Spring blooms in floral fine jewelry | The Jewellery Editor

A bejeweled bouquet of floral jewelry for spring

Two natural wonders - flowers and precious stones - continues to fascinate jewelry designers, writes Rachel Garrahan.

13 February 2016

Come February and many of us are feeling it's high time to bid farewell to the dark days of winter and welcome the warmth and sunshine-infused colors of spring. So what better way for us to lift those winter spirits than with a bejeweled bouquet of floral jewelry?

Opal earrings with Akoya pearls — Opal flower earrings with Akoya pearls, from Los Angeles-based Irene Neuwirth.

The combination of the two natural wonders of flowers and precious stones have fascinated and inspired jewelry designers throughout the ages. One of the most extraordinary gemstones of all, the opal, has long been the inspiration behind Irene Neuwirth’s jewelry creations, and in these one-of-a-kind opal earrings she combines petals of carved white opal with lustrous Akoya pearls to ultra-feminine effect.

This season’s Boucheron jewelry also pays homage to nature’s wonders in its Animal Collection. The Hopi, one of the Maison's iconic hummingbirds - named after the Native American legend in which the tiny bird saves humanity from starvation - savors the nectar of a tropical hibiscus in a precious pink sapphire ring.

Discover more bird motifs in fine jewellery

Geneva-based high jeweler Michele della Valle describes himself as "dreaming in color" and his work has long been inspired by the natural world. His floral jewelry includes this carved turquoise and aquamarine necklace, which cannot help but bring joy to the wearer.

Alison Lou also extends her playful approach to flowers this season. In her Secret Garden collection, the humble daisy is given a luxury upgrade with the one-of-a-kind He Loves Me sapphire ring, which centers on an 11ct yellow sapphire surrounded by petals of pear-shaped white diamonds and a leaf-green enamel band.

Blue flower ring — Wendy Yue rose gold ring with blue, white and pink sapphires, tsavorites and rubellites, marissacollections.com ($10,000).

And from Wendy Yue's fervent imagination comes blossoms in a vivid combination of sapphires, tsavorites and rubellites that wend their way around the finger.

Finally, to quote Robert Burns, nothing says romance like "a red, red rose that's newly sprung in June". Sylvie Corbelin captures the singular beauty of this classic flower in amber with a precious gold petal in diamond pavé. Like the first shoots and sunshine of spring, it is guaranteed to bring a smile.

Discover more floral jewellery

Opal flower earrings with Akoya pearls, from Los Angeles-based Irene Neuwirth.
Boucheron Hibiscus ring in white gold set with pink and blue sapphires, diamonds and emeralds, Harrods.com (POA).
Michele della Valle turquoise, diamond and aquamarine necklace, 1stdibs.com ($19,750).
Wendy Yue rose gold ring with blue, white and pink sapphires, tsavorites and rubellites, marissacollections.com ($10,000).
Sylvie Corbelin Splendeur rousse ring with amber, diamonds and gold, sylvie-corbelin.com (€17,000).
Alison Lou He Loves Me ring with an 11ct yellow sapphire, rose-cut diamonds and green enamel band, from Broken English ($32,595).