Vanessa Fernandez on her stunning creations that get gifted to King Charles

Posted on by Kim Parker

As part of our young jewellers series, Vanessa Fernandez shares her creative world with Kim Parker as seen in Issue 14 – check it out below

As the official jeweller to Joe Biden’s White House, Miami-based goldsmith and designer, Vanessa Fernandez, has crafted precious pieces for global heads of state, including King Charles.

As a child I was encouraged to love art and to feel that I could make it my career 

My aunt, who is a sculptor, has been an incredible influence in my life. She effectively helped to raise me. While she was at art school, I was still very tiny, so she brought me with her and gave me craft paper and charcoal to sketch with. I watched her classmates and fellow sculptors.

I met her professors. She educated me and exposed me to books. When I was seven or eight, she helped me to decorate a pair of ballet pumps with red crystals, and I wore the hell out of them. When I was debating which college to go to, she invited me on a tour of her alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University, and that’s where I ended up going.

I loved every minute of it. Not only did they teach me to make jewellery, but to think about why I’m making it and to deep dive into the story behind it. 

I’ve been lucky to have had two fantastic mentors, who I’m still in touch with today 

Jeweller Vanessa Fernandez – Credit: Something About Rocks/Vanessa Fernandez

About a year after I graduated, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Guy Bederida, who was then the creative director at John Hardy. I showed him my very small portfolio, and he was so kind – he invited me to take an internship at John Hardy in Bali for six months.

I had never seen mass production before, or learnt the skill of traditional rendering with gouache, with real speed and precision. I fell in love with everything. 

Later, he introduced me to Lorenz Baumer, who was designing jewellery for Louis Vuitton at the time, as well as running his own brand. I moved to Paris for a year to take an internship with him and he taught me a different set of skills, including a more modern way of rendering designs with gouache.

He also introduced me to a whole rainbow palette of coloured gemstones and the possibilities of combining them. I was already a gemstone nerd, but this was over-the-top, in the very best way. I still see him whenever I visit Paris, and I really value his advice.  

I’m obsessed with the work of Gustav Klimt

It feels cheesy to say because he is marketed everywhere, but as an artist and as a man he was fascinating. I’ve read every single published book on him. He put the female form at the forefront of his work, and really explored the themes of connection, and the circle of life and death. His work is almost like jewellery, I mean, he painted with gold.

He’s a huge inspiration for me. I also admire lots of artists from the 1970s, like Calder, and exceptional jewellery designers of today, like JAR, Taffin, and Theodoros. Their work is extraordinary. It’s beyond adornment. 

I have no time for delicate jewellery

My goal is that my designs should feel strong, bold, feminine, courageous and sensual, with a lot of movement. They should also have a significant foundation in sculpture, otherwise I feel like I’m wasting my time. 

It took for me to hit a real low point to lose my fear of rejection and start my own brand

I initially started my company in 2014, and had some success with it, but then I had my children and work had to take a back seat for a while. We can all make plans, but life sometimes just leads you down another path. Then my mother died, and very soon after, Covid happened, and all that pain of loss and trauma just caused an explosion of creative energy in me.

I couldn’t be fearful anymore or hold back. I had to channel my energy into being creative and just go forward. I began to make things again and I documented what I was doing on social media which, because of lockdown, seemed to strike a chord with people. My business grew exponentially. In the spring of 2021, with my children back at school, I threw my focus into my work, and I haven’t looked back.  

I was the White House jeweller throughout the entire Biden administration

I was introduced to the State Department through one of my private clients. They were interested in working with a jeweller who could custom-make pieces for the Bidens, for official and State gifts, and [they] liked my hand-crafted approach. I’m also known for getting things done on time, which is great because my very first project for them, for Jill Biden’s office, was to create 48 pieces for dignitaries and athletes at the 2021 Olympics in Japan in just eight days.

It was insane, but also amazing. Over the four years the Bidens were in office, I crafted pieces for people like Kamala Harris, President Macron, Queen Letizia of Spain, and Yuko Kishida, the wife of the Prime Minister of Japan. I only ever made one piece for Joe Biden, and that was a gift for King Charles. I heard the King loved honeybees, so I made a pair of Fairmined gold cufflinks with central citrines, the King’s birthstone, and engraved the President’s signature on the back. 

Vanessa Fernandez Jewellery – Credit: Vanessa Fernandez Jewellery – Credit:

I believe jewellery can be a powerful tool of statesmanship

It’s something that will last for centuries if you care for it. Not only is it a lovely gift, especially if it’s handcrafted just for you, it’s a way of expressing so much, in a very small space, and of honouring the relationship between both nations. It’s so special. 

I love gemstones so much, they have made me cry

I adore spinels and chrysoberyls, they just have the most insane, vivid colours. There was a red spinel that Dave Bindra showed a couple of years ago that was so beautiful, it didn’t seem real.

He’s a close collaborator of mine who sources the best gemstones in the world. I also saw the most exceptional chrysoberyl of my entire life this year at the Tucson gem show, which was so bright it looked almost radioactive.

When I see a gemstone I love, I want it so much it hurts. That’s how I know they’re right. It actually feels like burning.  

When I’m creating, the gemstone dictates the direction I take my jewellery in, not the other way around 

Right now, I’m working on adding some bold new pieces to my Curva collection, which I started a few years ago. I’m making them more tapered and twisted, with more of the illusion of movement. They’re much more complicated to make. I also adore crafting rings – they’re really what I’m known for – so I’m creating lots of toi-et-moi rings with complex twists and waves. They’re my favourite thing to make. 

In the next few years, I want to break into the art market

I want to be able to scale back a bit and become the kind of jeweller who produces maybe 50 significant pieces a year, and work with serious collectors who see jewellery as art, like I do. I’m in talks at the moment with a gallery, and I’d love to be able to exhibit my work at international art fairs like TEFAF in Maastricht, or PAD in London.

I also believe in educating my community and my clients and in working to preserve this craft, because I fear that it is a dying one. I want to pass my craft on to someone else, eventually. It’s my responsibility, because that’s what was done for me.

As featured in Issue 14, available now.

Like this? Meet the jeweller loved by Zendaya, Rihanna and Beyoncé: Suhani Parekh from MISHO Designs and see the famous cursed diamonds and the stories that won’t die.

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The world according to… Ming Lampson

Posted on by Kim Parker

For Issue 14, British jeweller Ming Lampson opened up to Kim Parker about celebrating 25 years of her brand – check it out below

How did you get started in the jewellery industry?

All my life, I’ve made things. When I was a teenager, I was given some gemstone beads which I made into necklaces and sold in a market – they did brilliantly. The gemstones were quite special, like lapis lazuli and amber, so I took a six-week trip to India to buy more. When I arrived in Jaipur, my mind was blown. I ended up staying for two and a half years. I’d spend my mornings sorting gemstones and my afternoons pestering goldsmiths to teach me their craft. Finally, I went to London Guildhall University (now London Metropolitan University) and got a diamond diploma at the Gemmological Association of Great Britain. 

How would you describe your style? 

I’m a visual thinker and everything is about my jewellery. In contrast, my clothes are quite simple – my friends would say ‘boring’ – but there’s always an interesting design detail somewhere. Always jeans by Silverlake, an Arket T-shirt, and shell-toe Adidas, because I’m running up and down in my Notting Hill workshop all day. 

Ming Lampson Portrait – Credit: Something About Rocks

How do you like to unwind after a long day?

A bath with Epsom salts. There’s something so contemplative about being in the water: it slows everything down. 

Who most inspires you, and why?

I admire jewellers like JAR, because his work screams ‘be brave!’ I also admire [Suzanne] Belperron, because there’s just no better. And Cartier from the 1920s, because they looked at the whole world for inspiration. Taffin’s work is so modern and elegant. Bhagat – because oh my goodness. And Elsa Peretti, of course. 

What’s your ‘25’ collection all about? 

To celebrate being in business for 25 years, I wanted to bring together everything that makes jewellery important to me. The stories behind our jewels. The stones within them, how they connect us to the earth and the international links between gem dealers. I wanted to talk about my past and where I’ve lived – Australia, Asia and London, and the colourful stones that represent that. The motifs of knots and ties just came from there. 

Where is your favourite place in the world? 

Asia. The people, the cultures, the food. Everything about it.

What music is essential to you?

Reggae music. We play it all day, every day in the workshop. It’s impossible not to feel good when it’s on. It’s an amazing, international, soft, physical sound. I love Garnett Silk, Buju Banton, Peter Tosh and Dr. John.

Best gift you’ve ever received?

My daughters. 

What’s the one jewel you never take off?

My mum had loads of bangles that I made for her – they used to tinkle whenever she moved. When she died, everyone in our family got one. I wear mine all the time and there’s something magical about it. Whenever I look down, I think of her. It also reminds me that, when I’m designing, I’m trying to give that kind of treasure to someone else’s family. 

Ming Jewellery Pink Sapphire Petal Ring – Credit: Ming Jewellery

How does it feel to have achieved this important milestone in your career?

It feels good. It feels like I’m just getting started. It feels like an important turning point in our industry – it’s not all about brands now. It’s about individualism and making less and making better. 

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learnt so far? 

If it goes wrong, it might get more interesting. Sometimes, when a design stops working, I’ve learnt not to panic – it’s just a problem that needs a solution. Those are the pieces that become the most fascinating, and you just need to pivot when things get difficult. 

Like this? Check out the jeweller loved by Zendaya, Rihanna and Beyoncé: Suhani Parekh from MISHO Designs and see “Time really is precious”: Aaron Taylor-Johnson on fatherhood, feeling exposed as an actor, and being part of the OMEGA family.

See more of Issue 14 here.

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Jewellers to know: Dries Criel shines in the spotlight

Posted on by Kim Parker

You can tell, just by speaking to him, that Dries Criel used to be a dancer. Between the ages of six and seventeen, Criel’s life revolved around his time in the ballet studio and his elegant poise and animated hand gestures still give him away today. “I like to say I was born with two passions, for movement and for beautiful things,” says the Belgian native. “Sadly, when I hit seventeen, my body stopped cooperating, and I started getting more and more injured. Being naturally competitive, I realised that if I couldn’t be the best at ballet, I’d have to find another future for myself.”

That opportunity arrived with a summer internship at a diamond dealer in Antwerp, renowned as one of the world’s great diamond hubs. “I realised I had always had this fascination for beauty and for jewellery. I used to love going through my mother’s jewellery box and reorganising my grandmother’s silk handbag,” Criel recalls. “It sounds like a cliché, but all of the things I loved from my childhood – for history, for collecting lovely things, for learning – suddenly found the perfect outlet.” 

Dries Criel
Dancer-turned-jeweller Dries Criel at his atelier in Antwerp

Still based in Antwerp, Criel now crafts sculptural and genderless jewellery under his eponymous label, which he founded in 2017. “I like to think my previous life at the barre finds its way into my work today. I design pieces with sweeping volumes but that still feel comfortable to wear. They are characterful pieces, with just a little hint of drama, but in a good way, that should be presented on your life’s stage,” he observes.

“My hope it that [my jewellery] will allow people, both men and women, to channel their inner empress. Their inner Cleopatra.”

DRIES CRIEL

Another major influence – Criel’s ‘Roman Empire’, as it were – is the symbolism and culture of Ancient Egypt. Radiant suns, lotus motifs and the silhouettes of ancient deities such as Anubis all have permanent places on his creative mood boards. “When I was a child, I loved this animated television series called Papyrus, which was all about a young Egyptian boy. And I had the soundtrack to the Dreamworks film, The Prince of Egypt, on constant repeat. I was always the kid that came to every fancy dress party in a pharaoh costume, and I collected all of these cheesy little models of the Egyptian gods,” he laughs. “Some things have definitely stayed with me, like their culture’s reverence for gold, and their beautiful symbols.” The shapes of his Brute earrings, for example, take their acute angles from the pyramids, while the arching profiles and triangular patterns observed in his Lotus collection are a nod to ancient Egyptian fans. 

Criel's modern designs are inspired by ancient Egypt
The golden waves and sculptural arcs of Dries Criel jewellery are inspired by the silhouettes of Ancient Egypt

Though Criel took courses prescribed by Antwerp’s respected HRD, one of Europe’s leading authorities on diamonds, his appreciation for the gemstone, and how to make it shine brightest in a jewellery setting, only truly developed from working alongside the city’s diamond dealers in his youth. “It was there that I realised I wanted to do more with diamonds and gemstones than just put them in a tennis bracelet. Don’t get me wrong, classic designs like that sell very well, but they just felt really conservative and a bit disappointing compared to what I thought I might be able to create myself. I wanted designs that were a bit disruptive, with a bit more tension,” he says. “I also fell in love with quirkier stones, like the salt-and-pepper diamonds that were starting to become trendy in Los Angeles back then. I love using coloured diamonds now, especially brown diamonds. They carry so much more emotion, I feel, and they complement the gold so well.” 

Criel's jewellery is designed in Antwerp
More often than not, a bespoke piece created for a client will inspired a whole new collection, says Dries Criel

Case in point: a limited range of pieces that Criel showed at London’s prestigious PAD Fair last winter. Adorned with orange and brown gemstones and stripes of hand-placed enamel in molten hues, his designs were an ode to the sun god, Ra, and attracted curious art collectors in their droves.  “Showing at an art fair worked really well for me because I think my jewellery appeals to the kind of person who is looking for something individualistic, something more characterful, than the big brands can perhaps give them,” he notes, revealing that he finds spinning his ideas out into entire collections a particular challenge. “I won’t just come up with a beautiful idea for a pendant and stick the same silhouette onto an earring. It’s got to make sense for me, which isn’t always the most commercial approach, of course, but I really need to feel an instinctive drive, like a fire, for a design before I use it,” he says. 

Most often, a design conceived for a one-off commission will inspire a motif that gains new life in a standalone collection. “I did this with an engagement ring that I created for my best friend. She’s such a powerful, feminine figure, so I had an idea for a ring with two curves separated by a triangle shape, which represented her strength. I couldn’t replicate the design, of course, but it led to an idea which became a collection on its own,” says Criel.

Another area where the designer refuses to compromise is in his attention to detail. All of his pieces are handmade in Belgium, with enamelling done by specialist craftsmen in Italy, using fully traceable precious materials. “I always say I want everything to be done well, or why bother doing it at all? Whenever my craftsmen say I drive them mad, then I know I’m on the right track with my work,” he admits. 

Dries Criel new high jewellery collection
Earlier this summer Dries Criel launched a new high jewellery collection in Paris

To that end, Criel’s latest work pays homage to the melting clocks found in the surrealist paintings of Salvador Dalí, which he has translated into weighty bangles and rings adorned with undulating waves. “Dalí’s work has had a huge impact on me, especially his thoughts on transience and the fluidity of time. They translate very well into jewellery, which is made of permanent, precious materials but is imbued with fleeting emotions,” muses Criel.

Earlier this summer, the designer unveiled a new line of high jewellery that he says are “a bit grander than anything I’ve done so far. They represent an evolution of my signature style – super strong, but still sleek and elegant.”  As he says this, he gracefully turns his hands palm-up, as if making a gesture of appeal to a theatrical audience. “My hope is that they will allow people, both men and women, to channel their inner empress. Their inner Cleopatra.”

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in Issue 12 of Something About Rocks – there’s still time to get a copy of the issue.

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