In a world increasingly driven by fast-paced change, jeweller Alex Monroe hopes to remind people to stop, reflect, and appreciate the beauty of nature. Inspired by the Welsh poet William Henry Davies’ words, “What is this life, if full of care, We have no time to stand and stare,” Monroe is bringing attention to the delicate relationship between nature and creativity. His new exhibition, Into the Wild, will be showcased at the Garden Museum in London from May 1 to June 1. The exhibit explores the connection between craftsmanship and the natural world, highlighting the urgent need to preserve our environment in a time of rapid destruction.
Monroe’s exhibit will feature a jeweller’s bench set within a forest environment, complete with plants, sounds, and scents to engage the senses. Through this display, he hopes to inspire visitors to consider the value of detailed nature study and reflect on how the world is rapidly changing.
Nature has long been a source of inspiration for jewellers, but in 2023, it has become a dominant theme for several high-jewellery collections by renowned brands.
Dior’s Milly Dentelle collection, unveiled in Paris in January, was inspired by the countryside home of the brand’s founder. Similarly, De Beers’ Essence of Nature collection paid tribute to trees, marking the jeweller’s first use of jet (fossilised wood). Cartier’s Nature Sauvage collection celebrated animals, including its iconic panther, while Chaumet honored bamboo in a 10-piece capsule collection.
Monroe, whose jewellery has always drawn from the natural world, believes the trend is deeply tied to the ongoing climate crisis. “The planet’s in real trouble, and we’re becoming increasingly removed from nature,” he says. “I guess people are drawn to nature now more than ever.”
For Into the Wild, Monroe has created six silver floral sculptures inspired by endangered UK habitats such as temperate rainforests and ancient orchards. Each sculpture incorporates jewellery elements and will be displayed alongside other pieces that showcase Monroe’s design process and research. Visitors will also get a glimpse of his latest collection, Wild Botany, featuring 20 new nature-inspired pieces.
Monroe’s fascination with the fleeting beauty of nature draws from his love for Dutch tulip paintings and Spanish still lifes, which capture moments in time while showing the passage of time. He describes his work as a “frozen portrait” of nature, where blossoms are in various stages of bloom and decay.
Monroe is not alone in his appreciation of nature’s beauty. Claire Choisne, creative director of Boucheron, also finds inspiration and healing in the natural world. For Boucheron’s latest high-jewellery collection, Untamed Nature, Choisne designed a brooch based on the carrot flower, which she saw growing in a field south of Paris.
Untamed Nature includes 28 pieces inspired by Frédéric Boucheron’s archives from 1878-1906. These designs, which originally featured subtle floral and insect motifs, serve as the foundation for Choisne’s modern interpretations. She says, “I wanted to push the notion of nature taking over the body, so we played with new ways of wearing the pieces.” This included unconventional placements, such as wearing a fuchsia brooch on the side of a model’s head. Choisne plans to explore this theme further in another collection scheduled for July, as she believes the lines between human and nature have become too blurred.
Anne-Eva Geffroy, design director at Graff, shares a similar sentiment, believing the rise of nature-inspired jewellery is tied to the world’s current sadness and a collective need for harmony. “Nature represents harmony,” she says.
As designers continue to look to nature for inspiration, these collections serve as both an homage to the natural world and a call for greater awareness and preservation in the face of a climate crisis.
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