Perhaps it's Versace's return to the fashion forefront. Or perhaps it's the imminent return of «Rivals.» The television series based on Jilly Cooper's best-sellers, this month. Whatever the reason, in the world of jewelry, the revival of the shapes, colors, and material combinations of the 80s is in full swing.
Impressive bracelets are suddenly becoming fashionable. A new My Dior bracelet is made from yellow and white gold, creating a striking contrast. And it's worn oversized on the wrist.
Ali Khalil of Antwerp-based brand Levuma also crafts L’Armure bracelets from titanium. In midnight blue or yellow gold, which is then worked to achieve a uniquely textured finish. Both are adorned with hand-set white diamonds. A third option comes from the Parisian haute joaillerie house Chaumet of Place Vendôme. Where a rose gold Bee de Chaumet bracelet is set with brilliant-cut diamonds.
Large, statement earrings are also making a comeback. From Graff: a pair of high jewelry earrings featuring two 7-carat Colombian emeralds. Also round emeralds and numerous white diamonds. The bold, geometric design is partly inspired by the Memphis Group, the Milanese design collective founded by Ettore Sottsass in 1980, and partly by the Dynasty series. At Repossi, everything revolves around gemstone bracelets.
This year, the brand is celebrating its 40th anniversary at 6, Place Vendôme. As it reinterprets the Monogram Birth bracelet first designed by Alberto Repossi in 1986.
«The 1980s influences my work through the use of gemstones and bold designs,’ says Ananya Malhotra. »I am particularly inspired by the era's strong silhouettes, architectural forms, and statement pieces.« Malhotra studied at London's Central Saint Martins. She founded her business in 2017 and creates pieces such as the Chakra Twin beaded necklace. The design's moonstone and clear quartz beads offer a fresh take on princess-style pearl strands. Isabel Delgado and Anita Ko are two other independent designers. Both draw inspiration from the design vocabulary of the 1980s.
Traditional brands are also digging directly into their archives. At Tiffany & Co., designs by Paloma Picasso, who first collaborated with the New York brand in 1980, continue to be popular. A new addition to the collection is the lifelike Olive Leaf earrings, handcrafted in yellow gold and adorned with diamonds and amethysts.
At Bulgari, mini hoop earrings are a new addition to the iconic Tubogas collection by the Roman brand. Based on a jewelry-making technique with coiled gold bands, Tubogas pieces date back to 1948, but it was four decades later that their silhouette rose to prominence.
«The 1980s represent a vibrant expression of daring, courage, and experimentation, values that perfectly align with Bulgari's spirit,» states Lucia Silvestri, Executive Director of Jewelry Creation. «Its fluid, sculptural coils embody a harmonious synthesis of functionality and aesthetics, remaining impressively contemporary even today. Design is always a dialogue between past and future.»
Within the workshops of Milanese jeweler Pomellato, Artistic Director Vincenzo Castaldo perfects unique high jewelry pieces, such as necklaces, rings, and other items that draw inspiration from the brand's design heritage. Selected pieces pay homage to the 1980s, a period during which Pomellato adopted architectural forms and striking volumes. «It was a foundational decade, characterized by an unrestrained creative freedom that permeated every field, from fashion to design, from art to culture.
»It was a time of great courage, marked by a strong desire for experimentation and exploration,« explains Castaldo. »For this reason, the decade remains a benchmark: it reminds us that creativity always needs this kind of push. For me, staying connected to that energy is a great source of inspiration.".
The 1980s also proved to be stylistically significant for Cartier. That’s when avant-garde material combinations and striking motifs – such as a series of panthers, sculpted in relief along a necklace – set the tone. ’The jewelry of the 1980s pushed the exploration of possibilities even further, particularly in terms of designs, inspirations, and materials,« says Pierre Rainero, Cartier's Director of Image, Style, and Heritage.
«Let us remember, then, that Cartier is known as the «jeweler of kings» for its precious jewelry sets. It dared to combine gold and steel to achieve new aesthetic results and volume effects. Part of the impressive 1988 Animalière collection, the Double Tiger Head bracelets in yellow gold with black lacquer and two pear-shaped emeralds for eyes and one onyx for the great feline's nose are among Cartier's significant creations of the era.
While some designers and houses create new pieces inspired by the decade's style, others offer historical pieces for sale. At Van Cleef & Arpels, this includes a romantic yellow gold necklace with ruby daisies and white diamonds, first presented in 1983. The necklace is now available through the house's Heritage collection.
The team behind Van Cleef & Arpels' Heritage collection, founded in 2007, seeks out, examines, analyzes, and then restores pieces from the company's past. Once their history is researched, these pieces are made available on the open market and exhibited at specialized shows, such as TEFAF Maastricht.
In London, seek out the established dealer Charlie Barron. «Heavy, chunky, but also bold yellow gold jewelry was the look of the 1980s,» he notes. Today, Barron's Bruton Street showroom features a yellow gold Tubas necklace worthy of Cameron Cook, set with a 18.34-carat round diamond.
Source: www.vogue
