Press Publications from December 2020 and January 2021

There has always been a fascination with the haul of the seashore, with shells appearing in works of art – from Botticelli to Georgia O’Keeffe, Dalí to Frida Kahlo – and cabinets of curiosity around the world. Symbols of femininity, new life and good fortune, they were painted into wedding still-lifes by 17th-century Dutch artists to signify love, the equivalent of modern-day heart emojis. But unlike other romantic motifs such as flowers, these objects have a sense of permanence. They have been collected and worn by different cultures in every era; from the prehistoric punctured sea-snail shells found in Israel, which date from at least 100,000 years ago, to the Victorian craze of surreal sculptures. This year, fine-jewellery designers have been captivated by the forms: Boodles upgraded the classic fan shape; Verdura enhanced the swirl of the shark eye; and Almasika created delicate cowries. Shells themselves were given highly crafted makeovers, too. Silvia Furmanovich matched purple-hued pinnidae with amethysts, while Grima set gold chokers with ammonite fossils. Wearable natural history to last the ages.

A publication by Charlotte Ravey in Condé Nast Traveller - December 2020.

Thanks: Jessica Diamond @thediamondedit, Charlotte Ravey, @condenasttraveller and @myrenedepremonville.