Ever evolving but always true to its origins, Lalaounis adds sizeable colour gemstones to the sculptural Neolithic line, bringing a new glamour to these highly collectable jewels. The new designs nail the most robust jewellery trend of the year: bold, minimalist gold silhouettes in smooth, voluptuous forms. Think outsize cuffs on the catwalk, standout drop-shaped earrings, and smooth coils of gold encircling the neck.
The ubiquity of this trend highlights the enduring appeal of sophisticated gold jewellery in which design and technique take priority. While trends come and go, the absolute masters of this look is Lalaounis, the Greek jewellery house that has been making gold jewels for generations. Creative Director Maria Lalaounis is often inspired by forms that are thousands of years old—think Neolithic or Minoan times—confirming the adage that good things stand the test of time. Lalaounis names its collection for the civilisation that sparked the design.
Founder Ilias Lalaounis created the first Neolithic jewels in the 1960s, fascinated by the arrestingly simple forms of Neolithic jewels and tools that, as an avid historian, he sought out in museums in Greece and beyond. Today, Lalaounis adapts the house’s heritage of iconic designs with great sensitivity into jewels with fresh appeal.
The latest arrivals vary on the house’s classic themes. The famous torque choker is studded with deeply saturated citrines and amethysts. Bracelets, earrings, and rings complete the family. The jumbo-sized jewels have soft organic contours, echoed in the simple bezel settings of the gems that appear almost pressed into the gold. This unobtrusive technique allows fluid, sinuous gold forms to flow uninterrupted.
Demetra Lalaounis Auersperg, co-CEO and Director of International business says: 'We have often used precious and semi-stones such as citrines in the past. We generally use stones as a complement to the design and gold work. We came across a batch of fabulous citrines and wondered how we could incorporate them into jewels in the Lalaounis style. The citrines create an appealing contrast to the gold, and we decided that amethyst would also work well with these designs. We have kept the boldness and character of the Neolithic collection by making the gems secondary to the design.’
When Ilias ran the business, jewellery had a clear hierarchy and unwritten code of conduct. Today, the next generation is tapping into the fact that Lalaounis jewels lend themselves beautifully to mixing it up—happy news for those whose grandmothers collected Lalaounis jewels, waiting to find a new life beyond the safebox.
The consistency of Lalaounis’ design language makes for jewels that have lived on for generations and will continue to do so. Conceived to have a whole life of wear and beyond, the Lalaounis design ethos allows for mixing old and new pieces, outsize volumes with petite proportions, or statement designs with casual coloured beads. Take the impressive five-tier choker (above), previously reserved for special occasions. It looks fabulous worn with a white shirt alongside a Hellenistic bracelet with a shimmering diamond pavé. The Neolithic Ripple bracelet (below), inspired by a seashell, was first made in the 1960s but today is thoughtfully transformed into proportions that resonate with our times.
These jewels encourage self-assurance, empowering women to wear them just how they please, confident in the fact that the language that unites each Lalaounis jewel speaks through every piece. Ms Lalaounis Auersperg invites women to ‘not think about jewellery too seriously, play with your pieces, mix and match them. Don’t follow the rules and combine your jewels unexpectedly to create a more interesting look.’
Beyond the classic roots of its design cues, the distinctive patina and handmade texture of the gold finishes in either 18 or 22-carat gold happily sit alongside each other, further encouraging layering. The house’s trademark hand-hammering effect used on the 22-carat gold surface is also applied to 18-carat gold to simulate the look of the higher-carat finish. The technique creates the distinctive deep yellow-gold tone of hundreds of small dents catching the light to create a rich aura. This is why a stack of bracelets (above), each different and either hand-hammered, woven gold or twisted from cable, creates a pleasing whole.
The latest photoshoot shows the way. Zesty green and sea blue stone beads look right at home with the new citrine jumbo bombé Neolithic ring and the Hellenistic bird ring with delicate filigree details. Pillowy Celtic earrings (above) tipped with delicate pearls set off a hefty stack of Neolithic bracelets for a goddess-like aura.
With the utmost respect for its customer's trust, Lalaounis jewels look fabulous on their own or mixed up, which makes them so highly collectable and has built the house a long line of faithful customers.
