Lightening Up: White Palettes for the Summer
As temperatures soar, jewelers are taking the heat out of designs with an icy-cool palette of white metals and gemstones. This refreshing diversion from the yellow gold that has dominated jewelry trends over the past decade is unlikely to fade when the season closes.
White gold and diamonds are natural bedfellows, but there are other options to consider. White agate, pearls and chalcedony can add an opaque texture, while rock crystal can be carved into bespoke shapes and creates an alluring optical illusion when set over other gems.
“I got inspired by 15th-century Italian painter Beato Angelico, because he represented many shades of white in his frescoes,” says designer Rossella Ugolini of her own forays into white materials. “I thought of doing the same thing with satin and polished rock crystal, white diamonds and white gold to obtain an elegant and luminous shade.”
Platinum, which continues to track at about half the price of gold, is also making a comeback. Platinum Guild USA enticed a new generation of jewelers to experiment with the hefty metal at this year’s Couture show in Las Vegas, proffering a design showcase that included brands like Retrouvai, Brent Neale, Spinelli Kilcollin, and Harwell Godfrey.
In Italy, Pomellato has also noticed the shift, unveiling a new, bespoke alloy of 18-karat gold within its Nudo collection: Manganese White Gold, a bright-white precious metal that doesn’t require rhodium plating. The maison has combined it with an achromatic gem selection of white diamonds and milky quartz.
Liv Luttrell
Marquise Spear Tip diamond ring in 18-karat white gold.
Pomellato
Nudo rings in 18-karat white gold with milky quartz and diamonds.
Uniform Object
Lariat necklace with pearls on an 18-karat white gold and diamond chain.
Melissa Kaye
Diamond bracelet in 18-karat white gold.
Harwell Godfrey
Platinum ring with diamonds.
Brent Neale
Platinum and diamond Mushroom necklace.
Rossella Ugolini
Gatsby drop earrings in 18-karat white gold with rock crystal and diamonds.
Tasaki
Danger Diamonds ring in 18-karat white gold with diamonds.
Image: Boucheron
