Pattern Play: Exploring a Renewed Love of Stripes in Jewellery Design 

Stripes are quietly having a moment in jewellery, and designers from Messika to Jessica McCormack are clearly enjoying themselves. From pearls styled with navy enamel Breton stripes to rows of diamonds and colourful ceramic, the hottest striped jewels are lining up nicely. 

Stripes are everywhere, from fashion to interiors and architecture, yet they have long sat at the margins of jewellery. Linear and often repetitive, a stripe leaves little room for error, which may explain why jewellers have traditionally favoured softer floral or more abstract motifs. When stripes do appear, however, they depend on expert craftsmanship, where everything from spacing and contrast to the alignment of each line carries the design.