nature, gold in tooth and claw

Her fairy-tale disc necklaces are all the rage among a certain set of Londoners (Sienna Miller, Jemma Kidd, and Elle Macpherson all own one), but Philippa Holland's folkloric jewelry is just starting to gain traction in the U.S., where it's sold by Fragments.com. Inspired by illustrations from classic children's books and nature walks on her family's estate in Wiltshire, Holland uses a multitude of techniques, including engraving, enameling, and electroforming, to recreate in jewelry form the leaves, acorns, twigs, and tiny bird skulls she finds while tramping the grounds. "I'm influenced by the light side of nature, but also by the sense of decay and death which is its dark side," she says. Up next for Holland? She has partnered with her longtime friend Jamie Strachan, a Hugo Boss model, to create a line of men's jewelry that will launch this summer. But items such as a snake vertebrae bracelet in oxidized silver and gold may well have some female fans, too. "It's ambiguousit can be for girls or boys," the jeweler acknowledges.



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