Opening the Jewellery Box: The Victoria & The Tori Necklaces
The Victoria & The Tori Necklaces
Fit For A Queen
Personally, I feel my best when dripping with jewels. I love the idea of feeling royal, regardless who you are and where you are in life. This is a sensation from within, one that makes you sparkle internally. Years ago, when I received a particular collection of spectacularly vibrant stone parcels, I was stuck by how perfectly they would fit in a crown. Since crowns are not presently part of our lifestyles, I resorted to experimenting with the gems until inspiration for my ‘ahah’ piece struck; one day, after many different designs, my perfect royal necklace was born, composed of huge glowing gems, supported with smaller sparkling stones set in the most durable metals. She was born and named Victoria after the British sovereign: a necklace fit for a queen.
Sometime later, I found the urge to choreograph another dance of the gems. This time, I wanted to create a piece that exuded a quiet elegance, rather than exclaimed extravagance. Inspired by the Victoria’s color palette and general design, I set to make a necklace that could rule in the royal cannon. And so Victoria gained a little sister: Tori.
Royal Court Is In Session
The Victoria is set in a mix of eighteen-karat gold and platinum. The necklace’s central motif is a gleaming peridot, from which colored diamonds are suspended as well as a marquise-shaped fire opal with a semi-entourage of orange sapphires. Springing from the right of this central motif is a pear-shaped pink tourmaline dripping with rubies, a cushion-shaped prehnite with a semi-entourage of diamonds, a rough apatite with white diamond octopus prongs, a round blue zircon, and a pear-shaped blue tourmaline. To the left of this central motif is a pear-shaped fire opal, an amethyst trillion with a semi-entourage of rubies, a rough apatite with white diamond octopus prongs, a round blue zircon, and an ovular pink tourmaline. All of the gems are connected with trails of diamonds, sapphires, prehnites, and tourmalines. In completion, the two sides are connected by a cushion-shaped blue tourmaline, which also serves as the clasp.
The Tori is similarly set in a mix of eighteen-karat gold and platinum. This necklace’s central motif consists of a smaller but equally lustrous peridot, from which suspends colored diamonds and a pear-shaped fire opal with a semi-entourage of garnets. To the right of this central motif is a pear-shaped hessonite garnet, a brown diamond, rectangular amethyst with five ruby ‘Shimmees®’ suspended from the side, a rough apatite, a Mexican fire opal bead that has been set with a garnet in the center, a carved bi-color tourmaline leaf, a round faceted tsavorite garnet, and a pear-shaped pink tourmaline. The left side of the peridot is the exact same layout, save for a marquise faceted citrine set with six green tourmaline baguette ‘Shimmees®’ and an ovular faceted rubellite immediately after the center motif. These two sides are clasped by an ovular pink tourmaline cabochon.
Day and Knight
If there’s one thing anyone knows about me, it’s my absolute adoration for vibrant color. I love incorporating luminous colors into every aspect of my life.
The Victoria and the Tori are celebrations of this. Perhaps my favorite aspect of designing these pieces was playing with complimentary and contrasting color theory. Each gem, from the statement stones to individual ‘Shimmees®,’ was chosen for its vibrancy, Both necklaces experiment with the idea of what it means to be bright and bold by highlighting, rather than over-shining, the wearer’s own natural radiance.
Heir To Be Heard
As sibling pieces, the Victoria and Tori are inherently in communication with one another.
Per their royal roots, both necklaces were inspired by my desire to make the wearer feel like modern royalty. These necklaces are true statement pieces. However, while the Victoria and the Tori are both substantial pieces, their weights do not overwhelm the wearer, but rather assert their presence around the wearer’s neck.
Although the Victoria and the Tori are not for the faint-hearted, they are actually quite versatile. I designed them with the modern queen in mind: someone who is able to maneuver a ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality with grace; someone who is not afraid to speak her mind and make her voice heard; someone who knows how to treat herself. The Victoria and Tori are ready for any occasion that needs a little glam, from board meetings, to date nights, to school functions, to galas galore.
