Thought you’d exhausted gifting potential for animal lovers? This pet portrait jewellery created through Francesca Villa’s bespoke Being Furry service, which brilliantly combines sentimentality and kitsch, will make you think again.
Clients can approach Villa (who previously caught our eye with her 1960s-inspired ‘Twiggy’ rings) with pictures of their precious pets. Villa will then bring them to life, working with crystal carvers in Germany to craft and paint the portraits of dogs, cats and more, which are then paired with gold and gemstones.
‘We first review the pet portrait they would like to use as well as the kind of piece they would like it set into, whether it's a necklace or a ring,’ she says. ‘Then we discuss the shape and size and decide the best gemstones to suit their portrait and personal style. We create a drawing of their design for them to review, and once signed off we begin the craftsmanship process.’
For a ring, for example, says Villa, ‘The portrait of their pet is hand carved and painted by master carvers, who carve onto the back of the crystal and then paint with a very fine brush, whilst the body of the ring is cast in my atelier. We then set the stones and the crystal in the centre of the ring.’
Pet portraits to bring ‘a little daily joy’
The jewellery, while nodding to Victorian traditions, is a fun and modern way to avoid the doghouse this festive season. ‘It takes many hours of concentrated craft to create these little personal masterpieces,’ Villa adds. ‘Many people have a deep love for their pets and we are creating a little daily joy to celebrate that connection; a piece they can wear and treasure every day.’
A selection of Francesca Villa jewellery is available from matchesfashion.com
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