Why we love whimsical jewellery, from Lego to Gameboys: Carolina Bucci’s Lucky bracelets kickstarted the nostalgia trend, now Nadine Ghosn, Lauren Khoo and Aisha Baker are looking back to playtime
- French-Lebanese jeweller Nadine Ghosn is famous for her tongue-in-cheek Big Mac and Lego rings, while Singapore’s Lauren Khoo finds gummy bears irresistible
- Boochier founder Melinda Zeman riffs on the Slinky and Nintendo Gameboy, while Dubai-based Aisha Baker revisits fairy tales to produce rainbows, shooting stars and four-leaf clovers
There are some jewellery trends from our youth that we (fortunately) grow out of – BFF necklaces and mood rings come to mind – but there are other symbols and trends from those times well worth revisiting.
Italian jeweller Carolina Bucci was one of the first designers to channel this sentiment when she launched her hand-braided 24k gold Lucky bracelet all the way back in 2003 (think of it as a grown-up version of the cotton friendship bracelets you wore in your teens).
Now, a new group of designers are reliving their best days by creating imaginative jewels reminiscent of their childhood, but with a luxe, modern sensibility.
Nadine Ghosn, known for her tongue-in-cheek designs including her playful Big Mac and Lego block rings, has just released a series of handcrafted pieces modelled on objects we used every day as children. These include a pencil bracelet, made from 18k rose gold with emerald cut detailing, a pink jade “eraser”, and the architectural straw bracelet with its sculptural bends and pink sapphire embellishments.
“I think we all have an inner child inside of us. I love reminiscing about childhood because there’s a purity, playfulness and curiosity linked to it. Most of my designs ignite that nostalgia, and remind us to apply that energy to our everyday lives,” says the French-Lebanese jeweller.
Singapore-based Lauren Khoo has also been making waves with her fun-loving Gummy bear collection of pendants shaped like the popular childhood confectionery. The bears come in a multitude of materials including quartz, amethyst and diamonds.
“[The design] is actually inspired by my lifelong love for Haribo Gummies, and only picking the red and white ones for myself. Each bear is hand carved from semi-precious stone to reflect the fat little shape we all have come to love,” she says.