Diamond rings become contemporary showstoppers when reinvented by Paris-based jewellery brand Statement, with jeweller Amélie Huynh bringing a sharp modernity to traditional cocktail jewellery.
Huynh, who formerly worked in press and marketing at Chaumet, is inspired by the straight lines and angles inherent in both the Art Deco period and Brutalist architecture. Her jewellery, solely crafted in silver and diamonds, cuts striking silhouettes. ‘Silver is the starting point of our brand, because for me there is something magnetic and magnificent about it, with its connection to the moon and to womanhood,’ she says. ‘I love the way silver "lives", bears signs of time, evolves and changes. It has incredible energy and beauty.’
She has translated the beauty she sees in concrete into symmetrical pieces which nod to deco-punk in their spiky and glittering forms. While some rings are set simply in silver, signature pieces My Way and the Rockaway pyramid ring glitter in full pavé. ‘It’s very complicated to achieve the fully paved pieces because silver is so soft,’ she says. ‘It’s a great challenge for our artisans. All pieces are hand-made and it takes a great deal of time to make one of our fully encrusted rings. Each piece is unique and carries traces of those who made it; each accident is an emotion. Just like ‘béton brut’ of Brutalism, silver bears the signs of time but shines through the decades.’
Although inspired by the past, the rings are futuristic and fun. ‘There is not one ounce of nostalgia in my pieces,’ Huynh adds. ‘It’s all about today – but mostly, tomorrow.’ §
