The symbolism offered by lemon jewelry hadn’t occurred to me until just now, at a time when so many have been handed metaphorical lemons.
I was thinking of summers spent on the Mediterranean (via an airplane or solely in the mind), as “Sardine Girl Summer” evokes European beach culture: the carefree sun-drenched days, wearing hair swept back in a vintage scarf and oversize sunglasses, maybe a gelato in hand. That imagery usually includes lemons—famously grown in the fertile soil and spectacular, sunny climate of Sicily.
But there’s more to lemons than la dolce vita. Instead of (or in addition to) symbolizing the desire for a dream vacation, lemons represent resilience, as in that old saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
There’s a wonderful alternative to that—you might just wear those lemons as jewelry. Cute? Sure. The epitome of summer chic, you might say. And how about a reminder that life can give you its worst and still you’ll endure? That something recognized as sour at first has sweet, transformative qualities? The lemon is right up there with the snake in terms of jewelry icon status, I think.
On this page we bring you some of our favorite lemon styles, each of them fruity, fabulous, visually bold, and inspiring to whoever possesses them. (And if you’re looking for other mouthwatering jewels, see this fresh offering from JCK’s Karen Dybis, “These Jewels Give the Perfect Daily Dose of Fruit and Vegetables.”)
Lemon signet ring in 18k yellow gold with vitreous enamel and yellow sapphires, $3,050; Gwen Barba
Lemon stud earrings in 18k yellow gold with 0.58 ct. t.w. yellow sapphires and 0.03 ct. t.w. tsavorite, $1,350; Nicole Rose
Lemon huggie hoop earrings, $34; Alex + AniS
Sour Lemon charm in 14k yellow gold with yellow sapphires and emeralds, $3,995; Storrow Jewelry
Top: Alice’s Picnic lemon earrings in 18k yellow gold with yellow opal and emeralds, $7,800; Brent Neale