New York-based, Swiss-raised Kia has been on the smart set’s radar across the Pond for some time, designing one-off works of art for both friends and a loyal band of word-of-mouth clients. And now, under the brand name Kia Schwan, she’s produced her first collection, Colorhythms, a joyful and deeply personal celebration of some of her favourite influences and places, from Art Deco architecture to an old- world sweet shop. The beauty of these exuberant pieces, handmade in New York City’s high jewellery workshops, is that they can be modified to create the perfect colour combination of gemstones and precious metals for each client. The collection comprises the Disc suite of pendants, brooches, earrings, collar necklaces and rings, which work with arcs of saturated ice-cream-coloured stones to create geometric shapes that recall Bauhaus furniture and Art Deco storefronts. There are also the Abacus rings, available in two sizes, featuring stacks of “juicy” stone lozenges encased in precious metal, set with diamond accents.
The collection comprises the Disc suite of pendants, brooches, earrings, collar necklaces and rings, which work with arcs of saturated ice-cream-coloured stones to create geometric shapes that recall Bauhaus furniture and Art Deco storefronts. There are also the Abacus rings, available in two sizes, featuring stacks of “juicy” stone lozenges encased in precious metal, set with diamond accents. While Kia has crafted such eye-catching Abacus combinations as carved chrysoprase, turquoise and malachite, paired with yellow sapphire cabochons and diamonds, and carved carnelian and tiger’s eye, paired with yellow sapphire cabochons and diamonds, the colour possibilities are endless. “Clients come up with colourways I’ve never thought of, to match their personalities,” says the designer, who is talking to us on a flying visit to London to launch her debut collection. Low key and instantly likeable, she shows us her own ring, a deliciously tactile confection combining malachite, yellow sapphire cabochon and lapis lazuli. “I like to see how the stones interact with each other; they really need to make each other sing. Often, I put stones together but [realise] they don’t enhance each other.” “Even after having worked with some of the world’s most renowned stones, I find a semi-translucent, juicy, lavender- coloured carved chalcedony just as alluring as a flawless diamond,” she continues. “I’m also simply in love with colour, from bright blue turquoise to fiery red spinel to a deep green malachite. In general, my pieces are happy colours and combinations.”
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