Nancy Newberg straddles between effortless classics and elevated edgy jewels. Her pieces have reflected light and dark in her gold with blackened accents, tactile finishes and silhouettes that incorporate negative space with different cuts of diamonds, juxtaposing geometry and movement. Her latest endeavor, her new bridal collection was inspired by her son’s wedding and creating a custom engagement ring for her now daughter-in-law as well as the jewels for the wedding and wedding party.
ready for her son’s weddingNancy Newberg
Here Newberg talks about the ring that started it all, her inspiration for the collection and the wedding:
Can you tell us about the ring you designed for your now daughter-in-law?
“It’s a stunning emerald cut diamond set in a simple platinum band. She wanted a stand-out ring without shouting ‘look at me’ but instead, softly saying, ‘I am engaged to the man with whom I will spend the rest of my life and our relationship is all about longevity. Therefore I allowed the near flawless emerald cut to stand on its own, flanked by a simple platinum band with no side stones. It exudes modernity yet is classic at the same time.”
rin
Nancy Newberg
Did you design the wedding bands?
“My son Brandon wanted a simple platinum band. Together we designed a modern flat ring that is about 1/4 inch wide. The bride loved the idea of a band with emerald cut diamonds, so I created a ring with each stone set in a platinum micro bezel.”
What about the jewels your daughter-in-law wore on the wedding day?
“This setting of the wedding band and her off-the-shoulder duchess satin gown (a stunning elegant creation by Monique H’Luiller) inspired long and luxurious shoulder dusters. The top started with an emerald-cut diamond and then I used the micro bezel settings to create a pattern of diamonds in a line that dripped down from her ear. It was all she needed to complete her look.”
Bride in Long earrings
Nancy Newberg
Earrings with emerald, princess and round cut diamonds set In micro bezelsNancy Newberg
Did you design jewelry for the wedding party?
“The wedding party wore black and white. I pulled from my ruthenium collection that is in deep black with accents of white diamonds. These pair beautifully with black and white gowns.”
Did this become the inspiration for the debut bridal collection?
“Yes. The jewels I created for the bride and the fact that I hosted the evening at my home allowed me to infuse my signature style on every level. I loved how everything tied together, from the fashion to the flowers.”
My signature style is clean and minimal with accents of textures and maybe a deep dark neutral tone to make everything pop a bit. The bride carried a loose bouquet of chocolate cosmos and we added a few down the table to continue the theme.
table at the wedding with flowers
Nancy Newberg
The flowers were whites and creams with texture added from the curling branches used to create ethereal arches beside the chuppah and long dining tables.
The flowers around the Chuppah
Nancy Newberg
While planning and seeing it all come together, I sketched out ideas for the jewelry and eventually, it made sense as a complete debut collection.”
Can you describe more of the aesthetic of the bridal collection now that it is completed?
“As a former fashion designer, I’m inspired by the runway and current fashion trends, which I then re-envision into different aspects of my total collection. The pieces need to have longevity as well as be relevant for today. With my debut bridal line, I followed that same philosophy and created looks to enhance a bride’s overall vision, from the events leading up to the wedding to the big day itself to pieces that could be worn well into the future. The collection is filled with revitalized elevated classics, including long dangling earrings, bendable diamond rings,mixed diamond bracelets and necklaces in yellow and/or white gold.
round and princess cut diamonds set in 18K yellow gold set in micro bezels.Nancy Newberg with Round, emerald and princess cut diamonds each in a micro bezelNancy Newberg and round cut diamonds each set in a micro bezel.Nancy Newberg
What sets your collection apart from the other bridal collections in the market?
“I am most attracted to unique elements and details that redefine a simple design and help make it my own. For this new collection, I continued the concept of mixing diamond shapes and putting them into patterns to create lines of movement for the jewelry the bride will be gifted by her fiancee’ or that she has chosen herself to wear on her wedding day. I love working with emerald and princess cuts as they feel most modern. I also expanded the micro bezels for this collection, creating a mini box around each stone. A tiny floating bar between each bezel allows for movement between the diamonds. This detail feels clean and crisp but with a cool contemporary edge. My pieces make a strong statement but can be mixed and layered with other heirlooms in a woman’s existing jewelry box.”
Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website.
I am a jewelry historian, jewelry expert and collector of period and modern jewel and a purveyor of all things sparkly. I have a romance going on with the legend, language and sentiment behind the pieces and the story. My passion for this has inspired me to pen three books—’My Charmed Life,’ a memoir; ‘Jewelry’s Shining Stars,’ a modern jewelry design coffee table book; and ‘If These Jewels Could Talk,’ an in-depth look at celebrities and the stories behind their legendary jewels on the silver screen and in real life—with a fourth one in the works. I have written and continue to write for major magazines including Departures, Elite Traveler, Four Seasons Magazine, and thejewelereditor.com. I have also written for newspapers including Newsday and many more online and print publications.
Read MoreRead Less
