With the exception of a birthday Tiffany necklace, I’m not a big jewellery wearer. I never really have been. I pretty much detest any huge amount of bling whether it’s a costume piece or a precious metal creation. I much prefer to wear smaller, more unusual designs which aren’t adorning the necks of Topshop- clad teens around the country, which is precisely why I can’t get enough of the new collection by Vancouver-based jewellery brand, Pyrrha.
Design duo Wade Papin and Danielle Wilmore found the inspiration for their innovative ‘Seal’ collection rummaging through stacks of 19th century letters in an estate sale, letters which came complete with their inscribed wax seals still attached, which were sent way before emails became the norm. After discovering the symbolism of the creatures which adorned these seals, Papin and Wilmore chose to cast their gold and silver designs from these originals, embracing any imperfections in the wax to create traditional pieces with a modern edge. Horseshoes, gryphons and coats of arms are imprinted on to eye-catching cuffs, bangles and necklaces, all of which have a beautifully unique, handcrafted feel to them.
The fact that the pieces have a kind of grungy vibe means they’ll be as much at home dressed up as they will be paired with your favourite cut-offs. They also have a total timeless quality to them which means this is one investment piece which will see you through the fickle world of fleeting trends. With prices ranging from £150 - £4,000 the pieces certainly don’t come cheap, but for jewellery as cool as this I figure it’s okay to branch out a bit or, failing that, start dropping some pretty heavy hints to your loved ones. That’s what birthdays are for right?
head over to http://www.pyrrha.com/ for more info and to view the full collection.
words: Lucy Topping
