Look Book

40 | The Jewelr y Book LEIGH MAXWELL: G E M M Y S T O N E S , I M P E C C A B L E C R A F T S M A N S H I P , E A S Y E L E G A N C E F O R TH E PAST FE W Y E ARS , my visits to the Leigh Maxwell salon at e COUTURE Show went the same way: it would be busy, we would smile and wave to each other, and then—with visions of pearl strands and happy matte gold elephant pendants in my head—I'd meander to my next appointment thinking, "I'm good." (P.S. I wasn't.) is year, however, I made a point of sitting and talking with founder and designer Jennifer Maxwell (Leigh is her middle name), and taking a deep dive into all of her collections. It proved to be time very well spent. A few things grabbed my attention. First was "Bauble," a debuting collection of one-of-a-kind cocktail rings and earrings, featuring particularly gemmy center stones set in a pillow-like quadruple halo of diamonds (including a mocha zircon ring that knocked my socks off ). And, as per usual with Leigh Maxwell pieces, that satin-finished 18K gold just feels so wonderful against the skin. Next was this sophisticated rivière necklace with 43 natural-color spinels from Mozambique and Myanmar in an array of grey hues and a mix of oval, cushion, and elongated-cushion cuts that subtly drew me in while reinforcing the vibe I'd been picking up at the show about the increasing relevance of garnets, spinels, and zircons (not coincidentally, the subject of this season's CURRENT OBSESSION feature on page 34). And then there were Maxwell's conch pearl pieces. Where most designers who work with conch pearls source them exclusively in bright, bubblegum pink, Maxwell opts instead to celebrate the entire spectrum of these natural saltwater pearls. She's been collecting them for 30 years, thanks in part to a home in Turks and Caicos and friends there who fish for conch. So, as with the one-of-a-kind Conch Pearl Necklace with Diamond Chain shown on these pages, the conch pearls you'll find on a Leigh Maxwell necklace, pendant, or pair of earrings are far more likely to be in shades of blush pink, peach, salmon, coral-orange, tangerine, cognac, and lavender-pink than in the de rigueur hot pink. Maxwell took a rather circuitous route to jewelry design, by way of medicine. A Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native, she earned her MD and practiced international health and tropical medicine, working in Kenya, Honduras, Haiti, and Cambodia. But with six children, she wasn't going to be spending half her life in Africa, so she le medicine to stay home with the kids. Years later, as her three sons were entering their junior and senior years of high school, she recalls thinking, "I need to explore the creative side of my brain because I've been so science-forward my whole life." OOAK Conch Pearl Necklace with Diamond Chain featuring 11 Conch Pearls of varying colors and sizes (8.27–10.97mm with the center pearl measuring 12.99 x 14.22mm | untreated), and round brilliant-cut Diamonds (1.61ctw | G/H, VS), set in satin-finished 18K Gold. [This necklace was a finalist in the "Best in Pearls" category at the 2024 COUTURE Design Awards.] 'Starstruck' Ear Climbers (from the "Starstruck" collection) featuring round cabochon- cut Grey Moonstones (approx. 16.38ctw | untreated) and round brilliant-cut Diamonds (0.12ctw | G/H, VS), set in satin-finished 18K Gold. OOAK Mixed Gemstone Line Earrings featuring oval and round cabochon-cut Green Tourmalines (8.46ctw), oval-cut Zoisites (3.98ctw), round-cut Montana Sapphires (1.45ctw) and oval cabochon-cut Aquamarines (1.29ctw), set in satin-finished 18K Gold. 'Elephant' Ring (from the "Bahati" collection) featuring 18 round brilliant-cut Diamonds (approx. 0.48ctw | G/H, SI1), set in satin-finished 18K Gold. W E A R A B L E P R O Z A C The 'OG' Ring featuring an oval cabochon-cut Aquamarine (11.00ct), set in satin-finished 18K Gold. [Based on the very first jewel Jennifer created herself at the bench.] by Michael Shulman

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