Jamaica-born designer Gina Love has fallen for the rich hues and malleable qualities of high-karat gold, which is responsibly sourced and finished by hand in her powerful and emotive fine jewelry collections.
The daughter of a jewelry designer, Gina Love developed an appreciation for handcrafted ornaments early on. While working in real estate in New York, Love studied at Parsons School of Design to fulfill her interest in photography and fashion. She launched a small made-to-order leather goods company, Peryton, and subsequently decided to leave the corporate world to devote herself to her jewelry creations. Her brand Auvere debuted in 2017. Set in the high-karat gold that Love saw growing up in the Caribbean, her clean, minimalist and bold jewels stand out from the more widespread 14- and 18-karat gold pieces.
What is the common feature between designing high-quality leather goods and fine jewelry?
Respect for the materials. When I design for Peryton, I try to showcase the incredible leather we use (we buy our leather from a tannery owned by Hermès). I do this by creating unique shapes and limiting seams and hardware to the minimum necessary to make the bag functional. When I am designing Auvere’s high-karat gold jewelry, I lean towards sculptural designs that allow the richness of 22- and 24-karat gold to speak for itself.
Where is your jewelry crafted?
Auvere jewelry is handcrafted in New York City, Chicago and Jaipur, India, using a mix of modern, traditional and downright ancient techniques. Our NYC-based partner is a family-run business with decades of experience making fine jewelry. They make all of our 24-karat gold jewelry pieces. Our partner in Jaipur is also a family-operated business with roots in fine jewelry manufacturing that date back to 1931. Our Indian partner makes all of our 22-karat gold jewelry. We’ve recently started working with a Chicago-based maker, which has expertise in both 22- and 24-karat gold jewelry. Some pieces are completely handmade; others are crafted using the lost wax process. Regardless of how a piece starts off being made, they are all assembled and finished by hand.
What do you enjoy the most working with high-karat gold?
Some people see the color and softness of high-karat gold as liabilities. Those are the things I cherish. I love the ultra-rich golden hue and the way my 24-karat gold rings gently mold to the shape of my fingers. Also, like many people I have sensitive skin, so I benefit from the hypo-allergenic qualities of 22- and 24-karat gold. I am practical, so I appreciate that gold’s value increases over time.
How do you source the gold for your creations?
Our makers source the gold from reputable global refiners such as Switzerland-based Valcambi. All of these refiners adhere to strict responsible-sourcing guidelines and often use recycled gold. Cool fact: All of the gold that has ever been mined is still around today. No one throws out gold.
What inspired your latest collections?
Right now, I have five different collections: Arignote, Talisman, Sculptura, Celestial and Scribe. Arignote, named after the earliest known female mathematician, is where I express my passion for angles and mathematical shapes. Talisman is the Auvere take on commonly known icons and talismans. Sculptura allows me to indulge my passion for modern and sculptural pieces. The Celestial collection was my very first collection — it was inspired by exoplanets discovered in 2017, as well as the celestial provenance of gold itself. Scribe is my most recent collection. It’s inspired by words, and for now the word that I am focused on is love! I have a new collection coming out in the next month called Alphabet City for obvious reasons — this collection is focused on initials.
Sustainability plays a big part in your creative mission. What are the biggest challenges you face when looking for responsibly sourced gemstones?
We do care about sourcing our materials carefully and responsibly. I mentioned earlier how we source gold. All of the diamonds we use are covered by the Kimberley Process. Interestingly, there is no Kimberley Process for colored gemstones. We use colored gemstones only when we have received assurances from our trusted suppliers about the traceability of the stones, and that such stones are conflict-free.
What do you see as your next creative adventure for your jewelry business?
I would love to make a series of one-of-a-kind and limited-edition pieces where we really experiment with more gemstones and new shapes and forms. I have an entire sketch book full of designs that are not ready for prime time just yet.
What is your most cherished personal item of jewelry?
My diamond engagement ring. My husband designed it, as well as my wedding band. It’s most definitely a stunning ring but the part that I cherish the most is how much love he put into designing it. Also, he proposed in such a romantic manner that the ring now holds all of the memories of that night.
A close second is our Floral Eye signet ring with pavé diamonds. Every time I look at this ring on my finger, I love it even more. It’s our take on the protective evil eye, with lashes that are like petals filled in with diamonds. Who can’t use the extra protection?
