Jewelry forged from the fire

As the world swelters in unprecedented heat, it can feel like a furnace out there. Brutalist jewelry stylistically reflected the harsh and unfinished metals created in the fires of metalsmiths and mills.

Born in the 1950s and influenced by the rebuilding of Europe after World War II, the Brutalist style emerged in both architecture and fashion. The style highlighted the lines of construction itself and the rough materials used to build them, such as steel, concrete, brick, or unpolished metals.

Mid-century Brutalist jewelry is characterized by bold organic designs and has spikey or rough textures of roughly polished brass, bronze, or silver. It was popular in the 1950s and 1960s alongside the architecture of the time, but the style began to fall out of fashion in the 1970s.

However, as I watch more and more of the pieces shopped from my collection, it seems to be making a comeback lately.

Stay cool and enjoy the rest of your summer!