3 Up-and-Coming Jewelry Talents "Ring" in the New Year with Top Trend Picks

By Amy Flurry
January 7, 2011

Meet Laurel Wells, Kate Davis, and Cindy Joffe: three top jewelry designers mining different sources of inspiration for their spring 2011 jewelry collections. They told us what jewelry trends they think we’ll all be wearing this year, then combined eBay picks with their own gorgeous pieces.

Laurel Wells Jewelry: Trend—The Urban Shaman

Before launching her jewelry line last year, Laurel Wells was the director of apparel for cult brand Hayden-Harnett. But after being regularly stopped or chased down on the streets of Brooklyn for her handmade jewelry pieces, Laurel Wells decided to go out on her own. “I am convinced that any outfit can be completely transformed by an extraordinary accessory,” she said. The jewelry designer's love for dramatic color and luxury fibers dips back to an early career as a painter, but she looks to incorporate elements from the natural world, like wood, bone, feathers and rough crystals, in the mix. “I’m into the urban shaman look going on right now,” said Laurel Wells. “It speaks to a kind of subconscious spirituality and reminds me of my connection to the earth. I think at this time of hyper-connected electronic virtual spazz-iness, it's nice to have some type of talisman to bring me back to center.” (photos courtesy of Laurel Wells Jewelry)

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Gorgeous Middle East Porcupine Quill Cow Bone Necklace

(buy it now price, $130)

NEW A.V. Max Feather Chain Fringe Necklace

(buy it now price, $136)

NEW Wood Ring Handcrafted Natural Grain

(buy it now price, $6.99)

Kate Davis Jewelry: Trend—Oversized, Sculptural Accessories

Coastal influences play muse to Charleston-based Kate Davis and her luxe, organic jewelry design style. She built her latest fashion accessories collection upon the shapes and contrasting light and shadow created in the sand dunes through the sea oats at sunset. “Brushed gold was the dominant metal that I paired with bold and rough organic stones to create a refined, but raw quality,” said Kate Davis, who says that she sees fashion trends toward oversized accessories with sculptural appeal. “I am loving many of the oversized pieces of jewelry I have been seeing popping up more recently. Bold cocktail rings, wide cuffs, and heavily layered necklaces with elements of rawness—it's an edgy attitude," Kate Davis said. (photos courtesy of Kate Davis Jewelry)

NEW Cassandra Los Angeles Studded Leather Clutch Bronze

(buy it now price, $199)

NEW BCBG Soy Chai Leather Zipper Detail Jacket

(buy it now price, $285)

NEW Lanvin Runway Crossed Strap Platform Shoes

(buy it now price, $499)

Avindy: Trend—Artisan Influence

Cindy Joffe was a practicing trademark lawyer before she turned her attention to making designer jewelry. Nine years ago, a severe allergic reaction (to the mold of her 100-year-old home, of all things) necessitated a medical leave, landing her bed-bound. In an attempt to take her daughter's mind off the pain, Cindy Joffe's mother, Avril, bought some beading supplies and an array of semi-precious stones at a local gem store. The unusual combinations and pairings with hammered gold vermeil and antiqued sterling silver sold to friends as quickly as Cindy Joffe could design the jewelry and, together, the mother-daughter duo went into business, eventually catching the attention of Fragments showroom in New York. Today Avindy Jewelry is sold online and in 350+ boutiques and catalogs around the world.

Long inspired by unique gemstones from unpredictable places, Cindy Joffe says it will continue to inform Avindy’s 2011 lines. “But I think jewelry, on the whole, will reflect a strong global influence and appreciation for artisan techniques.” For spring, the Avindy jewelry design team dreamed up a wish list of the world’s most magnificent places, each one inspiring its own color collection,” said Cindy Joffe. Topping the list was the Taj Mahal, a bold bright mix of rubies, Peruvian opals, chrysoprase, amethyst, jade and ruby red tigers eye, and the Peruvian Rainforest jewelry collection, with subtle mixes of olive jade, olive zircon, amethyst and eggplant chalcedony against creamy bone beads. (photos courtesy of Avindy Jewelry)