SOLANGE AZAGURY-PARTRIDGE

Treasure Necklace with Cabochon Cut Emeralds,
Spinels, Rubies, Sapphires & Diamonds
 from Stone Collection

A visit to Nottingham, England is sure to conjure images of gallantry and fair maidens.

One of the city’s tourist draws is Nottingham Castle which houses an art gallery and gardens.  New adventures await the arrival of eager visitors within the Sherwood Forest Country Park. 

An 800-year-old oak tree, Major Oak, standing on the park’s grounds is believed to be one of Robin Hood’s hiding places.  England is also home to featured jewelry designer Solange Azagury-Partridge.

The Sun, Medusa, and the works of Italian painters Leonardo Da Vinci and Caravaggio each impact and inform the idiosyncratic, high-end fine jewelry collections of Azagury-Partridge.  Hers is an expressive aesthetic based in whimsy, humor and a refined mystique. 

Like many jewelry designers she brings a palpable level of humanity and love of nature to her collections of 18-karat gold pendant necklaces and diamond rings.  Each collection is layered with a touch of human frailty and strength which is Azagury-Partridge’s signature.

The former Creative Director of Boucheron House is renowned for producing jewelry imbued with personality whether the aspic smoothness of her red lacquer and 18-karat gold Bleeding Heart Pendant or metallic replications of crocodile and viper skulls poised on 18-karat gold or platinum ring shanks.

“Jewelry is about feeling.  It should be layered with cultural depths; poised between pop art and ancient mysticism.  It should be irreverent and iconoclastic.  Jewelry is the most powerful, personal expression of individual style.”

The last statement is a fact Azagury-Partridge knows first-hand as she designed her own engagement ring 25 years ago.  Three years later, in 1990, she established her jewelry brand in which she explores themes that include astrology, rainbows and kinetic energy. 

Cabochon cut round emeralds, rubies, star sapphires, conflict-free diamonds and enamel serve her like a palette of oil paints.  They glisten and sparkle against canvases of white, red or yellow gold.

Sarah Jessica Parker wearing Random Necklace in Sex and the City 2 (left);
Random Necklace  (center);  and Charlize Theron wearing Heart Plucker Dual Ring 
in Snow White and the Huntsman (right)

“Ethical principles of supply and production are crucial from the creative process through the stone selection and manufacturing the finished piece.  We believe in guaranteeing each item’s superior quality,” says Azagury-Partridge. 

Her staunch commitment to high quality caught the attention of Hollywood costume designers resulting in a stunning necklace, from the designer’s Random Collection, being worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in the opening sequence of the 2010 feature film Sex and the City 2.

More recently her penchant for bringing nuance to jewelry was called upon by costume designer Colleen Atwood.   Atwood required a singular item that represented the cold, sinister essence of Queen Ravenna, played by Charlize Theron, in the 2012 film Snow White and the Huntsman. 

In response Azagury-Partridge designed the Heart Plucker: an intimidating dual-finger ring made of oxidized sterling silver and diamonds with the chilling detail of menacing metal talons!

“I loved the idea of creating a ring with a specific purpose and has the undercurrent of violence. It had to look like the queen’s armor and also be beautiful.  It is fabulous to be part of the Hollywood story.”

With 22 years in the industry under her belt, a Design Museum nomination for Designer of the Year and a selection of pieces on display in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum Azagury-Partridge still maintains a full-steam-ahead mentality.

“There comes a day in every woman’s life when she wakes up wanting jewelry.  I always believe that for every moment of your life—joyful or unhappy—there is always a piece of jewelry that connects to those moments.”

18K Gold Fringe Bracelet

Online retailer: Net-A-Porter.com.