In My Jewellery Box: Katie Rowland, Lark & Berry

Despite admitting to being a ‘tomboy’ as a child, Katie Rowland’s dressing-up box included a vast collection of costume jewellery from the 1930s and ’40s, which sparked a lifelong interest in jewellery. After gaining a degree in graphic design, Rowland went on to study jewellery design at Central Saint Martins, and in 2011 launched her eponymous jewellery brand, which became known for its edgy take on precious stones.

After working as a consultant and freelance designer for various luxury houses, in 2017 she was appointed creative director of London-based brand Lark & Berry, using laboratory-grown diamonds in everyday, demi-fine pieces, alongside high-end, one-of-a-kind jewels.

Here, Rowland shares the most precious pieces from her own jewellery box.

Grandmothers’ rings

These rings belonged to my grandmothers on both sides. The platinum and diamond eternity ring and the slightly smaller of the diamond rings came from my paternal grandmother. Her family were antiques dealers and collectors, and their house was full of wonderful antiques and objects, including jewellery and tiaras. It was like walking into a museum.

The other rings came from my maternal grandmother, who sat down with me when I was about 12 or 13 with all her rings and let me choose which one I’d like. It was a special moment, as she told me all about when she got engaged and the stories behind her jewellery. It was nice to hear our family history in that way.

I was very young, so her ring was the first piece of diamond jewellery I’d been given. It had belonged to her own grandmother and been passed down through the generations, so at first I was really scared about wearing it. But she insisted that I should wear and enjoy them.

I used to wear her diamond ring on a chain, and now wear it stacked on my finger with the others. I’m getting married this year and I’ll wear all of them on the day - I think my parents will be pleased that I’ll have my grandmothers with me in that way.

I’ve never been tempted to reset the diamonds. They are very specific to the Victorian era, and I really appreciate the design and craftsmanship of that time. There’s a lovely elegance to them, with the ornate goldwork and settings, and I love old-cut diamonds. I love them as they are.

Diamond and sapphire earrings

These earrings were a great find at a market in Paris about eight years ago. I’d go to Paris for fashion week and always add on a few days at the end; I loved rummaging around the antiques markets.

These earrings aren’t antique - they’re more modern - and I love how elegant they are. There’s a part that sits at the front and part that sits behind the ear, like an ear jacket, and they are full of fluidity and movement. They frame the face beautifully, and the rose gold with diamonds is a really flattering combination.

Although they are delicate, they have a slight edge to them, which I like. While they are definitely one of my more glamorous purchases, they’re not overly ornate - they’re pretty without being girly. They remind me of my time in Paris because of their chic simplicity.

Moonstone and black diamond ring

This is a piece I designed for myself about five or six years ago when I had my own brand. I was very much inspired by mysticism at the time. I liked the idea of holding a crystal ball, and the shimmering nature of moonstones reminded me of that.

A lot of the work I was doing at the time was related to the idea of empowerment, and jewellery that is slightly weaponistic. The idea that women would put on accessories and jewellery like they put on makeup, as armour for the day. I was playing around with different volumes, and the way stones are set. I used to do a lot of inverted settings, and worked often with black diamonds and gold.

I love the contradiction in this ring. From the top it looks very simple and elegant, but when you see if from the side it looks like a budding moon flower. It’s got a natural, organic feel to it, but with a graphic edge, thanks to the claws, which I like. For me, this was quite a celebratory ring, and it remains one of my favourite dress rings. I still wear it a lot.

Antique garnet and diamond ring

I bought this ring [main image] about 12 years ago from an antique dealer in Hatton Garden. It’s very early Victorian, with a garnet surrounded by diamond chips. It reminds me of the type of ring my grandmother would have worn.

I saw it on one of my visits to the dealer and kept coming back to look at it for about three months before I bought it. It just had to be mine, and it’s still one of my absolute favourite pieces.

The craftsmanship and the quality are just extraordinary - I love the ornate piercing and the chasing. It’s a really regal ring. And, although it’s quite ornate, it sits between masculine and feminine - I feel like it’s actually quite a unisex ring.

Like all of the pieces I’ve chosen, this ring has a lot of detail, which I find interesting. It looks very different from different angles. My favourite pieces of jewellery aren’t super extravagant, but they all reveal something. I’m excited that one day I will be passing down these beautiful pieces of design and craftsmanship to my next generation.

Lark & Berry Veto pendant

This is my favourite Lark & Berry piece. I loved designing the Veto collection, playing around with the different cuts of stones and the different settings. Again, it comes down to the little details. That’s what I find exciting as a designer - whether it’s inverting stones or setting them in an unusual way. But it’s still done simply and elegantly.

The marquise is one of my all-time favourite cuts, because it’s almost like a little petal; a little graphic piece of nature. The idea behind the range was all about vetoing the traditional - both in terms of how stones should be set, as well as the whole ethos behind Lark & Berry of using lab-grown gemstones.

It’s my absolute favourite range and I’ve been wearing it a lot since it came out. We’ve been constantly developing it and I’m looking forward to receiving the samples of the next additions to the range.

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