In recent years, jewelry manufacturers, designers, and brands have been introducing increasingly versatile and flexible jewelry designs, showcasing extraordinary technical skills.
Jewelers are continuously launching jewelry collections that combine creativity and practicality to cater to modern lifestyles and tastes.
Single pieces of jewelry that can be converted into different styles are both innovative and unique. Brooches, which are currently trendy, serve as an excellent example. They can be worn as pendants and sometimes even as rings. Multi-functional jewelry is unstoppable, with new combinations of styling and materials constantly emerging.
De Beers’ Metamorphosis high jewelry collection lives up to its name, with themes revolving around seasonal changes and focusing on the transformable nature of 20 diamond pieces in the collection.
Céline Assimon, CEO of De Beers Jewelers, states: “We tried to approach this from the perspective of volume, abstract shapes, and hidden details. We focused on the transformability and multi-functionality of the designs to highlight De Beers’ appeal as a young brand. High jewelry showcases art and craftsmanship, but at the same time, it should be easy to wear and fun.”
Multi-faceted Pieces
Italian jeweler Picchiotti also embraces the concept of multi-functional jewelry. The brand launched its Xpandable™ collection in 2016, using invisible technology that allows rings and bracelets to expand up to two sizes freely. The collection now boasts around 400 designs.
“We love the idea of ‘jewelry solving problems,'” explains Maria Carola Picchiotti, the brand’s Marketing Director. “Our Xpandable™ collection has revolutionized the way women around the world overcome issues with ring sizing, and we’ve created clasp-free bangles that can be worn without assistance.”
Although expandable and elastic jewelry designs are trending in the market, Maria Carola states that Picchiotti’s original mechanism remains more complex and durable than most jewelry designs.
Last year, Picchiotti introduced the Reversible Xpandable™ collection, featuring bracelets, rings, and necklaces that reveal different designs when reversed. In May this year, the brand launched a four-sided bracelet that combines both Xpandable™ and Reversible technologies. The bracelet consists of 13 parallelepipeds, each with four sides adorned with gold stripes, diamonds, green, and white mother-of-pearl.
Maria Carola says, “Our Reversible jewelry is versatile and easy to wear, allowing wearers to change styles according to their mood, outfit, and environment. This is indeed the original intention behind these jewelry collections. We want to enable wearers to switch their style at any time.”
Ceramic jewelry, rich in color, is gaining prominence in Picchiotti’s collections. Maria Carola notes, “Ceramic jewelry has simpler shapes, is easily colored and set with gemstones, and has a cleaner, fresher appearance.”
Pushing Boundaries
Masi Gioielli uses patented titanium spring technology to create adjustable and expandable jewelry. According to co-founder Andrea Masi, the company began producing adjustable rings and bracelets in 2014, allowing wearers to freely adjust the size.
Andrea says, “Such products were previously mostly made of steel, but we ultimately decided to use titanium for the springs because it’s lighter, stronger, generally waterproof, and less likely to cause allergies.”
Masi Gioielli perfected this technology, obtaining patents in key European, Asian, and American markets. They launched their first jewelry line under the name Onesize Jewels in 2020 and introduced a full collection this year, gaining favor in markets such as China, India, UAE, and Malaysia.
Masi Gioielli’s 18K gold rings come in four sizes: small, medium, large, and extra-large, corresponding to US sizes 4.5 to 10.5, and can expand by three sizes. Bracelets are available in small, medium, and large.
The brand offers three collections: Serpenti, Cloud Nine, and Enamel. The Cloud Nine collection includes eternity rings, rings made of gold bars or ingots, and gemstone-set bracelets, while the Enamel collection features various rings, bangles, and pendants.
Masi Gioielli’s designs and gemstones can be further customized according to customer preferences and budgets. For instance, jewelry can be partially or fully set with diamonds or colored gemstones, and customers can even provide their own stones for setting. Wholesale prices start at $1,000 per ring and $3,000 per bracelet.
Andrea explains, “Retailers can purchase the brand’s starter kit, which includes at least five rings and several bracelets in various sizes. They can also choose to incorporate these styles into their own brands, have us create special styles for them, or even arrange for laser engraving of brand names on the jewelry.”
Creative Ceramics
Japanese jeweler Crossfor Co Ltd is renowned for its patented Dancing Stone design, featuring a single gemstone that appears to float and sparkle continuously. The company strives for innovation, such as improving the supports on either side of the Dancing Stone into a single-hook design called Shimmering Stone, allowing the gemstone to move up, down, left, and right. This larger range of motion enhances the stone’s sparkle and refines the design.
Crossfor has also reimagined its most popular jewelry designs using ceramics. For instance, their tennis bracelet can now be pavé-set with stones ranging from 1.5 to 2.7mm in diameter, allowing for more versatile combinations.
Their ceramic rings come in black and white: the Gold Crown ceramic ring features prongs that can hold a single pearl, colored gemstone, or diamond; the Gold Eternity ceramic ring can be partially or fully pavé-set with stones; and the Gold Ring ceramic ring is adorned with a band of yellow gold. The brand also offers Floating Stone rings and ceramic pearl stud earrings.
Gloria Au, Senior Sales Manager at Crossfor Co Ltd, reveals: “Due to the current high gold prices, we’re offering jewelers more affordable ceramic jewelry that can be combined with different colors and paired with our chains, gemstones, or various colored prongs to easily create entire collections.”
Crossfor’s ceramic jewelry ranges from $20 to $100, with a minimum order of 20 pieces per design and category.
Lifelike Creations
Niche jewelry brand La broderie, known for its embroidery, was founded by Diana Wong, who also established Verde Jewellery in Hong Kong. La broderie’s brooches and pendants draw inspiration from natural elements like butterflies, featuring handcrafted embroidery on 18K gold frames.
These lifelike pieces, created by masters skilled in both Chinese and French embroidery techniques, are further adorned with diamonds and colored gemstones. Size, design, decoration, and materials can be customized according to client requirements.
According to Diana, the brand’s embroidery artist began learning Chinese embroidery techniques at age five and later studied French traditions at a school that produces embroidery for Chanel. Her work blends Eastern and Western cultures, infusing La broderie’s creations with elegance and sophistication.
Diana says, “Chinese embroidery primarily uses silk threads, while French embroidery incorporates beads and textures. Although there are many butterfly-themed jewelry pieces in the market, our jewelry is uniquely crafted. Due to the intricate, three-dimensional nature of the work and its neat execution, the embroidery patterns are clearly visible on both sides, often mistaken for paintings or calligraphy.”
She points out that La broderie’s embroidery requires significant time and effort. For example, a butterfly brooch undergoes repeated experiments to achieve the optimal thickness, decoration placement, and frame structure to ensure the embroidery and stone settings are secure and comfortable to wear.
Diana emphasizes, “Beyond creativity, a successful design must also be practical, which is why craftsmanship is crucial. We carefully listen to customer feedback to ensure our pieces are not only cleverly designed but also functional and comfortable.”
The Future of Jewelry: Where Creativity Meets Functionality in Transformable Designs
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