There is something both inspiring and soothing about the in-depth magic and light of emeralds. Maybe that’s why Nina loves the stones so much.
The designer spent a large part of her childhood on her parent’s farm in Medusa NY. She grew up around nature and greenery, growth and fertility, a hotbed for her own creativity.
Nina’s attraction to emeralds probably stemmed from admiring her mother’s wedding ring, as a little girl. An Edwardian band of dark flat emeralds set into rose gold, the ring now adorns the finger of the designer’s eldest daughter Alexa.
But maybe the bigger crush for the budding creative was a large bar pin with two glowing emeralds set around a diamond. Her mother would clasp it around a multiple strand pearl necklace.
“I remember my mother looking so chic. She used to have a chignon, her hair was up, up, up! She had tiny little waist. And I used to just remember her and the pearls and the pin, and it’s like my vision of my mother. She was such an inspiration to me. So, I think my love of emeralds comes from her.”
While traditionally an emerald on the darker side is considered by many the more precious, the fine jeweler tends to favor the brighter green of Colombian emeralds, which to her feel more cheerful. She dearly loves the inclusions, giving the gems an extra dimension or sense of realness.
From bold and bright, platinum, emerald and diamond rings, to deep green cabochon front hoops or lighter mix-shape oval hoops on blackened white gold for a more casual feel.
“Every piece of jewelry we layout is a bit different. We did hoops with different diamond cuts, the next one was with oval, the next one will be round. We want to keep changing things and the architecture should always be different from one to another.”
Lush greens feel soothing and relaxing to Nina and many items in her closet complement these shades. Outside her wardrobe, amongst other things in her home, she particularly cherishes a beautiful photograph of two geishas walking on water, in a bamboo forest of green by photographer Ahmet Ertug.
More recently, the designer added to her offering a smaller, yet still striking, cocktail ring sporting a 13ct Muzo Sugarloaf Emerald to be worn either with a white t-shirt, or a ballgown. Staying true to her motto, never too precious to wear.
