Acclaimed artist and producer Swizz Beatz has teamed up with Brazilian jeweller Ara Vartanian to launch a new collection – see the first look images of the jewellery below.
Described as “an exploration of structure, boldness and shared creative language”, the collection – called ARA x MR DEAN – features brooches, cufflinks, necklaces, chain bracelets and two-finger rings.
The collection is designed “for daily wear, not just formal occasions” with the pieces “reflecting a modern approach to men’s jewellery.”
Swizz himself first discovered Vartanian’s work in 2016 after seeing one of the jeweller’s signature three-finger rings online. Swizz reached out directly to Vartanian to commission an emerald suite thereafter.
In 2019, Swizz then appeared publicly wearing Vartanian’s creations and the pair became friends before sharing creative ideas around a potential collaboration.
While their first launch is described as a men’s collection, the pair add that they set out to “design a jewellery collection without gender constraints.”
The collaboration initially began with an idea to design a brooch collection, but Swizz’s long-standing appreciation for the two-finger rings led Ara [Vartanian] to develop a bespoke version of this with more ideas following from there.
The bespoke ring created was an articulated two-finger ring built around a kinetic structure that balances structural presence and anatomical comfort. The movement system of the ring was conceived and refined by Vartanian through multiple prototypes.
The brooches followed soon after and was developed “early in the collaboration” and have now become standout, signature elements of the collection.
Built with trillion-cut stones, tubular compositions and sharp silhouettes, according to a statement “they express the collection’s architectural essence. They evolved into bold, graphic statements — central to the visual identity of the project.”
After this, other pieces followed including the trillion-cut cufflink designed by Swizz, that is said to “reflect his appreciation for triangles and pointed geometry.”
The second two-finger ring, meanwhile, is described as being “more monolithic and sculptural” and a “complement” to the “articulated version.”
Alongside this there are “Riviera-style necklaces” which contain continuous sequences of stones.
The collection reflects Swizz’s love of rubellites and emeralds. The collection’s wider gemstone palette includes green tourmaline, emerald, rubellite, tanzanite, Paraíba tourmaline, aquamarine, blue sapphire, garnet, ruby and diamonds.
Finishes of the pieces alternate between sandblasted textures, polished edges and rhodium accents, creating contrast and depth. All of the collection’s bracelets and necklaces are adjustable – something that is “designed to adapt to different sizes and promote ease of daily wear.”
In a statement shared with Something About Rocks, Vartanian said: “Swizz has a very strong creative presence. From the beginning, he was fully involved — contributing ideas, references and artistic sensitivity.
“He listens deeply and proposes clearly. The collaboration was fluid and intense. It’s rare to find someone so committed to the process — someone who understands jewellery as language, as a cultural gesture.”
The ARA x MR DEAN collection will launch in May 2025 in limited editions at Ara Vartanian’s flagship and selected retail locations. The full collection will be available to view online during its official launch on May 8.
Vartanian gained international recognition for the way his gemstones are worn – especially via his two-finger rings, hook earrings and his pioneering use of inverted diamonds. He has an esteemed history of collaborations too, having worked with Ernesto Neto, Janaina Tschäpe and Kate Moss on pieces previously.
Fans of Vartanian who wear his work frequently include Liv Tyler, Madonna, Ronnie Wood and Penélope Cruz.
Outside of Brazil, he also has a boutique in Bal Harbour, Miami and has been a leading figure in the transformation of the diamond mining industry by introducing the concept of Conscious Mining.
Meanwhile, Swizz Beatz appeared at the Met Gala earlier this week with his wife, Alicia Keys. The theme of the event for 2025 was ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’, inspired by the work of Monica Miller, a leading scholar of contemporary African American and Afro-diasporic literature and culture, and her 2009 work, ‘Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity’.
Previous themes have ranged from ‘China: Through the Looking Glass’ (2015) – which examined the influence of Chinese art, film and culture on Western fashion – and ‘Camp’ (2019), to ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ from last year’s event.
It was a typically packed Met Gala with several standout moments. Diana Ross wowed on the red carpet wearing an 18-foot terrain adorned with crystals, while Pharrell wore a Louis Vuitton jacket adorned with 100,000 pearls.
Lewis Hamilton hit the red carpet wearing a striking jewellery look from Briony Raymond while Colman Domingo also made headlines wearing a custom Valentino look alongside some Boucheron, and a brooch specially created for the Met Gala with a diamond worth $20 million got its first outing. Rhianna even announced her third pregnancy at the event on the red carpet.
Like this? You can check out all the top looks from 2024 here and see what our predictions for the top looks of the night were here.
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