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Jewellery

New chakra jewellery collection

HighLifeChannel September 26, 2018
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Ajewellery line inspired by Kundalini yoga conjures up images of beaded hemp bracelets or lucky-charm-adorned strings whose packaging declares ‘Keep Calm and Downward Dog’. But when you hear this particular Kundalini-inspired range was designed by Noor Fares, you know you’re in for something far more sophisticated.

The Lebanese-born jewellery designer is well established as one of the stars of London’s contemporary jewellery scene. Her collections combine kaleidoscopic colour with precise geometric motifs, always imbued with a mysticism that’s catnip to her glamorous band of globe-trotting devotees.

Past ranges have delved into Indian cosmology and the healing power of crystals, and her latest range, Prana, takes its name from the Sanskrit word for ‘life force’.

“I started practising Kundalini yoga five years ago, where I was introduced to the chakras on a deeper level,” says Fares. “I have always been fascinated by the precious allure of gemstones and their healing properties so working with the chakra stones felt like a natural transition.”

Seven suites, each linked to one of the body’s seven chakras through which prana flows, see ancient symbols translated into modern jewels that are as easy to wear as they are painstakingly researched.

Gorgeously chubby hearts pulsate with the otherworldly energy of opal, which glows within carved rose quartz, trimmed with diamonds or a rainbow of sapphires. In one version of the Anahata pendant the opal is housed within moose antler – one of the weird and wonderful materials sourced by the designer on her trips to far-flung gem fairs.

Fares layers and combines materials to mesmerising effect. Each suite champions the gemstone believed to balance the energy within its chakra – amethyst for the Crown (Sahasrara), carnelian for the Sacral (Svadhisthana), smoky quartz for the Root (Muladahara) – then trims them with enamel, polished gold accents or a carefully considered ombré of sapphires.

In the Muladhara pendant, wafer-thin slices of ruby and mother-of-pearl are layered together underneath a magnifying dome of rock-crystal to amplify the iridescence of this entirely new gemstone hue: a technique that took considerable trial and error. “I wanted to create a bespoke stone with its own colour, shimmer and aura,” Fares explains.

While these voluptuous pieces are a step away from the sharp lines of Fares’ past designs, the Central Saint Martins alumnus shows she still has a way with geometry. A latticework of intersecting hand-engraved lines criss-crosses the cabochon amethysts used in the Sahasrara suite, while pendants feature symmetrical symbols rendered in precise goldwork on their reverse.

Fares’ fascination with the talismanic nature of jewellery is matched only by her dedication to flawlessly realised craftsmanship. Namaste to that.

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