Trend analysis agency Adorn Insight has discovered four themes that will shape the worlds of art and design in the spring and summer of 2017.
Here, they explain how these ideas can be used as a springboard to create commercially successful jewellery collections, while also giving jewellery buyers some essential themes to look out for when they browse International Jewellery London later this year.
GRAPHIC PUNCH
Real-world objects and environments take on a surreal, dream-like appearance, often with a mischievous sense of fun. Think cartoon-like motifs, saturated colours, lots of layering and hints of organic forms.
How this will impact jewellery design and trends:
- Forms & Motifs: Exaggerated scale and ad hoc compositions, florals, mini beasts and creepy crawlies, tendrils, organic eruptions.
- Techniques: Clustering and layering, tonal palettes, ombré effects, inverted gemstones, cutouts, laser cutting, guilloché enamel.
- Colours: Candy and saturated hues.
- Materials: Textured metal enamel and ceramic, colourful metal alloys (blue, pink and lilac gold).
CRAFT TECH
The world of design is responding to consumer desire for stylish sustainability. From up-scaled natural finds to must-have objects made from re-cycled materials, doing the right thing has never looked so good.
How this will impact jewellery design and trends:
- Forms & Motifs: Unconventional elements, facets, spirals, flexible structures, mesh and coils.
- Techniques: 3D printing, new alloys, laser engraving.
- Colours: Iridescent finishes, smoky tones, turquoise, gold, greens.
- Materials: Natural materials in new contexts, mixed media, re-cycled materials, Fairtrade gold, patinated surfaces, composites, titanium, PVD coatings.
- Gems: Irregular or included, ethical, super-faceted, rough cuts, coloured diamonds, lab-created gems, colour enhanced gems.
NU FORM
Although this trend has architectural inspirations at its core, the key to translating it successfully into jewellery designs is to understand that things have moved one from mathematical rigidity to something altogether more dynamic.
How this will impact jewellery design and trends:
- Forms & Motifs: Grids, folds, twists, distortion, rounded edges, rods, gravity-inspired silhouettes, layering, puzzle arrangements.
- Techniques: Geometric settings and complex chain links.
- Colours: Metallics (yellow, white and rose), oxidised surfaces.
- Materials: Flexible metal alloys, marble; Perspex; carved beads.
- Gems: Iridescent pearls, haematite, semi-precious slices, patterned stones such as malachite and labradorite, coloured pearls.
VINTAGE SELFIE
As a source of inspiration, this trend is the perfect vehicle to create jewellery which taps into the consumer’s all-important desire for personalisation and story-telling.
How this will impact jewellery design and trends:
- Forms & Motifs: Patterns, pavé, focus on settings, clustering, tassels, componentry, insignias, charms, mementos, found objects, letters and numerals, motifs, embossing, roundels and sunray discs, circular slices, coins and medallions.
- Techniques: Micro-mosaic, engraving, milgrain, oxidisation, antiqued surfaces.
- Colours: Red, green and blue, black, burnt orange; deep yellow
- Materials: Woven metal, chain cascades, carved stones, resins, rose and white gold.
- Gems: Agate, tigers’ eye, Amethyst, smoky quartz, pearls, Padparadscha sapphire and citrine.
You can see these trends in action on the IJL Catwalk daily at International Jewellery London 2016. Find out more here.
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