Anti-anxiety jewellery to distract the mind and please the eye

Jewellers are creating fluid and tactile pieces, made to be played with

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Image of woman wearing an earring with a moving pearl in it next to a diamond cog ring.
Jewellery by Yael Sonia (left) and Solange Azagury-Partridge (right)
(Image credit: press)

While many of us grew up being told not to fidget, research now shows that keeping your fingers busy with drawing, knitting or building can actually help quieten the mind, distracting us from feelings of anxiety. Jewellers have built on this insight, creating pieces that combine anti-anxiety properties with intricate craftsmanship – jewels that spin, twirl and flip.

Solange Azagury-Partridge.

Ruby and emerald cogs ring against a white background.

(Image credit: press)

Solange Azagury-Partridge brings her own inimitable style to fidget jewellery. She turns rubies and emeralds into cogs, and spins diamond moons and stars on their axes. The cog ring rethinks fluid jewellery in spectacular style; twirl the precious gems on your finger to hypnotising effect. 

solange.co.uk

Yael Sonia

Gold ring with a moving pearl in it.

(Image credit: press)

Yael Sonia creates fluid jewellery that moves with the wearer, previously making colourful gems spin and containing them within golden cages – when looped around wrists and fingers, the pieces become a temptingly tactile distraction. Sonia’s new collection, Ellipse, holds pearls in curved gold walls in a more luminous take on the theme: ‘The difference is that this time there is the added tension of the forms being stretched and elongated by the “weight” of the pearls, creating a softer and more fluid silhouette,’ she explains. ‘Rose gold was introduced in the “Ellipse Elongated” pendant, with an Akoya pearl and diamonds. And in the “Ellipse Elongated Solo” necklace, the bezel-set 13-point diamond at the top serves as an anchor for the South Sea pearl.’ 

yaelsonia.com

Motley

Gold chain with two gold beads on it.

(Image credit: press)

Motley collaborated with Central Saint Martins graduate Charlotte Garnett for a tactile collection made to be played with. Pieces including textured rings and spindle earrings are designed to keep the fingers busy and quieten the mind – you won’t be able to resist twiddling the gold worry beads strung on their simple chain in the ‘Worry-Not’ necklace. 

motley-london.com

Messika

Silver necklace with a diamond moving freely inside a chain.

(Image credit: press)

The Move collection from Messika has cemented its position as a fine jewellery favourite, appearing in many precious iterations in the 15 years since its inception. Whether surrounded by vivid discs of malachite or cast in hypnotising diamond pavé, the diamonds, which move effortlessly with the wearer, remain consistent. This bracelet, which edges the collection’s familiar motif in diamonds, is a delicate take on the trend for tactile jewellery. 

messika.com

Hannah Silver
Hannah Silver

Hannah Silver is a writer and editor with over 20 years of experience in journalism, spanning national newspapers and independent magazines. Currently Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles for print and digital, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury since joining in 2019.