Medusa Head
Ferragamo, a recent entrant into the category with a $200 to $15,000 collection that arrived in stores in October, stamps the letters of the Ferragamo name on a round diamond-pave pendant, and evokes the Florence Italy-based shoemaker’s “gancino” clasp in its rings. Versace uses its Medusa head icon on some of the oversized rings that are part of the “Atelier” line of jewelry it unveiled in the summer. Each piece is unique and prices are not disclosed publicly.
The five fine jewelry collections that Ralph Lauren has produced with Cie. Financiere Richemont SA -- the world’s largest luxury jewelry maker and owner of Cartier -- includes pearl strands that incorporate designer Ralph Lauren’s monogram.
Silver Jewelry
Tiffany, No. 2 behind Richemont, has some easily recognizable jewelry of its own, too, and has emblazoned its name most obviously on its “Return to Tiffany” silver jewelry collection. Mark Aaron, a spokesman, declined to comment for this article.
The risks of producing branded gems are greater for jewelry designers than for the luxury-brand giants because they are starting from scratch, and must stand out in the highly crowded market to succeed, Ben-Shabat said.
Webster, 53, founder and creative director of his namesake London-based brand, made a mark by bringing what he describes as “edge” to fine jewelry, and he has shown a modern savvy in building up his brand. He has appeared as a guest judge on Project Runway and produced brand videos that are posted on YouTube. His jewelry inspirations range from thorny tattoos to shark jaws.
“We have a certain type of jewelry and it is attractive to people who want to sort of show off,” the rugged Webster says in one of his videos. “The minute you see it, you kind of get it.”