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| Photo courtesy of Ilene Steele Jewelry |
London is a metropolis overflowing with budding designers and their creations, so allow me to introduce one such designer who is making a name for herself this summer. Ilene Steele’s first collection, the Wave Collection, was launched this past May. Like a magpie drawn to all things shiny, I felt an immediate magnetic pull to Steele’s jewelry, which she handcrafts all herself. With their subdued colored stones and modern geometric shapes, the pieces have real potential to become the new “girl about town” accessories.
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| Photo courtesy of Ilene Steele Jewelry |
Steele calls New
York home, but has set up shop in Hatton Garden, which is known for being
London’s jewelry quarter. Her collection is comprised of precious and
semi-precious stones set in 18kt gold bands, silver cocktail rings, and dainty
stud earrings. Whether you stack the rings or wear them on their own, a
multitude of options are available to best show off your jewelry personality.
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| Photo courtesy of Ilene Steele Jewelry |
The choice to call
the line the Wave Collection was deliberate and well thought-out, acting as a
very unique identifier for Steele’s work and her overall ethos. The jewelry’s
stones all face the wearer, opposed to facing forward, in homage to seafaring
positions and the capricious nature of natural bodies of water. Not only that,
but the stone placements are angled so as to accommodate both the wearer and
the admirer. This simple attention to detail constructs the rings as mini
masterpieces, regardless of what direction you view them from.
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| Photo courtesy of Ilene Steele Jewelry |
Steele’s collection
is consistently nautical. Her choice of stone color excellently highlights the
various tones of rippling water - from crystal aquamarines, to murky browns, to
seaweed greens. The range of jewels also helps to remind us that we need to
create a harmonious relationship between the “ebbs” and “flows” of our nonstop,
hectic lifestyles.
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| Photo courtesy of Ilene Steele Jewelry |
Taking her work one
step further, Steele stays true to her message in her method. Through the
ancient practice of cuttlefish casting, a wave-like texture is embedded into
the ring bands. For Steele, designing and constructing exist concurrently, as
she exercises her knack for balance, symmetry, and synergy. Personal orders for
rings and earrings can be requested, where Steele will individually craft the
jewelry to your distinct taste.
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| Photo courtesy of Ilene Steele Jewelry |
The Wave Collection
mimics the highs and lows of life, while striking a happy medium between the fluctuating
ocean tides, currents, and waves and the fluctuating needs, hopes, and extremes
that plague everyday human existence. Now that’s something I think everyone can
relate to, so make a statement without even saying a word with a piece from
Steele’s classic jewelry range. If Steele’s first collection is anything to go
by, we should be expecting great things from her in the future.
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| Photo courtesy of Ilene Steele Jewelry |
Check back for an interview I will be
conducting with Steele in September for a discussion on the Wave Collection!
Prices start at 150
pounds. Get your hand and ear adornments from Wolf & Badger online here and in store, at the Clerkenwell
Collection (for directions, see here),
or from Steele’s official website here.
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| Photo courtesy of Ilene Steele Jewelry |
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