There’s an exclusivity about hidden gems that makes us want to keep them close to the vest so we can have them all to ourselves. There are others, however, that we just can’t help but pull out from under the radar to sing their praises and share the love.
We’re always on the lookout for innovative and emerging designers who use their art to tell stories, make statements, and bring enthusiasm to accessorizing. This year, we’ve got our eyes on some we just can’t help but share with the world.
We’ll be surprised if you’re hearing it here first, but allow us to introduce you to some of our favorite designers who are on their way to the top in the best and boldest way. You’re welcome!
AGMES
Kicking things off with the top of the alphabet, AGMES masters the art of combining metals like 925 sterling silver, 18-karat gold vermeil, 14-karat gold, and even freshwater pearls to bring chic sophistication to street style.
Based in New York City, AGMES is led by sisters Morgan and Jaclyn Solomon, who draw inspiration from architecture and art, the built environment, and the natural world. The bold yet refined shapes in the collection are designed with the human body in mind, ensuring that even the heaviest looking necklaces, earrings, and cuffs are comfortable and easy to wear.
Annika Inez
Since the early 2000s, Annika Inez has personified the notion of jewelry as wearable sculpture, as influenced by her Scandinavian background and the urban cosmopolitan landscape of New York. Scandinavia’s organic beauty contrasts masterfully with the edgy influence of Brooklyn artisans in the collection’s handmade bangles, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces, cast from traditional metals like 14-karat gold fill and sterling silver, and unexpected elements like hand-blown glass.
Annika Inez’s designs ignite a feel-good confidence in the wearer, that's intensified by the good it brings to others. For each heart sold, one meal is provided to a refugee family through the Choose Love organization. The coolest feeling of all.
EMBLM Fine Jewelry
EMBLM was born in 2019 out of Mariko Enkoji-Busch and Emily Landers-Sorensen’s desire to create timeless, distinctive fine jewelry that will turn into the next generation of treasured heirlooms.
The designs, while appearing classic on the surface, bring together the iconic and the intimate in an artful dance guided by mindful intention. By drawing inspiration from various art forms and the natural world, the collection’s emphasis on the sun and stars is a tribute to the planet and all of its inhabitants.
Labulgara
Marked by a contemporary and distinctive aesthetic, Labulgara's avant-garde designs from designer Nadia Todorova are dainty and wearable with a twist of daring architectural surprise..
Launched in 2016, the New York-based brand blends urban edginess, unexpected silhouettes, and unique contemporary shapes to intrigue and inspire the wearer to be boldly confident. Each piece is handmade using responsibly sourced and high-quality materials that come together to create our favorite everyday looks with just a little something extra.
Lady Grey
If you ever happen to scan the pages of little-known publications like ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, W, and Vogue, there’s a good chance you’ve spotted Lady Grey. Lady Grey uses gold as a baseline with pops of individually glazed candy-coated color and vibrant gemstones, expertly balancing ingenuity and wearability.
Founders Jill Martinelli and Sabine Le Guyader met at Massachusetts College of Art, where they quickly bonded over their paralleled backgrounds in the dental industry (what are the chances?) and a discovered dream of creating a fashion-forward jewelry collection that would bring their progressive design philosophies to the ready-to-wear market. Today, the brand gives back by donating a portion of sales to social justice initiatives and environmental causes.
Lizzie Fortunato
Power pair (and twin sisters) Lizzie and Kathryn Fortunato create statement jewelry that’s bursting with a warm optimism inspired by fine arts, travel, antique items, and handmade crafts. Born from what started as Lizzie’s college hobby, the cause-driven New York-based brand offers necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings that carry an undertone of the unexpected, meant for those who dress with the purpose of telling a story.
Lizzie and Kathryn design each piece with the goal of creating coveted “art objects” that are worthy of being displayed and enjoyed even when they’re not being worn. With bold, uplifting colors and a mix of natural and found materials including stones, leather, and vintage charms, Lizzie Fortunato designs have the power to transport the wearer to Morocco, India, Japan, Italy, Mexico, and beyond, and have graced the pages of Vogue, Vogue Spain, and British Vogue.
seree
The bangles, rings, and ear cuffs in the seree collection are handcrafted jade made in Zhenping, Henan. Symbolizing wealth, power, and longevity, jade is meant to be passed down through generations to bring good fortune to all who wear it.
The New York-based women-led team is infatuated with jade, agate, quartzite, and other precious gemstones, all ethically sourced across Asia. They are dedicated to celebrating the wearer’s uniqueness along with unescapable “serendipity”—the origin of the brand’s name.
These designers strive for longevity in the quality of their work, and their designs all focus on standing the test of time to take their places in the ranks of forever favorites. Mark our words, it won't be long before these designers are the talk of the town. Or at least the jewelry scene.
