Today, Phillips auction house on Park Avenue will debut Lauren Adriana, Jewels Now, an exhibition of 50 jewelry pieces by the 32-year-old London-based designer. Her vibrant creations set colorful peridots, emeralds, sapphires and glittering diamonds into sculptural settings that are decidedly forward-facing but have an astute awareness of classic design components. After a 6-day stint in New York, the designs will move to Phillips’ London Berkley Square showroom from March 20 to 25.
Adriana’s love for gems started early. Growing up in London, she asked to visit the gem and mineral exhibit at the city’s Natural History Museum regularly and soon composed her own collection of shiny pebbles. During her time at Central Saint Martins, Adriana found inspiration in the work of avant-garde artist-jewelers like Andrew Grima and Suzanne Belperron, and today her creations consistently veer more toward abstraction than naturalism. The designs in the Phillips compendium are the result of 5 years of work, and several were made especially for this exhibit. Normally, Adriana produces no more than 30 pieces of jewelry a year.
“Lauren pays an extraordinary level of attention to detail, which leads to quite an engaging experience for wearers and viewers of her work alike,” says Susan Abeles, head of jewelry for Phillips in the Americas. Lauren Adriana, Jewels Now will mark the first time Adriana’s designs have been displayed for the public. “Lauren Adriana’s use of shapes and material set her apart from her contemporaries, capturing a depth of form that is unparalleled.”
“Her jewels are incredible statement pieces that are strong yet remarkably complex and refined. The whole really is greater than the sum of its parts,” notes Sarah O’Brien, Phillips’ business development director. “The Fan earrings in silver and diamonds appear quite simple at first until you realize how many processes it takes to arrive at this incredible form.” Though highlighting favorites is a challenge in this collection, O’Brien calls out Adriana’s mesmerizing Slinky Cuff and Twin Ring. Upon further inspection, it’s clear that both designs blossomed from the same bud of inspiration but were taken in two dynamically different directions.
“As an artist, I look to create new forms—to show in a jewel something that has not been seen before,” Adriana explained in a statement from the auction house. “Originality comes from embracing the future, not re-creating the past.”
