Leaf Peeping
Photo credit: @neimanmarcus
Fall for autumn’s finest foliage
The East Coast may not have California’s temperate weather, but our deciduous forests provide something tropical palms simply cannot: the annual explosion of color every autumn, from Appalachia to Quebec. This sylvan spectacle is so stunning that tourists plan road trips just to take in Mother Nature’s ombre-orange display, a tradition that folks ‘round these parts lovingly refer to as “leaf peeping.”
If you don’t live anywhere near a brightly burnished maple or a golden grove of beech, don’t despair: plenty of jewelry designers have managed to capture the enduring beauty of fall foliage in glowing gold tones that are (almost) as breathtaking as the real thing.
Willow
His business may be based in LA, but Simon Ghanimian, owner of Simon G., isn’t immune to the allure of autumn, as his “Fallen Leaves” collection illustrates. According to the brand, each piece perfectly captures “the detail and beauty of the natural world, preserved in diamonds and gold.”
Simon G. “Fallen Leaves” earrings in 18k two-tone gold with diamonds, $2,530 at Kassab Jewelers
Ginkgo
In Saint Laurent’s modern take on this 270 million-year-old species, the distinctive fan-shaped leaves of the ginkgo tree are wrought in statement scale with a delicate stem that climbs up the ear.
Saint Laurent gold-tone “Ginko Leaf” earrings, $495 at Ssense
Maple
Luana Coonen’s delicate maple seed (also known as a “whirlybird”) has our hearts aflutter. Technically called a samara, the sight of maple seeds winging through the air is a telltale seasonal sign.
Beech
The smooth, thin bark of beech trees was used as writing paper in days of yore, and still is. If you spot a tree in the forest inscribed with initials and hearts, it’s likely to be a beech. Equally as romantic as this notion is Oscar de la Renta’s eye-catching collar of beech leaves, designed with so much detail the light even catches drops of dew.
Oscar de la Renta “Graduated Leaf” necklace, $790 at Neiman Marcus
Oak
Copenhagen-based Ole Lynggaard’s outstanding work has earned the company an official appointment as purveyor to the Royal Danish Court. But you don’t have to be nobility to appreciate (or get your hands on) pretty pieces like its 18k gold oak leaf pendant.
Ole Lynggaard “Oak Leaf” 18k yellow-gold pendant, $1,200 at Oster Jewelers
Ivy
Jennifer Behr is known for her deeply detailed designs, and these golden bouquets of vines and crystal clusters of blossoms showcase her talent beautifully. P.S. Holiday stunners found.
Jennifer Behr “Aveline” chandelier earrings, $648 at Jennifer Behr
Editor: Gail Goldberg
Wordsmith/Curator: Rebecca Daly
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