BN 2015 GIFT GUIDE: COOL JEWELS & BANGLES NOW

Today we are featuring the works of 4 artists who have designed some extraordinary new jewelry collections to help fill your extra-special gift list.

1. MIRANDA LEIGH

“Jewels are tokens of esteem, given to commemorate our deepest and purest thoughts and feelings,” explains Brooklyn-based jewelry designer Miranda Leigh. She enjoys translating celestial objects and spiritual ideas into stone and metal for her one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry line, Joyaux Marisol.   

Leigh’s Marriage Amulet featuring Enamel Eye Portrait features a pair of swans that spiral inwardly toward a center eye.  Made of silver, gold, platinum, and translucent enamel.

Leigh’s Galaxy M74 pendant necklace sparkles, with galactic forms that dance around a rose-cut diamond center, with 114 rose-cut diamonds set around it, based on real star positions.                    

Made of Electrum, a silver and gold alloy, Keum­-Boo pure gold foil, and rose-cut diamonds.    

Inspired by Orphic hymns, relating to memory and salvation, Leigh’s Mnemosyne Earrings feature dangling vessels that represent the mind, or seat of memory, and stones that represent our pure thoughts.

The earrings convert to a variety of short and long styles suitable for day and evening. Available with rock crystal, aquamarine, or diamond briolettes.

Leigh holds a master's degree from the Bard Graduate Center for Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture in New York, where she studied European jewelry from antiquity through the eighteenth century.  

2. ARMILLS -- BY PININFARINA & CHRISTOPHE & CO.

If you have a friend who’s into both being fit and chic, Armills fitness bracelet, by British jewelry brand Christophe & Co., is a perfect slam dunk!

Designed in partnership with Italian design house Pininfarina, makers of Ferrari automobiles, this new line of extremely limited edition bracelets is a fusion of fine jewelry and wearable technology -- a romance between form and function.

No more need to sport plastic on your wrist -- Armills Haute Joaillerie fitness bracelets keep track of your athletics in high style. Made of luxurious and precious materials, Armills look gorgeous on their own or worn together with other fine jewelry or watches.

The Apollo (shown above) features 1,500 hand-set micropavé diamonds, a complex ceramic shield, and a customized Formula 1 style carbon frame.

The bracelet uses advanced communication technologies to perform secure transaction, venue access, and one touch valet, along with other functions. Its proprietary kinetic energy generation system keeps it charged, generating power with every arm swing, for up to 365 days.

3. REBAR IN GOLD --  AI WEIWEI

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, known for his massive installation pieces, has recently debuted something small and precious: Rebar in Gold, a new jewelry collection, inspired by the aftermath of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which claimed the lives of 90,000 people.

Weiwei collected 200 tons of contorted steel bars from the rubble, much of it used to create installations, such as Forge, and his now-iconic artwork Straight, currently on view at the Royal Academy in London.

The artist used the same motifs to create his new line of 24-karat gold bracelets. They are malleable so the wearer then can shape them to their own fit.

Rebar in Gold, is available at Elisabetta Cipriani.

4. GOLD STRUCK  -- STEPHEN WEBSTER

Inspired by the Cheapside Hoard, the world’s largest collection of Elizabethan and Jacobean jewellery, discovered in London in 1912, designer Stephen Webster’s latest collection pays homage to the colour, craftsmanship and intrigue of the Hoard while rocking a totally modern aesthetic in his new collection, Gold Struck.

These Crystal Haze Earrings made us swoon -- crafted with 18k yellow gold, green agate, quartz, emeralds, green tourmalines and white diamonds.

We love the Crystal Haze Open Ring, made of 18k rose gold, amethyst, hematite, quartz, ruby and red garnet.

Read more about Beautiful Gifts, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including BN 2015 Gift Guide: 10 Beautiful Books to Give Now, Extraordinary Gifts Now, 2015 BN Gift Guide: 10 Beautiful Food & Drink Gifts To Give Now, 2015 BN Gift Guide: 10 Beautiful Arts & Design Gifts Now and The Beautiful Gift of Time Now.

Want more stories like this? Sign up for our weekly BN Newsletter, Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr. Join our BeautifulNow Community and connect with the most beautiful things happening in the world right now!

Do you have amazing photos? Enter them in this week’s BN Photo Competition. We run new creative competitions every week! Now, it’s even easier to enter with the new BeautifulNow App!

Plus check out the rest of our App’s beautiful features. It’s free to download here.

IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: Courtesy of Joyaux Marisol. Marriage Amulet featuring Enamel Eye Portrait. Designed by, Miranda Leigh.
2. Image: Courtesy of Joyaux Marisol. Marriage Amulet featuring Enamel Eye Portrait. Designed by, Miranda Leigh.
3. Image: Courtesy of Joyaux Marisol. Galaxy M74 Pendant Necklace. Designed by, Miranda Leigh.
4. Image: Courtesy of Joyaux Marisol. Mnemosyne Earrings. Designed by, Miranda Leigh.
5. Image: Courtesy of Joyaux Marisol. Mnemosyne Earrings. Designed by, Miranda Leigh.
6. Image: Courtesy of Pininfarina. Apollo. Armills, designed by Pininfarina & Christophe & Co.
7. Image: Courtesy of Christophe & Co. Virtus. Armills. Designed by, Pininfarina & Christophe & Co.
8. Image: Courtesy of Christophe & Co. Orion. Armills. Designed by, Pininfarina & Christophe & Co.
9. Image: Courtesy of Christophe & Co. Apollo. Armills. Designed by, Pininfarina & Christophe & Co.
10. Images: Courtesy of Elisabetta Cipriani. Rebar in Gold. Designed by, Ai Weiwei. 24K gold.
11. Image: Courtesy of Ai Weiwei. Forge, by Ai Weiwei. Steel rebar.
12. Images: Courtesy of Elisabetta Cipriani. Rebar in Gold. Designed by, Ai Weiwei. 24k gold.
13. Image: Courtesy of Stephen Webster. The Gold Struck Collection.
14. Image: Courtesy of Stephen Webster. Crystal Haze Earrings. Gold Struck Collection.
15. Image: Courtesy of Stephen Webster. Crystal Haze Open Ring. Gold Struck Collection.
16. Image: Courtesy of Stephen Webster. Crystal Haze Earrings. Gold Struck Collection.
17. Image: Courtesy of Joyaux Marisol. Ring. Designed by, Miranda Leigh.
18. Image: by BN App - Download now!
19. Image: Courtesy of Joyaux Marisol. Custom-Cut Aquamarines for a Bridal Tiara. Designed by, Miranda Leigh.