Why brown is jewellery’s most surprising new power colour

In his Athens studio, Greek jewellery designer Nikos Koulis and his team regularly work with aluminium. ‘Light, sculptural and endlessly versatile, I find aluminium a fascinating material,’ he says. It was while trialling different ways to colour the silvery-white metal that Koulis, who recently presented new work at Sotheby’s Paris, landed on a matte varnish the colour of freshly ground coffee. ‘During our workshop experiments with coatings, I was intrigued by the idea of a silky-brown tone: warm, earthy and understated, yet undeniably distinctive,’ he remembers. The result is a pair of diamond-set aluminium earrings that are sculptural in shape and volume.

Brown, in a shade likened to ‘river-polished stones’, also inspired Lily Gabriella Elia when dreaming up a new Nexus bracelet, its links shaped by hand from ceramic, which are then enamelled. ‘It’s a modern reinterpretation of a classic link design, with the brown enamel softening the boldness of the links while still keeping it striking,’ Elia says of the design, which can be found at her Burlington Arcade showroom in London. ‘Brown is an incredibly sophisticated yet underrated colour in fine jewellery. It brings warmth and depth, acting as a neutral while still feeling unexpected and contemporary.’

Expressed in varnished metals, gems or woods, tones of brown feature in new creations by both independent designers and marquee brands. In a pair of signature Talisman hoop earrings by De Beers, white gold and white diamonds clash with brown rough diamonds. A Bvlgari high jewellery Serpenti ring is set with a chrysoberyl cabochon. At Boghossian, a brown button pearl sits atop a ring in white gold with diamonds. A brown Tahitian pearl stars in a ring by Melanie Georgacopoulos. Meanwhile, ‘I’ve always had an obsession with earthy tones,’ says Cora Sheibani. Her Facets & Forms Rebirth earrings match yellow gold, polished to a high shine, with light brown tourmalines. ‘I like how brown gemstones carry a natural understated elegance across all skin complexions.’

Krishna Choudhary, a fourth-generation Indian jeweller and the founder of Santi Jewels, shaped his Ruby Cartouche earrings from titanium, collaborating with a workshop based in Italy. To make the lacquered hardwood bangles she first designed for the American maison Tiffany & Co., Elsa Peretti partnered with a cottage industry of experienced workers based across Wajima in Japan, a city that has long been known for its lacquerware. A brown iteration of the design classic has a waiting list.

Elsewhere, a 2.05-carat champagne diamond – its particular hues perhaps closer to a light bourbon – sits at the centre of a new Origin ring by Rachel Boston. ‘Champagne diamonds have a natural sophistication and understated appeal that pairs beautifully with yellow gold,’ says Boston. ‘They offer a softer, more nuanced alternative to white diamonds, and the appeal lies in the fact that champagne diamonds feel less traditional, but no less precious. They speak to individuality rather than convention.’