Jessica McCormack in her Salon. Image courtesy of Jessica McCormack.
Jessica McCormack is a London based, bespoke fine diamond jewellery designer from New Zealand.
Jessica McCormack’s bespoke one off designs are sculptural, iconic, epic and tell a story. She draws inspiration from Greek mythology, Architecture, nature and life. Her one of designs are personable and truly unique, it is no wonder that the cream of editorial(everyone from Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Another Man, Elle, Vanity Fair, Push IT, Retail Jeweller, The Telegraph, The Times to others) and celebrity (Rihanna and etc) crop adore her work.
The first piece that she ever designed was the Wing of Desire, as inspired by Hermes’s winged sandals and hat. The epic piece is part of her Messenger Of The Gods collection. See the piece as below,how amazing is it?
Wing of Desire earring by Jessica McCormack. Image courtesy of Jessica McCormack.
Her bold, graphic Jewels Of The Urban Night collection was inspired by the iconic buildings around the world. From the New York Night diamond ring, as inspired by the Manhattan night skyline…
New York Night ring by Jessica McCormack. Image courtesy of Jessica McCormack.
To her BT Tower diamond earrings which was inspired by the London Post Office Tower as pictured below.
BT Tower diamond earrings by Jessica McCormack. Image courtesy of Jessica McCormack.
I like the lines and mechanical feel of her Cog piece,part of her Wind Up Archive.
Cog diamond bracelet by Jessica McCormack. Image courtesy of Jessica McCormack.
Jessica says –
“For me, making jewellery is about creating miniature sculptures. Each piece is the end result of my desire to turn what I perceive to be beautiful into a tiny piece of art. I would like people to re-evaluate their perception of fine jewellery and precious stones, breaking down barriers on how diamonds are considered, worn and used, with emphasis on luxury being about personal experience, appreciation and knowledge.”
Ever wondered what a day in the life of bespoke fine diamond jeweller was like? Jessica recently documented a day in her life for Mariankihogo.com, so you need not wonder no more. Do read on for a fabulous 24 hours in her life.
6am
My boyfriend’s alarm goes off- he lives by the Roman’s mantra that it is a luxury to be gently awakened and then drift in an out of sleep. I couldn’t disagree more and when Radio 4 starts blaring I have no chance of getting any more sleep.
8am
I throw on some jeans, a T-Shirt and my massive Burberry platform boots, which give me a well-needed 6 inches of extra height and keep me out of the puddles. I grab my bag, which is always overloaded with random stuff to the point of inducing serious back pain and bail out the door. The trip from west to east London on the tube is never an easy or enjoyable one but well worth it once I reach the charming cobbled streets of Clerkenwell.
Jessica’s Burberry platform boots.
9am
On my way from the station to the Salon I pick up a coffee for the walk. I love that the guy at the coffee shop knows me well enough now to have my skinny cappuccino ready by the time I reach the front of the queue. Arriving at the Salon, I imagine that opening up is not dissimilar to what it’s like getting in to Fort Knox.
Once I am inside, I feel like I have left the craziness of London, I wish I could stay upstairs (which is where we see all our clients)…the girls I work with tease me that I have a collector’s possession obsession, and the Salon is the manifestation of this habit! It is full of art, curiosities, antiques, ultra modern installations, furniture, jewels and books that I have created or collected over the years.
Downstairs in the basement is where we actually work though, not so glamorous but a great working environment and I can be a lot more productive down here without all the distractions of upstairs!
10am
I have a catch up with my team and we discuss client appointments for next week and look at how the new collection, XIV, is progressing. We are so nearly finished and are trying to wait until each of the seven deadly sins and seven contrary virtues are completed and back from our workshops in London before we get too excited. We talk about our next event, which is coming up – a diamonds and dominoes evening called “Night on the Tiles”. We are at a really interesting growth point in the business so we are always discussing new projects, ideas, initiatives and exciting opportunities seem to keep cropping up. So far so good but still not a diamond in sight!
12pm
Just as I am settling in to updating my Jessica McCormack’s blog,
I get a call from my stone dealer so I pop up to the garden (our slang for Hatton Garden…a crazy road full of diamond merchants and jewellery workshops) and have a look at some interesting shaped diamonds that he has got in; when he saw them he instantly thought of me…he knows my love for the unusual. There is a 2.70ct fancy shield shape diamond that screams old world glamour and the avant-garde and instantly inspires me. A pair of epaulet-shaped diamonds are very cool and will be perfect for a client’s engagement ring that I am designing at the moment. An amazing 3.45 carats cushion fancy brownish yellow that is the rich colour of malt whisky is the last stone to catch my eye and I take the lot.
1.30pm
I leg it down the road to join the other J’s (* editor’s note -The J’s are another lovely Jessica and sweet Josephine who are part of Jessica McCormack’s integral team) in Clerkenwell Kitchens which is just over the road from the Salon and we stuff our faces while catching up on weekend plans and what has been happening while I’ve been out of the office. It’s only been an hour but already we’ve had a call from Pollyanna to say that they have a client who have seen our diamond pocket watch keys in their store and are looking for a bespoke set.
Jessica McCormack Pocket Watch Keys.
3pm
have a meeting with the incredible photographer James Mountford to discuss the photo shoot that we are going to do for XIV. I have a really clear idea of what I want and love his aesthetic and know that he is on the same page as me. We discuss models, styling and the artistic direction for the shoot. By the end of the meeting I am so over-excited and start planning in my head the launch party and a worldwide travelling exhibition for the collection so that my clients all over the world can have a chance to see it.
The Salon during the meeting with James Mountford.
5pm
Somehow the day has flown by and I still have heaps of drawings to do for clients.
5.30pm
The Salon doorbell rings for the last appointment of the day with a client who is commissioning a one-off cocktail ring. I love the relationships that I have with my clients; they are the most important part of my business. We don’t only bend over backwards for our clients…we do backflips!
8pm
I head back to my hood and hit the Electric for a cheeseburger and vodka, lime and sodas. A Friday night here has been known to quickly turn from a quiet night to a very messy one when a round of Jagers is replaced with a whole bottle and only 6 glasses!
2am
I feel I’ve got away lightly when I escape my friends and jump in a cab home to bed, so happy that I don’t have to be woken by the radio in 4 hours time.
I enjoyed reading this so much. Right from the start of her day to her hailing the cab at 2am. I am a fan of Jessica’s bespoke designs (I call upon them when my clients need to hit the red carpet) for their lines,the stories behind them and the fact that each is a one off. I am looking forward to seeing what her XIV collection will be like.
Lusting over those Burberry platform boots! Her upcoming Diamonds & Dominoes “Night on the Tiles” event sounds wonderful.
How great does the Salon look? The place is like an Aladdin’s cave. When I stop by I always spot something new. The swing is such a decadent touch.
For more on Jessica McCormack, visit her at the below links.
Jessica McCormack’s website
Jessica McCormack’s Blog
