Elena Kurginyan
Central Saint Martins, UK
There’s a refreshing confidence to Kurginyan’s work. The Moscow-based designer has explored notions that ‘jewellery can be sculptural and interactive at the same time’, in order to produce elegant solutions. ‘I want to make something very aesthetic and tactile, but at the same time playful,’ she says. Her honed graphic metal curves demand to be worn differently. behance.net/elena_kurginya
Above, Dress, £79, by COS
Chen Cheng
Birmingham City University, UK
A sharp instinct for texture and materials informs the narrative drive of Cheng’s ideas. ‘Contemporary jewellery design allows a lot of possibility in materials. PVC, for instance, can express meaning metal cannot,’ she says. Cheng is driven by the connective quality of jewellery and forging relationships between designer and wearer. chen2gjewellery.com
Above, Body, £119, by Wolford
Sari Räthel
Royal College of Art, UK
Räthel’s belief that ‘jewellery doesn’t always have to fit into the traditional categories of earrings, bracelet and necklaces’ is a starting point for her designs. Thinking beyond form allows her to ‘explore space and movement, and the hard, cold nature of metal and stone on a soft, living surface’. Co-founder of label Räthel & Wolf, she is currently working for fashion designer Paula Knorr. rathelwolf.com
