Vram Jewelry Is Wearable Art

Jewelry is wearable art—and Vram Minassian knows good art. The Beirut-born, Los Angeles–based jewelry designer’s jaw-dropping personal collection of mid-century-modern sculptures reflect the bold lines and earthy textures expressed in his creations. After three decades working behind-the-scenes crafting jewelry for other brands, Minassian launched his own label in 2016. His designs are, by and large, crafted in a custom 18-karat yellow-gold alloy and frame an eclectic mix of materials—from diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires to lotus-seed beads and vibrant Montana agate.

The progression of Vram has paralleled the growth of the designer’s young daughter, whose birth in 2015 helped compel Minassian to realize his own creative vision; leaving behind an artistic legacy quickly became more tangible and appealing. “I started this at a mature age,” the designer says. “So, on a daily basis, whatever it is I’m doing, I just want to make sure that it’s true to me.”

The third-generation jeweler’s latest creations—part of a line called Moment Three—channels organic forms like knotty tree branches, bamboo shoots, and bone. The organic softness in these pieces is balanced by a sleek modernity that evokes Cy Twombly and Constantin Brâncuși’s Bird in Space sculpture series.

Otherworldly orbital loops and earthly flora have served as muses for Minassian’s previous designs (see his Echo, Helics, and Colony VIII rings). Aside from their sculptural beauty, each piece is crafted for maximum wearability; the open-top Echo ring, for example, can be turned sideways for a subtler look, and the hinge on the new Chrona hoops is designed to be opened and secured quickly with just one hand.

Vram is presently carried in Barneys New York, Broken English in Santa Monica, and Maxfield in West Hollywood. His latest Moment Three designs will debut in full early next month.