Debuting Design Tangent, where I’ll wander farther afield beyond jewelry and share a few discoveries, thoughts, obsessions, whatnot.
First up: Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses press preview at the Brooklyn Museum. The comprehensive show features 140 haute couture pieces alongside the materials and ideas — scientific artifacts and artistic collaborations — that drive Van Herpen’s work and process
In May’s DesignTeeth Monthly, I share my recent guide for @archdigest on shopping vintage for Mother’s Day, including Victorian lockets, the Hall of Gems at the @amnh , and favorite jewelry Substacks to read.
I launched a monthly dispatch of new finds, quick takes, and happening in jewelry design in March.
For the April edition, I wandered a little farther afield—with a bit of Earth Day mixed in—featuring The Cloud Report by @christinetylerhill , Sophie Gardner’s hand-carved cloud pendant, Rosie Li’s Jewel Block collection, lighting by @ashleyhicks1970 from his Manhattan Stones exhibition @randcompanynyc , the world’s largest crystal cave and geodes, and art jeweler Thomas Gentille’s legacy.
“Inspiration always comes from modern art. I collect it, live it, breathe it. My first collection was inspired by Alexander Calder. We still have mobile earrings in the Kinetic Objects collection. I also love artists like Wassily Kandinsky. If you look closely, you’ll see soft interpretations of his work in gold, diamonds, and pearls.” -Matthew Harris of @mateonewyork
Matthew Harris of @mateonewyork , a 2017 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist—whose pieces have been worn by Rihanna, Zendaya, Michelle Obama—got his start in New York City in the mid-aughts, launching a men’s collection before expanding into women’s several years later. In a career spanning two decades, Harris’s sleek, sculptural pieces have become a touchstone for design that is as wearable as it is statement-making. Read more on DesignTeeth in the bio.
The latest collaboration between the @themetstore and Jess Hannah Révész, the Los Angeles–based designer behind the jewelry studio @j.hannah , is inspired by Renaissance and Baroque European portraiture at the museum. Highlights include the Diptych Ring, featuring carnelian and sapphire, and the Quatrefoil Ring with a diamond at its center, both referencing Gothic and Renaissance architectural motifs.
Click on DesignTeeth in bio to read more.
Read more about Rose Byrne’s incredible choker necklace from @taffinjewelry by James De Givenchy in the first edition of DesignTeeth Monthly | March 2026.
Since launching her eponymous line more than 25 years ago, @rosannepugliese has been known for her pared-down, modern designs. Thanks in part to her time at Calvin Klein in the 1990s, she understands how to make minimalism interesting—and even luxurious. Whether necklaces or earrings, her pieces often center on gemstones that, through cut and color, create a sense of depth within their simplicity.
The snake was a prominent symbol in ancient Egyptian jewelry and had a revival under the reign of Queen Victoria, who engagement ring featured a serpent.
A few favorite:
1) Serpent necklace, 1835-40, silver and gold, pavé-set with turquoises, rubies, pearls and diamonds, in the V&A collection.
2) Snake Rings, Roman period, A.D. 1st century, from MET collection.
3) Antique Victorian 18K Yellow Gold Amethyst and Pearl Snake Stick Pin (left).
The heart may be the most ubiquitous symbol of love today, but for centuries—if not millennia—it was the snake that people wore around their necks, wrists, and fingers to signify eternal love and fidelity. Check out the latest DesignTeeth to learn more about snake motifs in jewelry.
