Independent jeweller Jessica McCormack's new 'Transposed' jewellery collection is a very individual perception, appreciation and interpretation of diamonds. The diamond jewels show a wide variety of styles from the romantic bow shaped chandelier earrings to the edgy Torpedo earrings or the minimalist Pipe ring or the elegant ArtDeco diamond fringe earrings or even what look like very classic Georgian cut-down setting eternity bands. In each jewel, the style, diamond cuts and setting techniques are juxtaposed to create unexpected looks yet within style codes we recognise that on closer inspection reveal their individuality.
'Transposed' plays with our preconceptions of what a diamond jewellery can be and mixes up the romantic with Art Deco and even organic and aggresively futuristic and then has fun with different diamond settings to make us truly appreciate the range of possibility a diamond can hold. The Transposed collection both transforms and reveals, ensuring that the pieces in question remain a source of wonder.
Jessica feels that by making such unusual combinations it transforms us from being simply owners of jewellery to something much more: guardians, protecting these treasures from the outside world. I see this wide variety of jewels like a wardrobe in which you can mix and match a classic pleated skirt with an edgy leather jacket or a Victorian lace blouse with punk leather trousers.
A variety of diamond settings are seen in these earrings and rings in a range of shapes and styles. The gold 'Pipe' ring is a strikingly minimalist almost industrial design crafted in yellow gold, with fourteen gold pipes set with 28 round brilliant-cut diamonds. The unwavering purity of the lines and curves are a world away from the more organic forms of the drop-shaped Torpedo earrings. These white gold drops perforated with circles can detach from a spectacle-set stud. The drops are set with 187 diamonds some of which are reverse-cut with cut-out detailing, showing us the range of sensations each stone can create.
Elsewhere in the collection we see earrings that are vastly different in shape and execution, yet united by the unexpected use of diamond setting techniques. The serif-shaped bravely futuristic earrings rise up the ear in a clean sweep, yet are adorned by the sweet drop of a shield-shaped diamond dangling from each one. The earrings are set with an unusual combination of baguette and round brilliant cut diamonds even using reverse-settings for a modern look. In contrast the white gold 'Heart and Bow' earrings feature 37 diamonds, including round brilliant-cuts and an articulated pear-shaped diamond.
