MAD About Jewelry is prepped for its silver anniversary, kicking off May 3 with its 25th annual benefit preview. The selling exhibition at New York’s Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) is open to the public May 4–7.
In this milestone year, MAD About Jewelry—the ultimate jewelry pop-up—features 50 emerging and established jewelry artisans from 23 countries who work with traditional materials, such as resin, and nontraditional materials, like electronic waste.
“For 25 years, MAD About Jewelry has stood as a testament to creativity, ingenuity, and community,” Tim Rodgers, the museum’s Nanette L. Laitman director, said in a statement. “This event not only highlights exceptional artistry but also serve as a vital source of support for the museum’s exhibits and educational initiatives.”
Jewelry artist Ute van der Plaats’ sterling silver Winterwaldeinsamkeit ring (price on request)
MAD About Jewelry’s benefit preview on May 3 includes an awards brunch. The honoree is Frank Everett, vice chairman for jewelry at Sotheby’s. Brunch attendees will get the first look at the jewelry in the show.
Among the artists showcased in MAD About Jewelry are Sarah Emilie Müllertz, of the Copenhagen-based brand Kinraden, who uses mpingo blackwood to create sustainable, sculptural jewelry that reflects her background as an architect; Valeria Molinari from Italy, whose wearable art takes its inspiration from backgammon game pieces; and Scotland’s Isabella Bedlington, who highlights keum-boo, an ancient Korean technique that fuses fine gold to silver, producing intricate detail and surface patterns on each jewelry piece.
Bedlington is excited to share her work at MAD because the show values thoughtful jewelry-making and storytelling. All of her pieces are made by hand and center on the circular form known as the torus because it is timeless and complete, she says. Bedlington describes her jewelry as “essential luxury,” a term that she says makes sense in 2025 more than ever.
Isabella Bedlington’s Ripples brooch ($1,595) is made from sterling silver and decorated with concentric circles.
“We’re living in a time where everything feels more fragile—so when people choose to invest in something, they want it to mean something. For me, that’s what jewelry is about. It doesn’t have to be flashy or loud to be luxurious. It can be quiet, personal, and made with care and intention,” she says.
The designer says she is looking forward to meeting other jewelry artists and collectors. “My work is rooted in themes of memory, experiences, and time, so having conversations around that in a space like MAD feels really special,” Bedlington notes.
Another MAD About Jewelry participant, Ute van der Plaats, specializes in porcelain, which the German artist says she feels drawn to for its strength yet fragility. van der Plaats was also featured in the 2017 show, where one of her rings was added to the museum’s permanent jewelry collection.
She will bring three special brooches to this year’s event. Called Layers of Fragility, the brooches were inspired by the loss of a parent to Alzheimer’s disease.
“As a contemporary jewelry artist, I make jewelry that is conceptual, one-of-a-kind, and most of all experimental. It’s not so much about the classic jewelry materials like gold or gemstones but more about expression, ideas, and form. I see my jewelry as conversation pieces that would like to invite people to slow down, think and talk about all kinds of topics,” says van der Plaats.
“I love the genuine interest of the New York public in contemporary jewelry and admire their confidence to wear big jewelry pieces. So I am very happy and excited to return to the show this year with new work,” she says. “I think that the annual MAD About Jewelry event is one of the most important exhibitions for contemporary jewelry in the world.”
Top: Ute van der Plaats’ Blue Flora ring is one of the contemporary jewelry pieces in the 25th annual MAD About Jewelry exhibition. (Photos courtesy of the Museum of Arts and Design)