Jewels of the Month, Part 1: Punk Platinum

It’s rare that I get to introduce a full collection (nearly) all at once. Usually I’m creating and revealing just one or two designs at a time. But today is different! June’s Jewels of the Month are the first nine styles of my brand-new Punk Platinum line.

I was inspired to do this collection after a conversation I had last year with the nice peeps at Platinum Guild International, the trade group for platinum jewelry. Even though some great designers have been making edgy, modern jewelry with platinum for years, the public perception of platinum seems to run to three categories: wedding jewelry, multi-million-dollar Oscar loaners, and blinged-out rap-star chains. I happen to enjoy wedding jewelry, over-the-top red-carpet pieces and big-ass chains. I design the first and last types of jewelry already, and I sure hope someone decides to order a 100-carat necklace from me soon.  But I also love a challenge, and the idea of doing a platinum line that didn’t fit the typical profile got me all excited.

I knew instantly that I wanted to “dirty up” the tarnish-proof metal by both blackening it and giving it my signature matte finish. I started thinking of metal objects that would normally be outside, exposed to the elements. I also wanted to create something that would represent my long-time appreciation of punk style. Barbed wire was clearly the way to go!

I introduced the first designs — stacking rings in two styles, in both 18K yellow gold and platinum with diamonds — back in November.

Click to shop.

Scarlett Johansson wore these in the March issue of W.

Now it’s time for the rest! I can’t quit single stud earrings, so there had to be a barb stud.

$800. Click to shop.

My 2″ platinum hoop earrings are sold as a pair.

$8,000. Click to shop.

I haven’t offered any bracelets in a long time, so I made an open bangle.

$4,000. Click to shop.

I’ve got two necklace styles, one with a single barb …

$2,400. Click to shop.

… and one with seven barbs.

$4,500. Click to shop.

I’m really excited to have a platinum anklet.

$5,000. Click to shop.

I have always liked platinum worn on digits/limbs that aren’t usually graced by the most precious of the precious metals: a platinum thumb ring, for instance.

The last style is a full-finger, hinged ring. In addition to the diamonds that all the pieces have, there are three tiny rubies on the underside of the ring, because … why not?

$10,000. Click to shop.

There you have it! You don’t have to be married, attending an awards ceremony, or getting wild on stage to wear any of these designs. They’re perfect for everyday wear and most of them — the necklaces, studs, stacking rings, bangle — can even be worn in a conservative office setting, for you down-low rebels. All the styles are also available in 18K yellow gold and a few are available in silver, but, to me, it’s still the Punk Platinum collection because that was the metal that inspired everything. I’m already working on the next group of platinum designs … and they’re not barbed wire. You’ll see them in a couple of months.

UPDATED TO ADD: Thanks to gorgeous Jennifer Heebner, senior editor at JCK, for being the first one to write anything about my new collection. Click here to see her blog post!