A look inside Sin City’s glitziest week.
Earlier this month jewelry and gem enthusiasts from near and far descended upon Las Vegas to attend what I would call one of my favorite shows of the year: Couture. For those uninitiated, Couture is a trade show that features jewelry designers with pieces ranging from the everyday to the extravagant. A true candyland for anyone who loves the things that shine, if Watches & Wonders is Fashion Week to the watch crowd, Couture is where the two meet.
Here are some of my favorites.
1. Dezso’s Sparkling Seashells
Founded in 2006 by Sara Beltrán, Dezso has long been on my list of top independent jewelers. It’s obvious that each piece in her collections are thoughtfully crafted and inspired by her connection to the sea whether that be her shark fin cuffs or my personal favorite, the diamond-encrusted seashells. Maybe it was our shared love of the beach that made her work resonate so deeply with me, but her ability to romanticize coastal living is second to none.
2. Emily Wheeler’s Colorful Creations
Remember the effortlessly cool girl in school? The one whose outfits you would try and recreate but always look ridiculous doing so? Well, the jewelry industry’s embodiment of that is Emily P. Wheeler. A blonde burst of sunshine and patterns, Wheeler matches her eponymous line to a tee. Bursting with color and glamor, her tsavorite encrusted hoops or heart bracelet made of rainbow sapphires is the epitome of girlhood. The showstopper though? Her Vine ring, made with an 8.5 carat tanzanite and dramatically surrounded by a mix of pink and yellow sapphires. It gives a whole new meaning to the cocktail ring.
3) Yvonne Leon’s Watch Collection
Never denying my first love of horology, I couldn’t help but notice a familiar accent when admiring the rainbow of signet rings and whimsical designs of Yvonne Léon. Her latest collection involves placing a sapphire crown (i.e. most recognized on the Cartier Tank) on square shaped pieces. Plus, there’s also a fully functional watch ring too! Having been a collector for almost half my life, I’d never seen a horological-inspired piece executed so well — not even by a brand known for their timepieces. I hope that this line is just the beginning of Léon’s “watch girl” era.
4) Linking Up with Jenna Blake’s Mariner
When I think of Jenna Blake, I immediately envision her signature Mariner line. Derived from the tradition in which sailors and fishermen wore necklaces that kept their lucky charms around their necks, the chain design has become a classic. In Blake’s case, her version of the motif features a colorful curation of stones and metals reminding me of an upgraded camp bracelet. Equal parts casual and elegant, the anchors are attached to a leather bracelet, juxtaposing the fine jewelry concept with the same adolescent irreverence we are all too familiar with.
5) Sauer’s Serene Song
If I could make one recommendation to those visiting Couture, it would be to go with a friend, specifically a friend who used to be a buyer at Moda Operandi. A long fan of Sauer, she insisted upon showing me the brand away from the endless scroll of Moda’s interface. Sauer in one word can be described as rhythmic. Established in 1941, the Brazilian jeweler specialized in emeralds but nearly eighty years later, have mastered the art of movement. I was left speechless by their lapis and diamond Wassily bracelet and Arp necklace. Those two pieces personified movement in a way I had never seen in design. I’d be remiss not to mention their work with gradient stones. Having spent the last two decades being a tennis bracelet purist, after trying on their colorful Love Wins line I may have made a full 180 proving what happens in Vegas might not stay in Vegas.
6) Discovering Tabayer
Very rarely do I have a ‘love at first sight’ moment when it comes to jewelry but Tabayer was that exception at Couture. Founded by the chicest The Row jelly flat-wearing Nigora Tokhtabayeva in 2021, the line was made to accentuate the duality of the modern woman. I was immediately drawn to her ethically sourced Oera line, especially the diamond-encrusted choker and cuff. If and when I ever enter my Brentwood Mom era, my entire jewelry box will be filled with jewels by Tokhtabayeva. Uniquely simplistic yet dramatic in design, Tabayer jumped to the top of my list for the elevated everyday piece.
7) Cicada’s Whimsical Wonderland
As a test I genuinely tried to pick one favorite at each designer I visited. That task was made nearly impossible when I was shown a myriad of brooches, rings, and never-ending necklaces from the famed 47th Street maker Cicada. Miniature sapphire and ruby-adorned cars, a diamond-encrusted monkey hanging onto a collection of precious stones to look like balloons, and a larger-than-life 8-carat diamond cocktail ring were just a sprinkling of what I saw. If any brand left permanent sparkles in my eyes it was them. Jewelry is meant to be fun and frivolous, which is a notion they have mastered with every gem-set stone.
8) Love (& Luck), Lauren Rubinski
Fittingly one of my favorite Parisian designers, Lauren Rubinski, released the Fortuna necklace at Couture last week. Inspired by the hologram necklaces sold for no more than twenty euros in Paris during the 90s, this spell-binding necklace took over three years to come to fruition. Accentuated with a mix of rubies and diamonds, the pendant changes colors when light hits — the epitome of a conversation piece. This piece is what Couture is all about: Taking creativity and craftsmanship to new levels while still being every bit as spectacular and sparkly as one can dream.
