British jewelry brand Astley Clarke is making a splash stateside, launching at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.
The concept of the line is that it is fine jewelry designed by women, for women to buy themselves. It’s merchandised cleverly, with an emphasis on collecting and stacking multiple pieces.
The business was started in 2006 by Bec Astley Clarke, whose background in fashion, tech and marketing includes stints at a luxury gun company, a luxury yacht company, iVillage.com and, most recently, working as head of strategy at Tesco.com.
The brand has drawn inspiration from her heritage, namely the life of her father, Dr. Charles Clarke, the doctor on the British expedition that climbed Mt. Everest in 1975, and her grandfather Dr. Cyril Astley Clarke, famous for his genetic research using butterflies.
His collection of butterfly specimens, housed at London’s Natural History Museum, is referenced through wing motifs used in different jewelry styles and on the print of the handmade, screen-printed gift wrap. Climbing knots are another motif, explored in 18-karat gold and sterling silver bracelets and rings.
The brand’s offerings include several collections at varying price points. The Biography collection consists of friendship bracelets ($150 to $350), which are designed to collect and stack and include agate, quartz and vermeil gemstones or charms.
The Muse collection features vintage-feeling gold lockets with diamond details in the $2,000 to $3,000 range. Enamel stacking rings and bracelets in fun hues such as Cajun shrimp and heather bloom make up the Color collection and have an appeal similar to Hermes’ popular enamel bracelets. The Fao collection includes rose-cut gemstones in molten diamond pave on cocktail rings, pendants and earrings with prices up to $12,000.
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