Jewellery designer Monica Vinader on how the ocean inspires her

4 December 2015 • Written by Zoe Dickens

What with some of the world’s most sought after stones, including sapphire, turquoise and topaz, being celebrated for their deep ocean hues, it’s no surprise that the fine jewellery world abounds with sea-inspired jewels.

With three marine-themed collections – Atlantis, Capri and Siren – already under her belt and the rapidly expanding Riva range taking its cues from the rippling waves of the ocean, we caught up with jewellery designer Monica Vinader to find out why she finds the sea just so fascinating.

Jewellery designer Monica Vinader

Tell us a little about the new Riva collection – what was the inspiration behind it?

The Riva Collection is inspired by shimmering shorelines and captures the essence of the Italian Riviera. This is reflected in the flowing, wave-like setting of the pavé diamonds giving this collection its fluid design and striking, distinctive look.

Where did the Riva name come from?

Riva means ‘shore’ in Italian and it is so fitting for this collection which is entirely inspired by the sea.

The new Riva collection is inspired by the Italian Riviera

Many of your designs take inspiration from the ocean – why do you think this lends itself well to jewellery design?

I get so much inspiration just from walking on the beach and finding treasures, like a pretty stone or a delicate coral, that can translate easily into jewellery. I love being by the sea and I tend to prefer beach holidays in tropical destinations where I can fully relax, read and sketch all day.

Which stones do you find best represent your vision of the sea?

Aquamarine definitely reminds me of the ocean waves and there’s this cloudiness to it that makes every piece of jewellery unique. Our Siren and Riva collections are both inspired by the sea and, while the former embodies its colours and textures, the latter is all about the flow and fluidity of the water.

Fiji friendship bracelets and earrings from the sea-inspired Siren collection

What do you think it is about these pieces that appeal to your customers?

The organic, natural shapes have an incredible appeal, especially when paired with gorgeous, colourful stones like in our Siren collection. For spring/summer 16 I am loving beautifully vibrant stones like cornelian, amazonite and green onyx.

Which of your pieces would you pack for a superyacht vacation?

In the daytime I like my jewellery to be quite playful, so I’ll layer up some Fiji friendship bracelets in a mix of colours and metals. For the evening I would bring pieces from Stellar, our newest coloured diamond collection.

Visit monicavinader.com

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