Hands and Gems: The Art of Inspiration

Alexia Connellan’s journey as a designer is a fascinating blend of influences and experiences. Her creative process is deeply rooted in the beauty of the natural world and the brilliance of human achievement. Imagine drawing inspiration from the swirling helix of Christopher Wren’s Dean Staircase in St. Paul’s Cathedral or the delicate petals of the White Egret Orchid. Visualize the rich palette of Millet’s painting of Ophelia in London’s Tate Gallery. These are just a few of the sources that fuel Alexia’s imagination and shape her designs.

But for Alexia, it all starts with the gem. She searches the world over for stones with unique colors, cuts, and characteristics that speak to her. “I’m always aiming for the perfect harmony between gem, design, and the woman the jewel is intended for,” Alexia shares. “Everything should look and feel natural and never forced. Like it could be no other way.”

This philosophy is evident in every piece she creates, where the gem is always the star, and the design enhances its natural beauty.

Influences and Mentors: Crafting a Unique Voice

Alexia’s distinct style didn’t develop in isolation; it resulted from years of mentorship and exploration. Influenced by various artistic mentors, Alexia has shaped her creative vision into something unique. From photographer Thomas Roma, who encouraged her to always reach higher, to painter and sculptor Nicolas Touron, who taught her to think in three dimensions, each mentor has left a lasting imprint on her work.

Master jeweler Gennady Osmerkin showed Alexia what truly magnificent craftsmanship looks and feels like, while Maurice Galli, renowned for designing the new setting for the Hope Diamond, inspired her to design from the heart. Galli’s guidance to draw inspiration from the world around her rather than from other jewelry has helped Alexia craft an original and deeply personal style.

Chasing Beauty: A Lifelong Pursuit

The synergy of museum-quality gemstones, inspired design, and exquisite craftsmanship in Alexia Connellan’s jewelry culminate in a lifelong pursuit of beauty. From her summers in Falmouth, Jamaica, where her grandmother Lena taught her to appreciate everything from Renaissance paintings to brightly colored hummingbirds to her education in New York City, Alexia’s life has been a continuous journey of artistic exploration.

Growing up on the East Coast, Alexia would visit her grandmother every summer, where she fell in love with Jamaica's vibrant colors and Georgian architecture. This blend of structure and color, known as Jamaican Georgian, heavily influences her designs today, bringing balance, proportion, and joy to her work.

Artistic Training and Evolution

Alexia’s formal education further honed her artistic vision. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History and Visual Arts from Columbia University. She continued her studies in sculpture at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Her fascination with gems, sparked by childhood stories of Vikings using the pleochroism of iolite to navigate, led her to collect gemstones seriously. This passion for both art and gems naturally led her to jewelry design.

At the Fashion Institute of Technology, Alexia deepened her knowledge with an AAS in Jewelry Design and a Certificate in Gemology, equipping her with the technical skills to bring her artistic visions to life.

From Commissions to Couture

Beginning with custom commissions, Alexia’s reputation for creating extraordinary jewels quickly grew. In 2015, she launched her signature collection of couture jewels, each piece inspired by the exceptional gems she had collected over the years. Her work, such as the breathtaking Victoria Bracelet featuring a 16.06-carat purple-pink tourmaline, has been recognized in prestigious competitions like the Spectrum Awards, showcasing her talent.

Each piece Alexia creates is a testament to her meticulous approach to design. From the initial sketch to the final polish, every detail is thoughtfully considered to ensure that her jewelry is not just beautiful, but heirloom-quality art that will be cherished for generations.

What I love about her collection:

Her consistency! Her collection is created clearly around the gemstone, allowing it to be the show's protagonist. Her design is fresh, and it is gorgeous in the case of her masterpiece, the Phoenix brooch. It still touches all the golden rules of high-end classic jewelry design but with her very own distinctive twist. This is harder to achieve than one can imagine, and yet, here she is! Rightfully winning AGTA awards and looking at an undoubtingly, very bright future. 

Phoenix brooch by Alexia Connellan features a pavé of over 2,200 precious gems and a gold wire mechanism that allows the wings to move.

 

 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.