The fine jewellery designer’s new limited-edition offering takes inspiration from clouds and cloud pruning, and features diamonds made from carbon taken from the atmosphere
Bleue Burnham is inarguably London’s most popular emerging fine jeweller. Taking inspiration from the natural world, his pleasing designs are set with environmentally friendly, lab-grown diamonds and brightly-coloured sapphires the size of small acorns. Today, the designer has announced his third collection for Gucci Vault (the house’s experimental concept space): a limited-edition offering that reflects his artistic and Arcadian point of view.
“We had worked with Gucci Vault successfully for one collection and then we started to discuss the next,” says Burnham of the collection’s origins. “At the time I had just started speaking to SkyDiamond and thought that our three worlds would unite beautifully, so we took this concept to Vault and Alessandro Michele, and designed this collection.”
Taking inspiration from clouds and the Japanese art of cloud pruning (the practice of trimming trees into floating cloud shapes), the collection comprises a series of handsome women’s rings and bracelets, and unisex pendants. Crafted as always from recycled gold and silver, these pieces are set with SkyDiamonds, which are created from carbon that is extracted from the atmosphere.
Satisfying to look at, as well as to touch, these pieces are simultaneously rough and rigorous, organic and ornate. The collection ranges from silver rings and pendants set with five diamonds, to gold rings and pendants with 51-104, and a gold bracelet with almost 500.
“SkyDiamonds are truly incredible,” says Burnham of these gems. “Traditional diamonds are formed underground when carbon is subject to high pressure and heat. SkyDiamonds, however, are made by removing excess carbon from the atmosphere (a greenhouse gas/a significant contributor to climate change) and turning this into a diamond. Essentially turning bad into intense beauty. This all happens on a localised, renewably powered site in the British countryside.”
“To bring to life the beauty of this process and we took inspiration from the sky, which led us to the clouds as a symbol of imagination (for a brighter future),” he goes on, “the magnificence of nature, and also humankind’s relationship with the clouds via cloud pruning and topiary.”
Burnham’s love for the planet is at the heart of everything he does – from his designs to the materials he uses (lab-grown gems and recycled metals); even the way he operates his business reflects his commitment to sustainability. This beautiful collection reflects that and proves – like the rest of Burnham’s output – that great design does not need to come at the cost of sustainability.
Bleue Burnham x SkyDiamond is available exclusively at Gucci Vault from 9 January 2022.
