Lucy Delius gives fine jewellery a modern rethink

woman wearing gold chains by Lucy Delius — (Image credit: Lucy Delius)

‘After spending over 15 years working with demi-fine and fine jewellery brands, I’ve seen the industry change incredibly,’ says Lucy Delius, who was inspired to begin her own eponymous brand after spotting a gap in the market. ‘I could see fine jewellery was getting more and more expensive – but that at the entry level, the pieces were really generic and boring. That the demi-fine jewellery market has exploded, I didn’t necessarily see as a good thing – personally I have no desire for another gold-plated necklace. I found myself wanting to invest in some fine jewellery pieces – but I didn’t have £20,000 for a ring or a handmade chain. I just wasn’t seeing any of those pieces that I really had to have at that £5,000 and under price point.’

Delius was inspired by the elegant links of Victorian pocket watch chains when defining her aesthetic, which encompasses both this attention to detail and antique finishing. ‘In my chains, the links are refined, the clasp is hidden and also has a mechanism that allows you to add your own pendants or one of my T-bars. In my pavé setting, I use all different sizes of diamonds – a technique used in Victorian times because they hand-cut all their diamonds and didn’t have uniform sizes and shapes.’

Lucy Delius fine jewellery includes these chains with removable links, as well as diamond pavé rings, bangles and earrings. ‘My jewellery has to be comfortable – a rounded fit to the inside of rings, hoops that create a visual statement but are really light and easy to wear,’ she adds. ‘But chains that have a reassuring weight to them. It has to feel like it could be antique, that it's been passed down – I do have some more high-sparkle items but I try to pair that with perhaps a black rhodium finish so that it doesn’t appear too blingy.

‘They all have little nuances and details to them, something that’s quite hard to explain – when I’m designing I can almost feel the jewellery on my skin and visualise it before I’ve even started sketching. It grows from that into a design for something that I feel I just have to have! I hope it never feels expected – like there is always something you think, “Oh, that’s clever”. I like to think that my pieces have that feeling where they just get under your skin and you can’t stop thinking about them.’

instagram.com/lucydelius

Hannah Silver is a writer and editor with over 20 years of experience in journalism, spanning national newspapers and independent magazines. Currently Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles for print and digital, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury since joining in 2019.