New York jeweller Mania Zamani is reaching great heights with her geometric forms
There’s an unadulterated architectural elegance to the creations of jewellery designer Mania Zamani, who runs her eponymous fine jewellery label out of New York City. Founded in 2013 and then catering mostly to private clients with one-of-a-kind pieces, Zamani has since widened her reach with two recently added collections, ‘East/West’ and ‘Unity’.
Zamani’s distinctive, geometric forms speak to her own multi-cultural background. Born in Tehran, her interest in architecture, precious stones and minerals is rooted in Persian traditions, where specific materials are symbolically tied to notions of family. After studying gemology and jewellery at the Gemological Institute of America, Zamani went on to pursue fine jewellery at the Fashion Institute of Technology, which further honed her contemporary, forward-thinking aesthetic.
‘What fascinates me about fine jewellery goes beyond the final gemstones to the millions of years it took to form them,’ says Zamani. ‘Precious stones have deep geopolitical, historical and cultural significance. Crucially, jewellery is design meant to be worn in real life – today, just as it was centuries ago and will be ages from now.’
Her latest collections are true testament to this way of thinking. ‘Unity’ taps into geometric patterns that appear in both ancient and modern times. Ten chain link pieces, ranging from necklaces and bracelets to several different earrings, are cast in 18-carat yellow gold and white diamonds, and take on an unexpected freshness, while retaining their classic appeal.
A similar sensibility appears in Zamani’s ‘East/West’ collection, which fuses shared architectural philosophies from both sides of the world into a bevvy of adventurous shapes. The angular pieces not only draw inspiration from Iranian icons such as the Tehran’s Freedom Tower, the mirrored hall of Golestan Palace and the ornamental ceiling in the Bazaar of Kashan, but a range of recognisable Western landmarks including Norman Foster’s Hearst Building in New York, the Kunst museum in Basel and the cluster of new buildings that form New York’s World Trade Center as well. Developed over the course of a year, the 15 avant-garde pieces are crafted from 18-carat yellow gold, white pavé diamonds and pearlescent white chalcedony for a luminous effect.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Mania Zamani website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Photography courtesy Mania Zamani
Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.
-
Maude’s Brâncuși-inspired sex toys go on display in a new Paris exhibition
Maude’s design-led vibrators are now on display at Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, as part of ‘Private Lives: From the Bedroom to Social Media’. Brand founder Éva Goicochea talks to Wallpaper* about partnering with the museum and opening up cultural conversations around sex
By India Birgitta Jarvis Published
-
‘I was captivated by the idea of merging two iconic brands’: Nigo on his 1990s-inspired collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz
Unveiled at Moncler’s ‘The City of Genius’ event in Shanghai this past weekend, Japanese fashion designer Nigo unpacks his three-way collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz, which includes a play on the G-Class alongside a fashion collection in his eclectic style
By Jack Moss Published
-
Cathay Pacific’s new business class Aria Suites take flight
Cathay Pacific raises the bar for business-class travel with the launch of the much-anticipated Aria Suites
By Lauren Ho Published
-
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
By Anne Soward Published
-
Late summer jewels: what to wear at Golden Hour
Late summer signals a jewellery style-shift. These independent designers have got it covered
By Caragh McKay Published
-
Shinola’s Elijah McCoy pocket watch pays homage to the pioneering locomotive engineer
Shinola continues its Great American series with the Elijah McCoy Mechanic 45mm pocket watch
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Lugano’s versatile high jewellery pieces are too good to save for special occasions
Californian brand Lugano embraces unexpected materials and cool design codes in its informal high jewellery
By Hannah Silver Published
-
‘Given hip-hop’s roots in New York, the chance to tell this story in this city is very special’
The American Museum of Natural History plays a blinder with ‘Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry’, a cultural trip through jewellery design
By Caragh McKay Published
-
The American watch brands to know now
From Autodromo to JN Shapiro, American watch brands are having a moment
By Chris Hall Published
-
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
By Elisa Anniss Published
-
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
By Hannah Silver Published