LAUREN ADRIANA

Once in a great while, there appears a contemporary designer whose creations are remarkable enough to share the spotlight with Fred Leighton’s collection of historical and famous maker jewels. Lauren Adriana, a young London-based graduate of Central Saint Martins, has achieved this feat with her audacious, imaginative designs.

Adriana has established a singular aesthetic, prodigious reputation and loyal clientele by age 30. It’s not surprising considering how long she’s been cultivating her passion. At five, she was gazing at the  gems in London’s Natural History Museum, and used her pocket money to buy crystals in the museum shop. By age 12, she was shopping the New Age markets for cut and polished gemstones; and when she was 15, Adriana discovered a book about American jewelry house Verdura, which inspired her to learn to paint her own jewelry designs.

Today, Lauren Adriana still begins each piece with a painting, and then oversees every step of the creative process to ensure the final jewel looks exactly like the original design. Her daringly glamorous pieces feature gemstones in unusual hues, set in sparkling sculptural forms. Some take cues from classical styles; others seem imported from a distant galaxy. “I believe a jewel has to be forward-looking, building on what’s gone before, but not relying on motifs or narratives from the past,” says Adriana. “My aim is to create a jewel that reaches beyond the time you’re in.” Lauren, consider your aim achieved. These creations are wildly coveted now, and are sure to be collectible in future eras.

< DISCOVER DAVID WEBB