After nearly two decades as a jewellery consultant, fashion editor and stylist, Will Kahn has developed a keen eye for decadent gems. His Instagram account, a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration, is where he creates mini editorials replete with images and illustrations of covetable baubles. In 2018, The New York Times named Kahn’s account as one of the top jewellery Instagrams to follow, and the following year he was awarded the Jewellers of America Gem Award for Media Excellence. For 10, he highlights the masterful designers creating otherworldly, next-level pieces. “With this list I am prioritising fantasy,” he says,“and outside-the-box thinkers. These pieces are not necessarily the most wearable, but they are the most notable in their construction and execution. These artists are the dreamers – they make challenging, amazing, ‘change what you think about jewellery’ jewellery. They generally don’t repeat designs, but to the trained eye their work is instantly recognisable.”

JOY BC

The themes of classical architecture and sculpture swiftly differentiate this artist’s pieces from typical jewels. Diamonds are used as tears on a sculpted face or gold becomes the conduit for turning a column into a hinged bracelet. Joy BC (Bonfield-Colombara) adds a different quality to this list of jewellers, her pieces being both classic and literal. I’m assuming she won’t stay in classical-architecture mode forever – it will be fun to witness her journey and how her work develops.

HEMMERLE

A fourth-generation, family-run operation based in Munich, Hemmerle was originally the place where Bavarian royalty and the Vatican had their medals and ceremonial badges made. Under the leadership of Christian and Yasmin Hemmerle, the house is creating one-of-a-kind, super-contemporary pieces of jewellery using exquisite stones, interesting setting materials (bronze and wood) and metals that other jewellers typically don’t embrace. They have a townhouse in New York and a place in Palm Beach and are only available at certain times of the year for private appointments.

LYDIA COURTEILLE

I initially became acquainted with Lydia Courteille when she was a vintage jewellery dealer and I was at W, where we would call in her pieces for shoots. Now she is more well known for her own creations, which are fun, exciting and unrestrained. Courteille’s pieces evoke a modern-day Marie Antoinette – more is more for this Paris-based jeweller. Her shop, on Rue Saint-Honoré, is a cabinet of curiosities. There is always some romantic story involved with her pieces, which are created in a dialogue of jewellery that is singular to her. I mean, it’s just crazy, but in the best way.

JULIA MARIA KUNNAP

I came across the up-and-coming jeweller Julia Maria Künnap on Instagram and was blown away by her Dalí-esque gem-cutting and stone-carving techniques. I’ve truly never seen anything like them. Her wild work takes normal stones like emerald cuts and makes them appear to be dripping off the ear. It’s an artful approach, which is probably why you can only purchase her pieces at select galleries around the globe.

CINDY CHAO

The daughter of a sculptor, Cindy Chao, from Taiwan, is a legend in the high jewellery world. Her extraordinary pieces are inspired by nature, often made using rare stones like “pigeon’s blood” Burmese rubies and Colombian emeralds. Every year since 2008, Chao has released a butterfly brooch that takes more than 18 months to create. One of these highly sought-after pieces was acquired by the Smithsonian Natural Museum of Natural History, where it is part of its permanent collection.

EMMANUEL TARPIN

A jewellery-design wunderkind, Emmanuel Tarpin started his business when he was 25 years old (he is now a highly seasoned 31). Having cut his teeth at Van Cleef & Arpels, he creates one-of-a-kind masterpieces in unexpected materials and, like many high jewellers, sells directly to private clients. He produces about 30 pieces a year, but his recent orchid collection – so lifelike it would fool the eye if not for the flawless diamond set at the centre of each delicate bloom – marked his first time designing according to a theme. The first time I met him was when he came to my office at Town & Country in 2018; the following year the magazine named him breakthrough jewellery designer of the year.

DANIELA VILLEGAS

You could fill Noah’s ark with Daniela Villegas’s bejewelled animalistic creations, which are very cute and almost cartoonish. She once showed me a huge shark ring of hers that said “Bite Me” on the side in gold letters. She is a storyteller who will turn an oddly shaped stone into the body of a crab and then add pincers in gold. We used to sell her at Moda Operandi when I was the jewellery director there: her gold meerkat pendant with multicoloured gemstones sold immediately. Villegas’s menagerie is highly appealing to customers who have never seen jewellery like it before people want something no one else has, and no one else has a bejewelled meerkat.

TAFFIN

Founded by James Taffin de Givenchy (nephew of the famed fashion designer, Hubert), Taffin has reshaped how people think about fine jewellery. De Givenchy uses colour, enamel and ceramics in his pieces, which carry a real pop art quality. He has showrooms in New York and Miami.

Ring in 18k rose gold, ceramic and natural American freshwater pearl and bracelet in 18k rose gold, ceramic, orange and yellow sapphire by Taffin

MARIE LICHTENBERG

Marie Lichtenberg’s playful jewellery make her the Willy Wonka of fine jewellery. Some of her notable pieces include a Magic 8 Ball necklace with actual Mattel parts – she called the company to ask about the mechanics of its classic advice-giving toy, which was pretty bold, and it sized them down for her  and an oversized gold ring that asks, “Would you marry me?”, presenting a diamond when opened. I saw her at The Couture Show in Las Vegas at the start of last summer and thought, “She is it, she has it.” Lichtenberg is so creative but her pieces are still highly wearable. The former fashion editor of Elle France has her finger on the pulse of what women want to wear as jewellery, even if they don’t know that they want to wear it yet. One of her funnier pieces on display at that Vegas show was a ring with a locket that opened to reveal a phallic diamond. Lichtenberg called it Dick in a Box.

SOLANGE AZAGURY-PARTRIDGE

The original cool girl in jewellery, Solange Azagury-Partridge continues to innovate, taking inspiration from unexpected places like the overhead architectural layout of Westminster Abbey and the chemical structure of MDMA. Her pieces are extremely well thought out, colourful and gorgeously fun to wear, as seen with her bestselling Hotlips and Hotscripts rings, launched in the late 1990s – she has only got better over time.

Taken from 10 Magazine UK – DARE TO DREAM – out now.
Collage Artist JAMES STOPFORTH
Jewellery Editor and Text WILL KAHN