These everyday hoops are made from recycled metals
Bar Jewellery’s new collection is both sustainable and chic, featuring everyday hoop earrings with a twist

‘Each collection is inspired by purity of form, and has a bold, minimal feeling,’ says Bar Jewellery founder and creative director Sophie McKay of her sculptural designs, including these everyday hoops. The London-based brand puts a sustainable focus in line with this simple ethos at the heart of everything if does; pieces are created in its London or Bali-based factory, focusing on environmentally and ethically sound design practices.
With their coiled, fluid silhouettes, the pieces nod to the work of artists such as Terry Frost, with organic curves here drawn in precious metals. The classic hoop is rethought, looping back on itself and forming uneven circles that spiral through the ear and past the curve of the jaw. In some pieces, the circle is interrupted and becomes a twirl of gold or silver; in rings, it ties itself into textured and gleaming knots.
‘I have always loved vintage jewellery, especially designs from the 1950s, antique Scandinavian silver pieces and modernist-style jewellery,’ McKay says. ‘This has always been an inspiration for me, and I often refer back to my own vintage collection as the starting point for new designs. Married with this is my love for art and architecture from the 1950s. This is a constant reference for me in my work and is definitely what drives Bar’s minimal aesthetic.’
It was crucial for McKay to combine these minimal influences with good quality, ethically sourced materials. Despite the challenges of finding recycled metals to work with – most silver is only partly recycled – it was worth the effort to ensure the sustainable result. ‘Being able to trace where the metal has come from, and ensure it has come to us through a supply chain with integrity and high ethical standards is vital,’ she adds. ‘We source our metal directly from a supplier who is a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council, so that we can create our collections with the confidence that our materials are responsibly sourced.’
INFORMATION
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat design trends and in-depth profiles, and written extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys meeting artists and designers, viewing exhibitions and conducting interviews on her frequent travels.
-
Tour David Lynch's house as it hits the market
David Lynch's LA estate is for sale at $15m, and the listing pictures offer a glimpse into the late filmmaker's aesthetic and creative universe
-
A new Tadao Ando monograph unveils the creative process guiding the architect's practice
New monograph ‘Tadao Ando. Sketches, Drawings, and Architecture’ by Taschen charts decades of creative work by the Japanese modernist master
-
Inside the sculptural and sensual philosophy of jewellery house Renisis
Sardwell, founder of jewellery house Renisis, draws on sculpture, travel and theatre to create pieces that fuse sensual form with spiritual resonance
-
Art takes London: Tiffany & Co, Damien Hirst and artists take over Selfridges' windows
Four British contemporary artists celebrate Tiffany & Co's pioneering history with a series of storied window displays
-
All smiles: How a grillz jewellery making class in London became an international hit
What started as a passion project quickly exploded in popularity. We get the story behind the grillz-making workshop at Cockpit London
-
Emerging jewellery designers to get to know
These independent, new and emerging jewellery designers and brands from New York to Paris are firmly on our radar
-
Playing it cool: pearls are having a moment
We've been deep-diving into boutiques around the world to find the very best calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form. It seems jewellers have been busy rethinking pearls, with contemporary (and often affordable) results
-
Eternity rings for the modern couple
Eternity rings, whether sleekly minimalist or sprinkled in diamonds, can be a chic and contemporary love token
-
CryptoPunks come to life on Tiffany & Co pendants
Tiffany & Co has partnered with blockchain infrastructure company Chain to create custom pendants and NFTiffs
-
Order of the day: Pomellato’s high jewellery takes us from dawn to dusk
Pomellato’s new high jewellery collection, La Gioia, tells the story of a day in precious stones
-
Anklets welded onto the body make romantic and enduring jewellery tokens
Atelier VM’s ‘L’Essenziale’ jewellery collection now includes slender gold anklets