Discover Jessie Thomas’ New Lush Gold Jewelry

LondonJeweler and jewelry designer Jesse Thomas creates a brand of quirky cool that’s often missing from fine jewelry. By taking traditional raw materials, including recycled gold and conflict-free diamonds from Botswana, Thomas gently subverts classic design codes. The result is sculptural, encased in soaring gold bands set with floating diamonds, or abstract clusters of diamonds adorning the collarbone. Her wallpaper* editor approved wedding rings (casual wear for two editors) are especially loved by jewelry fans.

That’s why we had high hopes for the new Donut collection, consisting of ten pieces in 18k yellow gold and diamonds that stay true to the curved shapes and massive contours of the previous pieces. In the sculpted plates of yellow gold rings, diamonds are buried in their precious and opulent homes or adorn the thickly elongated links of chain bracelets. Overall, it is a celebration of the physicality of precious metals, evoking the pleasure of wearing a huge piece of jewelry.

“The concept was developed from an archival piece of David’s,” says Thomas, referring to her jeweler father David Thomas, “which he called a ‘doughnut’.” I took that and used it as a starting point for a series of pieces. Still simple, but bolder and larger, the diamonds stand out with their convex settings; I made them feel more modern by using pointed claws.”

With its unexpected placement of diamonds and generous amounts of gold, the Donut collection nods to the classics. “I designed these pieces for everyday wear, but added offset diamonds and unusual shapes to make them stand out and differentiate themselves from the classics. As always, these pieces are sculptural and reminiscent of the curved lines you’ve seen in my previous collections and engagement rings. “I personally hand-carve each piece in my workshop in west London, using 18k gold and diamonds that I buy from the same gem dealer my father worked with for over 40 years.”