CURRENTLY COVETING - Painted Jewelry

CURRENTLY COVETING: Painted Jewelry

            The term “wearable art” art gets thrown around a lot when talking about jewelry, but our latest truly embodies the concept. The new Cora collection introduces a first for Larkspur & Hawk: a limited-edition selection of jewels that are backed with hand-painted art rather than our signature colored foils. While it may be a new addition to Larkspur & Hawk, painted jewelry’s roots go back to the 16^th century. Painted portrait miniatures, like those pictured above, were the precursor to the modern photograph; they were the only way for, say, a noblewoman to get a preview of potential suitors.

            Our painted Cora pieces draw on the same technique: clear quartz stones are backed with intricate paintings rendered on a miniature scale. Rather than a portrait, the Cora pieces utilize paintings inspired by the work of abstract expressionist Paul Klee, known for his dreamy juxtapositions of colors and shapes. These original artworks were all specially commissioned for Larkspur & Hawk using enamel, gold, and palladium leaf. And as each piece contains its own unique painting, every item in the painted, Cora range is one-of-a-kind. Like the portrait miniatures before them, this collection toes the line between fine art and fine jewelry, bringing a bit of that allure off the wall and into the everyday.