By Ase Anderson in London
A fascinating mix of science, art and fashion, London-based duo Shimell and Madden's unique jewels bring together heritage and innovation.
Set up by Emma Madden and Luke Shimell in 2010, the duo are one of Stephen Webster's newest recruits to Rock Vault, which took place during London Fashion Week last month, and they also exhibited their fine jewellery at Goldsmiths' Fair recently.
Their geometric jewels are a fusion of Luke's goldsmithing skills and Emma's training in art and conceptual design. This rather unusual pairing of artisans fosters a creative process that produces some simply stunning results.
The jewels in Shimell and Madden's fine jewellery collections, Prism and Symmetry, combine richly textured gold with vibrantly coloured gemstones sourced from the German mining town of Idar-Oberstein. By placing simple geometric lines and circles in multiple layers, the pair creates intricate three-dimensional pieces with an architectural symmetry.
From the Prism collection, a highlight for me is the Dark Green Frame ring with a mirror-cut tourmaline, framed by white diamond pavé. The multi-layered circles on the Large Circle ring from the Symmetry collection have an almost hypnotic effect, drawing the eye to the central Edwardian-cut diamond.
Bold and innovative yet beautiful and wearable, these jewels show that Shimell and Madden is definitely a name to watch.
