Jewelry News

How the Jewelry World Has Been Coping

Designing collections and giving generously

by The Adventurine Editors

Before the coronavirus the images of many jewelry businesses online were often flawless. During this time things have changed and gotten very real as people cope with working from home and come up with creative ways to fill their time. The authenticity, imagination and generosity have been a pleasure and an inspiration to all of us at The Adventurine.

A native New Yorker, the Los Angeles based designer Neil Lane is famous in America as the jeweler on The Bachelor. What many might be surprised to learn is that Neil is also a painter. He shared a glimpse into his studio this week. His caption for the image above said, “I believe we are all artists at our soul level. The creativity that flows through the human spirit is indomitable and will carry us through these unprecedented times. With Love & Light, Neil”

“I am a New Yorker. I was born in Manhattan and raised on a farm in upstate New York. My entire family, my late husband, children and I were all born at Mount Sinai Hospital. After talking with my team, I have decided to set myself the goal to try and raise one-million-dollars for my own local hospital, Mount Sinai to support the Research and Response against COVID-19.”

In order to raise the money, Nina’s team are uploading selections of her fine jewelry weekly on WhatsApp and on Instagram, with all profits from the sales being donated to Mount Sinai Hospital.

“Being able to turn business into a way of giving back to Mount Sinai and helping those who need help most at the moment is giving me the ability to feel creative. I feel invigorated and so much happier; knowing I can help other people is what is feeding my creativity,” says Nina.

Harwell Godfrey has designed a 18k malachite and diamond pendant where 30% of profits from each sale will benefit World Central Kitchen (WCK), the non profit organization started by chef José Andrés now situated at the front lines of disaster relief. “There’s so much heartache in the world right now and we are all looking for ways to help each other survive and heal,” explains Godfrey. “Hopefully this talisman can act as an heirloom for the future while allowing us to create a positive change in today’s world.”

With designer Lauren Harwell Godfrey’s background in culinary arts, she is especially sensitive to the power of food and wanted to help in any way she can during these difficult times. It will be available for pre-order exclusively at harwellgodfrey.com with projected delivery dates of mid-June.

As the wobbly new routine settled around UK designer Pippa Small, slow uneventful days, with cautious trips to the park, she has started to think of ideas, designs and imagining and drawing again. “I find I can easily lose myself looking through books dwelling on images of cave paintings, tribal jewelry and modernist sculpture, I find my sketch book is quickly filling with ideas and thoughts for future collections. I don’t use the internet very much for research but rely on my library of collected books – there is something about the pace of opening a book and feeling paper and turning pages that suits my process,” says Pippa, who is noted for her ethical and sustainable creations.

Ara Vartanian’s design space at home in São Paulo, Brazil.

Brazilian designer Ara Vartanian shared a little snippet of video showing his workspace at home in São Paulo. He says being home all the time “means that I can design at any time of the day, any day of the week, in the comfort of my house and in the company of my family, which has been interesting and inspirational, in a new ways.”

*This post was assembled by Smitha Sadanandan and Marion Fasel.

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