David Morris: The London Jeweler Of Haute-Couture Acclaim

Nestled on New Bond Street, in the heart of London’s Mayfair, the windows of David Morris are always ablaze with diamonds. The kaleidoscopic colored gemstones burn just as brightly – vivid rubies, opulent sapphires and verdant emeralds hint at the brand’s beginnings. Its founder launched his eponymous business in the psychedelic Swinging Sixties. Starting out as an apprentice in Hatton Garden, David Morris tapped into the city’s rebirth as the new fashion capital of Europe, and went on to open boutiques around the world. Morris channeled the zest, glamour and audacious zeitgeist of London’s style scene into fine jewels that rivaled those of Place Vendôme’s most famous maisons – the international gold standard for high jewelry artisanship since the early 1900s.

An exclusive client base soon ensued, with a compelling combination of Hollywood and royal credentials: the Prince of Wales, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne and Elizabeth Taylor were among Morris’s devotees. Across the decades, the house became known as James Bond’s jeweler, thanks to jewels featured in the iconic films Diamonds Are Forever, The Man with the Golden Gun and Tomorrow Never Dies. The maison continued its connection to Bond when it crafted a silver dragon to perch upon the bonnet of an Aston Martin in 2012 – the car driven off into happily ever after by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, following their wedding on the world stage.

David Morris jewels are, however, as much for the modern woman as the movie star. Jeremy Morris, son of David, has been at the helm since 2003 and has a unique flair for distilling the exceptional artistry of high-jewelry creations into wearable collections suited to everyday dressing. Each collection has a signature take on a classic theme: the Beaux collection offers a contemporary update to the brand’s vivacious bow designs from the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s. Petite and playful designs are set with pavé diamonds to evoke plush velvet, grosgrain and silk, with curves and pleats brought to life upon stud earrings, rings, pendants and bangles. The collection is delicate yet daring, perfectly exemplified in NET-A-PORTER’s exclusive capsule of Beaux designs, which showcase lively rubies – each selected for its rarified hue.

The Rose Cut collection is equally eclectic and harnesses the beauty of one of the oldest diamond silhouettes. Dating as far back as 16th century India, yet a protagonist of the Victorian era, rose-cut diamonds scintillate with shadow and shine – their faceted body and flat base gives them hypnotic depths that glimmer by candlelight. Set upon contemporary curved hoops, eternity bands and even a low-swishing sautoir, these neo-vintage designs are effortlessly wearable; their lace-like designs feel just as chic when paired with denim or leather as they do an evening dress.

The Fortuna collection echoes this chameleon-like quality. Inspired by the Roman goddess of fortune, Fortuna designs explore the potent power of love, destiny, and mystical gemstones. Fortuna was admired for her beauty and strength, and symbolic of the ‘wheel of fortune’ associated with her, the Fortuna collection features precious discs of pink opal, blue agate, green chrysoprase and mother of pearl. Morris selected each gemstone for its energetic properties, and its pavé diamond crescents give a nod to astrological charts – but he also ensured each piece is suited to the modern-day movement for stacking and layering. Few high jewelers are so deft at blending time and space, and each jewel feels imbued with a little other worldliness, equally suited to a Hollywood icon, a Bond girl, a princess, or just those of us with our feet on the ground, but our head in the stars.