Cover Story - January/February 2007

Rodney Rayner
Britain’s Rolls Royce of Colored Jewels

Rolls Royce may have coined the phrase “Design Without Compromise™,” but nowhere are these three simple worlds more applicable than to another great British purveyor of prestige, Rodney Rayner. Without question, this master of the magnificent is to colored stones what Rolls Royce is to motor cars.

>> Diana S. Zimmerman, Special Features Correspondent

Rodney Rayner and his wife Karin in their home near London.

From a determined young British jewelry clerk, to a world-renowned master designer, one might easily say that Rodney Rayner reigns supreme when it comes to exquisite colored gem jewelry. He has also become one of the hottest brands, anywhere. With high-profile clientele such as Oprah Winfrey, and industry awards that include the 2003, 2004, and 2005 Town & Country Couture Award for Best Jewelry Design in Colored Gemstones, his luxuriously passionate collections have captivated fashion-savvy customers around the globe.

So, what is it that makes his jewelry so in demand? For Rayner, it is all about dazzling color, uncompromising quality, and a design approach that is ultra high fashion. We were able to catch up with the man, himself, in Southern California recently at one of his many trunk shows, and in his words: "Color in jewelry stimulates the senses and provokes a powerful emotional response. It is the sort of response that prompts women to buy for themselves. My customers are confident, independent, fashion-conscious women who are sure of their own style. My jewels are precious, highly individual, and exclusive fashion accessories that add to their wardrobe."

In terms of trends, Rayner adds, “There is a growing appreciation for hot, pulsating colors such as flame orange and apple green.” Rayner designs rings, pendants, and earrings in these shades by using intense golden citrines with shaded yellow to orange sapphires, or the luscious apple greens of lime quartz that is intensified by shaded tsavorites and lemon citrines.

The designer likes nothing better than to break with tradition. In fact, Rayner continually scours the world for intriguing gemstones in sumptuous or subtle colors, which he has specially cut to his specific design requirements. “My goal is to move each new collection forward by experimenting with innovative techniques, playing with shapes, cuts, and textures of unexpected gemstones – then pushing the boundaries in terms of form, volume, and color.” Today, as a brand, Rayner’s powerful, color-infused style is unmistakable. It is warm yet bold, with a voluptuous flirtatiousness that ripples with a confident richness of tone and texture.

Intensely attune to even the smallest detail, Rayner uses his signature “silky pavé” to create unexpected contrasts, as well as layered tone-on-tone harmonies. “I want each piece to have hidden surprises so that no matter which angle it is viewed from – even if only by the wearer – there is something interesting – a surprise of detail,” he explains. One example of this is found in his provocative Vegas Collection, an evolution of his hugely successful Dragon design. The intricate openwork on the ring shanks are lined with gemstones, creating luxurious layers and secret depths that extend the ornamentation around the entire ring. His vividly colorful Martini Collection of rings and earrings mixes pavé and claw set stones. Its fluid lines of elegant marquise cut stones quilt the sides of these deep cocktail rings or curve their way along the sensual drop earrings.

Rayner’s Bubbles, Brick, and Mosaic collections inject a strong sense of freedom, capturing today’s preference toward casual, relaxed, and understated luxury. Bubbles features cabochons of effervescent pink sapphires and amethysts or triangular shaped sugarloaf smoky quartz in earth tones. The stones appear to emerge randomly from their 18K gold setting as if growing organically.

The strong architectural lines of his Mosaic and Brick collections, on the other hand, feature rings with geometric gemstone grids in sophisticated neutral tones. Rayner has chosen mist-colored moonstones, rose quartz, diamonds, and pale green prehnites or chocolate diamonds and smoky quartz to give these two collections a very hip, now, and happenin’ look. All of his collections can be seen this year at Centurion in Tucson, Couture at the Wynn in Las Vegas, and at BaselWorld where the company has doubled its display size.

Rayner’s rise to the top was one of determination, daring, and drive. As a young man in his home town of Norwich, England, he started his career working for a family friend who owned a jewelry store. The young Rayner quickly learned the basics of selling
jewelry. Before long, he packed his bags and moved to London. where he secured a
position with one of England’s top jewelers, becoming exposed to some of the top French and Italian manufacturers.

Eventually, he partnered with a friend who manufactured jewelry. During this time, he met several major gemstone dealers, other top retailers, and some of the industry’s finest craftsmen. Rayner later set out on his own. Having gained a well-earned reputation for quality, orders began coming in from Monte Carlo, Paris, Geneva, and Munich. In fact, it was in 1987, in Munich at a jewelry exhibition where he met his future wife, Karin. Today, they live outside of London where he has his studio – and his clients hail from America, Japan, Russia, and the Caribbean, as well as Europe.

Always looking for something new and innovative, Rayner bucked the “white diamond trend” of the 1990’s, and despite the “experts” telling him not to, he began using color – and lots of it. His first collection was called Orbe, and the reviews were nothing short of sensational. Rodney Rayner was on his way to becoming a recognizable brand. “Retailers now have customers who buy five and six pieces at a time,” he comments. “Women tell me they love the fresh inspired feel of each collection and how they can mix and match pieces to create their own unique look. My clients are often women who have the basics. They are looking for something new, something individual and different – something that makes a statement about who they are.”

Just as the double “R” on the hood of a Rolls Royce makes an unequivocal statement, so does Rodney Rayner’s carefully engraved signature on each piece he creates. And while his approach to ultra-luxury may be a bit more colorful than a Rolls, certainly it is every bit as much of “design without compromise.”

www.rodneyrayner.com