The industry-leading, all-female design team at Garrard have breathed new life into the motif at the heart of one of the House’s most legendary royal commissions – the setting of the most precious diamond of all time, the Cullinan I.
Artfully uniting heritage cues with cutting-edge craftsmanship and design, Aloria celebrates Garrard’s setting of the Cullinan I in the Sovereign’s Sceptre in 1910. The strong silhouette framing the world’s largest clear-cut diamond has been reimagined in the House’s Sovereign motif and its enduring spirit sits at the heart of the new designs.
The Aloria collection is the latest to join Garrard’s treasure trove of regally-inspired jewels, a fresh interpretation of an iconic design rooted in the brand’s heritage and handcrafted in the Garrard workshop. “Garrard’s craftsmanship in Aloria is as innovative now as it was for the setting of the Cullinan I in 1910,” explains Sara Prentice, Garrard’s Creative Director. “The clean lines and simplicity of the design mask the complexity and detail that have gone into each piece”.
Garrard’s signature goldwork has been elevated to new three-dimensional levels and, skilfully faceted, it shimmers in light across rings, bracelets and earrings that tumble gracefully. The bold silhouette of the Sovereign motif is embellished with diamonds that glitter gently at an angle in each piece alongside coloured gemstones, calibré-cut in the larger pieces and glimmering in a range of glorious hues – from pink sapphires and diamonds set in rose gold, to yellow sapphires and diamonds in yellow gold, and bright and brilliant all-white diamonds and aquamarines set in white gold.
The creative team led by Sara Prentice know how to inject their designs with a sense of glamorous fun. The elegant simplicity of the pieces at first sight belies their multifunctional, playful nature. Just as the gold clasps holding the Cullinan I can be opened and the magnificent diamond removed to be worn as a brooch (suspended from the Cullinan I set in the Imperial State Crown – yet another of Garrard’s royal commissions), the Aloria designs offer several options for the way they can be worn – designed to work with the wearer, transitioning from dawn to dusk in effortless style.
Necklaces come in adjustable lengths and earrings can be worn as studs or with back jackets of differing colours. In some pieces the Sovereign motif is set with diamonds on one side and with white enamel – mirroring the colour of the enamel surrounding the Cullinan I – on the other. Reversibility is achieved via a discreet hinge mechanism, the graceful fluidity of form reflecting the power of adaptability. And in recognition of Queen Mary’s penchant for switching the gemstones in her jewels to match her dress, several necklaces, bracelets and earrings in the collection have interchangeable coloured motifs, to suit the occasion, your outfit or simply your mood.
“The Aloria collection epitomises Garrard’s design ideals: ingenuity of craftsmanship, exceptional gemstones and adaptability of design,” says Sara. “It’s a powerful collection and we’re looking forward to seeing clients wear the designs with their own confident, unique style”.
