For Verragio’s latest fine jewelry collections, creative director Sophia Macris had two legendary and regal inspirations in mind as she sketched: Princess Diana and Grace Kelly.
Verragio’s Highgrove collection, inspired by the late Princess of Wales, gets its name from the country home Diana shared with Prince Charles (now King Charles III) during their marriage. As for Vesper, Macris says that To Catch a Thief, the last Hitchcock movie Kelly starred in before she became Princess Grace of Monaco, gave life to the collection.
Along with debuting Vesper and Highgrove, Verragio exhibited its latest bridal collection, Lumino, and several men’s wedding bands at the Couture show in Las Vegas last month. Highgrove and Vesper will be available in August on the Verragio website.
Verragio Highgrove Heart Ribbon studs in 18k rose gold with 0.9 cts. t.w. diamonds, $4,500
Highgrove includes rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces with design elements such as bows and ribbons, inspired by Diana’s mix of classic elegance and fun, Macris says. Prices start at $2,000.
The Highgrove collar necklace was modeled on Diana’s tiaras and features carved gemstones meant to evoke the natural beauty found in the Highgrove estate’s impressive gardens, explains Macris.
Charles, then the Prince of Wales, purchased the Georgian neoclassical home Highgrove in 1980, around the time he started dating Diana. Their sons, Princes William and Harry, reportedly spent much of their childhoods at the Gloucestershire estate.
With Highgrove, Verragio celebrates Diana’s legacy of using her incredible platform to do good in the world, Macris says. “So it’s appropriate that the Highgrove collection has a lot of warmth in it, particularly in the richness of the colored stone pieces,” she says. “But there’s also a sense of playfulness and fashion flair,” like Diana used to show.
“Diana Spencer still reigns as a style icon, nearly three decades after her death” Macris says. “Her ability to captivate us speaks not only to the fairy tale we want to believe, but I think more to her kindness.”
Vesper Daisy Circle earrings in 18k yellow gold with 1.2 cts. t.w. diamonds, $7,350
Vesper’s rings, earrings, and necklaces are fashioned in 18k gold and diamonds, with prices between $1,100 and $7,350. The collection has a “Jay Gatsby meets James Bond vibe,” according to Macris. Cocktails, fireworks, and Jazz Age mansions with their beautiful crystal elements inspired the looks, she says.
The luminous Kelly figured in Vesper’s creations because one of Macris’ favorite film moments ever is the fireworks scene in 1955’s To Catch a Thief. “There’s this seductive energy of glamour and danger intersecting that we tried to capture,” she says.
“One of our guiding concepts for this collection was the idea of wearable glamour—ways to take a familiar piece, like a dangle earring, and elevate it to be more glamorous,” Macris says. “We looked a lot at luxurious crystal patterns, took inspiration from the delicacy and intricacy of those shapes, like champagne coupes.”
Top: Garden ring in 18k rose gold with carved pink chalcedony, rhodolite, and 0.5 cts. t.w. diamonds, $4,300, from Verragio’s new Highgrove collection (photos courtesy of Verragio)