Wedding jewellery with the vow factor

For all the maximalism usually tied to weddings – larger-than-life dresses, elaborate table settings, big guest lists – jewellery this season has gone minimal. Discreet adornments are key to modern bridal looks. Subtlety comes in the form of delicate floral details, as in Harry Winston’s Cluster earrings, where marquise diamonds are set in platinum to mimic petals, or in the amalgam of diamonds and platinum in Boodles’ Raindance Classic ring. A minimal bracelet – such as Dior’s white-gold and diamond Gem Dior bangle – offers understated sparkle.

Even tiaras have been given the modern treatment

Even tiaras – usually thought of as an overly bejewelled, and perhaps slightly old-fashioned, accessory – have been given the modern treatment. At Chaumet, which has seen a surge in demand for tiaras in recent years, this manifests in graduating pearls atop a fine band of white gold and pavé diamonds. “Pearl-set jewellery is seeing a strong resurgence,” says Chaumet CEO Charles Leung. And while diamond solitaire rings are “as popular as ever, it seems that more brides are opting for fancy rather than the traditional round brilliant-cut diamonds”.

Given the trend for brides to wear more than one dress on their wedding day, Leung also notes that customers want jewellery that works during the ceremony “before switching to something light and fun during the reception. Transformable pieces are gaining popularity, such as a tiara that turns into a brooch.”

For the groom, modernity is found in classic styles such as signet rings and chunky link bracelets (as in Hermès’ gold bar and loop style), stacked with a Tiffany & Co T bangle or a discreet, leather-strapped watch. A pair of cufflinks, such as Graff’s Love Knot style, which features loops of diamonds set in white gold, rounds out the look. Graff’s design director Anne-Eva Geffroy says that clients are “typically drawn to pieces that hold intimate meaning”, aware that these will be handed down through generations. The Love Knot motif therefore “acts as a final flourish, bringing sentiment, symbolism and style to a formal suit”. 

Set design, David De Quevedo at Cadence Image. Retouching, Dave Herr. Production, Town Productions