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In My Jewellery Box: Emily Satloff, Larkspur & Hawk

This 18th-century garnet parure comes in its original box
This 18th-century garnet parure comes in its original box

Historical objects have always fascinated Emily Satloff, who studied decorative arts and began her career as a museum curator at the New York Historical Society. A collector of vintage jewellery herself, she later began dealing antique jewels, specialising in 18th century and Georgian pieces.

Satloff became particularly interested in foiled jewellery, a technique used in the early 18th century whereby gemstones are backed by coloured foil in order to enhance and transform their colour. She began playing around with recreating this technique and in 2008 launched her own jewellery line, Larkspur & Hawk, creating antique-inspired designs using foil-backed gemstones.

Larkspur & Hawk's founder, Emily Satloff
Larkspur & Hawk's founder, Emily Satloff

To celebrate the brand’s 10th anniversary, Satloff has created a collection of charms based on her favourite designs from the past decade. With an impressive collection of antique jewellery and bespoke pieces given to her by her husband, here the designer shares her most precious jewels.

Coloured diamond ring

My husband of 27 years, Jim, proposed with a ring that he had designed for me, featuring an antique cushion-cut diamond flanked by rubies. He knew that I had a fondness for antique jewellery. I love it, and it unknowingly started a tradition whereby he has given me a different ring for my wedding finger every year we’ve been married.

A ring featuring 25 coloured diamonds, designed by Satloff's husband for their 25th wedding anniversary
A ring featuring 25 coloured diamonds, designed by Satloff's husband for their 25th wedding anniversary

It might be for our anniversary, my birthday or Valentine’s Day: our marriage has been filled with rings that he either designed for me or bought because he knew I’d love them. I always joke that he constantly wants to reconfirm that we’re married!

He gave me this ring for our 25th anniversary. It has 25 coloured diamonds, one for each year. He designed it himself and had it made by the workshop that makes a lot of Larkspur & Hawk jewellery, so it’s extra meaningful as it’s made by somebody who knows me so well.

He felt very strongly that the ring should reflect what I love as a designer: colour. The inside of the band is engraved, which he does a lot. The whole thing was a total surprise and as soon as I saw it I loved it. I said “why aren’t we making this for Larkspur & Hawk?” and he said “no, it’s one-of-a-kind, it’s yours”. I rotate all of the rings he’s given me, they all get worn and are loved.

18th-century garnet parure

I bought this suite of jewellery close to 20 years ago, in my early collecting days. I fell in love with it and convinced myself - as many antiques dealers do in order to justify their private collections - that I didn’t know anyone else who would want it!

It’s from the early 18th century, in gilt metal with opaline glass and foil-backed garnets. It’s not marked but it could well be Italian, it’s very extravagantly made. The earrings are traditional girandole style and the necklace sits like a choker; it fits my neck perfectly. The style really speaks to my love of foiled jewellery and of 18th century Iberian jewellery in particular.

It came in its original box, complete with charred marks on the outside - it looks like it’s been on fire at some point! It’s always amazing when a suite of jewellery that’s hundreds of years old remains complete and in its original box. It has clearly been well cared for and well loved. I do wear it from time to time, it looks stunning with an open-necked blazer. I always say antique jewellery is only yours for a while, then you pass it on.

18th-century girandole earrings

These quintessentially 18th-century Spanish girandole earrings have yellow citrines over orange foil, with rose-cut diamonds. As was the case in the 18th and early 19th century, they’re set in silver. White gold didn’t exist until the early 20th century and it was very difficult to work with platinum, so it’s very common to see diamonds set in silver in jewellery from this period.

 18th-century girandole earrings
A pair of 18th-century girandole earrings featuring foil-backed citrines, a typical example of the antique jewellery that inspires Satloff's designs for Larkspur & Hawk

I love the playfulness of these earrings and the scale - they are pretty big - but the main reason I chose them is because they are a fantastic representation of the history and beauty of foil-backed stones, and what inspired me to do modern-day foils. They are almost like a teaching piece; they really demonstrate the play of light and colour you get from metallic foil against faceted stones.

The 18th century was the glory period for foiling. The technique carried on into the early 19th century, but by the Victorian era you start to see open-backed settings as they developed more advanced lapidary techniques. These earrings are typical of the style I would have sold in my antique jewellery business. I kept this pair because I just love them, they are quintessentially my style.

Antique agate necklace

This suite of jewellery is probably Scottish, from about 1830, and features different types of agate: there’s banded agate, cornelian, chrysoprase, all different colours. I saw it at an antiques show about 13 years ago - it jumped out at me from the dealer’s case and I knew before I even asked the price that it was coming home with me.

Antique agate necklace and earrings, c.1830
Antique agate necklace and earrings, c.1830: 'I knew before I even asked the price that it was coming home with me'

It called to me because of its use of colour: often when you picture Victorian agate jewellery you think of greys and very sombre colours, but this one is a colour explosion. It has definitely influenced some Larkspur & Hawk pieces: there are similarities between this and the Lady Emily necklace in the use of colour and the way the various parts dangle.

I do wear this occasionally, everything has its time and its turn. But collecting isn’t all about wearing everything: it’s about enjoying it and looking at it at home. I display some of my pieces at home like works of art. I have a Napoleonic hair ornament which I’m obviously never going to wear, but it’s fun to look at on my mantle.

Larkspur & Hawk 10th anniversary Ladies necklace

This necklace is part of our Ladies collection, a charm-based collection that is almost like a scrapbook of the last 10 years of my design career. Ever since the beginning I’ve given each Larkspur & Hawk capsule a lady’s name: there’s Sophia and Bella and Olivia and more. Here they are all mixed together, all of my ladies getting along and creating something more beautiful as a group!

Larkspur & Hawk 10th anniversary Ladies necklace
The Ladies necklace, created to celebrate Larkspur & Hawk's 10th anniversary, features charms based on designs from the past decade

Designing the charm necklaces is very liberating for me. As a brand Larkspur & Hawk is known for riviere necklaces, which I adore. But designing rivieres is truly puzzling, trying to figure out the scale and the weight and the technicalities of it. Charm necklaces are a different story. Scale and colour are still very important but there almost isn’t a bad combination.

We’ve made a few of these now, all one-of-a-kind, and the various charms tend to just come together and work. In hindsight it seems quite obvious that Larkspur & Hawk should do a charm collection, but it took some time for me to start designing that way. I’m so glad I did because it’s a really fun way to design.

I’ve been wearing this necklace a lot since I made it. It can be dressed up and down, and the chain is adjustable so it works with different necklines. I love the fact that each one is totally unique, clients can come in and choose their own, individual design. I like that we can work with our clients’ preferences.

Larkspur & Hawk is available at Net-a-Porter and Liberty; larkspurandhawk.com

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