon for the piece created for Muzo’s latest collaboration with designers using faceted emeralds from its mine. The variety of colored gems combined with the structure and shape of the earrings would have me wearing these “Stralle” earrings seen above year-round.
They’re set with Muzo emeralds, multicolored sapphires and tsavorite garnet in 18-karat yellow gold ($38,940).
Rainbow jewelry is a signature for Robinson Pelham, and I am over the moon for the piece created for Muzo’s latest collaboration with designers using faceted emeralds from its mine. The variety of colored gems combined with the structure and shape of the earrings would have me wearing these “Stralle” earrings seen above year-round.
They’re set with Muzo emeralds, multicolored sapphires and tsavorite garnet in 18-karat yellow gold ($38,940).
And of course, what would a colorful wish list be without the inclusion of Jane Taylor Jewelry?
I love that the brand’s “Cirque” cuffs are loaded with color. Channel-setting the gems and keeping their size conservative makes them everyday wearable, alone or in a stack.
The cuffs are made in 14-karat yellow gold with red garnet, citrine, yellow beryl, green tourmaline, blue topaz, iolite, and amethyst ($5,720).
I love that the brand’s “Cirque” cuffs are loaded with color. Channel-setting the gems and keeping their size conservative makes them everyday wearable, alone or in a stack.
The cuffs are made in 14-karat yellow gold with red garnet, citrine, yellow beryl, green tourmaline, blue topaz, iolite, and amethyst ($5,720).
Featherstone Design is a great addition to any wish list because you know, with versatility as a cornerstone of the brand, that you’re getting more than meets the eye.
At the top of my general jewelry wish list right now is a pair of hoops set with stones all the way around—an updated look to a jewelry staple.
There are a lot of great gem-set hoops out there right now, but this pair from designer Deirdre Featherstone, with its rainbow gems all perfectly in order, checks off all my boxes, plus more—they can also be worn with enhancers, allowing for an extra drop to be attached.
(Visit the brand’s Instagram account to see an example of what that looks like.)
These stunners are set with diamond, sapphire, spessartite garnet, tanzanite, Paraiba tourmaline, indigo tourmaline, champagne garnet, ruby, blue zircon, tsavorite garnet and spinel, all in platinum (price available upon request).
At the top of my general jewelry wish list right now is a pair of hoops set with stones all the way around—an updated look to a jewelry staple.
There are a lot of great gem-set hoops out there right now, but this pair from designer Deirdre Featherstone, with its rainbow gems all perfectly in order, checks off all my boxes, plus more—they can also be worn with enhancers, allowing for an extra drop to be attached.
(Visit the brand’s Instagram account to see an example of what that looks like.)
These stunners are set with diamond, sapphire, spessartite garnet, tanzanite, Paraiba tourmaline, indigo tourmaline, champagne garnet, ruby, blue zircon, tsavorite garnet and spinel, all in platinum (price available upon request).
Inspired by Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff’s inclusion of the pieces she’d get if she won the lottery—because what’s a wish list without those unattainable-yet-still-so-lustworthy pieces—I’ve included one of my favorite high jewels I’ve covered this year.
The necklace comes from Pomellato’s first high jewelry collection, launched this summer.
Using 50 different gemstone varieties, the new collection is a color lover’s dream.
The pièce de résistance is the jewel pictured above, the “Gourmette Caméléon” choker, which features 29 gold links set with a gradation of colored gemstones—from various multicolored sapphires to emeralds, tourmalines, spinel, tsavorite and other garnets, rubies, tanzanite, aquamarine, topaz and diamonds, perfectly arranged according to 27 color nuances.
Nearly 200 hours of work went into the piece (its price is available upon request), and it’s pure perfection, if I do say so myself.
The necklace comes from Pomellato’s first high jewelry collection, launched this summer.
Using 50 different gemstone varieties, the new collection is a color lover’s dream.
The pièce de résistance is the jewel pictured above, the “Gourmette Caméléon” choker, which features 29 gold links set with a gradation of colored gemstones—from various multicolored sapphires to emeralds, tourmalines, spinel, tsavorite and other garnets, rubies, tanzanite, aquamarine, topaz and diamonds, perfectly arranged according to 27 color nuances.
Nearly 200 hours of work went into the piece (its price is available upon request), and it’s pure perfection, if I do say so myself.
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