New York cool meets vintage glamour in Jade Trau's gold and platinum jewellery

New York City native Jade Trau brings a sensual, vintage feel to her curving jewellery designs in 18k gold, platinum and diamonds, with charms, chains, bangles and bracelets all recalling a more glamorous era.

Trau, who began her career as a diamond buyer, has always been drawn to the unique sentimentality of vintage jewellery pieces, long before she knew what to look for. ‘I'm a lot more in the know about what I pick up for inspiration now. I look for very specific things that have something slightly unique. I'm not era specific, although I do love Victorian jewellery the most as it's by far the most sentimental.’

Trau draws on an eclectic process when translating a piece from inspirational to new, sometimes adding diamonds or a modern chain to a historical piece, or paying tribute to its design in her own works. ‘Good jewellery design has to be something that is wearable and comfortable,’ she adds. ‘While jewellery design is an art form, it's a wearable art form and that’s something that I never forget. After that, I think it's about making something that feels fresh. Since jewellery is such an ancient art form, it's hard to design things that feel unequivocally original, but I think it's about imbuing a point of view that feels decidedly unique.’

Trau’s jewellery encompasses chains, which rethink traditional mid-20th century links, to interchangeable charms and standout one-of-a-kind pieces. ‘I constantly go back and forth between light and chunky,’ Trau says. ‘I want my pieces to feel comfortable and wearable, like a second skin. You should be aware that you're wearing it, but you should also forget you have it on because it's so easy to wear. Sometimes that can be a challenge because from idea to execution, from one-dimensional sketches to finished pieces, the goals seem to change.’

jadetrau.com