In jewellery, brown has proven a sleeper hit. Tones of cognac, walnut and cinnamon have slowly crept into ateliers across the world, from Paris to Milan, London to New York. They’re also proving particularly popular with brides-to-be who are intent on a less-than-traditional engagement ring.
De Beers’s Talisman collection places earthy-hued rough diamonds against textured yellow or white gold. A pale brown diamond sits opposite its white counterpart in Ara Vartanian’s Empirea ring, the designer’s take on a traditional toi-et-moi band. Dina Kamal also creates with brown diamonds, as does Vincenzo Castaldo, the artistic director of Pomellato. Independent jeweller Lily Gabriella recently finished a chain bracelet with chunky links, shaped by hand and realised in brown ceramic. London-based Lucy Delius, who opened her first boutique in Notting Hill last autumn, sprinkles her vintage-inspired, black-rhodium set designs – like pocket watch-inspired bracelets and everyday hoop earrings – with cognac diamonds.
“I have always been drawn to earthy tones and tonal combinations. Shades of brown from light to dark are prominent on the body itself, so brown has always been in my core palette,” says Brazilian jeweller Fernando Jorge. Pieces at his London showroom include a pair of Deep Stream earrings carved from Louro wood, set with brown diamonds, and a bracelet assembled from Brazilian river pebbles. “Brown stones and materials pick up tones from the skin, eyes and hair, and as a result the jewels become more nuanced and intriguing,” he explains.
“Brown feels reassuring. It’s a neutral but it carries warmth as it absorbs more light than it reflects,” says Dyne’s Sarah Ysabel Narici. “It’s not fashionable and feels timeless.” Narici’s work has been worn by Rihanna, Vittoria Ceretti and Charli xcx, among others. A recent pair of Dyne Flow earrings feature citrines in a deep caramel colour.
Two more jewellery debuts this winter centre on brown-hued materials. Patcharavipa Bodiratnangkura (another jeweller beloved by Rhianna, as well as Marina Abramović) is set to present new pieces during Paris haute couture week this month. Among them is a ring carved from Thuya wood and finessed with Siam gold – a warm, yellow 18-carat alloy – and bezel-set diamonds. “I would wear it with my vintage military T-shirts and The Row jeans, or a Rick Owens sleeveless dress and Saint Laurent flats,” the designer, whose workshop is in Bangkok, Thailand muses. “Or a little wedge heel in brown, to match the wood.”
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On New York’s Upper East Side, Alexa Runsdorf, who previously worked in The Row’s design studios, is busy finishing her first designs for Nina Runsdorf, her mother’s eponymous brand. Here, a rose-gold pendant set with rock crystal plus brown and green rough diamonds is a stand-out. The sizeable charm comes on a cut of brown leather for a necklace. “Brown tones carry warmth and depth without demanding attention,” says Runsdorf. “They feel lived-in and emotional – luxury you can wear every day.”
It’s a trend that favours considered elegance, an “if you know you know” approach to wearing important jewellery. It’s also a trend that, in terms of materials used, is striking in its many interpretations, from unique diamonds to textured and polished woods. Some work with brown tone metals. Master jeweller Hemmerle, a family-run concern whose Munich-made creations are dealt like fine art, works with copper and bronze. Ana Khouri shapes designs from brown gold, an 18-carat alloy she developed herself. Elsewhere, Marc Auclert reframes ancient artfacts such as a 1st century Roman intaglio, its banded agate the colours of caramel. Or coffee.