In May 2021 I went back to London to visit family. I hadn’t seen them since January 2020 (luckily I had just visited before everything shut down) I like to visit home (London will always be home, but I’ll also refer to New York as home, so you’ll have to figure out which city I mean in varying situations!) every 6 months or so, I find that each visit grounds me in a way no other vacation does.
Whilst there, I went to visit a friend in Battersea, so I took the bus to Chelsea and walked over the Albert Bridge, named after Queen Victoria’s husband, Albert. It’s such a beautiful bridge, and I know you will have seen it in various movies, such as Bridget Jones’s Baby, Sliding Doors and countless others (I’m a sucker for romcoms).
On the bridge are round geometric details, here’s a close up. I loved the design and thought how beautiful it would look as a necklace with a gemstone in the middle. I am inspired by architecture and love to incorporate it in my designs when I can.
Whilst I was inspired by the architectural details, bridges have a metaphorical meaning, they connect people, but also act as a way of getting from where you currently are to achieving your desired goal, to bridge the gap, if you will.
“Rather than focusing on the obstacle in your path, focus on the bridge over the obstacle.”
– Mary Lou Retton
My mum would always say “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it”, meaning, let’s not worry about it now, let’s focus on what we can achieve and have control of. Another one she’d say is “don’t burn your bridges”, two sayings I try to live by.
I decided to replicate the roundels using CAD (I use Rhino). I first made a double sided necklace, something I’ve never tried before, I used a lab created emerald on one side and a moissanite on the other. I love how you can wear it one way one day and a different way the next, depending on how you’re feeling. It’s also a great way to add two birthstones to a piece, so that you can celebrate two special people in your life.
I made the collection using one of my favorite stones, London Blue Topaz. I love this stone because of it’s color, but also because it’s named after my hometown and also because of its meaning: a stone of love and good fortune, and is also said to promote positive communication, openness, and honesty.
One of my favorite bridge quotes is from Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Let's build bridges, not walls.”