Artist and jewelry designer Bernard James set his word for the year as “experimentation,” and his new capsule collection and the way he is introducing it serve as a tribute to trying new ways just to see what happens.
James is using social media to determine when he will debut the six flowers within his updated Pavé Flora capsule, asking his Instagram fans to follow along to find out when they will see the new blooms within his best-known collection.
Every Wednesday, a new flower will appear on the brand’s website and social media. The first to debut is the petunia, which James calls “beauty in the mundane.” While some see the petunia as lowly, James describes it as resilient, quietly defiant, and hugely symbolic.
As part of the capsule’s debut, the brand worked with artist Louisa Fulkerson to create a window display at James’ New York City boutique devoted to the petunia featuring steel wool, twisted wire, and broken glass to show its power.
The often-overlooked hellebore flower will receive a glow-up as part of the new Pavé Flora capsule. This piece will be released soon as part of the capsule’s weekly reveals, James says.
This capsule is part of the brand’s signature Flora collection, and the update means it is getting some drama as James adds color and pavé gemstones to the six flowers he highlights, including often-overlooked blooms such as the petunia and hellebore.
The Pavé Flora capsule features rings, stud earrings, and single charm bracelets that previously were available only in white gold and white diamonds. James turns up the color through his choice of metal, like the petunia’s use of rose gold.
“The all-white presentation felt classic, but I wanted to give it space. I wanted to connect to the flower’s essence in a more casual and everyday way. It’s that fun feeling of color and floral,” James says.
Another example coming soon is his lily, which will receive yellow diamonds to accentuate its beauty. “It’s the small additions that are so meaningful,” James says. “That’s what I love about jewelry—the small additions can breathe new life into a piece like Pavé Flora.”
For the Pavé Flora store party, James worked with floral designer Carmen & Co. to make the boutique look as if it had turned into a garden.
The final bloom, the sunflower, will debut Aug. 20 to finish the capsule’s reveals. While he may not be known for colored gemstones, James says he feels drawn to them for their meaning and connection with what his design partners are doing.
“I’ve been doing a lot of custom work over the past year, and I’ve been using brown diamonds. Then I saw De Beers with its Beacon announcement, and my jaw was on the floor,” James says. “The alignment felt so natural.”
James also held a special store event to show the new Pavé Flora capsule pieces, bringing in floral designer Carmen & Co. to create a garden display around the jewelry cases. There also was a Flora pizza, adding some whimsy to an otherwise serious gathering of jewelry lovers and friends, James adds with a laugh.
This has been a significant year for James and his eponymous jewelry brand. He recently was nominated as a finalist for the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund, and he dressed an array of celebrities in his jewelry for the 2025 Met Gala in May. James also says he is working on a new engagement and wedding ring collection that will debut this fall.
Top: Bernard James Maxi Petunia bracelet in rose gold with diamonds, $3,600 (photos courtesy of Bernard James)