Walpole Society celebrates the Best of British jewellery
It has to be said that 2012 has
been a great year to be British. The Diamond Jubilee proved a
glorious success and now the London 2012 Olympics look to go down
in history for all the right reasons. It is an unprecedented moment
for the British Isles, and what better time than to celebrate some
of the best of British jewellery than now? One society though seems
to have already beaten us to the punch, with a keen eye for what
makes our particular brand of luxury so British. Walpole is
a non-profit organisation that brings together the best of British
Luxury, with the aim of furthering and maintaining the quality it
represents. It's not just about jewellery either, with members
including BAFTA, Burberry, Orient Express, Royal Opera House,
Harrods and many more.
For us though, it's the jewellers
we're interested in, and all the companies you see here are proud
members of this luxury ideal. What you have here is some of the
finest jewellery being produced today, and all of it from our very
own Isles of Wonder. Some, like Solange Azagury-Partridge have chosen to
celebrate this British year in style. Their Regalia and Aristocrats
collections a singular tribute to the Jubilee, with seven pieces
inspired by the Order of Garter, the highest order of chivalry or
knighthood; diamond edging brings to life bold geometric blues, on
a ring, pendant, earrings, band, tiara, cuff, and brooch. Backes
& Strauss have taken the Jubilee to their watches with Her
Majesty's Royal Cypher on a watch face; the rose gold, diamond and
mother of pearls of the Piccadilly Princess; or the quartet of
multi-coloured interlocking heart-shaped timepieces.
Moving away from the Jubilee but
not the Royals themselves, Garrard have taken inspiration from one of
their own royal pieces. The Entanglement collection looks to the
Cambridge Lover's knot tiara of 1914, as worn by Queen Mary, and
later Diana Princess of Wales. Here we see an intricate diamond and
gold knot motif coupled with elegant tassels of rubies, sapphires,
emeralds and pearls across earrings, pendants, and necklaces. Bremont's
limited edition Victory watch takes its inspiration equally
seriously, though much more literally. Each watch includes parts
from the HMS Victory, Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of
Trafalgar in 1805. This is a lovingly-realised tribute to when
England ruled the seas using copper and oak timber from the
original ship.
Asprey have delved into their own history with
pieces repeating a daisy motif. Taking a cue from the archives,
jewellery like the Daisy Heritage bracelet sees fourteen flowers
made up of 228 micro marquise cut and pave diamonds set in white
gold. Colour vibrantly appears in the Daisy Heritage ring with a
ring of amethysts proudly set, making this a particular highlight
of the Daisy Collection. Boodles though may be one of the few British
jewellery brands here that shows British craftsmanship with
inspiration from beyond these shores. Their Wonderland collection
sees a sensual mix of styles, be it the Damask Rose's Syrian
inspiration or the overt Far-Eastern shapes of the Emperor
bracelet.
One look at these pieces and you
can see that even with this small selection, British jewellery is
vibrant and varied even at the most luxurious levels. Inspiration
has taken diverse and sometimes ingenious form, be it our rich
Royal heritage or the echoes of glories past. Whatever the idea,
this shows that jewellery-making is one luxury that Britain remains
great at.
