Why Locks And Links Are Top Of Our Jewelry Wish List This Season

The Y necklace has crept back into our jewelry boxes with the resurgence of ’90s-inspired jewels in recent seasons, but it has been given an update for 2024 – while previous designs tended to focus on tassels or boho-inspired motifs, now the Y necklace is enjoying a renaissance. Uniform Object, a New York-based brand founded by David Farrugia, is garnering a cult following for its creative take on chunky gold chains, metal-heavy silhouettes and stocky gems, all with a glam-rock grunge feel. A favorite of Bella Hadid, the brand excels at adding unexpected twists to unassuming staples, such as its ‘Heavy Metal’ necklace, which features a paper chain-link drop to refresh a classic diamond necklace.

Jenna Blake Grosfeld was an interior designer before she launched her namesake jewelry brand in 2014, and her lifelong love of vintage ceramics, antique jewelry and bold color informs every precious piece. Mariner links are a storied motif in jewelry-making history, originally inspired by the chains used in the maritime industries to tie a ship to its anchor. The oval, interconnecting links are also sleek and durable, and when cast in gold also incredibly tactile. Jenna Blake’s mini gold huggie earrings are a petite tribute to the mariner link’s minimalism – dusted with just a sprinkling of diamonds.

Few jewelry designers are as inventive as Marla Aaron, who launched her New York-based brand in 2012. Obsessed with architecture, bridges and hardware, Aaron took her inspiration from the many bold lines and artful angles of the Big Apple, defining the brand’s DNA to encompass a rich repertoire of chains and carabiner locks. While an industrial carabiner – more often used by rock climbers – is generally plain and practical, Aaron’s carabiners come in all shapes and forms, from those shaped like lightning bolts to those encrusted with rainbow gems. The ‘Curb Talking + Chubby Babylock’ silver and 14-karat gold bracelet gives a nod to Aaron’s signature whimsy, with an ‘I Heart U’ charm that softens its nuts-and-bolts feel.

It is thought that T-bar links first became fashionable in the 19th century, as Victorian artisans began to evolve their designs into more elaborate and intricate styles. An elegant alternative to a plain clasp, they have been reinterpreted over the decades to encompass many ultra-modern styles – Taylor Swift was recently spotted sporting a chunky gold design – but British designer Lucy Delius has managed to achieve the best of both worlds with her ‘Trombone’ link chain. Setting diamonds into yellow gold offers an antique feel, while the mix linked chain feels effortlessly contemporary.

Gemella’s ‘Intertwin’ ring is the perfect piece to inject some color into your ring collection – its bold green tsavorites are set upon a sinuous interlocking rope design. Rope-inspired jewels have long been associated with strength, unity and connection, and they are an understated way of acknowledging an important person, moment, or union. While this isn’t a style that can be stacked, consider mirroring its lithe tacticity on the opposite hand, perhaps with a ready-made ring stack by Spinelli Kilcollin.

There are few motifs that Yvonne Léon hasn’t already experimented with. The Paris-based brand is known for its quirky jewels featuring a plethora of sea creatures, palm trees and even croissants, among many, many more inspirations. The heart is a recurring theme, however, and its heart-shaped signet rings are a staple among fashion editors and tastemakers. Now, the brand offers a new take on this universally charming symbol, with the ‘Créole Cadenas Coeur’ single earrings. Available in 9-karat gold and diamonds, or 9-karat gold and pink sapphires, these are an earring devotee’s dream.