Neither Louis Braille – who invented tactile writing for the blind in 1821 – nor Samuel Morse – who developed Morse code in the 1930s – could have imagined that their avant-garde idea would one day be used to write messages in diamonds. However, that’s the brilliant idea of a group of designers spotted by the Natural Diamond Council.
This new generation of jewelry with a message, written in Braille or Morse code, reveals a deep-rooted trend. People have been writing on jewelry since ancient times. The history of jewelry is scattered with anything from secret rings, pendants that contain a tiny relic and swiveling stones that reveal a symbolic motif, to acrostic bracelets, engraved medals, magical and powerful stones and figurative representations. Today, more than ever, we are driven by a quest for spirituality, for a form of binding connection with our jewelry. Messages in diamonds help find new meaning via a more understated and at times even minimalist expression.
Precious, eternal and a source of light: isn’t the natural diamond the stone best suited to setting in gold an intimate loving word or heartfelt secret message that only we can read and understand?
Secretive luxury
Writing in diamonds was the ingenious idea of a group of jewelry designers who have invented a secretive and highly personalized form of luxury. Virginie Parent – founder of French brand Hint – writes her customers’ messages in Morse code, combining brilliant-cut diamonds for the dots and baguette-cut diamonds for the dashes, on delicate, highly refined jewelry that they’ll never want to go without. “Morse code is a sound or light code”, she explains. “We use the light from the precious stones to subtly write each message”.
Hint Morse code bracelet
Jessie Evans, creator of the Braille-inspired Jessie VE collection, says that a private message “is made all the more intimate when it can only be read by touch”. To ensure that the message can be deciphered, the diamonds are set alternately forwards or backwards. Braille is a fascinating technique that adds an intimate and sentimental touch to the jewelry, like this gold ring personalized with the words FEEL THE LOVE, which can be read by touching the diamonds with your fingertips.
George Inaki Root, CEO and creator of New York-based brand Milamore, also uses Braille in personalized pieces, and on pendants, bracelets, rings and hoop earrings that feature inspiring words such as SELF LOVE and TRUST.
Milamore hoop earrings with diamonds in Braille
But there is another surprising aspect to this new generation of jewelry. The pieces appeal to men who love the precious nature of natural diamonds, as well as the fact they are gender-neutral, understated and enigmatic, with an intimate side that is indecipherable for the uninitiated. Men “appreciate the elegance of simple motifs and discreet messages”, says designer Amina Sorel.
Amina Sorel Morse code earrings
American jeweler Brent Neale has designed a ring using diamonds sourced exclusively from its customer’s family jewelry. The dots and dashes of the Morse code design reproduce her and her husband’s initials. Another customer asked for a ring featuring the initials of each family member. While the dashes are in emerald-cut diamonds, Neale has introduced a touch of fantasy for the dots, alternating between brilliant-cut and Asscher-cut.
Brent Neale Morse code ring
There are no limits to how inventive you can be when it comes to message jewelry, which is very much in vogue. Robinson Pelham‘s Cipher Tag collection is made up of pendants in the form of labels “encrypted” on demand with diamonds.
Robinson Pelham’s Morse code Cipher Tag
The messages range from unusual, mysterious, profound and funny, hinting at love, friendship or happy memories, and revealing just how attached we have become to this new style of jewelry that helps to convey powerful values around authenticity. As the Natural Diamond Council‘s beautiful motto about natural diamonds suggests, these are pieces “to treasure now and forever”.
Find out more on the naturaldiamonds.com website
First page : Robinson Pelham’s ring
Photo credit Natural Diamond Council
