Old-world porcelain gets a contemporary jewellery twist from Marla Aaron

When New York-based jewellery designer Marla Aaron has a brainwave, there’s very little anybody can do to dissuade her from seeing it through. Like paving a functional carabiner lock with pink diamonds; or giving free jewellery to single mothers; or, her latest venture, collaborating with a 278-year-old German porcelain manufacturer.

Aaron first encountered Nymphenburg more than 20 years ago, when she was marketing director of Departures magazine. ‘I remember being so enchanted with the idea of a porcelain factory in a castle in Munich – I couldn’t get it out of my mind,’ she says over Zoom from her showroom in New York’s Diamond District. The concept stayed with her as she grew her jewellery brand, known for its utilitarian yet precious locks, and in 2017 she began emailing Nymphenburg. ‘I think I bothered them excessively,’ she adds.

Eventually, Ingrid Harding, head of development at Nymphenburg, met Aaron in New York and the seeds for a collaboration were sown. In 2022, Aaron visited the Nymphenburg manufactory, set within an ornate Cavalier House near the entrance to Nymphenburg Palace, where it has been located since 1761.

‘I sat in the archive and came across the “Cumberland” pattern, which is the most elaborate of all their dinnerware patterns. It’s $50,000 for a 12-place setting – it’s all hand-painted and the detail is just incredible,’ says Aaron. ‘It’s so rarefied, so extraordinary and so beautiful, I decided that more people need to know about it.’

The resulting limited-edition collaboration includes a ‘Dispensary’ (a ring-holder inspired by Aaron’s grandfather’s bill-stabber), a pair of earring drops like miniature dinner plates, a trundle bangle, and a supersized carabiner lock, all crafted in 18ct gold and hand-painted Nymphenburg porcelain – a labour of love for both workshops.

‘I can’t tell you how much trial-and-error there was,’ says Aaron, holding up a book of technical drawings. ‘Our engineer always says our pieces are a nightmare to produce because the mechanisms are so challenging and precise. It’s not like making normal jewellery.’

There’s an unexpected juxtaposition between the old-world floral porcelain, created for 18th-century Bavarian court banquets, and Aaron’s contemporary, utilitarian designs. ‘I’m also a real contradiction because I love very old things – my house is very maximalist, full of antiques. I’m like a dotty old English lady inside.’

The collection’s carabiner lock is strung on a Dyneema cord – stronger than steel and used for boat rigging – another Aaron lightbulb moment. ‘In the studio, we’re always thinking about the latest challenge that we’re trying to resolve. Our lens is always, “Are we obsessed with this notion?” Because if we are, we’re sure other people will be, too.’

The Marla Aaron x Nymphenburg collection is available at Liberty and marlaaaron.com from October