In hot hues of violet and sunny yellow, the colourful new Sweet & Sour jewels from Lydia Courteille are typical of this flamboyant Parisian jeweller, who never fails to delight and amaze in equal measures.
Every year, Lydia creates a collection based on her classic designs but using out-of-the-ordinary materials and stones.
The aptly named Sweet & Sour collection is made from phosphosiderite, a stone that is mined in Chile and has a similar texture to jade, with yellow veins running through its predominantly purple colouring.
To bring out the splashes of yellow, Lydia has used yellow topazes and sapphires, their shiny textures contrasting beautifully with the matt phosphosiderite.
Keeping with the animal theme of her previous collections - Animal Farm, which references George Orwell's book of the same name, and the seahorses and crabs in her Deep Sea collection - the flower-shaped jewels also feature cute little bugs nestling on the petals.
The collection consists of approximately 15 one-of-a-kind pieces and is available from Lydia's boutique on Rue Saint Honoré in Paris.
