December 15, 2025 |
Every piece of jewellery has a tale to tell. For the dazzling women who grace the following pages, their treasured gems spill stories of their loves, tastes, families and, most of all, reveal a lot about themselves.
VANESSA KINGORI OBE
What piece of jewellery are you wearing?
It’s a vintage 1950s Jaeger LeCoultre dress watch that’s important to me for so many reasons. I look upon it with the same adoration as a decorative jewellery piece, not only because I find it beautiful to look at, but also because its associations give me the same feeling as precious stones do for others.
Tell us about it.
This vintage piece represents a few things for me: 1. Beauty and quality craft are timeless; 2. The power and influence of motherhood; 3. Achievement against the odds; and 4. Women’s ability to thrive and lead differently in unexpected spaces.
How did you come to own it?
Timeless craft is valuable. At a time when there is so much discussion about the value of human talent in the context of AI and tech innovation, this analogue piece reminds me that creativity and craft are more valuable than ever. I’m told that Charlie Chaplin wore this model in his day, and it still feels beautiful and relevant now. It reminds me to slow down and value the right things. My friends at Jaeger sent the piece to Switzerland to be remastered as a birthday gift and it turns out it’s worth more today than when I bought it – quality appreciates.
What do you love about it and why is it your favourite?
This watch was also introduced in the same year as my mother’s birth. My mother and grandmother are huge driving forces in my life, a balance of tough discipline, work ethic, beauty and abundant love. Learning this fact about the watch made it exponentially more beautiful and impossible not to buy.
Vanessa wears 1950s dress watch by JAEGER-LECOULTRE, jumper and skirt by THE FOLD, boots by JIMMY CHOO
YOON AHN, FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR, AMBUSH
What piece of jewellery are you wearing?
A ring that I designed to gift myself.
Tell us about it.
Two Mews from Pokémon holding a heart stone.
What’s the story behind it?
Mew embodies the child archetype: the origin of creativity, purity and curiosity untainted by ego or fear. I wanted to remind myself not to lose that side of me.
What do you love about it and why is it your favourite?
I love that it holds both innocence and strength. Every time I look at it, I’m reminded of the joy of creating purely for myself, not for anyone’s approval, just for the love of it.
What would be your dream piece of jewellery to own?
It’ll be another little treasure I design and gift to myself, a reminder of the joy that comes from creating something deeply personal. There’s a quiet magic in crafting a piece that carries your own meaning, something that feels like it was made straight from your heart.
Yoon wears two Mews (from Pokémon) hold heartstone ring by YOON AMBUSH
LAUREN AMOS, FOUNDER, ANTIDOTE
What piece of jewellery are you wearing?
The pieces I’ve chosen to wear are two sets of 1562 black and white diamond micro pavé stars designed by Sharon Alouf.
Tell us about it.
Sharon designed these reversible sets of stars specifically for me. I wear two on each ear – they’ve become part of my signature look.
How did you come to own it?
I first discovered Sharon’s work when I noticed an art dealer wearing a pair of her earrings. I was instantly captivated and knew I had to have my own. Years later, I serendipitously met Sharon herself at Iris van Herpen’s runway show. The moment we met I immediately remembered those earrings I had admired so much.
What’s the story behind it?
We met privately at The Greenwich Hotel [in downtown Manhattan] over coffee. She showed me her beautiful designs and together we discussed diamond colours, sizes and shapes. It was my first experience creating a custom piece of jewellery and I was hooked. Since then, all of my jewellery has been made by Sharon.
What do you love about it, and why is it your favourite?
I love these earrings because they capture my personality so perfectly: one side dark, the other light. They feel symbolic of balance, duality and energy. Every piece Sharon creates feels deeply personal, almost like an extension of myself. These earrings don’t just accessorise, they resonate with me. I’ve never worn jewellery that feels so inherently mine.
When do you wear it, and what do you wear it with?
I wear them every single day, I even sleep in them. They just work with everything so effortlessly. I’ve collected five sets of Sharon’s stars in different sizes, from delicate everyday pieces to bold statement versions. I wear them everywhere, from meetings to black-tie galas.
What would be your dream piece of jewellery to own?
Sharon is actually creating my dream piece right now, a custom necklace designed to hold my late husband’s ashes. It’s a deeply personal project and I can’t imagine anyone else bringing that vision to life.
Lauren wears 1562 black and white diamond micro pavé stars earrings by SHARON ALOUF
JESSICA MCCORMACK, JEWELLERY DESIGNER
What piece of jewellery are you wearing?
I’m wearing our Tapestry Woven Diamond and Sapphire Bracelet.
Tell us about it.
It’s set with diamonds, emeralds and sapphires, all Carrè cuts of the exact same size arranged to form a pattern inspired by the chevron friendship bracelets of the 1970s. It reminds me of the bracelets my sisters and I made when we were growing up in New Zealand. The stones are set in 18-carat white and yellow gold channel settings, with rhodium blackening used to surround the darkest sapphires, which emphasises the pattern. It sits snug on the wrist, which is made possible by its clasp. The devil’s always in the detail.
What’s the story behind it?
The whole collection is an ode to ’70s friendship bracelets and represents a playful exploration of using coloured stones to form patterns across surfaces. We wanted to evoke something both homemade and sentimental, while using the highest level of craftsmanship to bring the design to life. It’s truly one of my favourite collections to date and feels significant in my journey as a designer – it’s collections like these that I hope live on long beyond me.
How did you come to own it?
When we were creating the collection, I always had my eye on this particular bracelet. I have sold it off my wrist so many times that we’re constantly having to remake it. I love how it is simultaneously striking, casual and comfortable. It’s the perfect piece of jewellery.
What do you love about it and why is it your favourite?
I love its movement, which speaks to the intricate and technically exceptional craftmanship behind the making of it. Each row is individually made and then ‘strung’ together into columns, creating a perfectly articulated movement that feels slinky and almost fabric-like, a bit like chainmail. Because of this fluidity, it’s incredibly comfortable to wear.
When do you wear it and what do you wear it with?
I wear it most days, to the office and out to dinner, there’s not an occasion it hasn’t suited yet! There is such duality to it, in that it looks and feels like a friendship bracelet, which we think of as incredibly causal, yet it’s crafted with the most beautiful mix of diamonds, emeralds and sapphires.
What would be your dream piece of jewellery to own?
My dream piece would be one of Carlo Giuliano’s fringe champlevé enamel necklaces. I recently came across one adorned with blue and white enamelled beads and a delicate gold fringe composed of two alternating designs, each finished with three small seed pearls. I love how his work has clear references to the jewellery of the Italian Renaissance, even though he was working in the latter half of the 19th century. His journey from Naples to London to pursue his craft also resonates with me – having moved myself to London in the hope of developing my passion for jewellery.
Jessica wears Tapestry Woven Diamond and Sapphire bracelet by JESSICA MCCORMACK
ELIZABETH SALTZMAN, STYLIST
What piece of jewellery are you wearing?
A shining, bright, simple, chic gold ring. It’s loaded with sentiment, beautifully worn in warm heavy gold.
How did you come to own it?
I tried to pull this ring off of my father’s pinkie finger for most of my childhood and then a couple of decades later I desperately and lovingly tried to keep it on his pinkie finger as he was declining in health. It was delivered to me, upon his death in January 2000, in an envelope with a long letter letting me know he would always be with me. Needless to say, it is my most prized procession.
What do you love about it and why is it your favourite?
I love the feel and the warmth of the security blanket of gently worn gold. I love the bond between my wonderful father and me. In the best of times, it’s a happy reminder. In the worst of times, it’s a pacifier.
When do you wear it and what do you wear it with?
Everything, every day, always and forever.
What would be your dream piece of jewellery to own?
Are you serious? You want me to pick just one! I couldn’t narrow it down to one piece from one brand. From Schlumberger, Cartier, Verdura, David Webb, Jar, Taffin, Hemmerle, Viren Bhagat, Ana Khouri, Jessica McCormack and Alexis Bittar… The list goes on. Each piece tells a story and I know anything that speaks to me would have to be a story about love. PS There was this necklace at the Louvre… I wonder where it is now? It wasn’t me!
Elizabeth wears her father’s gold ring
ZOE BEDEAUX, ARTIST AND FOUNDER WITCHCRAFTED BY VIDA
What piece of jewellery are you wearing?
The piece I am wearing is a wild boar, which is a by-product Hand of Fatima protective amulet.
Tell us about it.
The wild boar totem symbolises facing fears and the piece embodies fearlessness and courage. The eternal crescent cycles of the Moon: the becoming – the unbecoming. It’s a powerful piece. It holds space with grace.
How did you come to own it?
I designed it and had it made 10 years ago. I don’t own it, I am the custodian of this piece. I have seen jewellery appear and disappear at will where it resides while not with me. I can only speculate. These excursions make it very clear that I have no ownership. Things are law unto themselves.
What’s the story behind it?
I made it as a protective amulet to wear while spirit weaving – taking others on meditative journeys. I wear it with a whole bunch of other amulets, with it being the centrepiece.
What do you love about it and why is it your favourite?
I love it because it’s a unique piece made for a specific reason. It has a function and purpose. I have made two so far and I will make five more, all slightly different. When it is not being worn, it hangs on the wall.
When do you wear it and what do you wear it with?
I wear it when I am taking others on spirit quests – meditations. I wear it with anything. I don’t have any outfit it accompanies. I also wear it randomly when I feel I need that energy outside of the meditations.
What would be your dream piece of jewellery to own?
I work with masks, I have loved them always. I would happily be a custodian of one of Man Ray’s Optic Topic Masks.
Zoe wears Wild Boar Hand of Fatima amulet
ALEX EAGLE, CREATIVE DIRECTOR
What piece of jewellery are you wearing?
My Roman intaglio and cameo ring.
Tell us about it.
Rings were often embellished with cameos and precious gemstones. Mythology and Roman history were used as a repertoire of decorative themes. Roman rings with carved stones, such as carnelian, garnet or chalcedony, were engraved with depictions of deities, allegories and zoomorphic creatures. Rings were also modelled in the shape of snakes, a popular form of jewellery deriving from Hellenistic culture.
How did you come to own it?
My husband got me one for a birthday and a friend and jeweller masterfully placed a ring inside to fit my finger within the existing ring so I didn’t have to ruin the original piece.
What do you love about it, and why is it your favourite?
It’s beautiful and humbling wearing something so ancient. It’s lived so much longer than me, and than I will ever live. I am simply its current custodian.
Alex wears Roman intaglio and cameo ring
Taken from 10+ Issue 8 – FUTURE, JUBILEE, CELEBRATION – out now. Order your copy here.
Text PAUL TONER
Production SONYA MAZURYK
